“It is the object of contemplative prayer, as it is the object of all education, to discipline and develop certain growing faculties. Here, the faculties are those of the ‘transcendental self,’ the ‘new person’—all those powers which we associate with the ‘spiritual consciousness.’ The ‘Sons of God,’ however, like the sons of men, begin as babies, and their first lessons must not be too hard. Therefore the educative process conforms to and takes advantage of every step of the natural process of growth: as we, in the education of our children, make the natural order in which their faculties develop the basis of our scheme of cultivation. Recollection, Quiet, and Contemplation, then, answer to the order in which the mystic’s powers unfold. Roughly speaking, we shall find the forms of spiritual attention which is called ‘Meditative, or ‘Recollective’ go side to side with the purification of the Self; that ‘Quiet’ tends to be characteristic of illumination, that contemplation proper—at any rate in its highest forms—is most fully experienced by those who have attained, or nearly attained, the United Way. At the same time, just as the self in its ‘first mystic life,’ before it has passed through the dark night of the spirit, often seems to run through the whole gamut of spiritual states, and attain that immediate experience of the Absolute which it seeks—though as a fact, it has not reached those higher levels of consciousness on which true and permanent union takes place.” ~Evelyn Underhill

Discipline and Development

Ms. Underhill is correct in linking together discipline and development in any educative process. With virtually any type of education, self-discipline goes together with developing the skills or knowledge of that education. This is probably more important with our spiritual development than with any other form of education. A person who gains spiritual knowledge without also developing the discipline to handle and control that knowledge can harm themselves or others, and either negate into developing the dark side or become frightened and stop their spiritual development entirely. So the smart spiritual school or teacher helps the student develop discipline at the same time they are learning spiritual development techniques. Think of Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel in the original (1984) version of “The Karate Kid”. He made Daniel develop patience and discipline before learning Karate.

The New Person

I have taken the liberty here of modernizing Underhill’s statement which originally read “new man” because I want it to be clear that it applies to women as well. What Underhill is saying here is that with proper spiritual development, we don’t just become better educated, we become a new person, a transcendental person who is greater than before such development. You are not just educating yourself, as with studying math, for example, but literally changing yourself.

Sons and Daughters of God

Just as our physical self begins as a baby, so does the newly awakened spirit. While a spirit is never a baby, it is similar to one in that it is uneducated, so its education must start with the basics. You wouldn’t put an infant in a college physics class. Likewise, you don’t start teaching spiritual development with advanced methods and knowledge. It might not have to be as basic as stacking blocks and coloring in color books, still, the concept applies. The beginning student must start at the beginning and progress slowly, with very few exceptions. And a good school will allow each student to progress at his or her own speed, and not forde them to go too fast or slow them down so much that they lose interest.

The Order in Which Powers Unfold

While we are all individuals, and some may develop differently than others, there is a general order in which spiritual development happens. So a good spiritual education takes that into account and teaches in the order in which things usually develop. And it isn’t just the order in which they develop, but the order in which they can be understood. It is also true that some people develop certain spiritual gifts while others don’t. As a dog owner, I have been disappointed at times in my limited ability to communicate with animals, yet this is an advanced gift that few develop until a very late stage, so I accept that now, and make use of those spiritual abilities that have developed. It should be noted that spiritual abilities and psychic abilities are not the same, so try not to confuse the two.

Dark Night of the Spirit

The Dark Night of the Spirit (or Soul) is something mentioned often in regard to spiritual development. Some express the idea that without going through such a period of great difficulties and depression, spiritual development cannot happen. Fortunately, that is not true. While we all go through some difficulties, something as deep as the Dark Night of the Spirit doesn’t always happen, nor does it have to. Just as some people are easier to wake from deep physical sleep than others, so too some are easier to awaken from the deep sleep of spirit than others. And having a Dark Night of the Soul does not guarantee a spiritual awakening. Many have such an experience and do not develop spiritually at all. So don’t seek out such an experience on the idea that it will awaken your spiritual faculties. Following the techniques of a spiritual school like Cosolargy is a better and safer way to do it.

“Neither the occultist generally, nor the Theosophists, reject as erroneously believed by some, the views and theories of the modern scientist. Only because these views are opposed to Theosophy. The first rule of our society is to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Theosophists, therefore, are the first to recognize the intrinsic value of science. But when its high priests resolve consciousness into a secretion from the grey matter of the brain, and everything else in nature into a mode of motion, we protest against the doctrine as being unphilosophical, self-contradictory, and simply absurd, from a scientific point of view, as much and even more than from the spiritual view. Truly, the astral Light of the derided Kabalists has strange and weird secrets for those who can see it; and the mysteries concealed within its waves are there, the whole body of materialists notwithstanding. These secrets, along with many other mysteries, will remain non-existent to the materialists of our age, in the same way as America was a non-existent myth for Europeans during the early part of the medieval ages, whereas Scandinavians and Norwegians had actually reached and settled in that very old ‘New World, several centuries before.” ~H. P. Blavatsky

Theories of Modern Science

Some people think that being spiritual means you oppose the theories and teachings of modern science, but that is not true. While spiritual people question the theories of science, we do not reject them outright. Science has given us much in modern society. Discoveries in science and engineering have made modern buildings, bridges, and roads possible. Discoveries in modern medicine may have made many of us too dependent on drugs for healing, but it has also cured many diseases. And modern science has given us conveniences like electric washing machines, television, and automobiles. Granted, there is a negative side to all of those things, as it is with everything in the realm of matter, but there is a positive side as well. The old Yin-Yang symbol illustrates this truth quite well.

Theosophy

Madame Blavatsky founded the spiritual school known as Theosophy, so she tends to relate to all things spiritual in terms of Theosophy. We should simply replace Theosophy with spiritual development to get a more general idea of what she is saying.

Render Unto Caesar

I think most spiritual schools, including Cosolargy, would agree with Blavatsky when she says that the first rule of the Theosophist is to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. Spiritual people do not reject the material world as useless, or evil. We do not reject all material comforts and live naked in a cave, as some did in ancient times. We are allowed to enjoy material comforts for the sake of our physical body and mind, as long as we don’t get too attached to them. If you agree with those who refuse to leave their homes when told to evacuate because of wildfires, floods, or tornadoes, then you have become too attached to matter, and you need to work on that. The reason the spiritual student needs to avoid such attachments is that they can be used by the forces of darkness to pull us away from spiritual development.

Consciousness in the Brain

I recently wrote a lengthy article for the Cosolargy Blog on the subject of consciousness (click here to read the article), so I won’t go into it much here. Suffice it to say that the views of consciousness are changing rapidly today. Many scientists no longer accept that it is merely a creation, or as Blavatsky calls it, a secretion of the brain. Indeed, we are getting to the point where some are starting to accept what is called “Biocentrism,” which says that it is consciousness that is creating the material universe around us, or at least our view of it. This goes along with the studies in Quantum Physics that find that things are affected by the viewer of those things. That works in both directions, of course.

The Astral Light of the Kabalists

What Blavatsky is calling the astral Light of the Kabalists, we would say is the Spiritual Light that comes from God, and reaches us through the intermediary of the Spiritual Sun. This light does indeed have “strange and weird secrets” for those who learn to absorb it and the knowledge hidden within it. It is, in fact, the best link available to us between the realm of spirit and the realm of matter, so we should make use of it properly, and with humility and reverence.

“Out of our highest feeling, the brightness of God shines into us, which teaches us Truth, and moves us toward every virtue and in eternal love towards God. If we follow this Brightness without pause, back into that Source from whence it came forth, there we feel nothing but a quenching of our spirit and an irretrievable sinking into simple and fathomless Love. Could we continue to dwell there with our simple gaze, we should always so feel it; for our immersion and transformation in God continues without ceasing in eternity, if we have gone forth from ourselves, and God is ours in the immersion of Love. If we possess God in the immersion of Love—that is, if we are lost to ourselves—God is our own, and we are His. This immersion is essential and is closely bound up with the state of Love: and so it continues whether we sleep or whether we wake, whether we know it or whether we know it not. … And this down-sinking is like a river, which without pause or turning back ever pours into the sea, which is its proper resting place. So likewise when we possess God alone.” ~John of Ruysbroeck

God’s Brightness Shines in Us

When we seek the Light of God, his brightness will shine in us. As Ruysbroeck says, that brightness will bring us Truth and Knowledge. Not the kind of knowledge we get from books or college classes, but the Divine Knowledge that the Gnostics called Gnosis.

Follow the Brightness

Just seeking God’s Brightness (or Light) isn’t enough. We must seek it always, every day, and go deeper and deeper into it with time and practice. As we do, using the techniques taught in Cosolargy, we gradually increase our level of consciousness until we reach the highest level, which is God. When we reach that level, we become one with God, one with Love, one with All. We are then a true child of the universe, but the immortal spiritual universe, not the mortal one of matter.

Sinking Into Love

I would not have chosen to call it “sinking into love,” but the idea is correct. When we enter the brightness of God’s Light, we experience the feeling of universal Love. This is not a love for an individual or for humans only. Universal Love is for all beings. It is an all-consuming Love. People who have had a Near Death Experience (NDE) often mention briefly experiencing this and it usually leaves them permanently changed. They can no longer see other beings as slaves or tools of man but as spirits in a physical form that just happens to be different from our own physical form.

Immersion in God

Ruysbroeck says that total immersion in God is essential, and he is correct. To become one with God, we must become immersed in God, immersed in His Light. Ruysbroeck’s comparison of this process to a river that forever flows into the sea is an apt one. That is how we must connect with God. Of course, it will start with connecting briefly and temporarily, but advance over time until it is a permanent connection. Of course, rivers and seas are not truly eternal, yet the comparison makes the point well. So practice techniques as taught and soon you too will be connecting with the Brightness of God’s Light, even if you are not consciously aware that it has happened.