Gnosis - Book II - Mesoteric Cycle

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"CONTENTS
PUBLISHER'S INTRODUCTION
Relatian to the Qrnrch
Relation to the Fourth Way
Esotericism is just inner sciene
EDITOR'S NOTES
The question of translation
Words in question
PREFACE
xiii
xiv
mi
xix
XX
xxiii
AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION xxv
FIRST PART: MAN
CHAPTER I 3
Plan of the mesoteric studies in Volume II of Gnok. The meaning of the
evolution of organic Jge on Earth. Its growth and its development. The
noas LA, SOL and FA of the lateral otduve: Man and the Fauna and
Flora. The process of creation follows, in the most general sense, a
descending scale, Three consecutive stages. Process of creation of a
human prototype. The formation of rhe lower intellectual centre. The
problem of Man goes incommensurably beyond his immediate interests
here below and even in the hereafter.
CHAPTER 11 I5
The place occupied by the human being in the context of organic lye. The
unity of organic life expressed by a common factor - respiration.
Connections of orgmic life with the sun and the moon. Growth and
development of man in relation to fauna and flora: quantitative and
qualitative aspects of the energy required by the transmi$& station to
meet cosmic needs. The necessity for man to modify his attitude towards
the higher planes of Love.
CHAPTER Ill 27
Manifestations of Love, the noumenal basis of the Macrocosmos.
Mechanisms and forms through which the Earth transmits solar
energy to its satellite. Process of develqment of the Ray of creation so as
tovivify this satellite, by the refinement of organic life oon The role of
man in these transformatjons. To make zhe MI of the lateral octave
resonate at the full, new abilities must be developed in man, leading to a
rmewal of intelligence (St Paul). Then a transition is possible to the level
of Homo fabtr.
CHAPTER IV 37
The importance of the conscious efforts that man must deploy to attain
this higher level of being. To put on the new man he must put off the old
man (St Paul). The question of the Resurrection from many different
points of view. Coming of the Son of Man. The end of the 'World'
coincides with the Coming of the Cyde of the Holy Spirit. What does
the general Resurrection signify? This problem examined in relation to
reincarnation.
CHAPTER V 47
The general Resurrection represents the Accomplishment for ndamic
man, approving his active and conscious participation in the development
of our Rq of Creat'iofp. The principle periods in the evolution of man and
of humanity. The passage from the Cyde of the Father to rhe Cycle of the
Son. Refusal of the chosen people to receive the Light, with all the
consequences that have followed that refusal. Golgotha: the fall of the
chosen people when faced with the test of the passage of the second
Threshold. Analogy of the political solution adopted by the Sanhedrin
concerning the Saviour with the situation of man, faced with the dilemma
of the Tree of $he KnwIedge ofgoad ad evil. 'The mystical considerations
which influenced the Sanhedrin's decision; in particular, an examinarion
of the inevitable consequences of a massive conversion of the Chosen
People to Christianity. Result: humanity was saved only in hope (Sr Paul).
CHAPTER VI 61
The general condition for Salvation: humanity must take the path that
leads from the fallen state to the original state. Because of the check met
with at the moment of passing from the Cycle of the Father to the Cycle of
the Son, mankind has become the victim of psychisrns, placing these at the
top of the scale of values. This has progressively accentuated the gap
between moral progress and material progress. Analogy between the
present epoch and that of the Forerunner. Before he can atrain to Lwf,
Faith and Elope must animate a Man, for only these will allow him access to
K#owledge, the forerunner of be.
CHAPTER VTI 71
Man is placed at n junction in the cosmic scale of values, The ditch
between science md reIigion. Human rraditions. The passage to the
new cycle demands from man a collective planetary consciousness.
~~ternationaorlg anizations and the embryo of a Federation of all
Nations. 'She forum of international relations finds itsdf more and more
swamped by social and economic concerns which exercise an increasing
influence over political affairs. Federalism appears, from the esoteric
point of view, as the ody method that will allow the establishment of
unity at a planetary level. The influence of modem life on the Personality
of man. The passage of public life to a higher level of consciousness.
SECOND PART: THE UNIVERSE
PREFACE TO PART TWO
CHAPTER VIII 89
Working of the laterdcosmic octave. The Absolute and the conception
of corporeal life. The two aspects of Imagination. The system of the three
tosmic otta~ef. A progressive double contraction allows passage from the
Law of seven to the Law of Thret. The feminine force and the masculine
force in the second and third comic octaves. Re~elarionis not fixed: it is
dways measured out to meet the needs of the time and the cause.
CHAPTER IX 99
Relative ideas of the Absolutes I, II and m. The Divine Trinity as it
appears in certain pre-christian religions. In its manifestation the Holy
Trinity takes on the appearances of three &post~ses: the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. The creative properties of ZERO. ?%e numbers
ONE and TWO and their divine attributes. The interpretation of the
entity Absolute II to which the number FOUR is symbolically assigned.
The number Three attributed to the feminine Principle of Creation.
Boundaries of the domain ruled by the Absolute 111.
CHAPTER X 111
Octaves of radiation from the supporting points of the skeleton of the
uni~erse, represented by the Absolute, the stellar World, the planetary
World, and the World of satellites. The table of Hydrogens, representing
the scale of values of substance-types throughout the whole
Mraoocosm~. The scale as applied to Man.
CHAPTER XI 113
The nourishment of the Universe. The nourishment of the physical
organism and the psychological organism of man achieved by using three
interdependent scales. The transmutation of Hydrogens by means of
octaves of food, respiration and impressions. Filling the intervals.
Possibility of two uses for sex energy. Man must make conscious
efforts to obtain fine hydrogens.
CHAPTER XII 129
The Era of the Holy Spirit demands that everything be revealed. The
system of three cosmic octaves explains the meaning of Evil as it is seen in
the whole structure of the Universe. The significance of original sin. Its
repetition by the identification of man with the 'I' of his personality.
Regeneration by means of identification with the real 'I' involves a
struggle. The basis of sin is error. The doctrine of Evil according to pre-
Christian Slavic theology. Aspects of the problem of Initiation examined
in the light of the sys tern of thee cosmic octaves. The meaning and effect of
that initiation that can properly be called esoteric.
CHAPTER xm 141
Civilizing historical types after Danilevsky. Recognizing them allows us
to grasp the inner meaning of the historical process and to reject the
classical idea of the thread of histay. The classic subdivision of general
history is not natural. Progress consists in every field of historical activiry
of mankind being crossed in all possible directions. Historical civilizing
types. Definition of cdt#re and tiviIiqatiotr in their esoteric sense. OnIy the
appearance of the New Man among the historial civilizing types will
allow a new organization of human society to be put in place. Displaccment
of efforts accomplished from the level of 14' influences to that of 'B'
infIuences.
CHAPTER XIV 153
The four fundamental particularities of Christianity. The unification of
the world, not only on the material plane but on the psychological, is
happening before our eyes. A tendency to unity on the spiritual plane is
manifesting in Christianity at the present time. The problem of the union
of the Churches. The Third Testasent.
THIRD PART: THE WAY
CHAPTER XV 163
The esoteric meaning of the symbol of the Chimera: an impossible being
possessing a motor centre and an intellecrual centre, but lacking an
emotional centre. The stan of the human Personality of the cultivated
man of thepresetpt time, its danger. The mechanism of human morality.
CHAPTER XVI 173
The six proto-types of the imbalance of the Personality of exterior
men. They are examined. Practical indications.
CHAPTER XWI 185
The Decrzlag~er egarded as a working instrument in the Orthodox Tradition,
based on the maxim: look atlfjorrr~ecifn the terr commmdments as in a
mirror. The livi~gtn iwor. The four castes into which all humanity is
drvided. Their characteristics from the esoteric point of view. The
impossibility of a man's changing his type: his task is to perfect it.
~fidividua/ityI. n the Idi~idudlifyt he 987 little I's of the Personality are
reduced to 72. Balance (Eqdibre). The sublimation of sex.
CHAPTER ITVTIt 195
Negative emotions. Faith, Hope and KnowIedge (Gnosis) form successive
stages in the revelation of Love. The tr@k tdgedword. 'She destructive
effects of negative emotions. The emotions are in fact no more than
different admixtures to Love. Possible treatments of negative emotions
that can release pure Love. Negative emotions as a source of fine positive
energies. One who is invoIved in esoteric work should not flee from
negative emotions. Texts and commentaries. Joy and Victory. The possibility
and usefulness of loving one" enemies.
CHAPTER XIX 209
Introspection, the doubling of interior constatations leading to sdfknowledge,
that is, knowledge of the content of the Personality. Only
yesterday a slave to his instincts and his passions, the faithful begins to
understand that negative emotions, an effect of the GefperaI Law, seek ta
keep him in that state and in his place, to the benefit of the whole but to rhe
detriment of his personal idterests as properly understood. Through
experience, this first knowIedgc brings him a new potver. Inner peace,
the necessary condition for working. The In~iible Combat. Partial victories.
Sincerity towards oneself, Purity of Faith. Help that comes from
outside and from within. The generally positive role of negative emotions.
Fmioon. Five stages: 1. Introspection; 2. Active calm; 3. Warmth; 4.
Fire; 5. Fusion.
CHAPTER XX 221
Study of the rehtionship between the T of the Personality and the real ?'
on the one hand, and on the other hand between the 'Ikf the Personality
and rhe 'I' of the body. Their interdependence looked at in different
ways. The eight disciplines which tie the devdoped and born Personaliry
to the real T': eight orhers which tie it to the 'I' of the body. The Androgyne
and the Mitrocosmos. The bipolar nature of the real 'I'. Explanatory
diagrams.
CHAPTER XXI 241
The meaning of human life. Sentences from Pushkin and Lcmontov.
The Golden Book. The end offife is to attainlwe. The text of the Golden
Book referring to polar beings. The polarity of their sexual centres. The
three baptisms: the Baptism of Water, the Baptism of Fire, and the Baptism
of the Spirit.
Bibliography 259"