The world is God’s training school. During the past we have learned to build different vehicles, among others the physical body. By this work we are promoted from class to class, each with its particular scope of consciousness. We evolved eyes that we might see, ears that we might hear, and other organs that we might taste, smell, and feel. But not all egos3 were promoted at every step. When the mist in the air at the time of Atlantis condensed and filled the basins of the earth with oceans of water, driving men to the highlands, many perished by asphyxiation4 because they had not evolved lungs. They could not pass through the portal of the rainbow, which was, so to speak, the entrance gate to the new age with its dry atmospheric5 conditions.
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Another great world transformation6 is coming, we know not when; even the Christ confessed His ignorance of the day and the hour; but He warned us that the day would come as a thief in the night, and He prophesied7 that the conditions in the world would then be similar to those prevailing8 in the days of Noah; they were living then in carefree enjoyment9 of life when suddenly the floodgates of heaven were opened, and death and destruction spread before them.
Christ told us that it is possible to take the kingdom of God by storm and attain to the consciousness and conditions there prevailing. But Paul informs us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; he states that we have a soul body (soma psuchicon—1 Cor. 15: 44), and that we shall meet the Lord in the air when He comes. This soul body is therefore as necessary to entrance into the new age of the kingdom of God, as a body equipped with lungs was to the Atlanteans who desired to enter into the age in which we are now living. Therefore it is necessary that we make our calling and election sure by preparing the Golden Wedding Garment, the soul body, which alone can secure our admission to the mystic marriage.
The multitude is slowly moving in the right direction as led by the different churches, but there is an ever growing class that, so to speak, feels the wings of the soul body sprouting10, people who feel an inner urge to take the kingdom of God by storm. Though unaware11 of any definite ideal, they sense a greater182 truth and a more certain light than those which the Church radiates; they are tired of parables12 and long to learn the underlying13 facts at the very feet of Christ.
The Rosicrucian Fellowship was started for the purpose of reaching this class, to show them the way to illumination, to help them build their soul body and evolve the soul powers which will enable them to enter consciously into the kingdom of God and obtain first-hand knowledge.
This is a large undertaking14, none greater and even under the most favorable existing conditions progress must be slow, but if the aspirant15 will continue with patient perseverance16 in well doing, it can be done.
The methods are definite, scientific, and religious; they have been originated by the Western School of the Rosicrucian Order, and are therefore specially17 suited to the western people. Sometimes, but very rarely, they bring results in a short time; generally it requires years and even lives before the aspirant attains18, but the following system will in the end bring all to their hearts’ desire.
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness19 was a symbolic20 representation of the way to God, and, as Paul says, held a shadow of better things to come. Everything in it had its spiritual meaning. The table of shewbread gives us an important lesson germane21 to our present consideration. Students will remember that the ancient Israelites were commanded to bring the183 shewbread to the tabernacle at stated intervals22. The grain from which this was made was given them by God but they must prepare the soil in which it was to grow, they must plant and cultivate, they must weed and water, so as to secure the greatest possible increase; they must harvest and thresh, grind and bake, ere they had the loaves which they brought to the tabernacle as bread to shew for their toil23. Similarly, God gives to all the grain of opportunity to serve, but it is our duty to cultivate these opportunities and nurse and nourish them in the soil of loving kindness so that they may bring a great increase. We must always bear in mind the words of Christ that He came to minister and to serve. Therefore anyone aspiring24 to follow in His steps and to be great in the kingdom of God must ever be on the lookout25 for opportunities to serve his fellows. Each day must be filled as full as possible with kind and considerate deeds, for they are the warp26 and woof of which the golden wedding garment is woven. Without these “works” no amount of prayer, fasting, or other religious exercises will avail. It is useless to repair to the temple without this bread to shew that we have really worked in the Master’s service.
The foregoing is also the teaching of the exoteric churches; but the following is the exclusively Rosicrucian scientific teaching and method, based upon the deepest knowledge of spiritual facts whereby the aspirant is enabled to gain the maximum soul growth184 in each life, so that his spiritual advancement27 is accelerated beyond his very wildest dreams. Therefore this is the most important spiritual teaching that has been given to man in modern times, and no one who tries honestly to follow this simple method can fail to be enormously benefited:
Ether is the medium of transmission of light, that which etches a picture on the photographic film. It permeates28 the air, and with every breath we draw from birth to death ether enters our system and etches a picture of our surroundings and actions on a little atom in the heart. Thus each carries with him a complete record of his life, which is assimilated after death. Expiation29 of the evil deeds causes pain and anguish30 in purgatory31. These are thus transmuted32 to conscience to prevent repetition of the same mistakes in succeeding lives: the good deeds are transmuted to love and benevolence33. Instead of waiting for this post-mortem transmutation of the shewbread of life, the aspirant who desires to take heaven by storm may assimilate the fruits of each day after retiring and before going to sleep by running over the deeds done. The events of the day are considered in reverse order, so that that which happened in the evening is taken first, then the happenings of the afternoon, forenoon, and morning. This is important for it conforms to the way the life panorama34 acts after death, taking first the events just prior to death, last the events of185 infancy35. The object is to show the effects and then refer them to their antecedent causes.
In this retrospection it will do the aspirant no good to run over the events of the day and mildly blame himself where he did wrong—he is usually sure enough to praise himself sufficiently36 for his good deeds. But he must remember the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices for sin were offered. They were first rubbed with salt and then placed on the altar to be consumed by a divinely enkindled fire. Anyone knows what an intense pain is caused when salt is rubbed into a wound, and this rubbing with salt is symbolic of the pain the aspirant must feel for his wrongdoing. Now mark that it was not permissible38 to place the sacrifice on the altar until it had been thus rubbed with salt. God would not accept it before, but when it had been salted it was consumed by a fire kindled37 by God Himself.
This tells us that unless we have washed our evil deeds of the day in the salt of our tears and heartfelt contrition39, God will not accept our sacrifice of repentance40; but when we have really repented41, our sins will be washed away and our recording42 atom will be clean as the driven snow. With respect to our good deeds we may remember that there were two little piles of frankincense on the top of the shewbread. These were offered upon the altar of incense43, where the smoke ascended44 as a sweet savor45 to the Lord, so different from the nauseating46 stench that went up186 from the altar where the sin offerings were burned. Is it any wonder that God took no delight in the sacrifice of bulls and calves47, but delighted in a contrite48 heart and a repentant49 spirit?
It is this spiritual aromatic50 extract of our good deeds that builds our soul body. By the ordinary natural process it takes about one-third as many years in our post-mortem existence as we lived in the body, to reap what we have sowed. But when an aspirant has assimilated the fruits of life by faithful retrospection at the end of each day, he is free as soon as he leaves the body and may use the years spent by others in purgatory and the first heaven as he pleases. Furthermore, as he needs neither food, shelter, nor sleep, he may spend twenty-four hours a day doing good. Thus he has practically as many years of service and soul growth after death as the number of his earth life; and being trained and schooled in this work his attainments51 are probably greater than could be made in a number of lives lived in the ordinary way.
To aid deserving aspirants52, still deeper and more definite teachings are given by the Elder Brothers through the Rosicrucian Fellowship. Students who feel the inner urge may ask for information concerning these teachings.
The End
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1
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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succinct
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| adj.简明的，简洁的 | |
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egos
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| 自我，自尊，自负( ego的名词复数 ) | |
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asphyxiation
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| n. 窒息 | |
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atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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sprouting
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| v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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parables
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| n.（圣经中的）寓言故事( parable的名词复数 ) | |
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underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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aspirant
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| n.热望者；adj.渴望的 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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attains
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的第三人称单数 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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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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symbolic
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| adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的 | |
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germane
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| adj.关系密切的，恰当的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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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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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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warp
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| vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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permeates
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| 弥漫( permeate的第三人称单数 )； 遍布； 渗入； 渗透 | |
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expiation
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| n.赎罪，补偿 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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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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transmuted
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| v.使变形，使变质，把…变成…( transmute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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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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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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savor
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| vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味 | |
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nauseating
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| adj.令人恶心的，使人厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的现在分词 ) | |
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47
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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contrite
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| adj.悔悟了的，后悔的，痛悔的 | |
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repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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50
aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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51
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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52
aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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