the creation is twofold

The world in which we live does not express the original Spirit. However, a recreation may take place, built of light and power – through the human being! This requires self-knowledge and perfect understanding, like a recognition, an encounter, from which self-surrender will arise. This path is not very difficult or complicated, yet finding the path is.

Creation is a twofold process. In a truly divine creation, there is first of all the original principle, the primordial image, the eternally ineffable. It is the father-mother, the all-encompassing Idea, which itself stands outside creation, the eternal not-being. Secondly, there is power, the power that is in harmony with the primordial image. It is a power, in which and through which the primordial image can be expressed. The creative Spirit liberates this power from the chaos, from the infinite ocean of primordial matter, the eternal being. Thus originate: a primordial image, an idea, and a field of life, a possibility for manifestation of the idea.

The atoms of primordial matter are dissolved, split by the Spirit in a specific way, in accordance with the Idea. In this way, elements, types of atoms, are formed, and forces and possibilities are released. Thus we may, to a certain extent, be able to imagine that absolute harmony between matter and spirit exists in this divine creation. The spirit, the creative idea, ensouls every atom from within and is one with it. To illustrate this, J. van Rijckenborgh explains in Elementary Philosophy that, if we could really succeed in creating a ‘wheel’, in other words, if we could dissolve primordial matter in such a way that really a ‘wheel’ would be created, we would not be able to speak of a hub, spokes, a rim etc. No, then all atoms, of which this wheel would consist, would be ensouled from within by what a wheel truly is: power, speed and movement. These properties would not, as is usual, have to be added externally as form, no, every atom of the wheel would be a wheel (from within)!

If we keep this in mind and focus our attention on our environment, we will soon draw the conclusion that this world is not, or not yet, a true creation in the sense of a creation from spirit and matter. In our field of life, the atoms are not moved from within by a creative spirit. They are to a certain extent, otherwise we would be unable to speak of a manifestation, but not in such a way that a ‘body that lives from within’ is generated, a spiritual body. A field of life is called into being by preparing and splitting primordial matter. 

We may therefore say of our field of life that this splitting, this dissolution of the forces of primordial matter is not, or not yet, complete. The bodies of plants, animals and human beings are charged with a certain power, but they are not spiritual, that is, living from within. The Universal Teachings speak of the luciferic spirits which, together with nascent humanity, have called this field of life into being. Perhaps we can now imagine that the state of imperfection of this creation constitutes a very large limitation for both humanity as well as the luciferic spirits themselves, because a spirit remains bound to its creation forever.

All of this has fundamental consequences for us human beings because, firstly, no true consciousness is possible in us. Consciousness can only originate when spirit and matter fully cooperate. What we call consciousness is actually not consciousness. Secondly, we have no power over our own body, because our body does not live through the spirit, from within, in every atom, but it lives through external forces, which we can hardly influence. Thirdly, we live under the discipline of good and evil. Great forces have been released in this field of life, but not in harmonious cooperation. This is the cause of the clouds of good and evil, the Giants, extending into the cosmos and the macrocosm. Whatever we do, we are always pulled into either camp.

We would like to approach this in a slightly more detailed way. We begin by focusing our attention on what we call our consciousness. The Universal Teachings say: ‘Where Soul and Spirit meet, a focal point of encounter is formed.’ We call this focal point of encounter: the soul, or also: the consciousness. In a truly living being, the truly living soul is called to life and on this basis, the truly living consciousness. In this way, the consciousness is born from ‘being’ and ‘not-being’. What we now cherish as our self, as our highest possession, for which we live and die, our ‘I’, is actually, on closer consideration, nothing more or less than a natural phenomenon. Essentially, it is a property of matter, a property – a fiery property – of the atoms of this field of life, in which and through which we live.

When we combine hydrogen and oxygen and supply sufficient heat, a fire is ignited, and from this fire: light. If we are now also able to involve the etheric and astral aspects in this process according to a carefully determined formula, a special fire is generated: the consciousness fire. And then consciousness light will radiate from this consciousness fire. Our consciousness is not a spiritual fire, no true consciousness, but rather a natural phenomenon, the result of an ingenious, natural fire process, nothing more or less than a property of the material atoms of this world.

‘Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:5)

This means that a recreation can take place in a human being, a wholly new creation, by which a new human being is built from light and power. However, the question is obviously how this is to be done. In this article, we discuss profound ideas about spirit and matter, about the human consciousness, about human life, and about his environment. And we always reach the same conclusion: something in us has to change fundamentally, but the question is: Where do we begin?

The only thing needed is self-knowledge. The only thing that matters is objective knowledge of our own self. This does not concern knowledge, built up from thousands of small puzzle pieces, thousands of thoughts and feelings, which we time and again have to combine with great effort. 

No, what matters is a kind of insight that is all-in-one as it were, an absolute understanding, a recognition, an encounter, just as John sees Jesus coming on the banks of the river Jordan. Walking the path is not very difficult or complicated, but it is terribly hard to find the path. This may take many lifetimes. What is the reason for this? It is because we struggle with what we might call the three great impediments which are inherent in our life here and now. They are firstly, the lack of true consciousness; secondly, the lack of power over our own body; and thirdly, our life under ‘the discipline’ of good and evil. In other words, anyone who wants to find the path, encounters a threefold, opposing power: microcosmically, in his own system; cosmically, in the world around him; and macrocosmically, in the universe, of which he partakes.

It begins with the miracle of experiencing the touch of the Light, the miracle of the gospel. It begins with John, the seeking and striving human being. Simultaneously, Jesus is born, the inner Light spirit. Then John encounters Jesus on the banks of the river Jordan. The light can begin to work in us. Then follows the wedding, where water is turned into wine. Renewing forces are released. Then follow the entrance into Jerusalem, the way to Golgotha, the crucifixion, the resurrection on the morning of Easter and the ascension. It is a tremendous mystery that can be accomplished in us. And then the words resound: ‘It is to your advantage that I go away.’

The path of this Spiritual School has a cosmic, indeed, a macrocosmic continuation, because creation, including the aspect of creation in which we are living, is one whole. Everything is linked with everything. From us mortals to the highest spheres of the macrocosm, everything is one. It is not only the first impediment, the lack of true consciousness, that holds us back. Every second, a pull is exerted on us, also from cosmos and macrocosm. 

This occurs as follows: man is a twofold being. He is actively charged with dialectical, natural power, but he also possesses the original spirit nucleus. This means that he is able to emanate his forsakenness like a magnetic call. And a reaction will come from the surrounding, sustaining and all-pervading field of true life, always, every second. Our call is heard, and answered. This is why our separated field of life is nevertheless, from second to second, irradiated by light powers, because we evoke and attract them from our spirit nucleus!

These Light powers are the vital powers, the building materials, of the new field of life. They may only be used for the construction of the original, divine human being. If they are not used for this one purpose, they will be preserved, and do not lose their power. ‘This power remains perfect,’ the holy scriptures say, ‘also when it is used on the earth, in the earth or under the earth.’ 

What will happen now? People evoke light powers, but do not use them in the way intended. This is why clouds, formations, are formed in the atmosphere, consisting of a mixture of good and evil and light power. These cloud formations, these Giants, which are able to concentrate ever more power, were called ‘aeons’ in antiquity. The aeons attract light powers from the atmosphere and assimilate them. If a person now evokes light powers in true longing for life renewal and these light powers circulate in his being, immediately a reaction is generated by the aeons to take these light powers away from this person, as with a strong magnet. 

Therefore, the aeons ‘rob’ every human being of his light power by the magnetic attraction emanating from them! We can extensively read about this in Valentinus’ writing ‘The books of the Saviour. The Gospel of the Pistis Sophia’.

In this way, we briefly see the threefold impediment before us: our consciousness that proves to be no consciousness; our body that perhaps lives, but appears not to be alive from within; the atmosphere that proves not to be an atmosphere of life, but a whirling of forces that rob us of our light power. This is why the process of the resurrection from the gospel must receive a cosmic continuation, because it is not only our own self that has to be overcome, but also the cosmos. This is why Jesus says: ‘It is to your advantage that I go away. I go away to prepare a place for you.’ 

In his explanations in the book ‘The Mysteries of the Pistis Sophia’, J. van Rijckenborgh writes about this process. The Gospel of the Pistis Sophia is a gospel in which the Light speaks to us directly. In the first chapter, Jesus, the Light, speaks the following words: ‘For this cause then the disciples thought there is nothing within that mystery (the mystery of the crucifixion, ed.).’ This means that the disciples, man with his talents and power of understanding, are initially unable to see, to understand, that the process that has developed within them, will continue in such an unimaginable way. ‘For this cause then the disciples thought there is nothing within that mystery.’ But then they are irradiated by a very bright light that reveals to them that the mystery of the crucifixion will be followed by what they then call ‘the Fullness and the total completion’. ‘And it came to pass on the fifteenth day of the moon in the month Tybi,’ the Pistis Sophia then continues, ‘which is the day on which the moon is full, on that day then, when the sun had come forth in his going,’ – that means: at the moment that the different processes of preparation have sufficiently progressed in us – ‘… the day on which the moon is full, on that day the, when the sun had come forth in his going, that there came forth behind him a great light power shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light conjoined with it. For it came out of the Light of lights and it came out of the last mystery. […] And that light power came down over Jesus and surrounded him entirely […]’

In the same way, the true work of salvation for the world and humanity will one day stand before us, as a Light ‘that shone most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was on him. Their eyes were darkened because of the great light. But they only saw the light which shot forth many light rays, […] one ray more excellent than the other, all of them in one great immeasurable glory of light; it stretched from under the earth right up to heaven.’ This light is the light of the thirteenth aeon, the mystery of the Universal Brotherhood. There is only one thing that matters in this School, namely the light power that we are able to release together. What matters is the light that is sent down to the group of pupils from the light field of the thirteenth aeon. Thus an immeasurable process of purification and recreation is going on to the most remote corners of the infinite cosmos. The Spiritual School of the Golden Rosycross is rooted in it and is taken up into it.

Everything, really everything, begins in the human being himself. Everything begins with self-knowledge, which is the knowledge that everything is one. This results in self-surrender. Self-surrender is a process that has human, cosmic and macrocosmic aspects. It is not a struggle of the self against the self, a cumbersome, lost battle, but it is intelligently returning the human being as to spirit, soul and body to his original, divine spirit principle. It is the neutralisation of the luciferic creation, its liquidation, making it to go up into the one, all-encompassing Light.

© Lectorium Rosicrucianum 2010.

From Pentagram No 5, 2010