JOHN 8:31-32
Then said Jesus unto those Jews which believed on him, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
IGNORANCE (taken from the Gnostic Gospel of Philip)
Ignorance is the mother of all evil.
Ignorance will eventuate in death,
Because those who come from ignorance
Neither were nor are nor will be.
But those who are in truth will be perfect
When all the truth is revealed.
For truth is like ignorance: while hidden it rests in itself,
But when revealed and recognized,
It is praised in that it is stronger than ignorance and error.
It gives freedom. The Word said,
“If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.”
Ignorance is a slave,
Knowledge is freedom.
If we know the truth, we shall find the fruits of the truth within us.
If we join it, it will fulfill us.
MATTHEW 12:24-25
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.” And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand..”
Today we are going to talk about truth, ignorance, the Law, and Unity, and how these things affect our experience in this world. Jesus said, “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
This implies there is actually such a thing as truth. Though it may sound strange to say that, there is actually an ingrained belief system that has been implanted in the mass mind that essentially states that there is no such thing as truth, or that truth is unknowable. The mass or collective mind of humanity functions very similar to a computer and will autonomously ‘update’ itself, but it can also be programmed. The ideology referred to is known as “solipsism”. The word itself is derived from the Latin solus, which means “alone”, and the Latin ipse, which means self. It is essentially the ideology that one’s own mind or more accurately, their ego mind is the only thing that can be known to exist. This common post-modern belief essentially states that there is no such thing as objective truth or even moral truth. It states that truth is impossible to know, so why bother even trying?
Reasoning for attempting to find and understand truth can be found in the passage from the Gospel of Philip: “Ignorance is a slave, knowledge is freedom. If we know the truth, we shall find the fruits of the truth within us. If we join it, it will fulfill us.”
Essentially it is stating that the truth and knowledge of it (gnosis) equates to freedom. Ignorance of the truth is slavery, which also implies the presence of a master, or controller- a person, group of persons, or other force that enslaves. Tied up in this as well, is the presence of the lie- the thing that makes ignorance of the truth possible. Truth by its very nature is simple and easy to understand, when one is ready to do so. Lies are always intentionally complicated, creating a maze to keep one from the truth. The truth of the Light of Christ and the Way, for example, is incredibly simple. It’s not easy (at all), but it is simple.
The underlying purpose of ideologies like solipsism, nihilism, and the myriad of other belief systems created by institutions, individuals of influence, and our own egos, is to obfuscate the truth. Now this is not to say that there may be some outward complexities to the truth, which is why developing the mind and developing understanding is a key component of growth, but at its core, the truth remains simple. Obfuscation of the truth is to make things look and seem impossibly complicated to the point where people become confused and bewildered, causing them to give up looking, as they believe it is impossible. This is a prime method of any group looking to maintain control of a population. This is also a prime method of your own ego and the oppositional forces that dwell within you that wish to maintain their own rule over you and keep things as they are- keeping you away from the Light of Self that is the truth of who you are.
I’m not going to say that just one type of truth is important, or even that there is such a thing as a type of truth. All things are in God and God is in all things. It is important to see ALL things- people, institutions, situations and experiences- for what they are, and for all the tinted lenses of preference and perception to be discarded. Truth is the nature of the Light. Lies and ignorance are the nature of darkness which in the ultimate sense do not exist, but in the functional sense, it is absolutely something we have to deal with and let us not be deluded into thinking we can whiz around it somehow.
So why does ignorance of truth and its existence make one a slave? There are a few different reasons, but today I’m going to talk about the truth that is the Law of Creation and its existence, and how knowledge or ignorance of it is a deciding factor of one’s lot in life. I’m sure most people here are somewhat familiar with the Law of Manifestation, but for those may not be, I am going to quote the late Father Paul, founder of the Holy Order of MANS:
“The Law is the Great Formula which the Creator set in the Solar Pattern of the universe so that His Creations would have freedom- one of the most important of all things… The Law by which things manifest in the world or your life, is the process of or means of using the creative power which brings all things into manifestation. It is the ‘Living Formula’ of all mankind WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT.”
And I might add, whether you believe it as true or not. The Law is observable and will function regardless of whether or not you are aware of it. Essentially, the Law is God in action, aka, the Holy Spirit. It exists, it is observable, it is workable, and belief has NOTHING to do with it. This is science in its purest form. There are many different styles and approaches to working with the Law, and they are referred to by names such as visualization, prayer, magick and sorcery. The differences lie in the rituals surrounding them and the nature of the intentions involved.
My first exposure to the Law was through a film version of the popular New Age book, The Secret. It talks about using the Law to attract and manifest what you want into your life: a new job, a new car, a new girlfriend. I thought it was pretty cool stuff. I read Shakti Gawain’s book Creative Visualization, I started getting into magick, and I’ll tell you what, it DOES work. The problem that I found with things like The Secret in retrospect as I became more spiritually mature was that it was seemingly all about satisfying the ego. It was about fulfilling materialistic desire and spoke very little about selfless service, and only seemed to show using the law of karma to satisfy selfish ends. I will also add that there are definitely consequences to using this recklessly, especially if there are other people involved in the fulfilment of your desire. The old saying “be careful for what you wish for, because you just might get it” is painfully true.
However, these bumpy roads and potential diversions led me to where I am today- literally. I used the Law of attraction/manifestation to bring myself to Oregon. I used it to bring about the current job I have. I visualize what is desired as clearly as possible; I feel how it would feel to have it occur, placing myself as though I was ‘there’; I assume it to already be done, and I surrender the prayer/desire to the Creator. Then I do the work to ‘build the vessel’ for the prayer to manifest- keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities and doing the ground work necessary to assist in manifestation. Now, sometimes, a lot of labor isn’t necessary for outcomes to manifest after you have visualized them. Sometimes you can just visualize events in your mind clearly and have them manifest before your eyes. I often will do this playing cards or playing pool with my girlfriend (she HATES it when I do that); but when it comes to the important things, YOU CAN’T JUST SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR STUFF TO HAPPEN. This is the Age of Activity, after all.
Equally important are learning that the LAW also has certain principles that allow one to better understand and work with it in a conscious manner. These have been known since the days of Ancient Egypt and Greece, but probably go back much, much further to a time “lost”. These principles were brilliantly laid out and explained in the Hermetic text, The Kybalion:
I. THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM
Embodies the truth that “All is Mind”- The universe is mental in nature and functions accordingly. We all “live and move and have our being” in the Mind of God. This principle explains the true nature of energy, power and matter, and how these are all subordinate to the mastery of mind.
II. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE
“As above, so below; as below, so above”- This is the truth that there is always a correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life. This principle allows us to understand that which would otherwise seem unknowable. The events that take place in the world of men and matter, reflect things happening in the psychic levels of existence, which in turn reflect things happening in the spiritual levels above that.
III. THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates”- The material universe is comprised of light vibrations that vibrate at different rates. The vibratory resonance that is the Word comprises the totality of creation. Understanding this enables us to control our own mental vibrations as well as affect those around us.
IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY
“Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.”- Opposites are in reality just varying degrees of the same thing- hot and cold are just the two poles in the measurement of heat, so ultimately, heat is what’s real. Light and dark are two poles in the measurement of light, so ultimately light is what’s real. These same principles can be applied to love and fear; life and death; bringing us to the realization that we live in universe that is comprised of Light, Life and Love, where darkness, fear and death are not real in and of themselves.
V. THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”- This embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion, to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and forward. There is always and action and reaction in all things in nature as well as in the mental states of man. Studying this principle opens us to ways of counteracting, neutralizing, and using the rhythms of the universe in correspondence with the Will.
VI. THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
“Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law”- This is the truth that nothing ever ‘merely happens’, there is no such thing as chance, as nothing ever entirely escapes the Law. There is always a REASON something happened, whether we understand it or not. “The masses of people are carried along, obedient to environment, the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; heredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like pawns on the chessboard of life. But the masters, rising to the plane above, dominate their moods, character, qualities and powers, as well as the environment surrounding them, and become movers instead of pawns. They help to play the game of life, instead of being played and moved about by other wills and the environment. They use the principle instead of being its tools.”
VII. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER
“Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests of all planes”- This embodies the truth that there is gender manifested in everything. We can see this in our consciousness with the active masculine thinking mind that seeds the receptive subconscious mind and brings us our personal reality. Everything and everyone contains both masculine and feminine principles. “The principle of gender works ever in the direction of generation, regeneration, and creation.”
Father Paul stated:
“Let us realize the power and the potential which the human intellect cannot fathom until it accepts the universal principles which are never respecters of persons; for the Law will work for one man the same as it will another.”
This can be a hard pill for some, but “He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.”
Father Paul talked about those who use the Law for negative means, stating “They’re determined to run the earth and their world the way they want to.”
These are people who know how to use the Law very effectively to manipulate the mass mind, preying on the general public’s ignorance of how the Law, in combination with the Word and symbolism work. They are essentially the masters of the world of things that are “made” (as opposed to the world of things that are “Created”); the world of ultimate illusion; the dream inside the dream. Yes, there is more than one dream going on, but this only because the bulk of humanity has abdicated their power and responsibility, allowing this to be.
A form of sorcery known as Qlippothic is used to manipulate people via their minds (remember that first Principle of Mentalism) through the use of words, colors, symbols and imagery, combining to create spells. If one understands how this works, one can see these “spells” all around us. The Qlippoth are the opposing or “dark” sides of the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Drawn from the Kabbalah system of occult mysticism that was given to Moses, but more than likely was understood by those older still, this Tree of Life is essentially looked at as the blueprint of creation. While using the spheres of the Sephiroth fosters light and liberation, using the spheres of the Qlippoth fosters darkness and enslavement. Dark occultists manipulate the mind through working with the “shadow” of a person. They work with what is thrown off as projections of the conscious mind into the sub-conscious mind (a shadow is a thrown off projection of an object as a result of light). It should also be noted that the dark occultist views the Zodiac and the world of matter as a prison for the soul, rather than a place for the soul to have experiences so it can learn and grow. The dark occultists see themselves as the wardens of this “prison”. This demonstrates the power of world-view and intent in the process of manifestation.
Some of these dark occultists have great wealth, power and knowledge. Some are purportedly the most wealthy, powerful men in the world. Regardless of the sparse amount of what would be considered as hard proof for the above statement, (But then again, why would there be? Although I would recommend the work and testimonies of former dark occultist, Mark Passio), the rich and powerful do dominate human civilization and they do use and understand the Law very effectively. In the early 20th century, a professor named Napoleon Hill interviewed some of the richest, most powerful men of the time- names like Carnegie, Rockefellar, Roosevelt, Ford, and Edison- and asked them how they were able to accumulate such a tremendous degree of wealth. He eventually put this into a book entitled, Think and Grow Rich, in which he outlined the 6 steps for the attainment of desire or “riches”:
1. Fix your mind on exactly what you want to manifest. Be clear and definite. There are psychological reasons for making something definitive.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for what you desire. There is no such reality as something for nothing.
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess what you desire.
4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
5. Write out a clear, concise statement of what or how much(if concerning money) you intend to acquire, name a time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for it, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
6. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read- see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of what you desire.
Sounds kinda familiar, right? Thomas Edison said that he saw these steps as “being not only the steps essential for the accumulation of money, but necessary for the attainment of any definite goal.” Whatever you may feel about the motivations of some of these folks, the fact of the matter is that things don’t just happen to them, they make things happen. These are the men that essentially created the modern world that we live in and the institutions that most of us have become subservient to in some fashion or other. That is their legacy.
Whatever your feelings about all that are, that fact remains that if we are ignorant of the Law, we will be subject to the whims and at the mercy (or lack thereof) of those who are not ignorant of it; those who will use it as means of control to shape the world, human society, and as a result, our lives, as they see fit. If we are ignorant of the Law, we will not be co-creators of our reality, but unwitting participants in someone else’s dream.
So we can begin to see how ignorance of the truth of the Law keeps the majority of humanity caught in a seemingly endless rat-race, able to be duped and manipulated by those with selfish ends, but there is more to it than just deception. It should also be noted that those who do manipulate the mass mind are the reflections of the darkest, most unresolved aspects of the collective psyche that are hidden away from the Light out of pure fear and desire to maintain an illusion.
Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”
Division keeps people from being able to unify and direct energy outward to effect change in the world. This is true on both the individual level and the collective level; internally and externally. Internal division negates one’s ability to effectively utilize the Law and understand its principles. Those who use the Law to control the mass mind are internally (and often externally) united with singular focus, albeit arguably a less than honorable one. Again, the Law is indifferent to motivations and will work for one whose “eye is single”- whose focus and intent is clear and unwavering, and whose knowledge of the principles is keen.
All this is not to say that the law of Karma is ever suspended for anyone, but let’s remember that the puppet-master uses the puppet so that he doesn’t get his or her hands dirty. They don’t do the dirty work and are able to do a side step out of the way of the more immediate wrath of Karma. Karma does not care if the puppet was ‘just following orders’ or ‘just doing their job’; it treats all who violate the free will of others, especially in a hands-on, physical sense, as willing offenders. This goes for those on both ‘sides’ of “man’s law”, which in and of itself is an illusion and more often than not actually violates the true Law and Its Principles. The Natural Law Principles of the Universe do not need any one to enforce them, and any individual or group of individual’s attempts at the restriction and violation of the divine right of free will in another individual or group, regardless of “justification” is a violation of True Law. Again Karma, the Natural Law enforcer, is ALWAYS on duty. One need only look at the outcomes of the “justice” system in America and see how well it is working.
All reap what they themselves sow in the world, which is why we must be truly conscious and brutally honest with ourselves when it comes to what we are ACTUALLY DOING right here and now in the present moment. Not what we or anyone else believes our actions to stand for in some ‘noble cause’ or represent in some manner of ‘required duty’. Point blank- are your actions causing harm to someone right now? Are your actions causing or enabling some form of suffering right now? Are your actions in some way taking away the freedom and free will of someone right now? Are your actions betraying your own truth and the Light within you right now? If they are, then we need to do the work to change that.
While it should not be our prime motivator, let us remember that living in accordance with the Law and Principles of creation especially when it comes to the two commandments of Jesus: ‘love God with all your heart, mind and will, and love thy neighbor as yourself’- allow one to reap the rewards of Karma, as She is not just a punisher. That last commandment of love thy neighbor gives us the realization that our neighbor in essence is us, so by taking away their freedom in some capacity, we are taking away our own and violating ourselves: we are dividing ourselves. Why would we want to do that?
Human beings are always using the Law to create the circumstances of their lives and it always exists regardless of our understanding or beliefs. We cannot help but do so, as it is our innate nature as creators made in the image of THE Creator. However, internal chaos and division and lack of understanding of the Law and its principles, creates a life of seemingly random and chaotic events, even though all things that happen to us were enabled by us and have very logical origins if we do the work to know ourselves truly.
This chaos can show up in drama-filled interpersonal relationships, and perpetual cycles of misfortune that are quite often manifested by either psychological conflicts existing within the person that need to be resolved or a deeper lesson that is needing to be learned. A wise man once said, “look at your life and you’ll see what you’ve been praying for”. Like energy attracts like energy. If we refuse to do the work of bringing ourselves into unity, and choose to remain ignorant and/or lazy, then we will continue to be slaves to a myriad of seemingly external forces. I know that may sound a bit harsh, but it is true and I have experienced this reality in my own life. You could say I have ‘gnosis’ or experiential knowledge of this truth.
As we think, so we feel, so we act. If we do the work to bring the mind, heart and Will- the higher will as opposed to the will of the ego- into alignment, we will bring ourselves into a state of sovereignty, or self-rule, or self-mastery. It is at this point when true freedom becomes possible. When we begin to reach that point, we will find ourselves able to influence our personal sphere with the healing Light, and as our self-mastery becomes more evolved, the further we can extend ourselves and our sphere in a conscious way. I would say it is our duty to do at this time of transition. It is our responsibility to know the Law and Its Principles and to get right with God and our-Self.
You may or may not believe everything or anything I have just said, and that is okay. I am not here to get you to believe anything, nor would I want you to. I am simply here to convey the truth as I understand it. I am here to do what I can to assist in tearing down the heavy walls of ignorance, illusion, and darkness and aid in the construction of a new structure of Light- spiritualized matter: the New Heaven and New Earth.
So as we bring ourselves further away from ignorance and darkness into truth, Light and understanding of the Law and its principles; and as we work on developing our internal sovereignty, extending our use of the Law into the world, growing in spiritual strength as a result; let us be mindful of the divine right of free will of the individual and the statement that “with great power comes great responsibility”. Let us never lose sight that we are working toward the liberation of ALL beings, lest corruptions of desire, ambition, and ego set in and make us part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Let us see the raw potentiality of all human beings and strive to do what we can to help make that manifest.
LIGHTNING WARRIORS 