Spiritual Contemplation
Spiritual Christmas - 02 - Recognising the inner man in yourself
Spiritual Christmas - English
23-12 Narrative 2 Chapter 2 of the Aquarian Gospel: The Birth of John
Narrative:
Narrative 2, for the evening of 23 December: The Birth of John
Reflection:
Reflection 2, for 23 December: Recognising the inner man in yourself
Narrative:
Narrative 2, for the evening of 23 December: The Birth of John
Chapter 2 of The Aquarian Gospel: The Birth of John
Near Hebron in the hills of Judah, Zacharias and Elizabeth abode. They were devoted and just, and every day they read the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms which told of one to come, strong to redeem; and they were waiting for the king. Now, Zacharias was a priest, and in his turn, he led the temple service in Jerusalem.
It came to pass as Zacharias stood before the Lord and burned the incense in the Holy Place, that Gabriel came and stood before his face. And Zacharias was afraid; he thought that some great evil was about to come upon the Jews.
But Gabriel said, O man of God, fear not; I bring to you and all the world, a message of good will, and peace on earth. Behold, the Prince of Peace, the king you seek, will quickly come. Your wife will bear to you a son, a holy son, of whom the prophet wrote, ‘Behold, I send Elijah unto you again before the coming of the Lord; and he will level down the hills and fill the valleys up, and pave the way for him who shall redeem.’
From the beginning of the age your son has borne the name of John, the mercy of the Lord; his name is John. He will be honoured in the sight of God, and he will drink no wine, and from his birth, he will be filled with Holy Breath.
And Gabriel stood before Elizabeth as she was in the silence of her home, and told her all the words that he had said to Zacharias in Jerusalem. When he had done the service of his course, the priest went home, and with Elizabeth rejoiced.
Five months passed by and Gabriel came to Mary in her home in Nazareth and said, “Hail Mary, hail! Once blessed in the name of God; twice blessed in the name of Holy Breath; thrice blessed in the name of Christ; for you are worthy, and will bear a son who shall be called Immanuel.” His name is Jesus, for he saves his people from their sins.
When Joseph’s daily task was done he came, and Mary told him all the words that Gabriel spoke to her, and they rejoiced; for they believed that he, the man of God, had spoken words of truth. And Mary went with haste to tell Elizabeth about the promises of Gabriel; together they rejoiced. And in the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth did Mary tarry ninety days; then she returned to Nazareth.
To Zacharias and Elizabeth a son was born, and Zacharias said, “Most blessed be the name of God, for he has opened up the fount of blessings for his people, Israel.” His promises are verified; for he has brought to pass the words which holy prophets spoke in olden times.
And Zacharias looked upon the infant John, and said, “You shall be called the prophet of the Holy One; and you will go before his face, and will prepare his way. And you will give a knowledge of salvation unto Israel; and you will preach the gospel of repentance and the blotting out of sins.” Behold, for soon the Day Star from on high will visit us, to light the way for those who sit within the darkness of the shadow-land, and guide our feet unto the ways of peace.
Reflection:
Reflection 2, for 23 December: Recognising the inner man in yourself
Recognizing the inner being within you
Spiritual development is often seen as the start of a long and arduous journey. In a way that is right, but those who devote themselves to real spiritual development, soon experience that in practice almost everything is different than they had imagined.
To actually follow a spiritual path requires that we find the inspiration for this in our lives so that we become aware that we are twofold beings affected by both heaven and earth. On this basis and through an urge from within we strive to give expression to our inner heavenly being in daily life. Although the journey may be long and at times difficult, it is a journey that everyone must begin at some point, in this life or in a future one.
Reaching a limit
The path of the soul, situated between heaven and earth, between the personality and the inner man, will at some point arrive at a border. The human being at the border is aware that he/she could still evolve in a number of ways: the social, cultural and scientific horizons have not yet been reached by far… But what lies beyond these horizons? What do those opportunities for development really contribute to finding the truth? Is achieving this development what one really wants? Beyond that border, two paths diverge: the outer path which we have been following for so long, and an inner path.
At this crossroads, the human being who consciously chooses the inner path, due to an irresistible urge, will actually give shape to the inner being. On that path, the outer person can learn step by step how he can best fulfil his mission and vocation as a ‘creative being’ and give way to the other-one-within: he makes the paths straight for the one who comes after him. Put in this way, a spiritual path is a process during which two beings, an outer and an inner one, are both born and accompany each other on their way.
In order to properly understand the path, we should keep in mind that man is a dual creature. Hermes Trismegistus states that of all creatures only man is twofold; for only man has a mortal body and an immortal soul. Every human being is the inhabitant of two worlds: the outer world of matter and the senses and an inner world of higher consciousness.
Therefore, human consciousness is also connected to both worlds. One part of the consciousness is connected with the personality and covers the entire spectrum of human perceptions, passions, and thoughts, from the highest down to the lowest.
We are quite familiar with this personal consciousness (which includes the unconscious): it makes us who we are, and we need it to be able to maintain ourselves in life. We make ourselves known to others by means of this personality. It manifests itself in our likes and dislikes, our talents, and shortcomings, and it determines how we respond to the material world. Through the five senses, which open the windows of our consciousness to the material world, the material world in turn determines our consciousness.
The other part of our consciousness is related to our ‘True Self’. This ‘inner man’ is invisible and does not manifest itself as powerfully as the ‘I’, but it permeates our lives like a fragmentary perception that one could characterize as a silent yet relentless call saying, “Look for me, seek me…”. Very occasionally the sound seems to fade away.
Disciple of the soul
The first step on the gnostic-spiritual path is the awareness of this inner voice and a conscious recognition of one’s own duality. Not until then can a definite decision be made to seek the other-one-within.
Walking the path can be seen as passing through an inner gate – as a journey within ourselves from the outer life to the inner life. A deeply felt desire to find the other-one-within is a prerequisite for finding the entrance to the passage, to that gate. And this longing inevitably leads us to the place where the perceived but as yet unknown soul resides; it leads us to the heart of man.
The ‘Other One’ is a being which – like an ungerminated seed – lies hidden in our hearts. It stems from a higher human order, one linked with love, wisdom, compassion, friendship, and unity. We carry the germ of that Other One with us in our hearts and Its image will not let go of us. It incessantly arouses feelings of homesickness and disquiet, the sensation of belonging somewhere else. This is a sign that the seed is germinating, that the “Inner Man” is about to be born and that the outward man is called to contribute to this birth.
Through the ages, love and compassion have always been considered to be the core of all spirituality, and it has been experienced that the way to God is through the heart. But besides love, high reason and inspired activity are important also.
A purified thinking faculty is indispensable on the path to higher soul-life because only a pure mind will be able to encompass Wisdom. Love ensures the awareness of the unity of all existence. Awareness of unity is the vehicle of Love. Wisdom brings us knowledge and guides the movement of the soul to its origin. The power of activity drives the soul forward to that movement.
Therefore, the experience of unity connects us directly with the responsibility for that unity. It is a special responsibility that can express itself through our individualized personalities as soon as we are willing to be ‘disciples of the soul’ and to orient ourselves to the high lessons of the soul.
Being of service
Being of service is therefore an obvious aspect of the soul and therefore of the disciple on the path. Where formerly ‘service’ was identified with suffering and sacrifice, the disciple of the soul will be able to understand the meaning of ‘being subservient’ in its highest form: to joyfully surrender to the new order of the inner life, in all circumstances and within all social, political, cultural, and scientific contexts.
Experiencing one’s own duality – the experience of ‘not being the one who you essentially are’ – and the desire to fully express that higher Self in your life are the starting points for a spiritual path.
From this experience, you immediately enter into a different relationship with yourself and there will be a new focal point in your life: the pure and higher state of life that you know to exist. The focus on common issues such as worldly success, individual wealth and prosperity will gradually and naturally fade into the background, giving way to a new orientation.
A new certainty
So, the way to your true identity begins with a birth, the birth of a new inner certainty. The life that follows is a life of striving to bring the highest within yourself to manifestation, provide it with vitality and bring it to maturity. And that is why the Christmas narrative in The Aquarian Gospel begins with the birth of……. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was borne from Joachim, a Jewish scribe and a rich man, and Anna of the tribe of Judah. In honour of the birth, Joachim prepared a feast where the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind are invited.
…and to each one he gave a gift of raiment, food or other needful thing. He said: The Lord has given me this wealth; I am his steward by his grace, and if I give not to his children when in need, then he will make this wealth a curse.
Someone who tries to respond to the whispers of the soul will always spontaneously think and act from unity. It cannot be otherwise than that Mary, the woman giving birth to Jesus, is born to such parents. Who are these parents?
Joachim (meaning ‘may Jehovah exalt’) and Anna (meaning ‘grace’) are aspects of ourselves! It is these forces of our personality that are released through the purification of our daily life and by our focus on the good in this material world. These purifications have led the heart and the head to a border and prepared them for a higher form of life.
Mary (meaning ‘bitter/sad’ and also: ‘the sea’, the life field of the soul), this unshakable inner certainty, is destined for a special purpose in life, and at the age of three she is ‘received in the temple’: the ever-so-tender inner state is protected and prepared for its high task.
Once she is mature, Mary is betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter, and a dedicated member of the Essenes. The goal of the Essenes was primarily inner development, and Joseph represents the manifesting power within us that will execute the assignment together with Mary. In this way, the path to the new life is being prepared by means of a new certainty and a new inner strength.