Rosicrucianism Is Very Intriguing

This comes from www.rosicrucian.org, lots of great content to stimulate the mind and spirit. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Rosicrucians and no one is quite sure about their history and origins. Basically, they are a mystical group with Christian ideals and doctrines. Here is an excerpt from their site: The Journey into Self and The Mystical Path The Lost Self Is it any wonder the inner self becomes lost in the business of the outer world? From childhood we begin hiding our inner self away. We learn to adapt and survive in the outside world. Our families and peers teach us socially acceptable behaviour. Our educational system teaches us the technical and social skills we need to sustain a material life. As adults we are thrust into a society geared towards materialism, and maintaining the status quo. Rarely, especially in the early formative years, are we taught inner development; with an emphasis on intuition, the subconscious mind, independent thinking, self esteem, self-confidence, psychic or inner spiritual growth. Is it any wonder the inner self becomes lost in the business of the outer world? Yet despite all this the inner self does remain alive in everyone, and many are ready to heed its call. That is why the Rosicrucian Order is in existence today and has been for centuries, offering people a way to realize their own infinitely powerful and divine nature. Life is Difficult Life is a constant challenge of overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of creating a better family life, developing a successful career, securing material needs, maintaining one's health and even coping with death. This eternal struggle should not be cause for despair because it is through successfully overcoming challenges in life that you evolve. The purpose of the Rosicrucian teachings is to learn how to find the answers within yourself. Inspiration, energy, and even specific answers to all challenges of life are available when one learns the proper techniques. The Path of the Mystic As a Rosicrucian student, you will be walking along the path of the mystic. It is a path travelled by a relative few at any one time. Yet, it is the path that has given us many of our greatest minds, enriching the world with their physical inventions, scientific discoveries, beautiful works of art, music and books, but most importantly, their personal approach to life. And it is the path each must travel in their own time if they are to reach their ultimate personal evolution. Mysticism Demystified Just what is meant when we use the word 'mysticism'. A proper definition has always been elusive or vague. For the record, mysticism can be defined as an experience where one personally knows, through direct knowledge, the source of all being. Many call this source God; others, the cosmic. The point is, the experience is noetic. We know, not believe through faith or know only through scientific observation, but we simply and truly know. The art of mysticism can be learned. The work of the Rosicrucian Order is to initiate the student to the techniques where mystical knowledge can be readily attained. This knowledge when properly accessed is ultimately rational. In the end mysticism isn't a belief. It is simply an art of knowing. The mystical experience transcends nature. Often the person will receive a feeling that far surpasses anything which could be conveyed by words. Furthermore, this insight, devoid of ego, is thoroughly comprehended as truthful. <<> NEXT >>

The Cyclic "Depressions" of the Secular World

I excerpted this from a recent post by my friends over at Gnostic Teachings and I thought it was uplifting. While I may not be in agreement with all of their teachings, I truly enjoy studying their esoteric doctrine which, in the end, much like my own faith, they invite one to experience, not to believe (a key difference between many belief systems). The reason I excerpted this is because of the ridiculous way the media portrays the current economic "crisis," one they have definitely helped create and are surely exasperating:

At these moments, humanity is facing a tremendous psychological [spiritual- they use the terms interchangeably] battle, displayed by our governments and media as a financial “crisis” that they say is cause for grave concern. Subsequently, there is a great deal of fear and anxiety being spread infectiously throughout our communities and families, and the level of tension and uncertainty is rising everywhere. Everyone is worried about their money, the future, and what "might" happen. In these moments, it is helpful to remember the Gnostic teachings, which provide us with wonderful tools to overcome the many problems we face in life.

Rejecting Negative Emotions

Negative emotions are the most dangerous element we face, and we must protect ourselves from becoming infected by fear, excitement, or any kind of unconscious reaction. When we allow ourselves to be infected by negative emotions, we open the doors of our mind to suffering. To become free of suffering, we need to close our doors to negative emotions.

It is clear that humanity is deeply enslaved by a dependency upon money. Samael Aun Weor explained many times that while money is a tool that is useful in life, it becomes harmful when we develop psychological dependency upon it. In Gnosis, we define psychological dependency as slavery. A slave does not have free will. When we are enslaved by a psychological dependency of any kind, it is easy for us to be manipulated. Therefore, we need to free ourselves of our psychological dependency upon money. The result of such freedom is that we can be happy naturally, no matter if we are rich or poor. Is this not a desirable state of being?

When we close our doors to negative emotions and refuse to rely psychologically on money, we can place our trust in our own innermost Being (God, Allah, Buddha, etc). This is what Jesus taught when he advised:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Transformation of Circumstances

If we do happen to have poor personal circumstances, the Gnostic teachings emphasize that it is possible to transform them, but only if we truly want to change them. If so, then we need to work with the law of the balance. For example, if we are suffering financially, then we need to help others financially [through service]. In this way, we balance the scale in our favor, and everyone benefits.

This aspect of the teaching is particularly hard for the mind to grasp, which always complains that if we focus on others, we will not gain money to eat, to be clothed, or to pay our rent. We forget the teaching that Jesus gave:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money]. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:24-34

It is upon the foundation indicated by these sublime words that we as a humanity can overcome the challenges that face us. Do we put our faith in paper money, government, banks, and television reporters? Or do we put our faith in the One who awaits us inside?

A Wicked Generation?

I often argue against the idea that the end is nigh (for what man knoweth the hour?), although I do agree that the world is steadily growing worse in that the average individual, at least in developed countries, relies less and less on the will and beneficence of God and, instead, relies more on their intellectual faculties. Actually, scratch that, the individual, currently classified as "Millennials" or Generation Y relies more on what they're told by Godless intellectuals and, instead, consumes endlessly in an attempt to fulfill desire which, as any slightly enlightened soul knows, is impossible. Anyway, here are some "Trends Among Members" of Gen Y according to the Wikipedia article about them as a group:

• They represent more than 70 million consumers in the United States. They earn a total annual income of about $211 billion, spend approximately $172 billion per year and strongly influence many adult consumer buying choices. They also face a greater degree of direct corporate marketing than any other generation in history.^[9]
• A 2008 survey by UK recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent in partnership with Management Today suggested that Generation Y are generally more ambitious, brand conscious and tend to move jobs more often than previous generations. The survey of over 1,000 people, entitled Work 2.0, also suggests several possible misconceptions about Generation Y, including that they are as loyal as their predecessors and believe that their job says something about them as individuals.^[10]
• There is more experience of family breakdown. The generation has seen high divorce rates, and homes with 2 working parents are much more common. This has greatly changed their relationships at home when compared to their parents and grandparents. This may have led them to be more peer-oriented and this may be a contributing factor to the premium that Gen Y workers place on workplace culture.^[11]
• A 2007 episode of the American news magazine 60 Minutes entitled The Age Of The Millennials proposed that members of the generation are exceptionally tech-savvy, are especially tuned to their own value in the job market, have limited loyalty to any particular employer, and insist on working in a stimulating job environment.^[12]
• More openness in regards to sexual and romantic life-styles than prior generations. Generally more openness to sexual expression and experimentation, but with less or even totally without romance or attachments.^[13][14]

I don't have time to go into great detail on this subject, but suffice to say that right now what we need is the strongest generation ever to fight against the increasingly large spiritual void that is opening up at one of the core hubs of our society: educational institutions. Sure, there are many "right wing Bible bashers" in the Midwest and the South, BUT the lion's share of secular leaders are being led astray at the major colleges and universities by a philosophy that doesn't outwardly seek to do harm but, because of its perverse and empty core, will inevitably lead to absolute disaster in the long run. So, we must strengthen ourselves and our families and FEAR NOT and be not shocked when the calamities befall us. I, for one, was and am not shocked at what has happened to our markets in the last few weeks and months. President Hinckley, amongst others, has cried out against consumer debt which, in the end, was inexorably linked into the deregulation of credit markets as the greedy, both in homes and in the office, sought to run faster than was meet.

Forgive my writing for I shall not edit tonight!

The Gospel’s Unchanging Core

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel. Procedures, programs, policies, and patterns of organization are helpful for our spiritual progress here on earth, but let’s not forget that they are subject to change.

In contrast, the core of the gospel—the doctrine and the principles—will never change. Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints.