IN the popular books of to-day, dealing with the origin of
religion, we find it stated that they originated from fear. It is
described how our ancestors, while in a savage state, and being
unacquainted with the revelations made by modern science, saw the
lightning flash, and heard the noise of thunder and watched other
natural phenomena, whose origin they could not explain, and how
they came to the logical conclusion that such things must be
produced by some extra cosmic supernatural and intellectual power,
which might some day take a notion to destroy their possessions;
and which must, therefore, be flattered and propitiated so that it
might be kept in a good humour.
Such a scientific explanation of the origin of religion and the
belief in God may satisfy the speculating brain of the rationalist
and thinker, who, living entirely in the moonshine of his own
imagination has no perception for the light of that knowledge which
belongs to the spirit of man; but such a theory will not satisfy
the heart in which there is still a spark of the divine life, and
which, therefore, feels the presence of a universal and higher
power that is not a product of nature, but superior to her. A
religion having such a merely logical origin would be truly the
religion of the devil, because it would be thoroughly false. It
would be merely a system teaching how God may be cheated and
eternal justice be made to come to naught. True religion has
nothing to do with fear nor with logical speculation, and its true
origin rests in the fundamental relation which the human soul bears
to the divine origin of the spiritual power by which she is
inhabited. It is the divine spirit in man itself, recognising and
through the instrumentality of man the presence of the universal
spirit in nature. This divine power is truly "occult," because it
cannot be perceived by any external means, neither can its
existence be logically proved to those who are not capable to
feel it; it will for ever remain a mystery to the "Adam" of earth;
because it is divine and can therefore be intellectually known to
man only when he has entered into a state of divinity.
Nevertheless, it is a quality inherent in the nature of man that he
wishes to know intellectually that whose presence he intuitively
feels, and there have, therefore, at all times been men curious to
know the nature of God, and attempted to break by their
intellectual efforts a hole through the veil that covers the
sanctuary of the great mystery, so that they may peep through it,
and gratify their curiosity. From the vagaries of such speculators,
visionaries and pseudo-philosophers has originated a false system
of theology, mysticism, and superstition, which is even to-day
often regarded as being Occultism and Theosophy.
The soul of man stands in the same relation to that spiritual power
that fills the universe, as the flowers of the field to the light
of the terrestrial sun. A plant deprived of life will sicken and
die, and a soul in which the spirit of holiness does not exist will
become degraded lower than the soul of the animals; because animals
are not given to arguing; they act according to the laws of their
nature, while the possession of an intellect enables man to act
unnaturally, and in opposition to divine law.
But there have also been other men, who, by remaining natural and
obedient to divine law, have grown into a state of spirituality
superior to the merely intellectual state, and in the course of
their interior enfoldment, their inner senses have become opened,
so that they could not only intuitively feel, but also spiritually
perceive this light of the spirit. Such men are the true Mystics,
Rosicrucians, and Adepts, and with them the historian and
antiquarian has nothing to do; because they are beyond his reach of
investigation. A "History of Rosicrucians" could, at best, be a
history of certain persons who "were supposed to have been
spiritually enlightened." It would have to remain for ever
uncertain whether a person mentioned in such a "history" had really
been a Rosicrucian or not; because that which constitutes a man a
saint and a sage does not belong to this earth and cannot be
examined by mortal men; it is that part of man of which the Bible
speaks when it is written, "We live upon the earth; but our soul is
in heaven."
External investigation can only deal with external things; that
whose existence depends on a form can deal only with forms; but all
forms are merely fictitious to him who recognises by the power of
his spiritual perception the truth which the form represents. The
whole of nature is an expression of truth; but there are few who
can realize the truth expressed in nature. We are all more or less
caricatured images of the truth which we are originally intended to
represent. As long as we have ourselves merely a fictitious
existence, owing to the non-recognition of the truth within our own
selves, we merely know the caricature which we represent, but not
our true, real self.
Wisdom, as a principle, is inconceivable unless it becomes manifest
in the wise, and only the wise are capable to recognise it. A man
without knowledge knows nothing. It is not man in his aspect as a
being without any principle who can know any principle whatever; it
is always the principle itself that recognises itself in other
forms. Thus, if a person wants to know the truth, the truth must be
alive in him; if there is no truth in him, he can perceive no
truth, neither within himself nor in external nature. For ever the
truth is crucified between two "thieves" called "superstition" and
"scepticism," and if we see only one of the crucified thieves, we
are liable to mistake him for the truth; but the two forms of the
thieves are distorted, or, to express it more correctly, the truth
is distorted in them. Only when we are capable to recognise the
straight form of the Saviour hanging between the two distorted
thieves, will we see the difference and know where to search for
the Redeemer.
For those in whom the truth has not yet become a living power,
fictitious forms are necessary to show them the way, but the
majority of the ignorant see only the fiction; there being no truth
within themselves, there is nothing to perceive the truth in the
form. For this reason the "Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians" will
for ever remain "secret" to all who have not the living truth
within their own hearts, and they will not comprehend them, in
spite of all the explanations produced. These, however, in whom the
truth struggles to become alive and who are striving not merely for
the gratification of their curiosity, but who love the truth for
its own sake and without any personal consideration, may be aided a
great deal by the study of the books of the Rosicrucians and their
secret symbols, in the same way as a traveller in a foreign country
may be aided by those who have travelled there before him and know
the way. They can indicate to him the road through the desert and
the places where sweet water may be found, but they cannot carry
him, he is to do the walking himself.
Divine wisdom is not of man's making, neither is it invented by
him. There is no other way to obtain it than by receiving it
willingly within one's own heart. If it enters there, then will the
storm of contending opinions subside, and the sea of thought be as
clear as a mirror in which we may see the truth. Then will the
truth itself become strong in ourselves, and we shall know God, not
by reading a description of Him in books but in and through His own
power, or, to express it in the words of the Bible, we shall attain
knowledge of Him "by worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth."
Like the allegorical language of the Bible and other religious
books, the Rosicrucian writings are utter nonsense and
incomprehensible, if taken in an external sense and applied from a
material point of view. Merely external reasoning, far from being
an aid in their understanding, is rather an obstacle in the way;
but to him who looks at them with the understanding that comes
from the spirit, they are full of divine wisdom.
The Rosicrucians say, "A person who knows Divine truth has attained
the highest and desires nothing more; for there can be nothing
higher than the attainment of the truth. In comparison with this
treasure, worldly possessions sink into insignificance: for he who
possesses the highest has no desire for that which is low; he who
knows the reality does not care for illusions. Scientific and
philosophical speculations in regard to what may possibly be true
are useless to him who feels and perceives the truth; he does not
need to speculate about that which he already. sees and knows. He
does not require great riches, for the wants of his physical form
are few and simple, and moreover, by the action of the spirit
within, radiating in an outward direction, the material principles
composing his physical form become more and more sublimated and
etherealized, and independent of the necessities of the material
plane; until at last, having stripped off the last sheath of the
gross and visible form, and having made that principle conscious
which gives life within the visible inner body, he may live
entirely in the latter, invisible to mortal eyes, independent of
material conditions, an ethereal spirit surrounded by indescribable
beauties, in possession of powers of whose existence mortal man
does not dream—an ethereal spirit, but nevertheless a real and
living man." ( 1.)
And, again, the Rosicrucians say of him who has tasted of the
living water of truth, the true "Elixir of Life":
"Blessed is he who is above want and poverty, above disease and
death, who Cannot be touched by that which gives pain, who does not
require another roof over his head than the sky, no other bed than
the earth, no other nutriment than the air, and who is above all
those wants for which mortals are craving." ( 2.)
"God humiliates the vain and exalts the humble. He punishes the
proud with contempt; but to the modest He sends His angels
with consolation. He throws the evil disposed into a
wilderness; but to the kind-hearted He opens the portals of
heaven." ( 3.)
"Avoid the books of the Sophists; they are full of errors; for the
foundation upon which their knowledge rests is their fancy. Enter
the realm of the real, and divide with us the treasures which we
possess. We invite you, not by our own choice, but by the power of
the Divine Spirit whose servants we are." ( 4.)
"What does the animal know about intellectual pleasures? what does
the Sophist know about the joys of the spirit? Would it not be a
precious thing if we could live and think and feel as if we had
been living and thinking and feeling ever since the beginning of
the world, and were to continue thus unto its end? Would it not be
delightful to know all the secrets of Nature and to read that book
in which is recorded everything that has happened in the past, or
which will exist in the future? Would you not rejoice to possess
the power to attract the highest instead of being attracted by that
which is low, and to have pure spirits instead of animals
assembling around you?" ( 5.)
Are such powers attainable by man? It would be useless to attempt
to prove it to those who have no desire to attain them; and even if
it were proved, what would it benefit those who are poor to prove
to them that there are others in possession of treasures which for
the former do not exist? Can the existence of powers be proved to
one who has no capacity for their perception or comprehension? Even
a miracle would prove nothing except that something unusual and
unexplained had occurred.
The Fama Fraternitatis says: "The impossibility to reveal such
secrets to those who are not sufficiently spiritually developed to
receive them is the cause that many misconceptions and prejudices
have existed among the public in regard to the Rosicrucians.
Grotesque and fabulous stories, whose origin can only be traced to
the ignorance or malice of those who invented them, have been
circulated and grown in intensity and absurdity as they
travelled through the ranks of the gossippers. Falsehoods cannot be
eradicated without injuring the roots of the truth, and evil
intentions grow useful to contradict the false statements made by
the ignorant or wilful deceiver; but what is the testimony of the
blind worth when they speak of what they believe they have seen and
what value can be attached to the statements of the deaf when they
describe what they believe they have heard? What does the
untruthful know of the truth, the godless of God, the foolish of
wisdom, and the unbeliever of faith? They may think that they are
right, nevertheless they are wrong; they may accuse others of
harbouring illusions, while they live in illusions themselves.
Envy, hate, jealousy, bigotry and superstition are like coloured
glasses, which cause him who looks through them to see nothing in
its true aspect, but everything in coloured light."
Thus it appears that the "Rosicrucians," in speaking of their
society, means something very different from any terrestrial and
external organization of persons calling themselves, for some
reason or other, "Rosicrucians"; but of a spiritual union, a
harmony of divine and conspritual, but, nevertheless, individual
powers, such as the angels are supposed to be, and which are not
concerned in any history connected with the tomfooleries of
external life.
It is of that spiritual "association" of which they speak when they
say:
"Our community has existed ever since the first day of creation,
when God spoke the word, 'Let there be light,' and it will continue
to exist till the end of time. It is the society of the children of
light, whose bodies are formed of light, and who live in the light
for ever. In our school we are instructed by Divine wisdom, the
heavenly bride, whose will is free, and who comes to him whom she
selects. The mysteries which we know embrace everything that can
possibly be known in regard to God, Nature, and Man. Every sage
that has ever existed has graduated in our school, in which he
could have learned true wisdom. We have among our members such as
do not inhabit this globe; our disciples are distributed al) over
the universe. They all study one book, and follow only one method
of studying it. Our place of meeting is the temple of the Holy
Spirit pervading all nature, easily to be found by the Elect, but
for ever hidden from the eyes of the vulgar. Our secrets cannot be
sold for money; but they are free to everyone who is capable to
receive them. Our secrecy is not caused by an unwillingness to
give; but by the incapacity to receive on the part of those that
ask for instruction.
"There is only one eternal truth; there is only one fountain of
love. Love cannot be given, it must be born in the human heart.
Wherever the quickening takes place, we attend to the birth of
divine love. We are in possession of a light that illumines the
profoundest depths of the darkness and enables us to know the
deepest of mysteries. We have a fire by which we are nourished
and by which wonders may be performed in nature.
"Everything in this world is subject to our will, because our will
is one and identical with the law; nevertheless, our will is free
and bound by no law.
"Do you wish to become a member of our society? If so, enter within
your own heart and hearken to the voice of the Silence. Seek for
the Master within yourself, and listen to his instructions. Learn
to know the Divinity that seeks to manifest itself within your
soul. Throw away your imperfections and become perfect in
God."
Footnotes
10:1 It will readily be perceived that all this refers to the
"Inner Man," and not to his mortal physical frame. It is neither
the physical body with its external senses, nor the perishing mind
of man which can know divine truth. It is only divine truth in man
that can know its own self. No mail can attain true knowledge of
any spiritual power, unless that power becomes alive in him and he
identified with it. Occultism is not a question of what one should
know, nor of what one should do; but of what one must be. If the
inner man has become truly spiritual, not merely in his
imagination, but in his will; then his awakened spirit will
penetrate even through the physical form and change its nature in
the same sense as darkness is consumed by light.
10:2 All this refers not to the man of terrestrial flesh; but to
him who has been regenerated in the life of the spirit. The
elementary body of man is not above disease and death; nor above
that which gives pain. That body requires to be sheltered against
the elements whereof it is made; and needs terrestrial food; but
the man of the celestial kingdom is free. His home is as wide as
his thoughts can reach, and his nutriment is the "Manna" from
heaven.
11:3 "God" (according to Jacob Boehme) is the will of divine
wisdom. He who rises up in his self-conceit will fall; because he
will be full of his delusive knowledge, and the will of the Eternal
cannot awaken divine wisdom in him. True humility does not consist
in abject fear; but in the highest sense of dignity, such as can be
felt only by him who feels that God is in and with him.
11:4 The "sophists" are those sceptical inquirers who diligently
examine the external shell of the fruit that grows upon the tree of
knowledge; without knowing that there is a kernel within the fruit.
They persuade themselves that there is no kernel, and imagine that
those who are capable to perceive by the power of the spirit the
light that shines from the interior fountain, are dreamers; while
they themselves little know that their own life is merely a sleep
and their fancied knowledge a dream.
11:5 The spirit of man is not of this world; it belongs to
eternity. There never was a time when the spirit of man was not;
even since the beginning of creation; neither is its presence
limited to this planet Earth. He who succeeds in merging his
consciousness with that of the divine spirit that overshadows his
personality, and which is his own real self, will know his past
forms of existence and set the future; but the animal principles in
man cannot partake of that state; they die and enter again into the
Chao!, the storehouse for the production of forms.
