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  • Wisdom for practice
  • Wisdom is applied knowledge
  • Wisdom spreads itself

Wisdom for practice

Wisdom is for practice, not for continuous speaking. If we keep on speaking about the Masters, the Rays, and the Hierarchies, we are only missing our duties for the present.

Wisdom is applied knowledge

Knowledge, when applied becomes wisdom. We gain a lot of knowledge, but it has to be applied in daily life, then it transforms itself into wisdom. Through wisdom we will experience the existence.

Wisdom spreads itself

We need not be anxious to spread the wisdom without working it with ourselves. It is a wrong understanding if one thinks that he can spread wisdom. Wisdom knows how to spread itself. It only needs channels.

The Play of Illusions

Reflections of Existence

Reflections Physics teaches that atoms are neither matter nor substance. Rather they are formed through the vibrations of certain forces. Molecules, on the other hand, consist of atoms and matter is made of molecules. Scientifically speaking, matter is an illusion. The way in which matter appears to our senses and mind is actually not what it really is. Matter exists in a variety of layers and is made up of a network of etheric currents. Our body, too, is made up of different layers of woven energy-threads, like cotton-threads of different strengths and colors.

Even though there are different planes of existence, there is essentially only one existence! When existence is reflected in creation, it appears in many forms. As matter becomes denser, the reflection changes – like colored glass that becomes more and more dense. The principle that enables reflection is the root-matter that is generated from the background of existence. It is also called the Impenetrable Mother or Durga in the East. It is the threshold that stands between the truth of existence and the illusion of plurality. The Mother is covered by a multicolored veil, which is called Maya, illusion, in the East. Maya is the cause of all forms of illusion we encounter.

From the first reflection onward, illusion predominates. Because of that, the soul is naturally bound to illusion. As an individual soul, every one of us is reflecting through Buddhi. Then, we continue to be reflected in the mind, the five senses, and the five stages of matter. What we see on the physical plane is the seventh or even eighth reflection.

Thus, there is illusion on the seven planes of creation. We should not think that there is no illusion beyond the mental plane. Even on the Buddhic plane, as well as the planetary, solar, and cosmic plane illusion exists. The greatest illusion of all is that every one of us feels: I exist as a separate existence. In truth, there is no “I am”, there is only “THAT.”. “THAT” exists as “I am.” A master of wisdom identifies with “THAT.” As soon as he becomes “I am” he quickly remembers, “THAT I am”. Otherwise, he too can fall victim to illusions.

Just like the moon that is reflected in the water reveals to us that there is an original moon, the reflected “I am” shows us that there is an original “I am,” the one soul. All the distortions we see in the mirror do not take place in our face. When someone throws a stone into the mirror and our image breaks into pieces, we are not destroyed. We need not worry when something happens to our reflection; the soul will not be destroyed. This understanding is of great importance, because only those who understand it can be trusted with spiritual wisdom. Otherwise, the keys to wisdom are not accessible to them.

Unity and Plurality

The wisdom teachings explain that in the beginning of creation, individualization was quite difficult. The creative intelligences did not want to move away from the origin of unity and be involved in the play of illusion. Creation, however, entails the development of different layers of illusion up to the manifestation of plurality. Illusion is a part of the plan. It is needed, in a certain way, to achieve order in creation or society.

We teach plurality and diversity to our children and show them forms and names of such. This is correct and true as long as we remain in knowledge. If we fail to do so, we lose touch with the whole. We then form our own images of what’s right and wrong and limit ourselves; thus, we lose ourselves in millions of thoughts and concepts. When the illusions have crystallized, the Plan allows for the return into unity. In order to return to the source, we must overcome illusion. This is why we work on re-gaining our soul-identity.

The Fog of Illusion

As souls who have entered into incarnation on the planetary plane, we have put on bodies like pieces of clothing. Because of the illusion of matter, we identify with our bodies. We take the non-Self, the body, for the Self. Because of the identification with what dies, we suffer from and through death. We ourselves were not born and will not die ever. All fears, which are generated by the concept of appearance and disappearance, result from ignorance.

When we recognize ourselves as beings of light, we experience that death is a myth. The clarification of this myth is, according to the Hierarchy, the greatest service because humanity is profoundly limited by this illusion. To overcome the illusion of death and birth requires practice, a profound process, and knowledge. Through yoga, we attempt to maintain the subtle forms in which we continue to exist. When a master of wisdom takes on a body, he does not identify with the body but uses it for his purposes. As soon as the purpose is fulfilled, he leaves again. For initiates, living in a body comes with great limitations. It is a great sacrifice on their behalf to help other souls on their path.

To us, the physical world appears perfectly real: a wall is a wall and we know all too well that we can’t walk through it. These norms change, however, with increasing awareness and when a seer looks through a wall, all he sees is space. The wall does not exist to him. That way, the masters have demonstrated how they move through walls and space. What normally appears impossible is very well doable for someone who operates on a higher level of consciousness. In his book Illusions, Richard Bach describes this very well.

We suffer from many illusions. Many people see only what they would like to see and not what truly is. We oftentimes think we are correct in what we think, but why can’t we take into consideration that we could well be wrong? People who can’t accept their mistakes constantly feel that they’re the best and that they’re all right and only the others do not understand them. There is no way to make them see their own mistakes. They don’t understand a thing, but have the feeling that the world does not understand them. They are caught in the fog of illusion.

We cling to our imaginations and create obstacles by doing so. The idea of property and “mine” is one of the worst illusions. Some think they have a right over their wife, children, or friends; and those have the same feeling vice versa. There is nothing wrong with family as such, but our ideas about it can turn into serious obstacles; the same applies to our connections to jobs or income. We do not possess anything. We can have a family without the sense of possessing. The same applies to money and pleasure. Everything that surrounds us is there to please us and so that we can play a game according to the rules. If we disregard the rules, we fall into illusion even deeper. Everything is a role-play, but when we forget that we only play a role, the spectacle turns into bitter reality. Creation was created to generate joy. Joy remains as long as we don’t get caught up in worldly things. Thus, we must live with the things, but not be part of them.

The Path of Return

Things come, only to pass away again. They don’t possess the power to truly satisfy us. We should remember the saying: “I am in the world, but not of the world.” As long as the world remains of importance to us and we cling to illusions, we cannot turn toward the spiritual path. On the path, we fulfill our duties but don’t develop a permanent interest. When we accept responsibility and do the work voluntarily, lower nature slowly but steadily loses its grip on our souls.

Yet, we should not reject illusion or even seek to fight it - even when we get lost in it. The great seers speak of those events in their lives through which they have fallen into illusion and give them as important teachings. They enlighten the points where they struggled in order to show those who follow them how to safely avoid dangers on the path. Also, they point out to us how, when the soul is focused on the One – the supra-soul, everything around us is revealed in its divinity.

References: K.P. Kumar: Sankya. The Sacred Doctrine / notes from seminars / E. Krishnamacharya: Master CVV. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India.