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?