Max Heindel Ancient and Modern Initiation

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immortal-
ity.
Students will realize that this is part of the process which
eventually
culminates in the Transfiguration, but it should also be realized
that in
the Christian Mystic Initiation there are no set and definite
degrees. The
[PAGE 108] ANCIENT AND MODERN
INITIATION
candidate looks to the Christ as the author and finisher of his
faith, seek-
ing to imitate Him and follow in His steps through every moment of
exist-
ence. Thus the various stages which we are considering are reached
by pro-
cesses of soul growth which simultaneously bring him to higher
aspects of
all these steps that we are now analyzing. In this respect the
Christian
Mystic Initiation differs radically from the processes in vogue
among the
Rosicrucians, in which an UNDERSTANDING upon the part of the
candidate of
that which is to take place is considered indispensable. But there
comes a
time at which the Christian Mystic must and does realize the path
before
him, and that is what constitutes Gethsemane, which we will consider
in the
next chapter.
[PAGE 109] GETHSEMANE THE GARDEN
OF GRIEF
.
CHAPTER SIX
GETHSEMANE
THE GARDEN OF GRIEF
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of
Olives.
"And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of
me this
night; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep
shall be
scattered. But after that I am risen I will go before you into
Galilee.
"But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will
not I.
"And Jesus saith unto him, Verily, I say unto thee that this day,
even in
this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
"But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I
will not
deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
"And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and He
saith to
His disciples, Sit ye here while I shall pray. And He taketh with
Him Peter
and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very
heavy; and
[PAGE 110] ANCIENT AND MODERN
INITIATION
saith unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death: tarry
ye here
and watch. And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and
prayed
that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. And He said,
Abba,
Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from
me: Nev-
ertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh and
findeth
them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst
not thou
watch one hour? Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into
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temptation. The
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." --MARK, 14:26-38.
In the foregoing Gospel narrative we have one of the saddest
and most
difficult of the experiences of the Christian Mystic outlined in
spiritual
form. During all his previous experience he has wandered blindly
along,
that is to say, blind to the fact that he is on the Path which if
consis-
tently followed leads to a definite goal, but being also keenly alert
to the
slightest sigh of every suffering soul. He has concentrated all his
efforts
upon alleviating their pain physically, morally, or mentally; he has
served
them in any and every capacity; he has taught them the gospel of
love, "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"; and he has been A LIVING EXAMPLE
to all
in its practice. Therefore he has drawn to himself a little band of
friends
whom he loves with the tenderest of affection. Them has he also
taught and
served unstintingly, even to the foot washing. But during this
period of
service he has become so saturated with the sorrows of the world
that he is
[PAGE 111] GETHSEMANE THE GARDEN
OF GRIEF
indeed a MAN of SORROWS and acquainted with grief as no one else can
be.
This is a very definite experience of the Christian Mystic, and it
is the
most important factor in furthering his spiritual progress. So long
as we
are bored when people come to us and tell us their troubles, so long
as we
run away from them and seek to escape hearing their tales of woe, we
are far
from the Path. Even when we listen to them and have schooled
ourselves not
to show that we are bored, when we say with our lips only a few
sympathetic
words that fall flat on the sufferer's ear, we gain nothing in
spiritual
growth. It is absolutely essential to the Christian Mystic that he
become
so attuned to the world's woe that he feels every pang as his own
hurt and
stores it up within his heart.
When PARSIFAL stood in the temple of the Holy Grail and saw the
suffering
of Amfortas the stricken Grail King, he was mute with sympathy and
compas-
sion for a long time after the procession had passed out of the
hall, and
consequently could not answer the questions of Gurnemanz, and it
was that
deep fellow feeling which prompted him to seek for the spear that
should
heal Amfortas. IT WAS THE PAIN OF AMFORTAS FELT IN THE HEART OF
PARSIFAL BY
SYMPATHY WHICH HELD HIM FIRMLY BALANCED UPON THE PATH OF VIRTUE WHEN
TEMPTA-
TION WAS STRONGEST. It was that deep pain of compassion which
urged him
through many years to seek the suffering Grail King, and finally when
he had
found Amfortas, this deep, heartfelt fellow feeling enabled him
to pour
forth the healing balm.
.
[PAGE 112] ANCIENT AND MODERN
INITIATION
As it is shown in the soul myth of Parsifal, so it is in the
actual life [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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