Catholic Orthodoxy and Rosicrucian Esotericism
Ennio Dinucci….
The astrological teachings presented by Mr. Max Heindel, in his
work “The Message of the Stars”, inform that human evolution
takes place over great epochs, which last approximately two
thousand and a hundred years each, originated by an
astronomical phenomenon known under the name of
“precession of the equinoxes”.
The Aryan race is especially more advanced and more
prepared for Christianity, therefore it responds to several of
these astronomical influences, reflected by three pairs of signs:
Aries-Libra, which corresponded to the period of time from
Moses to Christ; the Pisces-Virgo era, related to the last two
thousand years of Catholicism; and the two thousand years to
come, which will constitute the era of Aquarius-Leo, under
whose influence there will be the reconciliation between various
extremes or seemingly irreconcilable polarities, namely Reason
(fire) and Feelings (water); State and Religion; men and
women; theology and science, etc. According to Rosicrucians:
“Esoteric Christianity” will be the universal religion foreseen for
this future era, not Orthodox Catholicism.
Catholicism has prevailed virtually since its inception,
particularly so during the Middle Ages and Renaissance period
(15th and 16th centuries), imposing on its followers a blind and
unscientific faith that undermines their freedom of expression,
precluding them from questioning or making any appeal to
reason.
Over time its power has slowly declined and, although
it still exerts a considerable influence on less independent
mentalities, it is greatly weakened after the advent of modern
science.
Having said that, it is necessary to recognize that the religious
imposition of the past was defensible to some extent, since the
popular masses, with rare exceptions, did not have the mental
and psychological conditions to assimilate a deeper education,
even though this fact does not justify the intolerance and
brutality employed by the "fathers of religion".
Nowadays, the intellectual level of people has grown
remarkably and anyone who desires may have access to a
series of metaphysical teachings from Ancient Esoteric
Schools, revealed in that distant past to a few chosen.
These teachings, considered heretical by the emerging religion
(Catholicism), were confiscated in pursuance of eliminating any
idea related to the ancient and misunderstood esoteric wisdom.
The great “Doctors of Gnose” (esoteric knowledge) were
persecuted and slandered by the coryphaeus of religion, who
called for torture and murder in an attempt to hinder their
teachings from being disseminated! Precious manuscripts left
by Ancient Schools of Egypt, Babylon, Greece and other highly
developed nations were relentlessly destroyed by the odious
fanaticism and ecclesiastical ignorance! The arson of
Alexandria’s library was one of the great crimes committed
against humanity by the unawareness of the supposed
"successors" of Peter!
The most renowned occultists had to hide their teachings under
various guises and even bury them in order to preserve them
for posterity. The discovery of some Gnostic texts in "Nag
Hammadi", in upper Egypt, attributed to Gnostic Valentino, a
man of great sensitivity and culture, born in Egypt, testifies to
this sad reality from the past. The translation of some of these
texts into Greek enabled their remanence up to the present.
The destruction of those philosophical treasures (which did not
inhibit the church from appropriating many of its ideas) had yet
another goal in mind: to stop humanity coming into contact with
ideas that promote progress, free and expand consciousness,
which obviously did not interest the catholic hierarchy, since
knowledge of truth would emancipate its followers from their
mentorship and clerical exploitation.
Reasonably, the Gospels prophesied: "Woe to you, experts in
the law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge (in the
past culture was totally subordinate to the church); but you
yourselves have not entered and you have hindered those who
were entering" (Luke 11-52).
How impossible it is to prevent the truth from coming to light...
today esoteric teachings are freely propagated (despite
religious guides) and anyone who manifests any interest in
them can benefit from extensive clarification about the
mysteries of the Being and the universe, without the risk of
accountability before the ecclesiastical courts.
On the other hand, up to this day, the heads of the Catholic
Institution seem to ignore that their methods (not those of
religion) are outdated and discredited, no longer meeting the
psychological demands of a more knowledgeable humanity.
Although the institution still represents a considerable political
force, imposing itself on the masses and governments as one
of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, in the
religious sense, it finds itself in an ongoing process of decay
and corruption that is eroding its former prestige and power at a
fast pace.
The remembrance of past glories and the arrogance of their
leaders, who insist on interpreting the Scriptures exclusively
from a historical and biographical point of view, as well as on
superimposing the human figure of Mary to the Divine Spirit of
Christ, raising her to the altar to be worshipped as a goddess,
are the main causes of its fall and the stumbling block of a
cunning and hypocritical priesthood.
Limited by their dogmas and by a one-sided view of the
doctrine, they continue to uncompromisingly defend the
lamentable past mistakes, stating that Catholicism is the only
legitimate method authorized by Christ, capable of leading man
to eternal salvation, and that anything that is not sanctioned by
the "principles of the church" is practically condemned.
This limited view is not exclusive to Roman Catholicism, but
also held by its Eastern counterpart, and by protestants who -
subdivided into countless sects - have failed to transcend this
childish and narrow-minded point of view. Their sole positive
aspect has been the spread of the Bible and the New
Testament throughout the world, apart from serving as
resistance to papal aspirations.
Although it has had its usefulness, contributing to the industrial
and political development of some western world nations
(especially from northern Europe and the United States of
America), Protestantism is nothing more than a dissent from
the Catholic religion, cold and devoid of logic, lacking an
effective cult!
As expected, evangelicals also consider themselves the only
ones authorized to interpret the Scriptures, praising themselves
for being faithful followers of Christ’s doctrine, thus, equating
the same pretension of clerics, stating that outside their church
salvation becomes impossible.
If a primary school stated that its teachings include all
knowledge and, out of it, any and all others would be false or in
bad faith, this claim would certainly be rejected by the most
enlightened minds, considered absurd and arrogant.
Unfortunately that is what theologians on both lines have
constantly stated!
However, this distorted idea should not be attributed to religion,
since it was established by the Guides of evolution (not by
priests and ministers) aimed at the less favored masses, in the
psychological sense, concealing in their dogmas a deep
symbolism, whose meanings are no longer understood by the
so-called messengers of God! The saying, "If you believe in
God, stay away from priests and evangelical ministers” is very
popular.
The false idea that Roman Catholicism was directly instituted
by Jesus Christ, being the last word in doctrine, was forged by
the founders of the institution. If scholars take the trouble to
investigate the essence of the Catholic creed, in the light of
Rosacrucian esotericism, they will easily verify that it alludes,
albeit veiledly, to a deeper and higher teaching, destined to a
more enlightened elite, just as an elementary school makes its
students glimpse the existence of university!
With the approaching end of the present epoch (Pisces-Virgo)
and the dawn of a new era (Aquarius-Leo), the Rosicrucian
Order, the Western School of Mysteries (which has no
connection with AMORC), precursor of the teachings that shall
be in place in this near future, presented at the beginning of the
last century (1909) a superior philosophical synthesis, with a
focus on revealing the scientific side of the Gospels, in perfect
harmony with true religion, while totally independent of
theological and ecclesiastical opinions.
Considering the nature of Aquarius is intellectual and scientific,
and its opposite sign, Leo, rules the heart, home of Love and
altruistic feelings, the purpose of this honorable school is to
answer all the questions that a diligent mind is capable of
formulating, whilst awakening in the sincere pupil a deep sense
of veneration and respect for the Architect of the Universe; a
feeling of absolute necessity, for without it, knowledge of all
mysteries would be useless!
Its methods include, in particular, a new education system that
should be seriously studied without any worldly prejudice and
without appeals to any outside authority (especially
ecclesiastical ones).
This new education is conducive to awakening the two higher
centers of reasoning and feeling located in the etheric brain,
ruled by Uranus and Neptune, that is, the Pituitary Body and
the Pineal Gland. These two glands are physical, but each of
them is interpenetrated by a specialized etheric base, upon
which the "Frontal and Coronary” Chakras are grounded. These
are respectively ruled by the Sun and the Moon, which, in turn,
serve as prime support to the second and third aspects of the
Spirit of man: the Spirit of Life (Love-Wisdom) and the Human
Spirit (Reason).
Rosicrucianism study will demonstrate to the most demanding
intellect - provided that it is not limited by scientific and
theological prejudices - that the Bible and the Gospels carry a
hidden and mysterious side, biasedly rejected by the two
institutions: science and theology. Both intend to explain the
origins of man and the universe, by making use of one of these
faculties only: reason divorced from feelings in the case of
science; feelings and faith disconnected from reason when it
comes to clerical theology.
The sustenance of these unilateral and deficient methods has
obliged the two institutions to maintain a series of incomplete
ideas that cannot be accepted as absolute and definitive truths.
In regards to science, we see it constantly reformulating its
hypotheses without reaching any satisfactory result that gives it
the certainty of its conclusions.
Orthodox theology, in turn, relies on some true principles,
although obscure and totally misunderstood by it, for the
absence of Spiritual Understanding, that is, the union of reason
with Love, restrain theologians from achieving their real
meaning.
For instance: Catholic religion states that the Savior’s Sacrifice
on the cross and the consequent shedding of his blood suffice
to save souls from the eternal fire of hell and to unlock them the
gates of heaven, as long as the devotee believes in this dogma
and obeys without questioning the ordinance of his guides.
Although this religious premise encloses a profound spiritual
meaning - when examined in the light of the Occult Science - it
will hardly be accepted by people of an intellectual nature,
unable to rely on an emotional faith that forbids them to
research and reason. The same is true for people endowed
with a certain sensitivity or spiritual perception, who cannot
accept the cold and absurd utterances of a materialistic
science, which denies the existence of a divine intelligence!
The essence of true religions is dogmatic, or rather, esoteric
and, even though their guides angrily reject this truth to this
day, they have not been able to rationally explain the mysteries
or the reasons that have led them to repudiate the hermeticism
of religion.
The aversion to superior esotericism, which would give life,
value and rationality to religious dogmas, has forced their
leaders to sustain a faulty theory, stating that religious
mysteries must be accepted without discussion by their
followers, for they are not given the right to speculate on divine
truths. This absurd theory, whilst affronting man's freedom of
conscience, is blatantly odd and astute, for it implies the
referred leaders supposedly know them, even though this
knowledge does not show in their actions!
The free assertion that the mysteries of God should not be
investigated by man is a meaningless fallacy, for in no
authorized religious tradition such a statement has been made.
On the contrary, the Spirit of Christ himself, the perfect
incarnation of Love and Wisdom, has conditioned the "liberation
of man" to "the knowledge of truth" and, if his words still
deserve some credit from the "Catholic Church" as expressions
of immutable and irrefutable laws, it is concluded that truth can
and should be investigated, on condition that it departs from
legitimate premises considered in the light of, not of one, but of
two spiritual faculties of man: Reason and Love!
What is truth? - Pilate asked Christ at the scene of judgment;
what is truth? - ask the contemporary Pilate, harassed by the
crucial doubts of scientific intellectualism!
According to the Divine Master, truth comes from heaven
(Apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus), that is, it is the abstract
mental substance or essence that transcends form or matter
and cannot be captured or researched by the material senses.
It is the spiritual cause emanating from the "Thinker" that
precedes the effect; the divine power that interpenetrates men,
worlds and all inexplicable events, which, to this day, could not
have been accounted for by proud academic wisdom! It is the
superior meaning that is hidden in the letter of the Bible and the
Gospels and which, unfortunately, has been lost or perhaps
has never been found by the smug "doctors in theology"!
At this point, the following question may arise: is it possible to
become aware of these truths that constitute the essence of all
teachings and of all beings of the material world, among whom
man is the greatest and most mysterious of all? Of course, and
the philosophical basis offered by the Rosicrucian Order has no
other purpose in view than this.
Catholic theologians, in particular, have demonstrated their lack
of wisdom by separating esotericism from religion or
intelligence from Love, for without the support of these two
faculties religion has become blind, and the lack of rational
guidance has inclined its proselytes to idolatry, superstition and
fanaticism.
This fact is confirmed effortlessly, if one observes followers’
unreasonable attitude in grounding their faith in plaster, stone
or wood images; in rather dubious relics (nails, hair, bone
fragments) and even in mummified bodies of some saints,
morbidly displayed in some churches.
This idolatrous demonstration, which masks ignorance and
materialism of fanatized masses, is skillfully stimulated by their
guides, due to its profitable return! Priests’ devious passivity in
respect to followers’ unawareness constitutes an outrage to
biblical teachings that prohibit the worship of images! It also
reveals that the concept of holiness has not been properly
understood, since it resides in the soul, not in someone’s body,
nor in their belongings!
The lack of a higher vision has caused rituals and sacraments
to lose their spiritual sense and, of course, their effectiveness,
because by repudiating the higher ideas that enlivened them
and gave them meaning, officiants have found themselves
limited "to certain religious forms that survived the lost ideas"
(Eliphas Levi).
The statement that pontiffs are the only authorities in
possession of "Heaven’s Keys", has proved wrong in the whole
trajectory of Catholicism, horribly tainted by the selfishness and
material ambition of its priests. The past two thousand years
has shown a sad reality that is not in line with the teachings of
Men’s Savior and his Apostles!
Perversions and atrocities committed in the name of the Divine
Initiator effectively prove that they have never been in
possession of such keys, for those who were given to Peter by
the Founder of Christianity open the doors of the Higher
Initiations, while the supposed keys employed by the Pharisees
of Rome are unsuitable for this goal, since one does not reach
the "Kingdom of Eternal Truth" on the basis of personal vanity,
of princely honors and accumulations of earthly treasures!
Moreover, theologians have clashed with a law of paramount
importance that annihilate all their doctrine: "reincarnation". The
non-acceptance of this law of nature has led them to the
adoption of false ideas that conflicts with the logic and common
sense of higher education of all ages!
It is time to understand that the two keys given to Peter by the
Spirit of Christ represent formulas that grant access to man’s
"Inner Temple", having nothing in common with political and
temporal power, much less with the long and luxurious
paraments, with golden crowns and precious stones!
The clergy's ambition for material wealth has placed it on a
level of materialism and injustice, making it forget that only
traditional virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice, Fortitude,
Prudence and Temperance have the power to open this
mysterious Temple, whereas "material riches, in the hands of
unjust men, can only open the doors of the tomb or hell", as
well argued by Eliphas Levi!
These two keys refer to the two spiritual centers of man,
"Reason and Love", without which it is impossible to come to
the knowledge of truth! With the promotion and employment of
these two faculties, Reason becomes enlightened by Love.
Conversely, Love will be safe from deception, once endorsed
by Reason, its defensor and protector!
To count on the permanent encouragement of the Lovely Spirit
of Christ it is necessary to form a "Spiritual Chain" (Church or
Egregore in Greek), consisting of men and women truly
enlightened and unified by the spirit of intelligence and charity
(Reason and Love), because only through a Chain of this
category, the Great Hierophant (Christ) finds ways to fulfill his
promise: "For where two or three are gathered in my name,
there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).
Hopefully our readers may understand the importance of this
superior collective foundation, for it alone is capable of keeping
the Christian Institution (School) united and protected against
assaults of the "evil": selfishness, ambition, vanity and lies!
The name Peter means stone or rock, symbol of a state of
individual and collective soul at the same time, which will serve
as the basis for the true Church of Christ (Egregore) against
which "(...) the gates of hell (Hades or forces of repulsion) will
not prevail (Matthew 16:18).
Says Eliphas Levi in his work, "History of Magic": The glory of
Christianity is to have called all men to the truth, without
distinction of peoples and castes, but not without distinction of
intelligences and virtues." This statement contains a deep
wisdom, leading the student to repudiate ignorance,
superstition, idolatry, passions and vices, replacing these with
virtues values, which make the awakening of an intelligent faith
possible!
According to the Savior of Men it is necessary to ask God to
send workers to his mission, for those who are active are few!
This recommendation of Christ leads us to consider two
aspects of the question: the first being that God bestows this
honor to man by making him an active participant in the
wonderful evolutionary plan, conceived by Him, provided that
he qualifies for such an undertaking! The second: to consider
which class of auxiliaries will be in a position to be recruited in
order to provide such aid.
Within the most elementary logic it is not possible to admit that
fools, ignorants and irresponsible individuals, limited by a blind
and irrational faith can bear this responsibility. Not to mention
ecclesiastical politicians and businessmen who turn religion into
a market and who, in their unawareness, have separated God
from man, sending him to a distant sky, digging an
insurmountable abyss between human consciousness and the
Divine Spirit that brings it into existence!
Reason says that workers of the field will be free and
wise men, capable of reasoning and loving, and not individuals
limited by a cold and loveless mentality, or by an unbalanced
and fanaticized sentimentality, without the backing of true
reason. These, of course, could not help and, despite their
presumptions, are the most needy!
Awareness of the current possibilities, as well as of the
obstacles that ought to be removed, is the indispensable first
step, which every well-informed candidate must take, before
dreaming of Enlightenment and Initiation. It is necessary to
invest wisely in the capabilities already developed, so that it
becomes possible to develop others that only exist in the
imagination, but that in fact do not exist in practice.
One of the most significant passages in the Gospel of John
(The healing of a paralytic) describes the existence of a
multitude of sick people, who are waiting for the manifestation
of a higher power capable of healing them.
This passage is
symbolic, of course, since it does not deal with physical
diseases, but psychological ones. Among these patients, who
constitute the majority of humanity, there are some aspirants to
the Superior Life who are distinguished from the others by their
awareness of their own soul limitations.
Clarified by the Science of Light, these individuals strive to
render practical the teachings received (move the waters),
whose purpose is to eliminate the congenital paralysis that
immobilizes them, keeping them from acting in the direction of
the Spirit itself!
São Paulo said: "Now it is the day of salvation", therefore, the
time has come to work consciously for one’s own evolution,
putting into operation the two higher centers - Reason and Love
- in order to become a competent helper of the evolutionary
plan!
Like the workers of the field, the Masters left in their teachings
the magic formula for the blind, the lame and the paralytic to
heal their soul disabilities, just as they applied it to themselves
in the past, conquering the right and the power to help current
humanity. This is the reason that leads them to assemble
authentic aspirants, with the objective of including them in their
Egregore of Light, because only then will the number of
workers increase!
In this passage, an allusion is made to a mysterious door
called: "Door of the sheep". Also mentioned is the existence of
a "tank" and a level of consciousness called "Five Pavilions".
May the interested reader try to open (Efetà) his ears and his
spiritual eyes to capture the true knowledge of these symbols!
Your servant and brother in Christ - Ennio Dinucci
São Paulo, March 2003.
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