Empty Consciousness: The Unmanifest Light, The Unspoken word.

[Soul_of_Shu]

This from Steiner may be instructive in how a pupil of occult knowledge would be compelled to act in a forum such as this, or in the arena of workaday life in general ... I can't say that I'm recognizing it herein

[ParadoxZone]

Shu,

After listening to the above, and following along the Steiner related threads here, isn't there a stage/stages where choice is the appropriate word, rather than compulsion?

[Cleric K]

This from Steiner may be instructive in how a pupil of occult knowledge would be compelled to act in a forum such as this, or in the arena of workaday life in general ... I can't say that I'm recognizing it herein

Shu, the above lecture should be seen within the context of the whole cycle of lectures. Furthermore it should be clear it traces the principles of occult training as they have evolved in the past centuries. Even though the extract of these principles is pretty much the same, the path of knowledge transforms continually. It must be clear that in the times before the second half of the 19th century occult schools were strictly secret. Through the rudimentary work of Blavatsky, we began to enter an age where occult knowledge was to gradually flow into the general consciousness of humanity. One of the most important things accompanying this process is the development of free thinking as true spiritual activity. Only in this way can occult knowledge be prevented from becoming dangerous dogma.

In our current age, things become even more pressing. With the advent of psychedelics use and adoption of Eastern meditative practices for the mere enhancement of the quality of material life, people are already entering unknowingly into certain regions. It is of critical importance that this should be counter-balanced with more comprehensive knowledge. Not in order to dogmatize the inner experiences with abstract theories but to point attention to certain inner facts that we simply remain blind for otherwise. That was the reason for my rather long post in the other thread. It's not in any way to simply demean Adur's experiences but to show that the idea that upon reaching the absolute nothingness, one has reached the fountainhead of creation, can result only when we overlook (simply because we don't know that there's such direction to be looked into) even deeper strata of reality. Whether one will take heed of this information is completely personal matter. The important thing is that these things are at least heard of.

Times are changing. For quite more than a century deeper knowledge has been flowing in general consciousness and has assumed the most grotesque forms when reshuffled by purely abstract speculations (like TC's LCS or Keylontic Science). The psychedelic revolution can be either a blessing or a curse. The biggest problem (as mentioned in the linked post) is the illusionary belief that just because one witnesses the dissolution of the intellect, the ego is overcome. This is a terrible illusion. The ego is not only not overcome but has merged as a chameleon with the background in the most deceitful way. One of the signs of this is the development of a very specific feeling of pride. When spiritual science speaks of, for example, the astral world and describes the processes and being that can be encountered there, this pride makes us say "Nonsense! I've been there million times and nothing of this sort exists!".

The germs of our higher faculties are very delicate. They can be quite easily trampled underfoot. This is what happens when the sensory intellect delves into regions which are not natural to it. The tendencies of the intellect (which seem dissolved but are actually working in the background) are still there with all their might. They demand that everything is perceived in a way similar to the perceptions of the sensory world - as something that forcefully impresses in our consciousness in 'objective' manner. What is completely missed is that higher cognition develops as very delicate refinement of our ordinary cognition. Only in this way we can discern the forms and living forces within the unmanifested light and unspoken word beheld by the consciousness without object. When we're ejected into these regions with our intellectual boots on, we practically destroy the fragile seedlings of our higher nature. Then we stand pridefully with our boots on, in this alien world and declare "I've been there million times, there's nothing but homogeneous oneness (or absolute nothingness)".

[Soul_of_Shu]

Thanks Cleric, that does put it in perspective, and gets at why I found it just a tad anachronistically provisional.

[Soul_of_Shu]

Shu,

After listening to the above, and following along the Steiner related threads here, isn't there a stage/stages where choice is the appropriate word, rather than compulsion?

I can only speak from this experience, which is that whatever path I've been deeply irresistibly drawn to has not been out of choice, no more than I've ever chosen to feel affinity or resonance with a work of art or music. Mind you, as mentioned, I take a very eclectic—no doubt some would say far too eclectic—approach to said paths, arts and music. I don't expect this to change at this point

[Ben Iscatus]

Thanks Cleric, that does put it in perspective, and gets at why I found it just a tad anachronistically provisional.

Strange how what you got from Cleric's post and what I got are diametrically opposed, when so often I see things in a similar way to you.
What I got from it is "a mind not to be changed by place or time” -smooth-tongued justification. It's great! I love it. He got all the best lines in Paradise Lost.

[Soul_of_Shu]

Thanks Cleric, that does put it in perspective, and gets at why I found it just a tad anachronistically provisional.

Strange how what you got from Cleric's post and what I got are diametrically opposed, when so often I see things in a similar way to you.
What I got from it is "a mind not to be changed by place or time” -smooth-tongued justification. It's great! I love it. He got all the best lines in Paradise Lost.

To be clear, I don't necessarily agree with everything Cleric expresses in his post, just that I now see how the method put forward with respect to how a pupil should act at the time of the ancient mystery schools, may well not be wholly applicable or apropos in this day and age. Certainly, this forum I would not consider in the category of a such a mystery school, with us as its pupils.