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2012 No. 2 Vol. 82, No. 2

Rosicrucian Plea for Spiritual Ecology 1by Christian Bernard, FRC (Imperator 1990–present)

The Dweller on the Threshold 10by H. Spencer Lewis, FRC (Imperator 1915–1939)

Modernizing Our Concepts 16by Ralph M. Lewis, FRC (Imperator 1939–1987)

ROSICRUCIAN FORUM

Vol. 82, No. 2, 2012

CONTENTS

ROSICRUCIAN FORUM (ISSN #1077-4017) is published semi-annually by the Grand Lodge of the English Language Jurisdiction, AMORC, at 1342 Naglee Ave., San Jose, CA 95191 (fees paid through membership). Copyright 2012 by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC. For members only.

Cover photo by Debra Achen, SRC.

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Rosicrucian Plea for Spiritual Ecology by Christian Bernard, FRC

Imperator Christian Bernard recently addressed the Senate of Brazil with the “Rosicrucian Plea for Spiritual Ecology.” This speech was broadcast live on tele-vision, the radio, and the Internet, to millions of people. Below is the text of his address.

Presentation to the Brazilian SenateLadies and Gentlemen, In the name of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, which I

represent today as International President and Imperator, I would like to thank you for welcoming me here and convey to you greetings on behalf of all Rosi-crucians the world over.

By allowing me to address you here at the Senate, you have demon-strated your open-mindedness and the interest you take in the future of our planet and of humanity.

I very much appreciate the honor bestowed upon me today and am happy to share with you my ideas for a better, long-lasting future.

You are aware that the human being is a dual creature, with both a physical and a spiritual body, generally called the “soul.” It is said that God created this being from the dust of the earth and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life. In more scientific and less poetic terms, we might say that humans are composed of material elements from Earth and that each of our cells is made up of living and revitalizing physical elements of our planet. As complex, admirable, and wonderful as the mechanism of the human body is, either in the synchronization of its movements or in its ability to move, and so on, we must not forget that it is composed of earthly elements and can only exist thanks to an immutable law.

There would be no life without the divine essence that exists not only in this mechanism, this whole that we call a human being, but also in the individual elements that compose it. The divine essence is present in water, minerals, vegetation, and all that exists in its natural state. To deny this obvious fact would be denying life itself. Thus, when this life force leaves the body, the body becomes dead matter.

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To put into action divine laws, God needs living creatures, just as we have a vital need for God’s divine essence in order to keep our physical body alive. As one destroys one’s physical envelope, one reduces one’s soul’s ability to evolve.

But what will become of humanity if this sublime harmony and this perfect agreement is broken? What is true for a physical body is equally true for Earth. In just a few decades, we have destroyed our environment and depleted our best resources. The physical elements I referred to before are at risk of becoming nothing more than a memory recorded in the expansive archives of time. This divine force that animates all living beings will no lon-ger have a receptacle, at least on our damaged planet, if we continue with our bad deeds.

There is no doubt that we have developed lifestyles that were not in the original scheme of things. We have been very quick to stray from the mapped-out path. We have cultivated our mistakes, and unfortunately our awareness is very low, despite the voices that rise and, above all, the terrible trials and tragedies sent to us as lessons, which unfortunately are not always recognized as such and not understood. Our violation of the laws breaks our agreement with nature and distances us from God a little more each day.

If God created humanity in the image of the Divine, it was not so that we could claim the right to transgress or change the fundamental laws of nature. We are straying from the good path, from the light of the Sun, from Earth’s magnetism, from the benefits of pure water, and from all the good cosmic vibrations. We have played the sorcerer’s apprentice or the pseudo-scientist. We believed we could dominate the world and shape the laws to suit ourselves—not for our well-being, nor without reservations, but for immediate profit and out of greed and pride.

How truly ridiculous and small we are when faced with a fifteen meter-high (45 foot) wave as it breaks a wall we said was indestructible. How pathetic it is that so-called people of spirit, armed with their certainties and diplomas, do not even consider that the building of nuclear power stations presents a danger, particularly in regions prone to earthquakes. Alas, three times alas... We do not deserve to be called humans; we do not deserve this sanctuary that has been offered to us, this Earth. And yet for many decades we have been saying that all beings of good will should unite and join hands to work in and towards harmony.

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In spite of all this and of the negative conclusion that can be drawn from the state of our planet, I still believe that it is not too late, and that light can still overcome the darkness. But for this to happen, voices of protest need to rise and increase in such numbers that the sound they produce even-tually disturbs the conscience of our leaders, if this is indeed still possible. We can all take action and be agents of this current that works to safeguard Earth and the human race. I know, of course, that many among you have, in different fields and in different ways, been dedicated for a long time to what we generally call “ecology.” But there are some of us who still harbor doubts or are too hesitant. Others still are influenced by their way of life, their pro-fession, or what they read. We are still over-impressed by a professor who, without soul and without conscience, extols the virtues of such and such a drug or vaccine despite being fully aware that it will cause harm. I could give you a thousand examples of things we should refuse to be influenced by, but you are sufficiently observant, educated, and intelligent, and I know that you are people who think and meditate daily on the future of both humanity and Earth.

I simply wanted to say that you must no longer hesitate at voicing your point of view, even if those around you are impervious to your ideas. For Rosicrucians, ecology goes hand in hand with spirituality, for one cannot exist and endure without the other. This is why, at the beginning of this text, I reminded you that the human being is a dual creature.

Just as you must make every effort to protect the health of the planet and its inhabitants, you must aspire to rise ever higher in the realm of the spirit. Rise beyond the ugly, sordid, and cruel things of life, and use the material aspect of things as a step that will allow you to rise higher and to have a grander conception of the world. With your eyes on the horizon, live life standing and only go down on your knees in the sanctum of the beauti-ful and the virtuous. This is housed in the heart of what the Fraternity of the Rose Cross calls the cathedral of the soul, of our soul, the great universal soul! It is here that Peace Profound can be found.

Our body must serve in the world of humans, and our spirit and willingness must be of use to us both for our task and for other beings. But our soul must rest in the divine realm. It will always find refuge and comfort there. When sorrow, doubt, and despondency overcome us, let us be com-forted by the divine mother. Let us fly higher than all our fears and penetrate

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the consciousness of God. I am aware that the recommendations I give you are easier to say and

hear than to implement, and that our fears, our anxieties and our many faults are like clods of mud under our feet, holding us back and preventing us from rising to the higher spiritual spheres.

And yet we must never give up. Even if we have lost our way in this existence, we must never lose hope. There will be other lives, other paths to follow, and the experience we will have acquired will serve to guide us and lighten our way.

May it be so, despite the destructive madness of humankind! This is my plea for a spiritual ecology and, as I like to say to members

of the Rosicrucian Order, you can take pride in being men and women of good will!

Please now allow me to read an extract of the Rosicrucian Manifesto written in 2001, and which followed on from the three previous ones pub-lished in the seventeenth century by the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. This Manifesto addresses various important subjects. Here is the one concerning the relationship between humanity and nature.

Concerning humanity’s relationship with nature, we believe that on the whole it has never been so deleterious. It is surely obvious to everyone that human activity is inflicting increasing degradation on the environment. Yet, it is also obvious that the survival of the human species depends upon its ability to respect natural balance. The development of civilization has generated many dangers because of biological manipulations affecting food, the widespread use of polluting agents, the poorly controlled accumulation of nuclear wastes—just to mention a few of the major risks. The protection of nature, and therefore the safeguarding of humanity, has become the responsibility of all people, whereas previously it concerned only spe-cialists. Moreover, it has now become a worldwide matter.

This is all the more important since our very concept of nature has changed, and we have come to realize how much we are part of it. We can no longer speak today of “Nature in itself ” in that nature will be what humanity wishes it to be.

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One of the characteristics of our present era is our great con-sumption of energy. This phenomenon would not be worrisome in itself if it were intelligently managed. Yet we observe that such natural resources as coal, gas, and petroleum are being overexploited and are gradually becoming exhausted. Moreover, certain energy sources, such as nuclear power plants, present serious hazards, which are very diffi-cult to overcome. We also observe that, despite the recent attempts at dialogue, certain dangers, such as the greenhouse effects of gas emis-sion, desertification, deforestation, pollution of the oceans, and so on, are not the object of adequate protective measures, because of a lack of will. Apart from the fact that these assaults upon the environ-ment cause humanity to face very serious risks, they show a great lack of maturity, both individually and collectively. Despite what some experts claim, we feel that present climatic disturbances, with such a large share of storms, floods, and so on, are the result of the damage that humans have been inflicting upon our planet for too long.

Quite obviously, another major problem—that of water—is sure to confront us in the future with increasing impact. Water is an ele-ment indispensable to the maintenance and development of life. In one form or another, all living beings need it. Humans are no excep-tion to this natural law, if only because water constitutes seventy percent of our bodies. And yet today, access to fresh water is restricted for approximately one out of six world inhabitants, a proportion that may reach one out of four in less than fifty years, due to the increase in worldwide population and the pollution of rivers and streams. Today, most eminent specialists agree that “white gold,” more than “black gold,” will be the great resource of this century, with all the potential for conflict that this implies. An awareness of this problem on a worldwide level is imperative.

Air pollution also entails serious dangers for life in general, and for the human species in particular. Industry, heating, and transpor-tation contribute to the degradation of air quality and pollute the atmosphere, giving rise to potential health hazards. Urban areas are the most affected by this phenomenon, which threatens to increase along with expanding urbanization. In connection with this, the massive growth of cities constitutes a danger that could threaten the

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stability of societies. Concerning the growth of urban areas, we con-cur with the advice that Plato expressed centuries ago: “To the point where, enlarged, it preserves its unity, the city can expand, and yet not beyond.” Gigantism cannot favor humanism, in the sense we have defined it. It inevitably brings about discord and gives rise to misery and insecurity.

Concerning humanity’s relationship with the Universe, we believe that it is based upon interdependence. As children of Earth, and as Earth is a child of the universe, we are therefore children of the uni-verse. The atoms composing the human body originate in nature and remain within the confines of the Cosmos, which causes astrophysi-cists to comment that “We are children of the stars.” Even though we are indebted to the universe, it should also be noted that the universe owes much to humanity also–not its existence, of course, rather its reason for being. Indeed, what would the universe be if human eyes could not contemplate it? If our consciousness could not embrace it? If our soul could not be reflected in it? The universe and human-ity need each other to know and even recognize each other, which reminds us of the famous saying: “Know thyself, and thou shalt know the Universe and the Gods.” Here ends the extract from our Rosicrucian Manifesto, and, for those

among you who are interested, I would encourage you to read it in its entirety. However, I would also like to take this opportunity to bring to your

attention an event of major importance that is soon to take place: the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio de Janeiro, here in Brazil.

This year the United Nations Organization has published a prepara-tory document for this Conference. The second chapter of this document, which has been entitled “The Future We Want,” evaluates the progress made in terms of sustainable development and preservation of the planet since the Rio-92 conference, which was considered to be a milestone and a reference point in terms of ecology and sustainability.

I would like to quote an extract of this document. Its authors, while acknowledging the progress made over the last twenty years, warn us about those sectors that have not progressed or have experienced setbacks:

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New scientific evidence has demonstrated the seriousness of the threats that are liable to befall us. New challenges include the con-tinual intensification of such problems and require urgent responses. Around 1.4 billion people still live in extreme poverty and one-sixth of the world’s population is suffering from malnutrition, a situation aggravated by the omnipresent threats of epidemics and pandemics. Unsustainable development has placed increased pressure on Earth’s limited natural resources and on the carrying capacity of ecosystems. Our planet supports seven billion people, a number expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. This warning, as I am sure you will have noticed, is in line with what

we say in our Rosicrucian Manifesto, and particularly with the extract that I have just read to you.

What we do know, ladies and gentlemen, is that this situation cannot continue.

There will be no happiness for humanity if satisfaction is based simply on consumption. Consumption, moreover, encourages the use of pro-duction methods that require more resources and energy and give rise to waste products that can only worsen environmental pollution.

There will be no hope for the future if economic development continues to be carried out at any price, even when the consequences are deforestation, pollution, and excessive use of resources.

There will not be peace so long as the 20 percent of the world’s popu-lation living in extreme poverty, and the incalculable number of people living without dignity, continue to live in such conditions in overpopulated and vio-lent urban areas.

When we published the Manifesto, our aim was to urge all those men and women of good will to effectively join a crusade for the protection of life, not just our present life but also all those lives to come.

I would like to take this opportunity to urge people once more to do so.

The Conference in Brazil, a country that already has an important decision-making role in world affairs, is a unique opportunity that will allow countries to make a firm and definitive undertaking so that we may change our understanding of the words “progress” and “development.”

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Progress and development were created for humanity and not the reverse.

The responsibility for this task does not fall on governments alone. It is also an effort that, by reason of its scale, must be carried out through an alliance between governmental organizations, private organizations, and civil society movements.

Only such an alliance can combat the challenges that we will be faced with in the future.

Some may consider that this desire is simply a utopia of a group of idealists and dreamers.

Not at all! One only has to be reminded that governments, busi-nesses, and society are all made up of individuals who are human beings.

We constitute the only life form on the planet that can think and choose the direction we wish our lives to take.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for listening and can assure you that the Rosicrucians of Brazil, irrespective of their social standing, financial state, and age, are doing all that is possible, wherever they are and in whatever way they can, so that the word “ecology” does not become a utopia.

We will part with a Rosicrucian text that has been specially written for the launch in 2012 of the ecology awareness campaign by the Grand Mas-ter of AMORC’s Portuguese language jurisdiction, Mr Hélio de Moraes E. Marques. It is entitled: Rosicrucian Plea for Spiritual Ecology, and will appear from now on among our Order’s official texts.

At this the beginning of the twenty-first century and the third millennium, at a time when our planet, and consequently the survival of humanity, is seriously threatened:

– Let us remember that this Earth on which we live has existed for more than four billion years, and that humanity as we know it appeared here about three million years ago, and has put it in danger within less than a century.

– Let us remember that two-thirds of our planet is covered by seas and oceans, that our own bodies are made up of 75 percent water, and that we could not survive without it.

– Let us remember that forests are Earth’s lungs, that they pro-

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duce the oxygen we breathe, and that without them there would be no atmosphere, and therefore no life.

– Let us remember that animals lived on our planet millions of years before humankind appeared, that the survival of humanity depends on them, and that they are intelligent and sensitive beings.

– Let us remember that all of nature’s kingdoms are mutually dependent and that there is neither space nor frontier between them, and that each of them, on different levels and in different forms, is endowed with consciousness.

– Let us remember that Earth is surrounded by an electromag-netic aura resulting from its own natural energies, and that this aura, combined with the atmosphere, contributes to life.

– Let us remember that the existence of our planet is not a matter of chance or a mere accident of time and place, but that it forms part of a Plan devised and put in place by that Universal Intelligence we call “God.”

– Let us remember that Earth is not simply a planet that allows humans to exist, but that it is also the environment in which our souls may incarnate in order to carry our spiritual evolution through to its successful conclusion.

– Let us remember that our planet is a masterpiece of Creation, that although it is not unique in the universe it is nonetheless a rare thing, and that it is a great privilege for humanity to be able to live here.

– Let us remember that Earth does not belong to us, that it is here for us to live on during our lifetime, and that it represents the most precious of heritages for us to pass on to future generations.

– Let us remember that we do not have any rights over our planet, simply the obligation to respect, preserve, and protect it. In a word, to love it.

Let us remember this, remind our children of it, and let the fol-lowing be our formula:

Terra humanitasque una sunt.Earth and humanity are as one.

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The Dweller on the Threshold

BE PREPARED TO MEET THIS SYMBOLICAL CHARACTER by H. Spencer Lewis, FRC

Throughout the ancient Rosicrucian records and writings of a ritualistic and ceremonial nature there is frequent reference to “The Dweller On the Threshold.” In fact, this term or phrase is so distinctively Rosicrucian, and so esoterically significant that it is often used as a means of identifying anything of a ritualistic or ceremonial nature, or any mystical principle, that is distinctly Rosicrucian. It is a companion phrase to the other well known Rosicrucian expression, “Crossing the Threshold.” Rosicrucians of the last century [the nineteenth century-Ed.] in some lands would often identify each other by casually speaking of the Threshold in any philosophical, religious, or mystical discussion that was taking place, and immediately those who were Rosicrucians would show by an expression on their faces that they recognized the word, and then one or the other would ask whether they had ever “met the Dweller on the Threshold,” or whether they had ever “crossed the Threshold,” etc. These phrases have become so popular that they are no longer secret ones, and I am not violating any of the secrets of the higher Temple Initiations of the Rosicrucian Order by stating that on the occasion of such initiations the Neophyte who is to be accepted into the Temple has to cross the Threshold and has to meet the “Dweller on the Threshold.” However, all of the Rosicrucian references to the Dweller on the Threshold are not references to the Temple Initiation only, but to a Cosmic or esoteric condition wherein every advancing Rosicrucian sooner or later discovers that there is a symbolical character known as the “Dweller on the Threshold.” It is of this symbolical character and the esoteric principles involved that I wish to speak at this time. Recently I prepared an article for this magazine dealing with the subject of the Coming of the Shadows and of the Obscure Night. Any member of our organization who has not carefully read that article dealing with the shadows should read it in conjunction with this present article. By referring to the October [1933-Ed.] issue of the Digest our members will find the article. In order to understand the esoteric principles involved in crossing the Threshold, and meeting the character that dwells thereon, we should realize, first of all, that there are a

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multiplicity of Thresholds in our lives, and that some of these, or a majority of them, are of the material world, while a portion of them—and perhaps the most important ones—are Cosmic, or psychic, or spiritual, however you may wish to name them. In other words, throughout the life of all mystics who have started on the path of unfoldment and illumination there are daily and almost hourly incidents that bring their feet to a threshold of some kind, and almost daily, and often frequently during each of the days of the week, such students come face to face with the “Dweller on the Threshold.” These Thresholds are crucial periods in the life of every student and adept, and we may as well be frank and not conceal the fact that even the most advanced and most highly evolved of mystics suddenly find themselves on the very edge of a threshold, and very often face to face with the “Dweller on the Threshold” when it is least expected. In other words, the attainment of greater knowledge and greater unfoldment, and the advancement along the path to the highest grades of understanding and psychic power, do not prevent those sudden crucial conditions which constitute genuine Thresholds even to the most illuminated. It is true that the more advanced the student is, and the more carefully one has arranged one’s life and directed one’s affairs, the less often one finds oneself at the Threshold, and the more one is developed and strengthened for Cosmic and psychic powers, the more easily one crosses the Threshold, or avoids it and escapes from the unpleasant effects resulting from any conflict with the “Dweller on the Threshold.” By this it will be seen that both the new student or Neophyte, and the advancing adept, must guard oneself against errors of judgment, errors of thoughts and acts, when on the very edge of the Threshold, or when face to face with the “Dweller on the Threshold.” The adept, however, has the advantage of having been well-trained, and well-prepared for this condition, while the Neophyte does not always understand what one should do, and therefore is less qualified to avoid the errors. It is for the benefit of both the Neophyte and the adept that I wish to speak of these matters, and sound a very timely warning because of the approaching Cosmic changes throughout the world during the next twelve months. The great changes that are about to take place, and which will take place, will bring more of the Neophytes and adepts face to face with the Threshold and the Dweller thereon than at any other time in recent years, and it is our duty to prepare our members and even to help those who are not members but who are seekers for the path to understand some of the principles involved. I have just said that the Threshold is ever near, and of many forms and

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conditions. Hundreds of times in the course of a year the average student on the path and seeker for Light finds oneself face to face with the open doorway. Conditions around the student, personal problems and trials, and often the voice of the Tempter, urge one to step across the Threshold into the open passageway, and to enter the chamber that lies on the other side of the Threshold. Often, also, the still small voice within warns one not to cross the Threshold, but to hesitate, to listen to the voice within or the Cosmic urge through intuition, and to retrace one’s steps and go back from the Threshold. The moment anyone crosses such a Threshold, however, Karmic conditions are immediately created either for good or evil, and the price must be paid, compensation must be made, for stepping across the Threshold and entering the strange chamber. It is here that the individual comes face to face with the “Dweller on the Threshold.” I prefer the phrase “Dweller at the Threshold,” for the Dweller is not always on the Threshold, but often just within the mysterious chamber and can be seen or sensed as one stands upon the very Threshold ready to enter the chamber. In our mystical ceremonies the Neophyte who crosses the symbolical Threshold of initiation is warned by the symbolical character that dwells at the Threshold (as a representative of the still small voice within) to “choose ye your way to Light or Darkness!” The chamber itself is always dark, and one who has entered it finds oneself in a quandary, for one knows that one’s next few steps will be important ones, and that as one stands at the Threshold and chooses whether one will either step into Darkness and create evil Karma for oneself, or step into Light and create fortunate Karma. Whenever any of us are face to face with some personal problem, and we allow ourselves to pause in hesitancy trying to decide whether we should do that which something outside of ourselves tempts us to do, or do that which something within us tempts us to do, we are at that time face to face with the Threshold. It is during this pause of hesitancy that the individual must choose whether to go on into Darkness or into Light, and the “Dweller on the Threshold” is there for the purpose of testing and trying us. One moment it tempts us to listen to the voice of Light. The Dweller appeals to us to listen to the fascinating and tempting words of deceit and deception, and then urges us to listen to the beautiful golden words of truth. We, alone, standing there in hesitancy, must decide whether truth or untruth, Light or Darkness, shall have the victory. All through our lives we come face to face with this trying situation at the Threshold. We may be in need of worldly things when suddenly an opportunity

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comes to us whereby we may have the things we seek. We pause to reason and to analyze, and in so doing we step up to the Threshold and wait. While we are waiting and trying to reason what we should do, the voice of the Dweller urges us to remember our moral obligations, our ethics, our code in life, our high principles, and our promise. Then the Dweller tempts us with a beautiful picture of the happiness that will come through casting aside our ethics and our morals, by ignoring for the time being our avowed principles and purposes. The Dweller tries to make us believe that on this one occasion and in this one circumstance we may evade and avoid our obligations, that we may cover up our error, and may indulge in the deception and still be happy. The Dweller presents both sides to us with equal interest and fascination. The decision lies with us, and as we choose we create our Karma for the future. We read a letter or read a book or hear a statement made that casts some doubt upon the goodness of our studies, of our principles, of our high ethics, or of our ability to attain the better things of life. As we listen to these arguments or read them, we suddenly find ourselves standing on the Threshold again with a great mysterious chamber of darkness before us in which dwells the truth or falsity of the things that we have just heard or read. We feel that we must cross this Threshold and go into the chamber and find the truth. The “Dweller at the Threshold” observes our hesitancy and urges us to cross the Threshold, enter its domain, and listen to dual arguments. Once we have made the decision the victory is either for Light or Darkness, happiness or sorrow. The mystic on the path, young or old, is tempted frequently by those things that bring one to the Threshold and leave one in a serious quandary–perplexed, puzzled, and sorely in need of advice. The more developed is one’s consciousness and one’s attunement, the more subtle are the Thresholds which one approaches, and the more difficult it is for one to decide, but always one is left alone to decide for oneself, and always must one be the creator of one’s own career, the builder of one’s own life, and the maker of one’s own Karma. Those who dwell for any length of time in this great chamber of darkness without coming to a decision, or who come to the wrong decision, are surrounded by the obscurity of the night, and the closing-in of the shadows. This may last for days and weeks, and during that time the individual is in mental and spiritual misery, and one’s mind is filled with doubt and skepticism, with suspicion, and even with envy and hatred. It is a rejoiceful period for the forces of evil, and a sad period for the kingdom of the Light.

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To be prepared, the young Neophyte and the advanced adept alike must be forewarned of the fact that there are such Thresholds and such Dwellers thereon, and therefore be ever mindful of one’s powers to reason and think and of one’s greater ability to listen to the still small voice within and to determine which is the spirit of truth speaking and which is the spirit of the world and of materialism and of deceit and darkness. It is seldom, indeed, that even the Neophyte, let alone the adept on the path, is unable to determine which voice is speaking at the threshold. Very often to ease their consciences people will pretend even to themselves that they thought that the glowing, fascinating temptations of the material world were possibly the whisperings of the still small voice and that they believed they were doing right or deciding correctly. But one seldom really deceives oneself and, of course, one never deceives the Cosmic and the Karmic law works whether one is self-deceived or not. It is notable also that each and every trial at these thresholds are important crises in the life of one on the Path. There is more to and back of each one of these events than is just associated with the incidents of the event. In other words, whenever a decision is made one way or the other at the threshold there is more involved than merely the results pertaining to the matter that was being analyzed. Each time that the decision is wrongly made there is not only the creation of Karmic debts that must be paid but there is a weakening of the morals and of the integrity, the power, and the development of the inner and outer selves. And vice versa. Whenever the decision is proper and in accordance with the spirit of truth it is not only a victory for the individual in one’s material or other affairs associated with the problem, but it is a moral victory for the power and development of the inner self and leads to a notable advancement along the Path, each such victory is like a stepping stone that lifts the individual to a higher plane and gives one richer spiritual reward than one may ever anticipate. The individual who allows oneself to be tempted by the “Dweller on the Threshold” to yield to the worldly things or to break one’s promises, violate one’s obligations, set aside one’s moral and ethical code, or nullify one’s ideals for the time, steps down lower and lower in one’s development and inner progress until after a number of such sad experiences the inner self is stifled, the still small voice is muffled, the master within is imprisoned, and the spiritual psychic self is made to retrograde. Such persons become, in a Cosmic sense, lost souls. They must be redeemed and saved by the esoteric process of regeneration. If they go out of this life without having become completely regenerated, their next incarnation is a lower

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state of worldly, moral, mental, and physical conditions, and they find themselves surrounded by obstacles and by every deterring factor and must battle their way through great hardships to lift themselves to even the next plane of development. On the other hand, those who constantly are victorious and win their battles at the threshold achieve more power and more Cosmic assistance in their development and become the great masters and adepts in this life and when the time for transition comes they find themselves properly prepared for the next incarnation which begins with blessings, with advantages and qualities that enable them to occupy a happier and more successful position in life. We should not be surprised, therefore, to find that the symbolical crossing of the threshold is an important feature of all Rosicrucian temple initiations, for the initiation into the Order is truly the choosing of a way out of darkness into Light and is the culminating act of a decision that is for the better and is a moral, ethical, and psychic victory for the individual. For this reason the Threshold and the “Dweller on the Threshold” are significant words and terms among Rosicrucians.

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Modernizing Our Conceptsby Ralph M. Lewis, FRC

Loyalty is a virtue. But if it is misdirected, its efficacy is wasted. Many of us today are guilty of this misdirected loyalty. We steadfastly retain devotion to the old and established. That which has continued down through the years acquires a kind of halo of reverence. Its persistence seems to lend it a quality of rectitude which it often does not deserve. Especially does this devotion to the past apply to thought. Ideas, concepts, notions, that have not been challenged and which fill the gaps in our thinking, are readily accepted. Oftentimes they are just words or terms that have no intimate meaning to us. They are but colloquial expressions or verbal customs that have passed down to us. Time is not always the test of truth. Just because we have transmitted a notion about something from one generation to another gives it no particular value. For example, in the year 1650, Archbishop Ussher of Ireland declared that all creation began in 4004 BCE, Sunday, October 23. It was only in comparatively recent times that such a concept was proved false by indisputable evidence. For centuries, many continued to accept this idea. It was a ready-made answer to the question, When did creation begin? For over sixteen hundred years, Aristotle’s teachings were the final authority in the realm of reason. Few questioned his postulations about the natural world. In fact, each century seemed to lend his words an implied truth, but only because there were no original or different ideas to supplant those of Aristotle. All that we say we know is not the consequence of an intimate experience. We expound as personal knowledge much which we have not perceived. It is not the direct result of impressions coming to us from the outer world. It is not a knowledge which is the consequence of something we have personally seen, heard, or felt, for example. Such kind of unperceived knowledge is belief. Belief is a conclusion arrived at after personal rationalization. Belief follows the mental process of combining and evolving ideas until they seem final and satisfying to us. The ideas of belief which we have possess no objective nature. At least, they have never been externally perceived by us or they would be the knowledge of the senses. Ideas of belief cannot be demonstrated in a material or phenomenal form as being real. Beliefs are thus distinguished from perceptual knowledge. We can say that belief, by contrast, is conceptual knowledge: It arises out of our

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reflection upon experiences had. For example, some believe the cosmological theory that the Sun and our solar system were formed from a whirling cosmic dust. Others believe that Earth was created by a solar tidal wave caused by a great meteor passing close to our Sun. Yet these beliefs, this kind of knowledge, cannot as yet be proved. In other words, we cannot objectify it. If we could, such would no longer be beliefs. Others may believe that a particular religion places them in a preferred divine relationship as compared to other sects. These believers, however, cannot so establish their notions that they can be experienced objectively by all others. We can also say, therefore, that beliefs are a subjective knowledge. Further, they stand in contrast to empirical knowledge or that which arises directly from impressions outside ourselves. Our beliefs are really a subordinate knowledge. They are subordinate because they must give way to the preponderance of evidence provided by our senses. We do admit that our senses at times deceive us. Perhaps, from a philosophical point of view, all that we objectively perceive may be false. On the other hand, our senses do provide us with a necessary common bond with other humans. If we did not accept the preponderance of evidence of our senses, each of us then would be living entirely according to our personal beliefs. Each would be entombed in a subjective world of our own making. Under such circumstances no mutual understanding would be possible. Pyrrho was the exponent of an ancient philosophical school known as the Skeptics. To his followers and others he was continually inveighing against the unreliability of the senses. It is related of him that, to show his disregard for what his senses revealed, he would not even pull over for a passing wagon. If his friends, who were not entirely convinced of his theory, had not rescued him, his personal beliefs would have immediately died with him for lack of dependence on what his physical senses revealed. Our beliefs, however, have a tremendous value. They will always stand as knowledge until they can be refuted by the senses. Our beliefs are as possible of future substantiation as they are of being disproved. Beliefs, therefore, are a personal knowledge rather than a public one. Thales, the Greek philosopher, believed that the ultimate substance of matter was water. We know that time and experience have proved him wrong. However, was it not better that Thales believed as he did rather than never to have given the subject a thought and formed a belief? It is also better that

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the ancient Egyptians believed that the Sun rode across the sky in a boat than that they had no conception about the phenomenon of day and night. Belief has the full conviction of our reason. We never entertain any doubt about what we really believe. Belief is a personal truth for each of us unless, of course, it is opposed by experience. We also have our opinions. An opinion, however, is of less value than a belief. It cannot be placed in the category of knowledge. Unlike belief, an opinion is not a substitution for lack of knowledge. An opinion does not attempt to fill a void of knowledge as does belief. Rather, an opinion is but a conclusion that happens to appeal at the time to our personal judgment. Our opinions may actually be contrary to facts that are generally known. True belief uses fully the personal reasoning powers and intelligence of an individual, whereas opinions rarely do. A belief is a final answer to a question which has arisen in the mind. Conversely, an opinion is most generally but a mere assumption of knowledge. Much that we pay homage to as beliefs today are but opinions and some of them are not even our own. They are inherited. We, therefore, never really subject them to a thorough mental scrutiny. It is obligatory in our times that we modernize our concepts: We owe it to ourselves to entertain new and different ideas. Such different ideas may not always be factually demonstrable. They may become, however, satisfying and efficient beliefs. We shall touch briefly upon two conceptions which vitally affect our lives. Their importance depends upon the thought which we give them and whether they represent our personal convictions. Let us take one of the most controversial subjects, the nature of God or the Divine. God is not commonly demonstrable. By that, we mean there are no elements or qualities as God that can be reduced to a kind or form realizable by all people alike. This is quite understandable because the infinite cannot be encompassed by the finite. The modern belief recognizes a universal approach to the Divine. This is the realization that there is a transcendent causal power. In other words, there is a supreme power of a kind which is the primary cause of all existence. It is thought to be causal in that all that emanates or manifests as reality is dependent upon it. Almost all thinkers who are not absolute materialists, have an agreement on this. The power, or God, can have both mind and substance, that is body, depending upon whatever way the human mind approaches the subject. That

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which is self-generated and persists in its nature, as does Absolute Being, must have an internal awareness. That self-responsiveness or awareness is consciousness; it is an attribute of what we call mind. Thus multitudes of people today find that a belief in the coexistence of a transcendental power and mind provides a satisfying personal knowledge. The various phenomena of nature which we attribute to this supreme power, or God, have substance. They have substance in the sense that they are perceivable by the unaided and aided senses of humans. They are, therefore, possible of common experience. Consequently, this ultimate or supreme causal power can be conceived within human experience both as mind and as body. It is neither extremely idealistic nor fantastic to believe that God is mind or body, or both—for the phenomena held to be of God fall rationally into either of these categories. Conflicting and diverging opinions arise when we attempt to describe the infinite mind and substance by imaging our own limited minds, that is, comparing it to our own. The manifest qualities of this power, this God, or call it what you will, can be universally realized. They are perceivable by all. Now, if we hold that nature is one of those qualities, then certainly some of her numerous moods are experienced by all people. But the interpretations of these qualities of the Divine are individual, and may be quite diverse. The mental picture which we have of these qualities becomes our symbol of the Divine. It portrays our conception of the mind and substance of the Divine. No rational person may conceive the divine mind in one’s own imagery, that is, having all the foibles and limitations of one’s own mind. The substance of the Divine, however, we have often visualized in the image of our own mortal body. The mind and body of the Divine are universal, but they are adaptable to any level of human thought or consciousness. The Divine, to the human, must always remain, as Rosicrucians say, the God of our hearts. God then becomes a personal belief. As such, it is an inner knowledge. The Divine, as an image, rises and falls in accordance with our interpretation of the cosmic qualities of infinite mind and substance. Let us consider our second concept, the topic of science. In our age, science has been given a place of spectacular prominence. Philosophically, what value has science to us? Its value must not be adjudged in terms of things but rather in the sense of personal evolution. We have heard the statement that understanding begets power. Admittedly, it has become a trite saying. Yet it has a profound philosophical significance.

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Understanding means having comprehension of the nature and relationship of things. A thing may actually be different from what we realize it to be but a meaning of it puts it in relationship to us. The thing then has a link or connection with self. That which has identity to us, which we seem to understand, comes to have a particular effect on our lives. We think of it as being beneficial or otherwise to us. With increasing understanding of the world we become as a hub and those things upon which we confer meaning become as spokes connecting us to them by means of our ideas. Thus the mind reaches out and encompasses more and more reality. Without understanding, the world of reality is heterogeneous. It is a conglomeration of diverse separate elements. Humanity is then truly lost in such an existence. We have no importance to ourselves because we stand in no relationship to anything. We become important only as we can assimilate other things into our understanding. We have no power in a heterogeneous world, a disconnected world. We are unable to draw upon the unknown qualities of things and apply them to ourselves. If philosophy is the love of wisdom, then science is the love of coherence. Science is the search for universals. These universals are persistent factors that give unity to the world of reality. They are commonly called natural laws. These universals or laws tie together the phenomenal world, the world we experience, into a comprehensible pattern. The pattern, however, or design is mostly the product of one’s own mind. The human consciousness is capable of perceiving only an infinitesimal part of the cosmic fabric. So, the pattern cannot be truly representative of the whole cosmos. But the more universals or laws we discover, the larger becomes the pattern of reality. The greater becomes the theater of our activities, also. Science, through its empirical, its objective, functions is an instrument for the amplification of our natural powers. Science brings together the knower and the unknown. Humankind is the knower, the Cosmic is that to be known. But to what purpose shall we know? If it be conceded that what is known increases the scope of human power, what end, it may be asked, will such power serve? Shall it be a longer span of life of which we hear so much today? Shall it be but to increase human pleasures? What is the range of these pleasures? Are some to be evaluated as of more importance than others? Just to expand the breadth of human knowledge is not in itself sufficient. For, after all, all knowledge gradually embraced by the human mind might

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someday die with the human race. The known would then be returning to that amorphous state, the unknown, from whence it came. It is at this point that metaphysics and philosophy enter. It is their obligation in our age to justify the intellectual efforts of science. They impose upon humans the moral obligation to give back in noble achievement what we have received from the Cosmic by diverse means. It is in this realm of a greater conciliation of science, metaphysics, philosophy, and mysticism that the duty and future of the Rosicrucian Order lie.