To obtain a better understanding of what constitutes Initiation1 and what the prerequisites2 are, let the student first fix firmly in his mind the fact that humanity as a whole is slowly progressing upon the path of evolution, and thus very slowly, almost imperceptibly, attaining4 higher and higher states of consciousness. The path of evolution is a spiral when we regard it from the physical side only, but a lemniscate when viewed in both its physical and spiritual phases. (See the diagram of chemical caduceus in The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, page 410.) In the lemniscate, or figure 8, there are two circles which converge5 to a central point, which circles may be taken to symbolize6 the immortal7 spirit, the evolving ego8. One of the circles signifies its life in the physical world from birth to death. During this span of time it sows a seed by every act and should reap in return a certain amount of experience. But as we may sow seed in the field and lose return on that which falls on stony9 ground, among thorns, et cetera, so also may the seed of opportunity be wasted because of neglect to15 till the soil and the life will then be barren of fruit. Conversely, as diligence and care in cultivation10 increase the productive power of garden seed enormously, so earnest application to the business of life—improvement of opportunities to learn life’s lessons and extract from our environment the experience it holds—brings added opportunities; and at the end of the life-day the ego finds itself at the door of death laden11 with the richest fruits of life.
The objective work of physical existence over, the race run, and the day of action spent, the ego enters upon the subjective12 work of assimilation accomplished13 during its sojourn14 in the invisible worlds, which it traverses during the period from death to birth, symbolized15 by the other ring of the lemniscate. As the method of accomplishing this assimilation has been most minutely described in various parts of our literature, it is needless to repeat it here. Suffice it to say that at the time when an ego arrives at the central point in the lemniscate, which divides the physical from the psychic16 worlds and which we call the gate of birth or death according to whether the ego is entering or leaving the realm where we, ourselves, happen to be at the time, it has with it an aggregate17 of faculties18 or talents acquired in all its previous lives, which it may then put to usury19 or bury during the coming life-day as it sees fit; but upon the use it makes of what it has, depends the amount of soul growth it makes.
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If for many lives it caters20 mainly to the lower nature, which lives to eat, drink, and be merry, or if it dreams its life away in metaphysical speculations21 upon nature and God, sedulously22 abstaining23 from all unnecessary action, it is gradually passed and left behind by the more active and progressive. Great companies of these idlers form what we know as “backward races”; while the active, alert, and wide-awake who improve a larger percentage of their opportunities, are the pioneers. Contrary to the commonly accepted idea, this applies also to those engaged in industrial work. Their money-getting is only an incident, an incentive24, and entirely25 apart from this phase their work is as spiritual as or even more so than that of those who spend their time in prayer to the prejudice of useful work.
From what has been said, it will be clear that the method of soul growth as accomplished by the process of evolution requires action in the physical life, followed in the post-mortem state by a ruminating26 process, during which the lessons of life are extracted and thoroughly27 incorporated into the consciousness of the ego, though the experiences themselves are forgotten—as we forget our labor28 in learning the multiplication29 table, though the faculty30 of using it remains31.
This exceedingly slow and tedious process is perfectly32 suited to the needs of the masses; but there are some who habitually33 exhaust the experiences commonly given, thus requiring and meriting a larger17 scope for their energies. Difference of temperament34 is responsible for their division into two classes.
One class, led by their devotion to Christ, simply follow the dictates35 of the heart in their work of love for their fellows—beautiful characters, beacon36 lights of love in a suffering world, never actuated by selfish motives37, always ready to forego personal comfort to aid others. Such were the saints; they worked as they prayed; they never shirked in either direction. Nor are they dead today. The earth would be a barren wilderness38 in spite of all its civilization did not their beautiful feet circle it on errands of mercy, were not the lives of sufferers made brighter by the light of hope which radiates from their beautiful faces. Had they but the knowledge possessed39 by the other class they would indeed outdistance all in the race for the Kingdom.
Mind is the predominating feature of the other class. In order to aid it in its efforts toward attainment40, mystery schools were early established wherein the world drama was played to give the aspiring41 soul while he was entranced, answers to the questions of the origin and destiny of humanity. When awakened42, he was instructed in the sacred science of how to climb higher by following the method of nature—which is God in manifestation—by sowing the seed of action, meditating43 upon the experience, and incorporating the essential moral to make thereby44 commensurate soul growth; also with this important feature, that18 whereas in the ordinary course of things a whole life is devoted45 to sowing and a whole post-mortem existence to ruminating and incorporating the soul substance, this cycle of a thousand years, more or less, may be reduced to a day, as held by the mystic maxim46, “A day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” To be explicit47, whatever work has been done during a single day, if ruminated48 over at night before crossing the neutral point between waking and sleeping, may thus be incorporated into the consciousness of the spirit as usable soul power. When that exercise is faithfully performed, the sins of each day thus reviewed are actually blotted49 out, and the man commences each day as if it were a new life, with the added soul power gained in all the preceding days of his probationary50 life.
But!—yes, there is a great big BUT; nature is not to be cheated; God is not to be mocked. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Let no one think that the mere51 perfunctory review of the happenings of a day with perhaps the light-hearted admission of, “I wish I had not done that,” when reviewing a scene where he did something palpably wrong, will save him from the wrath52 to come. When we pass out of the body into purgatory53 at death and the panorama54 of our past life unfolds in reverse order to show us first the effects and then the causes which produced them, we feel in intensified55 measure the pain we gave others; and unless we perform our exercises19 in a similar manner so that we live each evening our hell as merited that day, acutely sensible of every pang56 we have inflicted57, it will avail nothing. We must also endeavor to feel in the same intense manner, gratitude58 for kindness received from others, and approbation59 on account of the good we ourselves have done.
Only thus are we really living the post-mortem existence and advancing scientifically towards the goal of Initiation. The greatest danger of the aspirant60 upon this path is that he may become enmeshed in the snare61 of egotism, and his only safeguard is to cultivate the faculties of faith, devotion, and an all-embracing sympathy. It is difficult, but it can be done, and when it has been accomplished the man or woman becomes a wonderful power for good in the world.
Now, if the student has pondered the preceding argument well, he has probably grasped the analogy between the long cycle of evolution and the short cycles or steps used upon the path of preparation. It should be quite clear that no one can do this post-mortem work for him and transmit to him the resulting soul growth, any more than one can eat the physical food of another and transmit to him the sustenance62 and growth. You think it preposterous63 when a priesthood offers to shorten the sojourn of a soul in purgatory. How, then, can you believe that anyone else can—no matter what the consideration—obviate the necessity of a number of purgatorial64 existences for20 your benefit and transmit to you at once the usable soul power you would have acquired had you pursued the ordinary course of life to the day you are ready for Initiation? Yet this is what the offer to initiate65 a person not yet upon the threshold means. You must have the soul power requisite3 for Initiation or no one can initiate you. If you have it, you are upon the threshold by your own efforts, beholden to no one, and may demand Initiation as a right which none would dare dispute or withhold66. If you have it not and could buy it, it would be cheap at twenty-five million dollars, and the man who offers it for twenty-five dollars is as ridiculous as his dupe. Please remember that if anyone offers to initiate you into an occult order, no matter if he calls it “Rosicrucian” or by any other name, his demand of an initiation fee at once stamps him as an impostor, explanations to the effect that the fee is used to purchase regalia, et cetera, are only added evidence of the fraudulent nature of the order for it is said, “Initiation is most emphatically not an outward ceremony, but an inward experience.” I may further add that the Elder Brothers of the Rose Cross in the Mystic Temple where I received the Light made it a condition that their sacred science must never be put in the balance against a coin. Freely had I received, and freely was I required to give. This injunction I have obeyed, both in spirit and to the letter, as all know who have had dealings with the Rosicrucian Fellowship.
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1
initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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prerequisites
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| 先决条件，前提( prerequisite的名词复数 ) | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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converge
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| vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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symbolize
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| vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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subjective
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| a.主观(上)的，个人的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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symbolized
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| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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psychic
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| n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的 | |
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aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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usury
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| n.高利贷 | |
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caters
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| 提供饮食及服务( cater的第三人称单数 )； 满足需要，适合 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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sedulously
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| ad.孜孜不倦地 | |
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abstaining
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| 戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的现在分词 )； 弃权（不投票） | |
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incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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dictates
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| n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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43
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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45
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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47
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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48
ruminated
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| v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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49
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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probationary
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| 试用的，缓刑的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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purgatory
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| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
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panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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57
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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aspirant
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| n.热望者；adj.渴望的 | |
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61
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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sustenance
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| n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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purgatorial
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| adj.炼狱的，涤罪的 | |
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initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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