Moses said in Genesis:
“Let there be Light, and the Light was made!“
This is not something that corresponds to a most remote past, no! This tremendous Principle, which trembled with the first instant, never changes in time, it is as eternal as all Eternity; we must take it as a stark reality from instant to instant, and from moment to moment…
Let us remember GOETHE, the great German Initiate; before dying, his last words were: *“Light, more Light!”…, *and he died (in parentheses, Goethe is now reincarnating in Holland, he has a physical body; but this time, he does not have a masculine physical body, now he has a feminine physical body, and is married to a Dutch Prince; now she is a Dutch lady of high nobility; it is very interesting, is it not?).
Well, continuing forward with what we have begun, this of MAKING THE LIGHT is extremely important, because while one lives in Darkness, one longs for the Light; one is blind. The person who is stuck in a shaft, amidst the darkness, underground, what he longs for most is light…
Well, the ESSENCE is the most worthy, the most decent thing that we have within our interior; it originally comes from the Milky Way, there the musical note LA resounds; it then passes to the Sun, with the note SOL, and then comes to this Physical World with the note MI…
The Essence is beautiful, it is, let us say, a fraction of one’s HUMAN-CHRISTIC PRINCIPLE, which is the HUMAN SOUL, is it not? Which normally dwells in the Causal World. Therefore, with good reason, one speaks of the “Christic-Essence” or of the “Christic-Consciousness”; and it is said that our Consciousness in Christ may be saved, etc., etc.
All of that is certain, all of that is true; but what is grave about our Consciousness, about our Essence, is that being so precious, possessing such marvelous Gifts, such precious natural Powers, it is trapped, then, among all those undesirable, subjective elements that, unfortunately, we carry within our interior. That is to say, it is confined (speaking in synthesis), in a dungeon…
It WANTS THE LIGHT, but, how? We long for it; there is no one who does not long for the Light! Unless one is already too lost, because when one has some aspiration, one desires the Light…
Thus, one has to make it; and this of “making the Light” is very serious, because it implies destroying the receptacles or dungeons (or speaking in synthesis, the black den where it is trapped), in order to rescue it, liberate it, extract it from there, so that one may remain as one should remain: As an enlightened person, as a true “Seer,” as a true Luminous Being; to enjoy that plenitude which by Nature corresponds to us and to which we truly have a right.
But what happens is that heroism is needed, or a series of tremendous acts of heroism in order to be able to liberate our Soul, in order to be able to take it out of the dungeon where it is trapped, in order to be able to steal it away from the Darkness.
What I am saying, then, would be interesting if you could truly comprehend it, consciously, because it could even be the case that, while listening, you did not listen; or did not experience, let us say, the meaning of the word that I am saying. One must know how to value these words, in order to understand, then, what I am affirming…
Rescuing the Soul
Rescuing the Soul, taking it out from among the Darkness, is beautiful, but it is not easy; the normal thing is for it to remain a prisoner. And one will not be able to enjoy an authentic Illumination, so long as the Essence, the Consciousness, the Soul, is there bottled up, is a prisoner; that is the grave thing…
Then it is necessary, forcibly, to destroy, to heroically disintegrate, with a HEROISM SUPERIOR to that of Napoleon in his great battles, or superior to that of Morelos in his struggle for freedom, etc.; incomparable heroism, in order to be able to liberate the poor Soul, to take it out from among the Darkness, it is necessary above all (as I was telling our brothers Óscar and… …here on the previous occasion, to know, then, the techniques, the procedures that lead to the destruction of those “elements” where the Soul is bottled up, a prisoner, so that Illumination may come.
Above all, one must begin by comprehending the necessity of KNOWING HOW TO OBSERVE. We are, for example, sitting here, all of us, in these chairs; we know that we are sitting, but we have not observed these chairs.
In the first case, we have the knowledge that we are sitting on them, but observing them is already something different. In the first case, there is knowledge, but not observation. Observation requires a special concentration: To observe what they are made of, and then enter into Meditation, discover their atoms, their molecules…
This already requires, let us say, a DIRECTED ATTENTION…
To know that one is sitting on a chair is an UNDIRECTED ATTENTION, a Passive Attention; but observing the chair would already be a Directed Attention.
In the same way, we can think a great deal about ourselves, but this does not mean that we are observing our own thoughts; observing them is something different, it is distinct…
Lower Emotions
We live in a world of Lower Emotions; anything produces in us emotions of an inferior type, and we know that we have them; but one thing is to know that one is in a negative state, and another thing is to observe the negative state in which one finds oneself, which is something completely different…
Let us see, for example, on one occasion, a gentleman expressed to a psychologist, he told him:
— Well, I feel antipathy toward a certain person —and he mentioned the person’s first and last name—. The psychologist answered him:
— Observe her, observe that person. The questioner responded again, he said:
— But, why am I going to observe him, if I know him?
The psychologist concluded that he did not want to observe, that he knew but did not observe; KNOWING IS ONE THING AND OBSERVING IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT: One can know that one has a negative thought, but that does not mean that one is observing it; one knows that one is in a negative state, but one has not observed the negative state…
Practical Life
In practical life, we see that within us there are many things that should cause us shame: Ridiculous comedies, inner matters, protests, morbid thoughts, etc.; but knowing that one has them is not having observed them.
Someone may say: “Yes, at this moment I have a morbid thought”; but one thing is to know that one has it and another thing is to observe it, which is totally different.
Thus, if one wants to eliminate such and such an undesirable psychological element, first of all, one has to learn to observe with the purpose of obtaining a change; because, certainly, if one does not learn to SELF-OBSERVE, any possibility of change becomes impossible…
When one learns to Self-Observe, the sense of Self-Observation develops within oneself.
Normally, this sense is atrophied in the human race, it is degenerated, but as we use it, it gradually unfolds and develops.
As a first point of view, we come to evidence through Self-Observation that even the most insignificant thoughts, or the most ridiculous comedies that take place inwardly and that are never externalized, are not our own, they are created by others: By the Egos.
The serious thing is to identify oneself with those comedies, with those ridiculous things, with those protests, with those angers, etc., etc. If one identifies oneself with any inferior extreme of these, the Ego that produces them gains more strength, and thus, any possibility of elimination becomes increasingly difficult.
Therefore, observation is vital when it comes to provoking a radical change within us…
The different Egos that live within our psyche are very cunning, very shrewd; many times they appeal to that “roll” of memories that we carry in the Intellectual Center…
Let us suppose that in the past, one was fornicating with some person of the opposite sex, and that one is insisting, or not, on eliminating lust; then the Ego of lust will appeal to, will take possession of the CENTER OF MEMORIES, of the Intellectual Center; it will take there, let us say, the “roll” of memories, of scenes of lubricity, and make them pass through the person’s fantasy, and it will become more vigorous, it will become stronger and stronger.
For all these things, you must see the necessity of Self-Observation; a true, radical and definitive change would not be possible, then, if we do not learn to observe ourselves…
Knowing and Thinking Are NOT Observing
Knowing is not observing; thinking is not observing either. Many believe that thinking about oneself is observing, and it is not so. One can be thinking about oneself, and yet one is not observing oneself; thinking about oneself is as different from observing as thirst is from water, or as water is from thirst!
Obviously, one must not identify oneself with any of the Egos. In order to observe oneself, one has to DIVIDE ONESELF IN TWO, into two, into two halves: One part that OBSERVES and another part that is OBSERVED.
When the part that observes sees the ridiculousness and foolishness of the part being observed, there is a possibility of a change.
When we are trying to discover (let us suppose, the “Ego” of anger), we discover that this Ego is not ourselves, that it is itself; we could exclaim:
“It has anger; I do not have anger, it! It must die, I am going to work on it in order to disintegrate it.”
But if one identifies oneself with it and says: “I am angry, I am furious!”, it gains more strength, becomes increasingly vigorous, and then, how is one going to dissolve it, in what manner? One could not, right? Therefore, one must not identify oneself with that Ego, nor with its tantrum, or with its tragedy, because if one identifies oneself with its creation, then one ends up living in that creation as well; and that is absurd.
As one continues working upon oneself, one goes deeper and deeper into the matters of Self-Observation, becoming increasingly profound; in this one must not cease observing even the most insignificant thought; any desire, no matter how fleeting, any reaction, must be a motive for observation, because any desire, any reaction, any negative thought, comes from such and such an Ego. And if we want to FABRICATE THE LIGHT, LIBERATE THE SOUL, are we going to allow those Egos to continue existing? That would be absurd!
But, if it is Light that we want, if we are truly in love with the Light, we have to disintegrate the Egos; there is no other remedy than to turn them into dust. And we could not turn into dust that which we have not observed; therefore, we need to know how to observe.
Inner Talk
In any case, we also have to take care of the INNER TALK, because there are many negative, absurd Inner Talks; intimate conversations that are never externalized; and naturally, we need to correct that Inner Talk, learn to remain silent: “Know how to speak when one must speak; know how to remain silent when one must remain silent” (this is Law, not only for the Physical World, for the External World, but also for the Inner World).
These negative Inner Talks later come to be physically externalized; that is why it is so important to eliminate Negative Inner Talk, because it is harmful (one must learn to maintain INNER SILENCE).
Normally, “Mental Silence” is understood to mean when one empties the Mind of all kinds of thoughts, when one achieves the stillness and silence of the Mind through Meditation, etc.
But there is another kind of Silence: Let us suppose that a case of critical judgment arises before us, in relation to a fellow human being, and yet, mentally, we remain silent, we do not judge, we do not condemn; we remain silent both externally and internally; in this case, then, there is Inner Silence.
The facts of practical life, after all, must remain in intimate correspondence with a PERFECT INNER CONDUCT. When the facts of practical life agree with a perfect Inner Conduct, it is a sign that we are already creating, within ourselves, the famous Mental Body.
If we put the different parts of one of those radios or one of those tape recorders, for example, on a table, but we know nothing about electronics, then we will not be able to capture the different “inaudible” vibrations that swarm throughout the Cosmos either; but if, through COMPREHENSION, we unite the different parts, we will have the radio, we will have the apparatus that can capture the sounds that otherwise we would not capture.
In the same way, the different parts of these studies, of this work, gradually complement one another, coming to form a marvelous body, the famous Mental Body. This Body will allow us to better capture everything that exists within ourselves and will develop in us (even more), the sense of Intimate Self-Observation; and that is quite important.
Thus, the purpose of observation is to bring about a change within ourselves, to promote a true, effective change…
Elimination
Once we have become, let us say, skillful in the Observation of ourselves, then comes the process of ELIMINATION. Thus, there are, properly speaking, three steps in this matter:
- First, Observation
- Second, Critical Judgment
- Third, which is properly the Elimination of such and such a psychological Ego.
When observing an Ego, we must see how it behaves in the Intellectual Center, in what manner, and know all of its “games” with the Mind; second, in what way it expresses itself through feeling, in the heart; and third, discover its mode of action in the Lower Centers (Motor, Instinctive and Sexual).
Obviously, in sex, an Ego has one form of expression; in the heart it has another form; in the brain, another. In the brain, an Ego manifests itself through the intellectual matter: Reasons, justifications, evasions, escapes, etc., etc., etc.; in the heart, as suffering, as affection, as an apparently Love many times (when it is a matter of lust), etc., etc.; and in the Motor-Instinctive-Sexual Centers, it has another form of expression (as action, as instinct, as lascivious impulse, etc., etc.).
For example, let us cite a concrete case: Lust. An Ego of lust, before a person of the opposite sex, in the Mind may manifest itself through constant thoughts; it could manifest itself in the heart as affection, as an apparently pure Love, clean of every stain, to such a degree that one could perfectly justify oneself and say: “But well, I do not feel lust for this person, what I am feeling is Love”…
But if one is observant, if one pays close attention to one’s machine and observes the Sexual Center, one comes to discover that there is a certain activity in the Sexual Center toward that person; then it becomes evident that there is no such affection, or Love, let us say, there is no such Love for that person, but rather what there is is lust…
But, see how subtle the offense is: Lust can perfectly disguise itself, in the heart, as Love, compose verses, etc., etc., but it is Disguised Lust…
If one is careful and OBSERVES THOSE THREE CENTERS of the machine, one can demonstrate that it is an Ego; and once having discovered that it is an Ego, having come to know its “maneuvers” in the Three Centers (that is, in the Intellectual, in the Heart and Sex), then one proceeds to the Third Phase. What is the Third Phase? EXECUTION! It is the final phase of the work: Execution! Then one has to appeal to PRAYER IN THE WORK.
Prayer in the Work
What is understood by “Prayer in the Work”? Prayer in the Work must be done on the basis of INTIMATE SELF-REMEMBRANCE…
On one occasion we said that there are Four Levels of Men, or FOUR STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, to be clearer.
A First State of Consciousness is that of the deep and unconscious sleep of a person, of an Ego that left the body asleep in bed, but wanders in the Molecular World in a “coma state” (it is the Inferior State).
A Second State of Consciousness is that of the dreamer who has returned to his physical body, and who believes that he is in a State of Wakefulness; in this case, his dreams continue. Only with the physical body in a State of Wakefulness. This second type of dreamer is more dangerous, because he can kill, he can steal, he can commit crimes of every kind; whereas, in the first case, the dreamer is more infra-human, he cannot do any of these things.
How could he do it, how could he cause harm? When the body is passive for dreams, the person cannot cause harm to anyone in the Physical World; but when the body is active for dreams, the person can cause much harm in the Physical World; that is why the Sacred Scriptures insist upon the “necessity of AWAKENING”…
If a person, if these two types of persons (those who are, let us say, in a State of Deep Unconsciousness or those who continue dreaming and have their body active for dreams), pray, then from such two infra-human States there can result only Negative States: Nature responds…
For example: An unconscious person, A SLEEPER PRAYS in order to consummate a business deal, but it may be that his Egos, which are so innumerable, are not in agreement with what he is doing; because it is only one of the Egos that is making the prayer, and the others have not been taken into account; the others may not be interested in such a business deal, that they do not agree with that prayer and ask in prayer for exactly the opposite so that the business deal may fail, because they do not agree; since the others are the majority, Nature responds with its Forces, with an influx of Forces, and the failure of the business deal comes; that is clear.
Therefore, in order for PRAYER to have an effective value in the work upon oneself, one has to place oneself IN THE THIRD STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS, which is that of Intimate Self-Remembrance, that is, of one’s own Being…
Immersed in deep Meditation, concentrated upon his INNER DIVINE MOTHER, he will beseech Her to eliminate from his psyche (to set aside and eliminate from his psyche) that Ego which he wants to disintegrate.
It may be that the Divine Mother at that moment acts, beheading such an Ego, but with that the entirety of the work has not been accomplished; the Divine Mother is not going to disintegrate everything instantaneously.
There will be a need, if it is not DISINTEGRATED completely, to have patience; IN SUCCESSIVE WORKS, through time, we will achieve the slow disintegration of such an Ego, so that it gradually loses its volume, its size…
An Ego may be frightfully horrible, but as it loses volume, it becomes more beautiful; afterward it has the appearance of a child, and finally, it turns into dust. When it has already turned into dust, the Consciousness that was trapped, bottled up, stuffed inside that Ego, becomes liberated; then the Light will have increased, it is a percentage of Light that becomes free; thus we will proceed with each one of the Egos…
The work is long and very hard; many times any negative thought, however insignificant it may be, has an ancient Ego as its foundation. That negative thought that comes to the Mind indicates to us that, in fact, there is an Ego behind that thought and that such Ego must be extirpated, eradicated from our psyche.
One must study it, come to know its “maneuvers” and see how it behaves in the Three Centers: in the Intellectual, in the Emotional (and speaking in synthesis), in the Motor-Instinctive-Sexual; see in what way it works in each of these Three Centers; according to its behavior, one comes to know it…
When one has developed the sense of Self-Observation, one comes to evidence, by oneself, that some of these Egos are frightfully horrible, they are true monsters of horrifying, macabre form and that they live within our psyche…
Samael Aun Weor
