“So that the name of Christ may be exalted and glorified in us, we should follow him up the mountain of our bare intelligence, even as Peter, James, and John followed him up Mount Thabor. Thabor means in our tongue an increase in light. So soon as we are like Peter in the knowledge of truth, and like James in overcoming the world, and like John in fulness of Grace possessing the virtues in righteousness; then Christ brings us up onto the mountain of our intelligence to a hidden solitude, and reveals himself to us in glory and Divine Brightness. And, in his name, his Father in Heaven opens to us the living book of His Eternal Wisdom. And the Wisdom of God enfolds our bare vision and the simplicity of our spirit in a wayless, simple fruition of all good without distinction; and here there are indeed seeing and knowing, tasting and feeling, essence and life, having and being: and all this is one in our transcendence in God. And our heavenly Father endows each of us according to the nobility of his life and his practice. Therefore, if we ever remain with Christ on Mount Thabor, we will continue to experience a growth of new Light and new Truth, for we should forever hear the voice of the Father.”

-John of Ruysbroeck

Glorified in Us

Actually, in most places where it says “Christ” in the quote above, it originally said “Jesus,” but it was obvious from the context that Ruysbroeck meant Christ, so I changed the wording for clarity. It is Christ, a spiritual Being and true Son of God who should be exalted and glorified in us. This does not mean that we should worship Jesus or even Christ. It means that we should try to awaken our own spiritual consciousness with the goal of eventually reaching the highest level called Christ Consciousness. This cannot be done instantly, or even in a week or two. It takes years of practice and gradual change to climb up the many levels of consciousness until we achieve Christ Consciousness, or, using the analogy Ruysbroeck used, it takes years to climb to the top of Mount Thabor, the mountain of Light. So to follow Jesus, Peter, James, and John up Mount Thabor means that we should gradually increase our own Spiritual Light and in doing so, develop our spiritual faculties.

Peter, James, and John

According to Ruysbroeck, Peter, James, and John, each represented certain attributes or desirable traits of a true spiritual seeker. Peter represented Knowledge. Not the knowledge gained from books, or attending a government-approved school system, but the Divine Knowledge that is only revealed to the awakened and developed Soul. James, according to Ruysbroeck, was known for “overcoming the World”. He was one of the most spiritual of the apostles and an actual brother of Jesus (Mary had more than one child). John was full of grace and the “virtues in righteousness”. Those virtues are love, peacefulness, and humility which we must all develop.

Hidden Solitude

One problem with Ruysbroeck is that he doesn’t seem to recognize the difference between intellect and consciousness, but that is not surprising for the times when little was known about the brain, mind, or consciousness. In any case, there is a “Hidden Solitude” that we can get to by practicing our spiritual development techniques regularly and conscientiously. In this hidden solitude, the true Knowledge (Gnosis) is revealed, perhaps slowly at first, but eventually in its entirety.

Transcendence in God

There is only one real transcendence and that is transcendence in God. Gaining intellectual knowledge is not transcendence. Gaining psychic knowledge and abilities is not transcendence. Those things may be steps on the path for many people, but it is only when we climb to the top of Mount Thabor and become one with God do we truly transcend. Some people fear this transcendence because false schools have spread the idea that once we become one with God and one with The All, we completely lose our individuality. They compare it to a drop of water joining the sea and becoming completely mixed, but that is not how it happens. It is more like a grain of sand dropped on a beach that is now one with the beach, yet still an individual grain of sand.

“When you are offended by any person’s transgressions, presently reflect upon yourself; and consider what you yourself are guilty of in the same kind. You may also think it a happiness to be rich, or to live in pleasure, or to be praised and commended, and so on. For this, you should call to mind, so you will soon forget your anger; especially when at the same time this also shall occur in your thoughts, that he was constrained by his error and ignorance to do so; for how can one choose as long as they are of that opinion? Do you therefore, if you can, take away from that person that which causes them to do such things.

“Think of Socraticus and Eutyches, think of Sylvanus or Severus. When you do, look upon yourself and fancy yourself to be one or another of these Caesars; and so for every one of them. Then ask yourself, ‘Where now are they all?’ For so shall you realize how all worldly things are but smoke that vanishes into nothing. Then contemplate how long your memory shall remain after you have left this world.”

-Marcus Aurelius

When You Are Offended

Today, many of us get offended too easily. Another person simply has to say something we disagree with, and we are offended. If someone we know chooses to vote for a different political candidate than us, we are offended. If someone eats foods that we think are unhealthy, or tells us not to eat unhealthy foods, again we are offended. The majority of us have become too sensitive. We seem to think that the whole world should operate according to what pleases us, and are offended that it doesn’t.

Reflect Upon Yourself

The advice of Marcus Aurelius in such cases is that we should look at our own behavior before getting angry with others. Or as we would say it today, put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. Have we ever done anything foolish? Have we ever said anything stupid? If we are honest, the answer to both questions will be “Yes”. None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes any of us makes is believing that we are perfect and never make mistakes.

So before you criticize, or get angry at another person, think about your own mistakes in the past, and the new mistakes you are likely to make in the future.

Think of Socraticus and Eutyches

Aurelius advises us to think of several ancient Roman Caesars, and he chose ones that most of us have never heard of, although they were probably well known in his time. As a result, he has made his point better than expected. He says we should imagine we are one of these Caesars, but that is hard to do since most of us have never heard of them. If you prefer, you can imagine yourself to be one of the better-known Caesars such as Julius Caesar. Many of us think we know a lot about this Caesar, but in fact, we know only a little. We know of those years he spent with Cleopatra, eventually having a child with her, but that is only a few years of his long career. We don’t know the rest of it. So as Aurelius is trying to teach us, the deeds of the high and mighty kings and rulers don’t last long after their death. Rather than dust in the wind, Aurelius says they become smoke that vanishes, so the same idea as dust blowing away in the wind. The point he is trying to make is that those with overblown egos who think that they are in essence a sort of king who does no wrong should remember the kings of the past and how soon they are forgotten and how soon the laws they made get changed by new rulers.

Go Beyond Walking a Mile in Someone’s Shoes

So it is a good idea when we become offended by another person to “walk a mile in their shoes.” But it shouldn’t stop there. We can’t just imagine ourselves in the shoes of another person who offends us at times. We must put ourselves in the shoes of every person, including the ones who don’t have shoes. Not only when we are offended by someone, but on regular occasions we should take a little time to contemplate what our life would be like elsewhere. Consider what it would be if we were born in a very poor country. Consider what it would be if we were born in a very wealthy country, but we ourselves were not one of the wealthy people there. Consider what it would be like to be a person in a country that is despised by most of the world. Consider what it would be like to be a carpenter, a priest, a ditch digger, or a corporate CEO. Put yourself in the shoes of every other person. Then you will not be so egotistical as to think that the whole world exists to please you.