Rosicrucian Digest, June 1957

8/12/2019 Rosicrucian Digest, June 1957

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cientesthoodsators between men

the supernatural .

V A V

ls and KarmaSocietyes of hu m an

nglements.

V A V

eaming isperiencingibilities in the

d of sleep.

V A V

Mysticism

Science

The Ar ts

V A V

cxt

ur Sons

d Daughters

V A V

t of the East

O S I C R U C I A N

DIGEST30c per copy


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De s i gne d by a Ros i c r u -c i a n o f f i c e r a nd e xe c u t e d

b y a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l l yknown sculptor . S ize , s ix( 6 ) i nc he s i n he i gh t a ndl e ng t h . I t i s ma de o f ge n u i ne C e r a m i c s , m a g nif ic e n t i n c o l o r a nd go l d .

P r i c e i nc l ude s pos t a ge .

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Thi s i t e m a va i l a b l e t oS t e r l i ng me mbe r s t h r ought he London Ros i c r uc i a nS u p p l y B u r e a u . 2 5 G a r r ick St ., Lond on. W .C. 2 .E n g .

Pr ice ......... 1 / 8 / 6 s te r li n g .

I n t h e temples of yore, under star l i t skies, kneeling and swayin

a rhythmic chant, the mystics offered their prayers to unseen Co

hosts, while in their midst a si lver wisp of f rankincense swir led upw

to the heavens above. N o m ystical or devou t ceremony w as comw ithout i ts elaborate, ornam ented incense bu rner con taining scented

or arom atic gum. Th e bu rning of incense was no fantast ic supers

or weird r i te , but the symbol of man's at tunement in prayer and m

tation w ith the gre at Cosmic consciousness. By inhaling its fragr

man, while l istening to the harmony of the chant, and with eyes clto all worldly scenes, would have his sense of smell captured an

raised to a complete state of ecstasy. Th us, fo r the momen t, his

sciousness, being free from distracting sensations, could soar on highthe Cosmic realm as did the wisps of cur l ing smoke from the bu

bef ore him . T h ro ug ho u t th e cen tu ri es in th e m yst er y and se cre t sch

the grottoes and cloisters, beautiful symbolic incense burners have bee n used .

For Rosicrucians, we have designed one embodying the beau

spir i tual signif icance of the salutat ion to the dawn of Amenhotepso loved by all members of AM O R C . The face is an exact copy o

sculptured head found in the ruins of his temple at Tell e l-Amarna.arms are folded in Rosicrucian supplication. Its symbolism, the sun

and crux ansata (looped cross), has a special significance to all Rosc ians. I t i s a useful and beaut iful accessory. A D D IT T O YO

S A N C T U M .

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31i t J t l e m o r t a m

J a n C o o p s , G r a n d M a s t e r o f A M O R C o f T h e N e t h e r la n d s , e x p e ri en c e d

the G r e a t I n i ti a t ion Sa tu r d a y , M a y 11 . F r a t e r Coops ha d be e n se ri ous ly il l

f o r ma ny m onths . I n h i s tr a ns i t i on , t he O r de r ha s l ost one o f it s mos t a r de n t

w o r k e rs a n d p a t ri a rc h s i n E u r o p e . A f t e r W o r l d W a r I I , a g a in s t g r e a t od d s ,

he r e ha b i l it a t e d t he O r de r in h i s c oun t r y , t a x ing h i s w a n ing s tr e ng th .

H e w a s a pe r sona l f r i e nd o f the l a te I m pe r a to r , D r . H . Spe nc e r L ew is .

Some tw e n ty - se ve n ye a r s a go , D r . L e w i s c onf e r r e d upon F r a t e r Coops t he

a u tho r i ty t o r e -e s t ab l ish t he Ro s i c r uc ia n O r d e r in T h e N e the r l a nd s . For

ma ny m onths now , J a n C oops w i se ly de l e ga t e d a u th or i t y t o o the r F r a t r e s

w ho ha v e f a i t h f u l ly a nd mos t e ff ic i en t ly c a r r i e d on t he G r e a t W or k i n h i s

c ou n t r y dur ing h i s pe riod o f i nc a pa c i ty . Pe a c e P r o f o und , F r a t e r Coops .

JA N CO OPS , F. R. C.

1 8 8 0 - 1 9 5 7

nd Master of The Netherlands


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c d H i s M J Z O i . f o t D - h o t e , - - - -

AT THE MERCY OF FATEW O U L O S E a litt le so m et hin g each d ay il

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There is no preconceived plan for you lo follow:

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Y O U R S E L F . T h ey ca n tell you how lo q

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Let This FREE Book Help You

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A ccep t the gif t of the se ale d book bel

using this coupon. It expla ins just w h

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I am s incere ly interes ted in an inte l l igent mfor a t ta ining a mastership of li fe . Send me, wobl igat ion, y o u r f r e e b o o k which expla ins hmay r ece i ve and use your age - o l d me t hod .

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ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTC O V E R S TH E W O R L D

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E W O R L D - W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O R D E R

Vol. XX XV JUN E, 1957 No. 6

In Memoriam (Coops) (Frontispiece)................ 201

Tho ugh t of the M on th : An cie nt Priestho ods ................................. 20 4

Rhythmic Religion..................................................................................... 20 7

Dreaming is Experiencing ......................... 20 9

C an Y ou Expla in This? ........................................... ..................................... 213

Our Growing Pains ............... ......

........................................ 21 5

Mechanics of Thought............................................ ................................... 218

W h o W o n ?.................... ......................... ................. 221

Cathedral Contacts: Knowledge of Self ......... ................................ 22 2

Evils and Karma of Society ................................................................ ........ 22 5

Temple Ech oes ....................................................................................... 229

Mys te rie s o f Li fe ........................................................................................ 2 3 1

Taj Mahal Manuscript Found (filler).......... 23 6

A rt Ju dge s M ake Se lec tion (Illust ration).. ......................... ... ....... 23 7

Subscript ion to the Rosicrucian Digest, $3.00 (1/ 2/ - sterl ing) per year. S in gle copies

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Ch an ge s of ad dress must reach us by the first of the month prece ding date of issue.

Statements made in this publ icat ion are not the official expression of the organizat ion or

its officers unless stated to be official communications.

Published Monthly by the Supreme Counci l of

Rosicrucian Park T H E R O S IC R U C I A N O R D E R A M O R C San Jose, California

EDITOR: Frances Vejtasa

T he Pur pos e o f the Ros icr uc ian O r der T he R o s i c ruc ian O rder , ex i s t i ng i n a l l c iv i l ized lands, is a nonsec tar ian f ra t e rna l body o f m en

a nd w ome n de vo t e d t o the i nve s t i ga t i on , s t udy , a nd p r a c t i c a l a pp l i c a t i on o f na t u r a l a nd s p i r i t ua ll a ws . The pu r pos e o f t he o r ga n i z a t i on i s t o e na b l e a l l to l ive i n ha r mony w i t h t he c r e a ti ve , c on s t r uc t i ve Cos mic fo r c e s f o r the a t t a i nm e n t o f he a l t h , ha pp i ne s s , a nd pe a ce . The O r de r i s i n t e r na t i ona l l y known a s "AM ORC " ( a n a bb r e v i a t i on ) , a nd t he A . M. O. R .C . i n Am e r i c a a nd a l l o t he rl a nds c o ns t i t u t e s t he on l y f o r m o f Ros i c r uc i a n a c t i v i t i e s un i t e d i n one body . The A . M. O. R .C . doe sno t s e l l i t s t e a c h i ngs . I t g i ve s t he m f r e e l y t o a f f i l i a t e d me mbe r s t oge t he r w i t h ma ny o t he r be ne f i t s .F o r c o m p l et e i n f o rm a t i o n a b o u t t h e b e n e f it s a n d a d v a n t a g e s o f R o s i c r u c i an a s s o c ia t io n , w r i t e al e t t e r t o t he a dd r e s s be l ow, a nd a s k f o r t he f r e e book . The M a s t e r y of L ife . Addr e s s Sc r i beS. P. C., Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, San Jose , Cal i fornia, U .S .A . (Cable Address: AMORCO)

Copy right , 1957, by the Supr eme Gra nd Lo dge of AMO RC, Inc . Al l r ights re se rved.


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T h e

Ros icrucian

Diges t

June

1 9 5 7

THE

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH

ANCIENT PRIESTHOODS

B y T H E I M P E R A T O R

h e origin of priesthoodsgoes back to primitivesocieties. Priests were notat first the representatives of organized religions. All sorcerers andmagicians who officiated

in religio-magical rileswere in relation to thesuch practicesin fact,

pries ts. They were a class of individuals who functioned as mediators between men and the supernatural powders which were to be propitiated . To

pr im itive man , all natu ra l phenom enawhich were beyond his control or comprehension, were relegated to a tr anscendental state. The y were of anotherworld or were directed by superior beings. The primitive individual feelsdefinitely inferior in the presence of

such forces. Tie thinks of himself asbeing incapable of approaching themdirectly for his own welfare. In hisstate of helplessness, he turns to thosewhom he believes have the power tointercede for him.

In every tribal or primitive societythere are those individuals who areuniq ue in some manner. It m ay bethat they are afflicted by epilepsy orhave been born deformed; or, perhaps,they are suffering from mental aberration. These conditions set them off fromtheir fellows. Afflictions are often con

strued as constituting a kind of divinefaculty. Some of these individuals wereshrewd enough to take advantage oftheir circumstances. The y became,then, the manipulator, the performerof rites and of acts thought necessaryto invoke the power of the gods and ineffect were then priests.

There were those who took theprofession as pries ts seriously enougto study the very causes of the feaand superstitions of the other membeof the ir society. They came to learna tural laws, and they kept their knowedge secret; they allowed it to add

their dignity and sacerdotal influencAs a class, these mediators, or priestwere both respected and feared. Thewere considered purified, as beinpossessed of pu re qualities of the dvine with which they were thought have relations.

In primitive societies, such as thPolynesians, the priest is usually tholdest male member of the family. Th

priests were made custodians or gu arians of all sacred places, such as groveor huge stones, as megoliths, connectewith worship. Th e lay worshippe

were not allowed to enter such santuaries except on special occasions, ftheir presence might profane the

places. The priests, being pure in nture and representatives of the sacrebeing, would no t defile the sanc tuarby th eir persons.

Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s

One who aspired to be a priest reaized that it was incumbent upon hito be a wonder worker. Among thFijians, the priest is expected to be abto awe the devotees, as a magician;

he does not. he fails in impressing thewith his exalted powers. Consequentlthe primitive priest, to be successfuhad to be a person with imaginatioand resourcefulness. If he was able go into an epileptic state, this addeto his spectacular appeal. If he had nsuch affliction he had to resort to d


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ceptive measures to suggest powers exceeding those of the average tribesman.

Various methods were used to produce abnormal states, suggesting a possession by a supernatural power. Herbswere used to compound drugs that produced a state of ecstasy or trance. Dur

ing such times the personality of thepnes t was no ticeably transformed. Hemight appear to be impervious to pain,or speak eloquently, or to utter unintelligible cries which would be inter

preted as prophetic messages. Even theoracles of Delphi resorted to the inhalation of fumes when making theirfamous prophecies.

Eve ntually in prim itive societies, certain customs and practices were ex

pected an d demanded of the priesthood.There was a period of self-training.This might consist of self-abnegation,the denial of temporal interests and ofsex relationsalso, long fasting wasexpected. Lustration or purification ofthe self, by ritual bathing, was frequently indulged in.

I n E g y p t

For a consideration of ancient priesthoods one is drawn at once to Egypt.The priesthood there reached a highstate of development as an organization. Th eir practices influenced thecustoms of other priesthoods down

through the ages. As we review thesebeliefs an d practicessome notab le,many otherwisewe see the syncreticdevelopment of the prominent priesthoods of today from such beginnings.Modem priesthoods might deny thattheir sacerdotal rites sprang from anysuch pagan origins. W e, however, shallleave it to our readers to judge whetherthere could be such an extensive correspondence between current practicesana those of the ancient Egyptianpriesthood, and such be only coincidental.

In the early dynasties, the Egyptianking was the High Priest. The kingwas conceived as being divine and wasidentified with Re, the prevailing godof Heliopolis. At other times he washeralded as the manifestation of Horus,the son of Osiris and Isis. Th e king,who was the temporal head or reigninghead of the state, found it impossibleto perform his administrative dutiesand, as well, officiate in the increasing

number of sacerdotal requirements.Eventually, he found it incumbent upon him to deputize religious duties tovarious members of the priesthood.This delegation of power was, at a latertime, to menace the security of thestate.

There were two main classes ofpriests: th e prophets, hmw-ntr, whowere of a higher category; and thelower class, who, in Egyptian, werecalled we b, meaning lower. Priestswere assigned to a temple and werecalled the temple staff. Th ey were to

perfo rm, pap yri inscrip tions tell us,services for the temple. The staff ofthese temples were divided into fourcourses or gangs of service. In fact, wenote that the priests of the royal mortuary temples were divided intophylae .Each phyle , or group of priests served

one lunar month . This was done by-rotation. Th e papyri relate that eachpr iest was afforded an in te rv al of threemonths of nonservice between two periods of service. An interesting papyrusfrom Illahun of the Middle Kingdom,shows that each phyle upon the completion of th eir te rm of service, drewup a complete inventory of templeprop erty. This invento ry was handedover to their successorsthe incomingphyle.

An example of the administrativeefficiency of these phvlae is the factthat both parties certified the list. Thelist had clay attached to it upon whichwas impressed a seal of the chief ofstaff and the names of the membersof the phyle. This same papyrus relates that there were certain permanent functionaries as superintendentof the temple and the chief lectoror reader. The latter was an orator.

It is interesting to note the similarityof titles conferred upon the ancientEgyptian priests to those assumed byones of mo dern sects. Th e priest was

conceived as a son of the particulargod whom he served and to whose temple he was attached. In th e renownedliturgy entitledOpening of the Mouth,of which more will be said later, thepr iest ha d the title, Son whom heloves. Horus was the king, the priesthis son, whom the god loved becauseof his service to him.

The Memphite priesthood was oneof the most learned. Th eir god was


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Ptah , the patron god of the artisans andcraftsmen. Th e chief priest was knownas chief of the artificers. Ptah himself was later conceived as the Architect of the Universe. Also, in the ritualof the Opening of the Mouth, thehigh priest of Memphis is referred toas he who is great at directing crafts

men. The priests of Ptah were thedirectors and instructors of the craftsmen . Before the ir religio-magical doctrines evolved into a philosophy, theirrituals were actually performed in theworkshops of the craftsmen.

The chief title of the high priest ofthe god Re, the sun deity at Heliopolis,was he who is seeing. He was alsodescribed as being over the mysteriesof heaven, or, who sees the mysteriesof heaven. This signified that the highpr iest in his capacity of mediator wasblessed w ith an unrest ricted vision. This

vision did not allude to physicalsight but to mental vision, the facultyof prognosticationforeseeing futureevents. Th e priests were generallycalled by the people itf ntrfatherof God, or Holy Father, or simply,Father alluding to their sacred relationship to the god. Th e high priest ofAton at Akhetaten, the City of theHorizon, established by Pharaoh Akh-naton, was entitled: Great Seer.

W o m e n

Women also functioned as religiousdignitaries in ancient Egypt. The irtitles and duties were recorded in official documents. Concubines we re assigned to the temple of Am un. Theywere brides or wives of the gods. Fromthe Fifth Dynasty on, the pharaoh wasconceived to be the physical offspringof the sun-god, Re. Th e queen, therefore, was called the gods wife. A

pap yrus relates th at her principa l dutywas to rattle the sistrum, a form ofmusical instrument, constituting loosemetallic rods in a U-shaped device.

This rattling, we are told, was donebefore his beautiful face, alluding tothe face of the god. Musician priestessesreceived the special title of playing

T h e with the sistrum in front of him the

Rosicru cian goi . . . .The chief pnestess was, m most

Utgest cases, the wife of the high priest. SheJune rattled the sistrum, chanted and danced1957 in the temple. In the Middle Kingdom,

women of high family, of the nobilbore the ti tle of prophetess, and seras functionaries in the temple. In latter, or New Kingdom, the priesteswere divided into phylae as were priests. The chief priestesses of thphylae were kn ow n as th e p hy larchPriestesses of the god, Hathor, bore

title, confidential royal favorite.Thebes, religious see of the god, Ama priestess was known as wife of goan d as worshipper of god. Thouas said, their main duty was the pling of musical instruments in the tple , the priestesses were also requ ito pou r libations to the god. Thduties also included the making of ferings and performing of morturites, that is, funerary ceremonThey were required to meet almost same qualifications of purificationwere demanded of the priests.

R i t u a l s

Priests, as noted, were deputies of king. Th e king was divine and a p

person. The refore, th e chief prwas often assigned a name that mepure, A . Th e investiture or ordition of a priest was a highly soleand dramatic event, many of the ments of which have passed into simrituals today. Egy ptian priests wgenerally permitted to marry and hchildren. Th us, the profession of prwas often a hereditary one. After h

ing been through a lustration cemony, or rite of purification, the nphyte pr iest was crow ned and solemconducted to a sanctuary. In this rituhe was embraced by the god. It necessary by sacrosanct and symbogesture and act to show that he

been accepted by th e god. In anciinscriptions it is stated that the prdur ing the investiture of his office tcomm union. In other words, inritu al he was fed sacred food. Tfood had a symbolic relationship to substance or nature of the god wh

he was to serve.An interesting account relates the

vestiture of th e chief priestess of AmA silver pail for the libation of mto be offered to the god, was plain her right hand. In her left hathere was placed a silver sistrum. Abthe neck of the priests and priesteswere jewels of office, indicating thrank. The high priest of Pta h wor


9/44

curious chain which depicted his obligations, duties, and powers. I t suggestssimilar devices worn today by administrative officers in England when officiating in some prominent function ofstate.

Though, as said, many of the priestsacquired their status through heredity,

some were later appointed from nonpriest families. All high priests had toreceive their appointment from theking. However, this appointm ent couldbe discharged th ro ugh the local governor who represented the king, or

pharaoh.(To be continued)

V A V

c ^ y f i t j l f i r n L e

By C h a s . S . S t o u g h

(Reprinted from Sage, Cactus, Arizon aIssue of Ma rch 22, 1956)

w a y and apart from theCity of Phoenix, deep inthe Estralia foothills, liesa little community calledGuadelupe, peopled entirely by the Yaquis, asmall tribe of Indianswho are still refugeesfrom Mexico.

Their lives and customs are foreignto the American Indians and just asfar apart from the Mexicans to theSouth. It is much like a step into an other world to be with them in theircommunity. Yet they are industriouspeople, very fine ag riculturists an d excellent miners and laborers. Th ey aremore modem than their Americanbenefactors in some things, fo r as onesurveys their town the most prosperousbuild ing is crow ned by a large sign:Guadelupe Co-Operative Groceryand they have made it function foryears.

At Easter time, during Passion Week,

the Yaquis revert completely to theirpagan customs.

The influence of the Christian occupation of Mexico has le ft its m ark upontheir ritualistic expression of their pietyand their belief in God, but it is apeculia r ad mixture of ancient paganismand their conception of the Christianreligion.

For one week before Easter sunrisethe men and women celebrate. Thegreat square before the Yaqui church

and the Catholic church is lined witheating and drinking stands to supplythe visitors and the Yaquis with theirfood and drink during the festiveseason.

In the center of the square is erecteda large ramada covered on three sidesand roofed w ith palm fronds. It isdivided in the middle by a gauzestretched partition. The open end facesthe east and the rising sun. To the leftside of the partition is the dancing area,

and on the other side is erected an altaron which reposes the Christian adaptation of the ceremonial.

The altar is bedecked in coloredpaper and th e soft glow of th e candlesmakes one think of ancient Missiondays when padres pushing forward into foreign fields used the most primi-tive devices to advance the work ofChrist.

Seated stoically before the altar is awoman who keeps constant vigil, dayand night. Lying all about the ground

in the dust stirred up by many feet,are other women, and the children who,exhausted by the hours and loss ofsleep, turn themselves, like chrysalidsin their cocoons, into their blankets andsleep a tired sleep upon the dustyground.

The partition, however, divides therestful picture into vivid contrasts oflife. Here the men in costumes of thedistant past conduct their ritualisticdances portraying something so foreign


10/44

to the Christian concept it seems to bea contest as to which will survivethe

paga n or the Christ ian.Soft, whining music of the violin

and a very unorthodox harp with tonesquite similar to the modern cello slideout the music to accompany the shuffling of feet. Each dancer takes histu rn as the music, never ceasing, dronesaway. Th e costumes of the dancers,much adorned with bells and gourds,beat ou t a rh yth m ic staccato to thetime of the music. W ha t this dance

po rtrays is a mys tery . There is no noiseexcept the d roning of the music and therhythm ic rat tle of the gourds. Fina llythe scene changes. Th e soft music givesway to drums and a moaning flute. Therhythm is stepped up and each dancer,with rattles and a hideous mask of jetblack with whi te express ion pa inted on,goes singly through his turn of dancing.

Another character, whose head isadorned with the head of an antelopejoins each dancer in his tu rn, an d withgreat gourds beating out his measuredtempo he shuffles, spins and turns. Accompanying the drum beats and theflute is a rasping regular beat of anotched stick which is scraped across ahollow gourd, making a sound muchlike a saw cutting wood.

Then there is another instrument

V A

added to accentuate the increased tepo. I t is a gourd about the size ofsmall watermelon and it rests in a tof water. The player in rapid timmeasures out the beat with a stick. Tsound is muffled, subdued by the gourimmersion in water.

After all the dancers have had thturn with the antelope dancer, they join toge ther in goading him. Thspeak to him and creep close behihim. For a time he remains motionleBut suddenly he turns upon the dancand gives each one a kick. Then moaing and rubbing their legs, they fback as if th ey were afraid.

Other dancers before the temple on tsquare wear magnificent headdressTheir rhythmic display is in unisoTheir dancing is artistically steppout, their motif more sedate, mo

pious. W hen th ey ar e exhausted, th

too wrap themselves in blankets asleep within the temple in the dust.To one who cannot understand t

rituals and the dance, it is to look upsome vision of the past. It is not YOUreligion, YOUR belief, but it is fithat here, refugee every one, they cdo their religious dances, worship thGod in their own way.

No one objects or cares, and thdifference with us is respected.

V

THE TIME . .

TheRosicrucianD ig est

June1957

. . . grows shortbut not too short to include in

your vacation plans three rewarding weeks of Rosi

crucian association; three weeks of fellowship and

interesting, up-to-date instruction in the arts and

sciences by highly competent, enthusiastic teachers.

All this plus wonderful mystical experiences; the

quiet, inspiring sanctitude of Rosicrucian Park;

pl ea sa nt ho urs sp en t in conv ers ation or med ita tio n;

and ju st pla in good tim es in co mmunion with fellow

Rosicrucians. Campu s set in the beautiful Valley

of Hearts Delight.

There is still time to plan to attend this summers

session of Rose-Croix Universityfrom June 17 to

July 6. Our new extended program is the finest

ever. Fo r informa tion, please write im med iately to:

THE REGISTRAR, ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSITY

Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, California


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jL^zzanung L tZxjiz ziznccncj

B y E l o i s e F r a n c o , F . R . C .

(Author of the book, Jo urn ey In to a Strange La nd)

h a n k God, piously-exclaimed Saint Au

gustine thirteen hundredyears ago, I am not responsible for m y dreams!We wonder what kind ofdreams a sa in t could havethat would cause him tomake such a remark. Wealso wonder how the good man wouldhave felt had he known that Freud

and Adler and Jung were going tocome along and show us that we areresponsible for our dreams.

For a dream is definitely an experience. Natu rally this brings up the question: Are dreams significant? Th e an swer is simple. During our wakinghours we are experiencing all day long.We know some things are significantand some are not. So it is with dreams.

However, in order to understandwhat makes a dream significant, weneed to picture clearly the difference

between ou r sleeping and ou r wakingstates. W e are now fam iliar with theconcept that we live within a great seaof vibrating energy, with waves traveling in all directions at all the different rates of speed. Those wave lengthsthat strike against our familiar senseorgans, turned into nerve energy, arepassed over the cerebrospinal nervoussystem to the brain. There through association and interpretation we buildup our objective mind. Other waves ofhigher frequencies arise from within,or strike the receptor organs which we

call our psychic centers. These too areturned into nerve energy but are carried to the brain over the sym pathet ic nervous system, and by means of thesethrough association and interpretationwe build up our subjective mind.

The objective mind which tells us ofthe world around us we associate withour outer earthly nature. The subjective mind may be connected with ourinner or astral nature. However, as weknow, not all the stimuli extend to the

end of interpretation andmay remain dormant inour subconscious. It takesa stimulus from some typeof energy, together withthe interpretation of thatstimulus, to make up anexperience.

In the Revelation whichwas my privilege to experience (andwhich forms the basis for Journey Into

a Strange Land), it is given that energy is a form of Consciousness. Its action in different forms of electromagnetic balance makes up the Realm ofManifestation. Consciousness watchingthe activity of itself on any one of theselevels becomes awareness. During ournormal waking hours our interest andattention are centered upon the thingsaround us so we are aware of thisear thly level. How ever du ring sleep,attention is withdrawn and may center on the astral, the psychic.

In order to understand the relationship between the levels of the Realmof Manifestation we may examinethem as they are reflected in man, themicrocosm of the macrocosm, and es

pecial ly in th e aura . This elec tromagnetic field about our body is composedof layers, each one reflecting a portionof the pheno menal world. Closest tothe tangible physical expression is alaye r of ether. This energy is moreelectrical and is that which is expressing the familiar patterns of fire, water,air, earth, etc., as well as congealing

into the subatomic particles whichbui ld up matter. The next la yer inour aura is composed of astral light.This energy is more magnetic and expresses pattern s we have forgotten; itas well manifests those familiar to us.Surrounding this comes a layer ofakasha, the balanced electromagneticene rgy w hich possesses the peculiar faculty of remembering. Finally on theoutside is a lay er representing the HolySpir i t , the oneness which, when


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TheRosicrucianDigestJune

1957

awakened to awareness, is Cosmic Consciousness.

In the macrocosm the Realm of Spirit is phenomenal but unmanifest. Theremaining types of energy form theRealm of Manifestation. Akasha formsthe region of the so-called fixed stars.Astral Light fills the aura around the

planets which , togethe r with our Ear th ,make up the solar system. The negative Earth and the positive AstralPlanes are seeking to blend into theelectromagnetic balance that will bethe Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Ourown earthly and astral natures are alsoseeking to blend. But, before we canaccomplish this, through the principleof reincarnation we are sent swingingback an d fo rth between th e Earth an athe Astral Planes until we attain theMastership that will set us free andenable us to rise and join the Great

White Brotherhood who make theirhome among the stars.

M eanwhile we experience daily a reflection of this alternation between theEa rth and the Astral Planes. W e callit sleeping and waking. Fo r sleep isindeed the little death . As we passinto sleep our astral body, the positivecounterpart of the negative earthly,tends to project out into our aura. Mostof us have felt the slight jump on drop

ping off which is described as a reflexand is caused by an interruption tothis projection process. The astral body

may remain suspended in our aura or,still connected to the physical by thesilver cord, may project even fartheronto the Astral Plane proper. Th en thesource of the type of energy supplyingthe stimulus will be that which isresponsible for our dreams and willdetermine their significance as an experience.

We know the word psy ch e meanssoul. In the terminology of Jo urney into a Strange Land, Soul is the activerepresentative of Knowledge, the Self

of God. It is Soul, of wh ich ene rgy isan integral part, out of which the universe is made. As explained above,the Earth and the Astral Planes areseeking to unite as the Kingdom ofHeaven on Earth. Our own psyche,composed of our earthly and astralnatures, also seeks integration and unification, the individuation that will be

our personal microcosmic Kingdom Heaven on Earth.

St i m u l i U n l i m i t ed

Until now, however, we have cetered attention on developing our ounature and have neglected the innIn fact we seem to be using it mainas a dumping ground for things e

cluded by the discriminating selectivness of waking awareness we call cosciousness. These things repressed inour unconscious and met with agawhen we are projected into the astlayer of our aura may provide tstimulus for our dreams. However, prev iously stated, it is the source ostimulus that determines the signicance of a dream, so not all dreaare caused by such repressions. In fthe stimulus may come from almanywhere in this great sea of eneraround us.

For instance, the body itself mprovide a phys ical stim ulus which the dream state we interpret astrasuch as is experienced during familindigestion nigh tma res. Or we mhave kicked off the covers and ochilled body initiates a dream of waing in the snow. A truck may rumbthrough the streets and through thcross-currenting may cause us to dreaof thunder, while our imagination a

pro priately fu rn is h e s accompanyilightn ing, wind and rain. In studies

this phenomenon it was found thatgummed square fastened on the foof an individual, caused him to dreathat he was dancing. The ha nd of aother subject when stroked with cottgave rise to the dream that a cow wlicking his hand. So we see th at tactual stimulus may be quite differefrom that to which we give the crein our dream.

Most commonly it is the daily debfrom our waking hours that furnishmaterial for our dreams. Although tincident in itself may be trivial, o

subconscious mind may relate the ocurrence to something it considers iportant an d a dream may be triggeroff. On the other hand, during the dsome insignificant turn of events wmake us remember a dream we knowe otherwise would never have remebered . This leads us to believe mostus dream more than we may thi


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we do, especially if we have n ot formedthe habit of reviewing what we can ofour dreams on awakening.

When the stimulus for our dreamingcomes from the Astral Plane, interpretation will tend to be in accord withthe nature of that plane. Here, in its

freedom from the limitations of earthlymatter, we find the source of those delightful dreams of levitation or flyingthrough space- How often it has beensaid, In sleep all things become possible! And indeed they do, for theastral light may be likened to a candle.Hold an outline or pattern in front ofthe candle and immediately a shadow

the astra l man ifes tationis made.That pattern is formed from ourthoughts and desires, just as thethoughts and desires of the Creator first

brought forth th e universe.Personally I learned at an early age

tha t under c ertain circumstances (whichI still realize only later as being thedream state) I must be careful not tothink about what I do notwant to happen. If I see a tree and fear it may fallim mediately it will come crashingdown. If I am driving a car and fearit may run into the ditch alongsideno sooner thought, than into the ditchI go. On the Astral Plane, the thingI fearor hope forwill come uponme at once. He re we find the basis for

the wish-fulfillment that psychologistshave come to dwell upon as formingsuch an important part of our dreamlife.

In addition it answers the questionoften raised: W hy are so m any dreamsunpleasant? Our emotions are tied upwith our astral nature, the glands linking our earthly and astral bodies justas the physical planets link the Earthand the Astral Planes. Life for us hereconsists of a succession of experiencesin order that we may learn from themand develop spiritually. This means itis not so much what happens to us buthow we react to it tha t counts. The refore the greater the emotional contentof our reaction the greater impressionit will make upon our subconsciousastral nature; and, if it is unpleasantas so many of our emotions tend to be,it will provide the stimulus for an unpleasan t dream.

As soon as every event takes placeit immediately becomes a part of the

Akashic Records. However if there isKarma involved or the experience hasnot been properly assimilated, a recordwill also be kept by means of astralenergy. This applies to the microcosmas well as to the macrocosm and meansthat in the layer of our aura formed

from astral light there will be foundvortices of energy patterned after everyfear, every aversion, every repressedcondition excluded from our waking ex

perience. Ju st as th e planets move intheir orbits these vortices continue tospin in our aura. Each vortex then, inturn, tends to attract conditions ofsimilar tension, giving rise to mentalor emotional disturbances and, becausethe positive astral is ever seeking tocomplement itself with the negativeearthly, it may precipitate disease oreven cause accidents.

When we are awake we use the reason and intellect associated with earthly energies and reject improbable ideas.We integrate our impressions. W hilewe are asleep we fail to use this capacity for logic and so often experience distortion when the stimulus for a dreamrises from vortices patterned from fears,aversions, or repressions planted in oursubconscious.

Because the astral manifestation isever searching for an opportunity tofind its physical counterpart, when we

are attuned to the Astral Plane, stimulus might come from such an incompleted expression. The re su lt will bewhat we know as a prophetic dream.Of course whether we see fulfillmentof the dream or not depends on severalfactors. One, of course, is whether theastral manifestation succeeds in forming its earthly complement or whetherit is even allowed to do so by the Guiding Intelligences who watch over all.

The principle of time is also involved. In its essence, time is the fu l

filling of the law. He re the sun, whichgoverns the Earth Plane, fulfills thelaw of its own nature through its cycling and in so doing gives us the fam iliar measurements we use. On theAstral Plane the simple fulfilling of anexpression there is time-completed. Thisexplains why we can dream in a fewseconds wha t would take hours to tran spire according to the intellectual timeused here. Th e same principle alsoaccounts for inaccuracies in the timing


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of forecasts, whether such are made bydreams or by other means. Finally,

prophetic dreams m ay be cased in sucha symbolic setting that we are not ableto make a proper interpretation. Thenthe dream may come true without ourknowing or only later we may realizehow we had actually been forewarned.

Symbolism is the Cosmic Language,

especially suited for com munication between levels of Consciousness. Therefore it is natural to find it common indreams. The only difficulty lies in finding the relationship between the stimulus and the symbol. If we havetouched the deeper layers of the collective unconscious, the symbols mav

be those comm on to m an or archetypal.On the other hand if we reach only toour own superficial layer of personalunconscious, it may be found from astudy of our consistent dreaming thatwe have developed our own dialect, as

it were, of the Language of Symbolismand must learn to make our own interpretation.

Such interpretation , if we can achieveit, will be helpful to our progress, forpsychologists are agreed th at our dreamlife is a vital part of our lived experience. It ma y open up a realm of ourpe rson ality th a t we did not know existed. Our dreams m ay become thetools for interpreting this innermostna ture we need to know. For too longnow we have overvalued our wakingexperiences and tended to shrug off this

manifestation of another side of ourselves. Just a dream ! we say. Yeton this point even primitive peoplesshow themselves at times more intelligent than we. Not only do they correctly believe that another part of theself, an ethereal being, departs from thebody during sleep, but Jung , in hisstudies of the Elgonyi tribe in Africa,found that they were able to distinguish the little dream which arosefrom the limited personal experienceof the dreamer from the big dreamwhich held a significance for the whole

tribe and by which they were oftenforewarned.

The It has not often occurred to us thatT? i t is possible to use this same principler\- t of the big dream , not only for ourUtgest country, or even our comm unity or

June family, but to help ourselves in our1957 own affairs. Fo r du ring sleep our inner

nature may reach out and touch thgreat Mind of the Cosmic to find thneeded solution to a problem which whad prayed to receive before we wento sleep. Th e asked-for help ma y bgiven in the form of a dream, but nonecessarily so. It m ay be presented idirect form upon our waking, or lateduring the day when we need it most

How quickly our development woulprogress if we could learn to depenupon this higher nature with its divinintelligent abilities of intuition and inspiration! This practice would be a reastep toward the necessary integratioof our natures, toward our goal of unfication, of individuation. For individuation has been called the quest foself-realization.

T h e R eb i r t h P r i n c i p l e

The self referred to here is not thego or even the personality. It is th

Christ Self which still lies dormanwith in us. It is the divine image opat te rn we have yet to bring into m anfestation by balancing our earthly anastral natures. W hen we have broughthe conscious and unconscious forces oour psyche into harmony, we shall experience re bir th in to Christhood.

To work toward this goal we need teradicate from our inner and outer expressions things no t now consistenwith the Christ ideal and then builfor the future through right thoughtand desires, right attitudes and emo

tions, and right actions. Our outer consciousness may be dealt with fairleasily, for it contains the attitudes witwhich we approach our normal envronment. Clearing the unconscious is little more difficult, but it must be doneAside from any needed professionahelp, we may start this clearing ouselves in two ways.

The first is through exercising thobjective faculty of recollection. If ware brave enough, we may recall fromthe astral layer during waking hour

Sinful portions representing unassim

:ed experiences, times during whicour conduct has been regretful. If ware able to face them mentally, r

peated ly, from a more matu re viewpo in t and with greater sp iritua l undestanding until we burst into spontaneoulaughter, this will break up the desigand free the astral energy from tn


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vortex. This energy ma y then be usedto build up the C hrist center w ithin us.The experience itself will pass on to theAkashic layer where its memory canno longer harm us.

The second way we can help ourunconscious is through our dreams. Before going to sleep we can ask prayerfully to be helped to meet our dreamexperiences with the same applicationof spiritual principles with wnich wemeet our daily living. W e can wan t toleam to achieve pos itively through thethoughts and desires expressed in ourdreams. If, on waking, we find wehave done so, then we may not onlybe releasing unwanted vortices but alsobe bu ild ing up our in tegra ted nature .In this case, interpretation of the dreamitself will not matter so much, especial

ly if we have not yet found the itey toour own dialect of Symbolism. As weknow by now, one dreamone thatholds significance as an indication ofour psychic processes at workcanrarely be taken alone but must beconsidered in relation to our total development.

To help with this development, during dream experiences, our higher nature tries to bring us face to face withrepressed conditions that need to bereleased; it tries to show us principleswe need to leam to apply throughsecond na ture ; it presents potentialfactors not yet ripe for conscious expression in order to pre pare us forthem. In this wa y our dreams may

dan Hjouh e following personal expe rience is re la ted byMr. R.T.D. of Bombay,India.

Twenty years ago, asI was being taken to my

baptismal ce remony (Iwas 16 days old), I amtold that I turned black

and cold in my mothers arms. Unclesand aunts, who were present, reportedthat I appeared as though I were beingchoked. It is the custom of Ind ianChristians to name at least one agnategrandson after his deceased paternalgrandfather. M y people had hesitated

actually become tests of our spiritualprogress . Fin ally in time there maycome an experience that is not a dream,

but a projection in to divine realms th atwill be for us an Initiation.

In this way we shall find ourselvesapproaching the continuity of self-consciousness that is to be a part ofour individuation. To help bring itabout we can strive to attain presentcross-correlation. This means learningto know that we are dreaming whilewe are dreaming. Th is will be a steptoward continued awareness in passingfrom plane to plane. Not only will itaid us, then, at the time of our comingdeath or transition, but it will help

prepare us fo r the eventual true wakingfrom the sleep this L ife of Becomingis, and will lead us to final Liberation.

We are to keep in mind that in thelong run it is not so much what happens to us th at counts but how we faceit. If we wake from dream experiencesand realize we have met them in anapproved manner (whether or not weknow as yet that we are dreamingwhile doing so), if we know that, sleeping or waking, we are applying the

princ iples of tr u th according to ourunde rstanding of them, we shall be taking our evolution into our own handsas eventua lly we must. W e shall find

ourselves at last awakening from ourLong Deep Sleep and beginning to

bring into man ifes ta tion the Chris tWithin.

aui D S i ?to follow the custom, however, becausemy grandfathers name Piedade (Piety)seemed displeasing to the modem ear.

My maternal grandfather saved thesituation by saying, Call him Piedade.The old man may never have anotheragnate grandson, and certainly hewants his name to live. When he saidthis, I became perfectly normal again.So I was named Piedade after m y grand father. The re was no other agnate grandsonand m y birthday is thesame as the anniversary of my grandfath er s death. Was it all mere ly coincidence? I am uncertain. Can youexplain it?


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TheRosicrucianDigestJune

1957

7 (ZJPl z ( p locj zanz . . .The 1957 International Rosicrucian Conventiona week fullof rich experience, topped by these outstanding events:

FORUMAnswers by ExpertsTh e most distinguished pan el ever to face a Rosicrucian assembly. An unparalleled

opportunity for you to ask questions from the floor on any aspect of Rosicrucianmem bership. On the pan el will be Ralph M. Lewis, Cecil A. Poole, Rodman R.

Clay son, and H arve y Miles, with James R. W hitcomb, mo derating.

ARCHAEOLOGYDead Sea Scrolls and . . . ?This years guest lecturer is the noted archaeologist Dr. Avraham Biran, Israelian

Consul Ge neral for W estern U nited States. His special field includes Israelian

antiquities and the exciting Dead Se a Sc ro lls story.

HUMANITARIANISM Canine BrandThose living examples of love and loyaltyguide dogs for the blindwill give a

unique demonstration of their skill and training. Presented by the Guide Dogs

training center for Western United States.

DRAMA Science Fiction?

Perhaps not fiction at allbut truth! A stirring dram atic event portrays thetechnological marvels of a once great people.

METAPHYSICSMatter and EnergyA top-flight atomic physicist and Rosicrucian is presenting this years Science

N ig ht. This il lu st ra te d le ctu re depicts th e fu tu re of ato mic po wera nd th e re

lationship of atomic research to Rosicrucian concepts of the structure of matter.

PLUS . . . .

Mystical Convocations

Rosicrucian Demonstrations

Recreation

Interviews

ind to make along story short

All thisand much, much moreawait Tours you at the 1957 Rosicrucian Conventionfrom July 7-12. There are more than

Browsing enough activities of general and specificinterest to fill your thoughts and mem-

Companionship ories for the remainder of the year. Youwill truly feel your stay here at Rosi-

Classes crucian Park to be a high point of yourlife, whether it be your first, or your

Special Lectures fortieth.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., Sunday, July 7, and continues through

the week. Th e Convention opening session is at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

V A V

The mystic is most suited, by his teachings and beliefs, to contribute to th

expansion of mora l behavior. He causes his conduct to become a compulsion frowithin, a response to self, rather than a social or legal enforcement.

----V A U D I V AR


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Our Grow in g Pa insBy A l p h a L . W o l f e , F . R . C .

e seldom think of ourgrowing-up process as

painfu l. How ever, a t ce rtain stages, it means considerable distress anddisturbancem en tal ly ,emotionally, and spiritually. An analysis of thewords grow th, pain , and

su ffer ing can be a beginning point inour investigation as to why we experience so much pain and suffering in ourlives.

Growth is only possible where lifeexists. It is the inhe ren t function ofnature, a silent, harmonious, orderlyprocess when it can proceed from sim-

le to complex func tioning without hin -rance or obstruction. Grow th is an

involuntary evolution of nature and ajoyous manifestat ion as it follows ou tthe universal pattern of its being orpurpose th e Divine in tent. I t is on lywhen this Divine pattern of the life

rocess is blocked or in some way hin-ered in its progress that pa in is ex

perienced. Phy sica l suffering causes amental and emotional reaction, andmental pain is much more severe thanphysical pain.

Suffering is the mental concept of amaterial condition, individually realized, and it is often of Karmic origin.We should regard Karma as a law oflearnin g through experience. Becauseof our lack of understanding of universal laws, it is often necessary togrow through suffering, and to learnthe hard way if we persist in goingcounter to these laws.

Life is not a mere matter of growingup physically. Growing up emotionally, mentally, and spiritually is not accomplished in the same nappy wayN atu re performs her work in th e physi cal material realm. For us, it is a moreconscious process in w hich w e take pa rtwith nature as we build our life with

the inna te potentials of ou r entire being.We reach forward toward a development that will culminate in the stagetermed maturity in adult life, intellectually and em otionally. It is a realachievement to pass the test of ma turity,since we do not shed all our infantilehangovers at the time they should beleft behind. As growth takes place inour physical being, we experience achange in what interests us and givesus satisfaction and pleasure, wha t makesus happy or sad, and what we seek toachieve or hope to become. Th e grow-ing-up process is often retarded andaccompanied by stress and strain dueto many adverse influences in the environm ent. Removing these blocks orobstructions to growth and developmentis the tremendous task which our rapidly changing civilization has yet toaccomplish.

Phases of spiritual growth are as yetlittle understood in their relation to ahappy unfoldment of the inner self.The upward and outward spiral ofgrowth and development throughoutchildhood should be according to thechilds innate nature if only parentsand teachers had the wisdom to directthe mental and emotional unfolding ofthese individual potentials. Life is acause concerned with its own end or

purpose, an anim ation of th e power ofself-action in thinking, feeling, and doing. It m ight be well to consider the

self and how it grows. Self has beentermed a functional attribute of thesoul, a consequence of it, a reflection ofit. Again, it has been interpreted asan aggregate of the scale of personalconsciousness. Th e total self is a hierarchy of the variable consciousness ofou r being. Each self has its own pa rticular value or we would have noconsciousness of it. W e use them all,each for a different purpose in evolvingtoward Cosmic consciousness.


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Cosmic consciousness, the ideal endor goal of existence, is the exalted stateof un ion with the Divine source. Thisstate is not possible in its most perfectform while we are still growing. Weenlarge self through meditation andcontemplation and through the evaluation of our experiences in an effort tounderstand our inner emotional re

sponses, reactions and behavior, ourintuition and the subtle sensations ofour being. In order to understand fullness of being, our consciousness mustrecapture and realize the wholeness ofself. Limitations and boundaries existonly as we set them in our consciousness. Fullness of life an d expansion ofconsciousness is the objective of evolution. Evolution takes us away from

past tendencies, lim ita tions , an d thesimpler forms of thinking, feeling, andwilling.

Growth then can be considered asevolving or changing from one stateof thinking, feeling, and willing to oneof a highe r level. Biological evolutionis only a phase of the subject limitedto the physical structure. Evolution alsotakes place in the ethical, moral, andspiritual realms of life. Since these arethe more recent phases of our evolution, the strength of the physical andmaterial tends to draw us backward toa lower level. It is only throug h persevering effort and patient enduringthat the higher virtues are achieved.

This is how our present civilization hascome into being. Ou r present civilization contains many elements and factors that conspire to retard growth andtend to fix it on the adolescent level.Thus we find functioning within ourbe ing m any conflicting forces whichmodify ana color our emotional reactions and affect our reasoning and behavior in general.

The spiral of development should beever upward and away from past tendencies and limitations. W e shouldwork for improvements in our environment that lead to higher ethical, moral,and spiritual attainm ent. Evolution isin the direction of Cosmic consciousness,

The but in being forced to re ly on the im-Rneirruris in pressions received by ou r five senses wep . learn ed on ly th ro ug h tr ia l and er ro r^ and bu t slowly acqu ired knowledge of

Jun e the universal law of cause and effect.1957 Growing pains are the resu lt of ex

periencing the penalty of error. Suffing a t times m ay be a sign of progreas we enter the period called the Oscure Night with its accompaniment lack of enthusiasm in living. W e conly await the balance by Cosmforces, termed the law of compensatioErrors in themselves lose their signicance when we evaluate wh at we lea

from painful experience and sufferinWe direct our intelligence toward teffect that is beneficial and pleasanthe re wa rd for righ t decision and choof action. Our ego takes a heavy toas the result of error, and much suffeing from regret, disappointment, ansorrow enters at times into every life

W e should not be too concerned wiour suffering as the result of error. Wshould consider that we have added our soul-personality because of the eror. The law of compensation is juand impartial; we receive rewards aas well suffer pain and sorrow. Lthen becomes a m atter of expanding oconsciousness through understandiour problems and evolving to a highplane of experiencing in the spiriturealm . To overcome and find a solutito our problems means the strengtheing of our soul-personality. This caries us forward to perfection or uniwith the All in Cosmic consciousnesW hen we have had an experience simlar to someone elses, have suffered aovercome it, we are in a position

understand and feel real compassifor that person.

There is no way by which we cknow human suffering, burdens of afliction, despair, grief, intolerance, ainjustice than to be exposed to suin contacts with real living. It is necsary to experience pain to know tecstasy of relief; we have to endudoubt and discouragement to be liftup by the light of hope and faith. Trewards of experience are knowledgwisdom, and understan ding. These athe keys to direct ability. By lifting o

level of experiencing, we accentuaspiritual attributes which bring us cloto God and to obedience of His laws.

Life is not mere learning for just oown benefit; it is not only a functibut a privilege and an obligation. Sacfice consists in offering back to the Comic the emotional, intellectual, aspiritual gains for the common goo


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Growth in the Cosmic and Psychicsense carries with it the obligation ofservice to others to bring into practicethose things which we have attained.As we lose our life on the materialplane, we find it on the Cosmic plane.We find an experience in the process

of giving which in tu rn opens up largerfields for the expression of self in fullness of living.

Giving ourselves and giving out ofour experiences is a way of release fromour physical and mental limitations.We come to realize our kinship withall humanity and gain a sympatheticunderstanding from our suffering andstruggling to overcome. Suffering canbe a mea sure of our unfo ldment as wellas a test of our fitness for greater responsibility. W e can find joy in the

wisdom of Job: . . . wh en he h ath triedme, I shall come forth as gold. Wecan rest assured th at he who would dothe will of the Fa ther, will I test m ightily, yet if he falter not, will I give himstrength to conquer.

Can we then ask why we m ust sufferto grow whe n we grasp the true significance of life? The purpose of growingpa ins is fu lf illm en t o r A t-one-ment wnthGod and knowledge of the laws andpr inciples of attain m ent as we journeyback to our source. Spir itual unfo ld

ment has been likened to the winged

flight into eternal life, the flight of thealone to the ALONE. All our personal sorrows and suffering point theway to rebirth, growth in self-knowledge, and the impersonal life of serviceto humanity.

We have but to recall the meaning

or the esoteric symbolism of the RosyCrossthe arms of man outstretchedand eyes upraised. W e have made ourcrosses by going transverse to th e divinewill or universal law. I t is by the weightof our crosses that the soui is broughtinto beautiful attunement with the spiritual realm.

The Rose, or the unfolding soul, becomes more beautiful and inspiringthrough our suffering and overcoming.Our personal experiences evolve andunfold our soul-personality just as the

pe tals of th e rose un fold to bring fu lfillment of the seed from which it came.As we follow our Masters example wesmile with others in their good fortuneand grieve with their suffering. On theway to our final goal of perfection wecan rest and contemplate the Divinewithin us and trust to its guidancethrough all our experience. W e aretransformed gradually into the likenessof our Creator, and we shall be likeHim when we reach our final goal inCosmic consciousness, our perfection or

oneness with All.

V A V

ATTENTION, HIERARCHY MEMBERS

Those who have attained to the H ierarchy and understand the purpose and importanceof these special Contact Periods are invited to participate in, and report on, the follow

ing occasions.

First, mark on you r calendar the dates given below. Arran ge in advance for a few

uninterrupted minutes at the given hour. W hile benefiting yourself, you m ay also

aid the Hierarchy. In reporting to the Im perator, please indicate your key num ber and

the last monograph, as well as your Degree. Th e Impe rator appreciates you r thought

fulness in not including other subject matter as a part of your Hierarchy report.

Thursday, August 22, 1957

8:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Saving Time

Thursday, November 21, 1957

8:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time


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J V ( za(icm La*L o f ^ JPl o L i g h t

LAWBREAKING, A POWER OR A MOTIVE?

B y E r n e s t W i n d l e

Mr. Windle, a judge of the Catalina Judicial District, Santa Catalina Island, California

looks upon the courtroom as a labo ratory for the stud y of hum an behavior. This article iba sed on his firs th an d ob se rvation of the hum an being w hen under stress . T he pr obl em hprobes is hu m an pu rpos e, th a t is, te leolog y. __E d i t o r

f a v o r i t e saying of thel a te J u d g e M o u n t a inLandis of baseball famewas, There is nothingnew going on, only different people doing it.

Science stresses the importance of measuremen tand other factual infor

mation necessary for building resultsin laboratory experiment; curious people do te ar things apart an d glue themtogether again. However, the re aresome units of human experience thatdefy segregation. A purpose has value,

but who can cap tu re ana take apart , apromise, a purpose, or the morals ofJudas, for microscopical examination?

The rules and principles organizedfor the words morals, virtues, ethics,hope, love, law, religion, constantlychange to fit the purposes for whichthe words were brought into commonuse, and acceptedand for their effecton the future. Hu m an purpose (teleology) has been of great interest to philosophers since Aristotle. It has beenasserted, denied, discarded, an d rein troduced at intervals throughout the history of human thought. One needs onlyto examine the do-it-yourself books onmanners, etiquette, published in the16th century and later, to note thechanges that have been made as society and civilization either deteriorateor move forward to progress. A stand

ard culture has quality. Teleology isnot new: civilizations have made useof it for different purposes.

T f e A poet once wrote:

Rosicrucian The ev il that m en do lives af ter them;D ig est The good is oft interred w ith the ir bones.

June W hen certain vital areas of the hu-1957 m an body are fatally injured, life in

that particular organism ceases to eist; and if some areas of the humbra in are disturbed, consciously or uconsciously, the mechanism of twhole boay (mind and soul), with glands, nerves, muscles, electronic sytemskept alive by oxidationcan pushed off balance. Too much powincreases tensionits overpowering

Since mans recorded history, plosophers, poets, and others have reconized the necessity of rules, codes, reulationfor security reasons, and fcommunity living and the bettermeof hum an conduct. (T he purpose war is to destroy illusions and enmies.) The human mind gets its POWER from m an y sources. W ith powimagination, and physical skill mterial things are builtand wreckeAttention, interest, curiosity, are nrecorded in terms of size or weighthey do have pressure!

Philosophers tell us that morals dtinguish the differences between rigana wrong; that ethics, as a sciencrecognizes and appraises human bhavior as foolish or wise; and thetiquette is a conventional system rules for conduct in polite society.

A seldom recognized laboratory fthe psychological examination of hman conduct (purpose and motive) found in courtroom procedures. Heaccusations, denials, fears, and subtfuges flow either as trickling rivulor, in torrents of emotion, loaded w

bitte r ha treds th at vibrate through environment of dignity and solemnitPraise or blame is not given untildeed or act is finished.

Examined from the following defitions, the words purpose and motimay appear less provocative and coplex:


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PURPOSEsomething one has in mind to getor do . . . see teleology: from tele

t he idea th a t ev er yth in g has

Surpose; ologyany science orranch of knowledge.

MOTIVEthought or feeling that makes oneact. 2. steam is the motive powerof a steam engine.

To recognize motive as a carrier forbehavior pat te rn s, good or evil, couldindicate a lack of information concerning power operating through the brainmechanisms and the mental processes.Two centuries ago, Joseph Priestley recognized the importance of oxygen forsustaining life and mental clarity:breathing techniques, diet and exerciseare important in Oriental civilizations.The influence of minerals, body chemicals, gases, drugs, air, environment,pressure, tension on hum an conduct,

need no further elaborationonly,dont forget it!

Exploration into professional jealousies, said to exist in camps usually is met with such barriers as, nocomment for security reasons, invasion of privacy, keep out, topsecret information; however, there area few top scientists who do recognizemotive as a power, electronic in principlenot a pattern carrier for theresidues of emotional behavior. (Onlythe purpose, inten t, strategies, for which

power is used offer an area fo r ch allenges. To predete rmine hum an conduct without full knowledge of all factsand circumstances is reminiscent of astatement made b y a well-known artist:Fools and children should never see

things half finished. It s a free-ride,with no purpose!)

Human emotions, under pressure,are difficult to conceal. Reports on theuse of the drug, Sodium Amytal, andthe Polygraph, commonly known as lie detector, that registers blood pressure,

etc., have been of use to the criminologist. For rhythm and control, a ball

pla yer throws a ba ll on the exhale andcatches it on the inhale to cushion theimpact: holding the breath puts pressure on the lungs, brain cells, muscles,and builds up a carbon dioxide residue(CO2), and other physical barriers thatinfluence the senses. Th e process ofexpansion and contraction of cells,muscles, tissuesas in the feelings oflike and dislikehas a purpose forexistence. Research workers (motiva-

tionists) have suspected for some timethat the Thalamic brain area has a vibration, tempera tu re , a special type ofluminosity as the result of oxidationand other influences such as sulphurburned in th e process of th inkingthusmaking that area or center a mentaland physical power station. Tu rn onthe power! is a common expression.

E n e r g i z e r s , P s y c h i c o r M e ch a n i c a l

W ith th e discovery of transistors,vacuum tubes and other electrical

equipment used in radio and telephoniccommunication, those interested in themechanics of the so-called psychicenergizer, and in inspiration, breathing, and processes of telepathy are hoping that the explorers of the futurerecognize similar mechanisms in thehuman organism.

Th ere are numerous objects tha t haveluster and reflecting surfaces; fisheshave headlights; and the infrared hasradiations that penetrate darkness andfog. Luminescence is defined as an

emission of light occurring at a tempera tu re below th at of incandescentbodies. Lum inescence inc ludes phosphorescence an d fluorescence. Lum in if -erous means to have the quality of

produc ing or transm itting ligh t. W hatis termed the Light of Intelligencemay have physical components for itsexistence.

It is not sufficient to provoke a challenge by discovering, through the invasion of privacy, ideas stored in the


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unconscious area of the human mindand thus set up security barriers ofman-made codes of morals, ethics, andvirtues, fundamentals of expression for

praise or condem nation . A half-drow nedpe rson recaptures some of his or herpas t experiences, before the hope ofrescue becomes a reali ty. An explosionof energy (power) is noticeable in the

struggle for existence.M ot ive less m ot iv a t io nmotion

without purpose or purposeless activitiesis a complicated concept. Representatives of the old school of philosophies sh y aw ay fe arfully from thewords purpose, in tent, motive; the material scientists avoid the use of theword metaphysics, and their beliefs,remain UN SHAKEN! If one could expla in the techniques of suppo rting abelief, or for w hat purpose mankindexperiences shame, humiliation, re

morse, and where in the brain, body,mind, and soul these reactions takeplace, m any human problems wouldfade. To experienced adult females thebio logy of bir th is no t a mystery; tothe male member of the species, themystery extends as far as the imagination can reach.

In an electronic generation wheregadgets have push-button control, it isastonishing how little use is made ofinformation concerning human electronics (mind power). A quiz-kid ofschool age can answer questions on

electronics, automation, atomic energy,mathematics. Eventually, there m aycome forth satisfactory explanations ofthe intricate mechanism of biology,neurology, heredity, and mans social,moral, psychic, spiritual, and other unidentified influences of life and living.

The term spark the imaginationimplies that there is an electronic forcein operation, with a spark, fuel, andaircorresponding to the mechanismof a combustion engine that producespo w e r . Is it not a philosophers task

to explore all fields of knowledge andexperience? An assembly line ph ilosopher of the 1900 (A.D.) vintageis as outdated as the T-model Ford, or

, . the sixty-inch bicycle with a smallerRosicructan wheel on its backbone.Digest The qua lity of a product sets theJune standard for the manufacturer, the

1957 salesman, and the consumer. A n elec

trical disturbance having the q ualitydisturb the Thalamic brain area, t

pinea l an d the pituitary glands, wcause a release of properties that chanones behavior, m o t iv e could be reconized as in physicsa power! Howstream of thought, loaded with true false impressions is projected from

phys ical bra in , for the pu rpose of co

munication, is not yet explained. Athere different energies used in thiningbiological, cosmic, static, atompsychic, sp iritual? Service to others a noble attainment.

Skin-glow and shiny noses are supected to be th e re su lt of glandu lstimulation (triggered by the ment

processes); th e loss of blood, or oxygen deficiency, also has influenon the bra in area and th e consciousne

English-language courts, in generarecognize obedience, discipline, mora

codes, and sincerity of purpose. Wnesses, when in doubt indicate attudes by their physical movements:puzzled witness presses his fingers his forehead, nose (sinuses), or neca witness, under pressure, fear, conflichallenge, moves his hands to the baof his head (base of brain) indicatia bloc in the vicinity of the Thalamarea, the pituitary and brain stem. is difficult for an emotionally disturbadult to be violent and express hatefthoughts while INHALING breath.

Eye movements and eye luminoty tell a story of guilt or innocenthat is seldom fully concealed by orexplanation. Body cells expand acontract to the feelings of like and dlike. Fear of pimishment for wrondoing (guilt) tends to produce an accondition, noticeable in perspiratiobody odor, and breath.

There are other physical reactioto be observed in courtroom proceeings. Criminal investigators match theskills with outstanding law violatoand those accused of misconduct. Thetechniques are considered classified forma tion. Again, comes the resiance barrierfor security reasonMotive and purpose (teleology), if oerated in the ir own are a of action, coubring re lief from doubt, suspicion, cofusion, and misunderstand ing. T ha tthe purpose of this writing.


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^ W (io ^ l / V o n ?

By R o s e L. S a l a m o n

n e morning recently I arrived with m y li t tle bundle of laundry at then e i g h b o rh o o d lau nd ro mat which I have pat r o n i z e d f o r s e v e r a lweeks.

As the owner dumpedmy things into the ma-

I dont want any bleachthis time, and Ill pay you now so I

wont have to stop this afternoon whenI pick this up. How much will it be?

He replied, That will be one dollarforty.

How come, I queried, last timeit was a dollar forty with bleach? Idont want bleach on these things. Hasthe price gone up?

That will be one dollar forty, herepeated curtly.

But - I started.One dollar forty, he said once

more, very gruffly, or take yo ur clothesawa y with you. It will take me a half-hour just to fold them.

As my clothes were going merrilyaround in the washer by this time, itwas obviously impossible to take them

away, even had I wanted to do so. SoI paid the dollar forty but said, Yourcourteous manner will surely build uptrade for you.

As I walked out, I questioned myself.W ha t caused the m an to be so surly?Had I aroused resentment in him bysomething in m y m anner?

Then as I drove away I determinedand succeeded to erase the unpleasant

experience from my thought.That evening I stopped to pick upthe laun dry . As soon as I entered thedoor, the attendant went to the cashregister, and then came toward me witha pleasant expression on his face. He

pressed a li tt le th in dime in to m y handand said, I dont know what got intome this morning; I dont often act thatway.

My impulse was to refuse the coin,but he insis ted with , No, you take it .

Only a dime was involved in this in

cident but whereas I would probablyhave never entered this shop again, Inow said, Thank you, you have madea customer. As I walked out with mylittle bundle, I was carrying away inaddition that certain inner good feeling.

V A V

DO YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS?

As a member of AMORC are you familiar with the contents of the Constitution and

Statutes of the Gra nd Lodge? Th e rights and privileges of mem bership are cle arly set

forth in the Constitution; it is prepa red in a convenient book let To save yourself cor

respondence, secure a copy from the ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAU for only

25 cents (1/9 sterling).


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T h e

RosicrucianDigest]une1957

The Cathedral of the Soul is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of the

Rosicrucian fratern ity. It is the focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoughtwaves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and innerawakening. Various periods of the day a re set aside when m any thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe C athedral at th e time w ill receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members. Th e book called Lib er 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with th e Ca thedral. Copies will be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Scribe S. P. C.,care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing three cents in postagestamps. (Please state wh ether m emb er or not this is important.)

KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

By C e c i l A. P o o l e , Supreme Secretary

l l who live today enjoya heritage of knowledgegreater than at any timein history. We acceptknowledge historically asbe ing an accu mulation offacts an d i n fo rm a t i o nwhich has come down tous from individuals who

have lived before, and which is aug

mented by those who are living now.Today knowledge is accessible; that is,most of the worlds knowledge is inprint . Libraries ex ist in most pa rts ofthe civilized world, and almost everyone has access to the accumulated information that man has assembled.

Like so many other things that areaccepted as a matter of course, we donot put the value on knowledge that it

deserves. W hen we lack certain knowedge, most of us go to a dictionary, encyclopedia, a reference library, ortimes ask some individual to supply tmissing information. Moreover, graschools as well as universities exist the primary purpose of disseminatiknowledge. Almost everyone today haccess to m an s accum ulated knowledin one of these institutions, for in t

democracies, education is free for aMan is able to study, to read, andworship. Th rou gh these channels has access to most of the knowledthat is available to those having sucient motivation to make the effort discover it.

When we think of all the accumlated knowledge that has come dowthrough history and exists today,


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must admit that the human being asa biological specimen is certainly acurious animal. The use which manhas made of his curiosity distinguisheshim, insofar as his mental traits areconcerned, from the rest of the animalkingdom. It is true th at curiosity isexhibited by lower animals, but mostof them do not follow that impulse ofcuriosity sufficiently to cause them tochange their basic habits or behaviorpat terns. M an, on the other hand, usescuriosity as a means by which to accumulate and apply knowledge. W hether the knowledge acquired by man isexclusively due to his hunger to attainit, or to ids application of it to makelife about him easier, or add to hisleisure and enjoyment, is debatable.

Regardless of the motive, or regard

less of mans desire to achieve thethings which knowledge brings about,there is no denying the fact that muchknowledge has been accumulated in theyears that man has been an intelligentbeing , an d more is be ing accumulatedall the time. It is true th at much moreknowledge has existed than has beenassembled into books. The knowledgeaccumulated in ancient libraries whichwere destroyed, the knowledge of entirecivilizations not transmitted to us directly, still exists; it cannot be wiped

out. Th ere is no end to the existenceof energy and matter, and surelyknowledge, too, endures forever, evenif it may momentarily, in terms of history, be hidden from the eyes of man.

Man has not evidenced all his curiosity or desire for knowledge directlytoward his environment. H e has beenequally interested in himself. He hasattempted to define, to analyze, and,of course, to study himself in relationship to the circumstances which surround him. He knows he is in a ma terial world, and he wants to manipulate that material, to relate himself toit. He also knows he is surrounded bythe manifestation and function of lawsand principles which he does not comple tely understand, or , rath er, in thecourse of history, he has gained onlya partial understanding of these lawsand principles, and has continually attempted to understand them moreclearly.

Consequently, man has divided allthe phenomena which occur about him

into those things which he can understand and those things which he cannotunderstan d. He has norm ally classifiedthese two types of phenomena into thenatural and the supernatural, makingthe dividing line purely at the pointof his understanding, rather than inthe nature of the phenomena themselves. Th ere was a time, for example,when lightning was considered a supernatural phenomenon. Benjamin Franklin was one of the earliest who showedthat lightning was another manifestation of electricity, and therefore a phy sical phenomenon. In other words, hemoved the line of demarcation whichdivided the natural from the supernatural, so that lightning was transferredto the side of natural phenomena. Inthis manner, mans knowledge of nat

ural phenomena has grown, whilethose phenomena which he originallyconsidered supernatural have diminished.

M an y othe r illustrations would showthat events or phenomena which manhas been unable to understand in thepas t are now explained. If we couldcarry this illustration further it mightseem that the time would come whenthere would be nothing left to be explained. In other words, every typeof phenomenon that existed of which

man could be aware would have meaning, and knowledge would graduallybe accumulated to the poin t whereman would not be without an explanation for any situation or factor occurring in his environment.

If this possibility can be consideredas potentially true, then through history man will come to the point wherethe words naturaland supernatural , asthey are usually defined, will have nomeaning because the line betweenthem, as in the above illustration, willhave ceased to exist. Th e unknow nwill have become known. Th e word

su pernaturalthen is more o r less a termthat has been assigned to unknownfactors of the functioning of certainlaws. Those laws could be called natural laws because all laws are thoseof the Cosmic.

Of all the things in nature that manprobab ly und erstands the leas t is him self. This is true w hethe r we consider man from the physical, the

psychological, or the sp iritual point of


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view. Man is a factor understood onlyin terms of other individuals in hisassociation and in his relationship toenvironm ent. As he is able to conquera part of the unknown and add to theknowledge of man, he is in a senseenlarging himself, ye t at the same time,his knowledge of the world about him

can never be complete unless he reachesa conclusion concerning himself.Man has fluctuated in the interpre

tation of his own being. He does notyet know whether to classify himselfas a natural or a supernatural phenomenon. Actually, his conclusions are notconsistent. Th ey depend upon whetherhe interprets his own existence or interprets th e behavior which he observes inothers, as well as the point of viewfrom which he judges human values.The materialist is concerned only withmans body, and believes that every

thing that is man can be traced or directly connected to the material body,bo th as to po int of man ifes ta tion andas to function.

A psychologist may relate all ofm an s existence to mind. He m ay believe that man is purely a mental entity and that all mans behavior is tiedup directly or indirectly with mental

henomena. An other psychologist maye concerned only w ith behavior. Those

who m ay be extreme idealistic philosophers, those who are devoted to variousforms of religion, or those who believe

mysticism is purely a speculative system of ideas, may claim that man iswholly a spiritual being and that hisbody and min d are merely illuso ry accompaniments of his consciousness.

In reality man is not the embodi

ment of any one of the concepts csidered. M an is no t as simple as thThe self is of a complex nature whiwe cannot define acceptably for eveindividual. Knowledge of self meathe knowledge of which we as invidual entities can become aware. other words, our knowledge of s

places us as individu al entities incategory which w e have selected. Mis more than body. He is more thsoul. He is more than sp irit or evmore than mind. H e is all of those tributes put together. Even when add any number of things together, have as a result not only the sum those things, but we may have a co

ple te ly new manifestation. For exaple, when molecules of hydrogen aoxygen are put together in proper pr

Eortion, the result is not the total nuer of molecules of hydrogen a

oxygen. It is something different. is watera substance unlike the mocules that compose it.

If we are ever to gain full knowledof self, this knowledge must makepossible fo r us to add together tcharacteristics that constitute self. Alwe should be able to judge the resulticombination an d to consider the humentity as a manifestation not of aonephase of the attributes that seemcomposeit. Self is a man ifestation odivine nature which lies outside trealm of division or of selecting

intrica te parts. Knowledge of selfthe first step to knowledge of God; anthrough knowledge of God, man reizes himself as a whole being and thereby able to relate himself to tscheme of which he is a part.

V A V

Last night, in the silence wh ich pervaded the darkness, I stood alone aheard the voice of the singer of eternal melodies. W hen I we nt to sleep I clom y eyes w ith this last thought in m y m ind, that even when I rem ain unconscio

T h e *n slumber the dance of life will still go on in the hushe d aren a of m y sleepiRosicrucian body, keeping step with the stars. Th e he art will throb, the blood will leap in

D ig est veins, and the millions of living atoms of m y body will vibrate in time with tJune note harp-string tha t thrills at the touch of the master.

1957 Si r Ra b in d r a n a t h T a g o r e , from Sadha

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Rosicrucian Digest, June 1957

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