« it seemed to me that about many subjects (recent letter on “breaking tradition”, Reiki and Douglas Beker) you expressed quite critical observations, certainly based on personal experiences, that could have hurt people believing in that kind of things, or people who, legitimately, are following alternative (even though leading to the same goal) paths. »

Dear Francesco,

by reporting events for experience I couldn’t hurt anyone apart the case in which another one would impose his faith on me. As for “alternative” paths, I don’t know which ones you are referring to. But unfortunately in past times I’ve been hurt a lot of times by too many “personality worships” to be not immunized against every “boasted exoterism” virus, even the most sophisticated ones.

Boasted exoterism is a huge and bristling “human habitat” where I reached an experience to add to that of hundreds of other researchers with whom I’m in contact through a “certain kind” of Chain. This Chain can’t belong to any exoteric institution that will consider itself distinct and separate from the others.
From experience and from knowing, even in a partial way, I have put myself in a quite clear picture about what happens in the sphere of initiation, in Italy as well as abroad. By screening the evolution of the opinion inducements that are trying to assert an identity of their own (?), I express thoughts derived from direct confrontation with any kind of experience. Therefore I don’t speak in “faith” or for emotional push or hope, but I keep close to what is believable because really possible.

Of course years of contacts and tests anywhere make us become more realistic than uncritical persons. But the experience of many other oriental and occidental Brothers allows me to get to the point in every occasion, both in the east and in the west. And when I see people “toying” with terms and pettily debating on their meanings, when they waste their time or, worse, when they sweep money, then I’m on alert, listen, reflect and compare.
And if comparison is doubtful, even discussion comes to be more careful, as long as a speaker doesn’t prove the truth of his statements.
And if this isn’t proved, as it often occurs, it only remains not to trust him or any similar “prototype”.

But before distrusting an interlocutor or a prototype, it is possible to apply a praxis that is ruled and codified with canons. These are appointed to check if any supposed initiatory “acknowledgement” exists. If this acknowledgement is not immediate, we can go on and verify any proved relationship between the proponent and a real initiatory Institution. A follower’s “conformity” depends on the “Conformity” of his initiatory descent. And descent rightness depends on the tradition it’s related to.
Anyway, who will ever accept for his sons a teacher he knows nothing about? Who will ever accept to be operated on by a “do it yourself” surgeon? And if education and therapy are not to be invented, why anybody should invent his own initiatory path? Even tour operators don’t recommend do-it-yourself travelling, certainly we won’t do the same for an inner spiritual travel!
People usually appeal to freedom of research. That’s correct, but where every element is invisible and unknowable, walking in the dark, even if we don’t fall down, is permitted but often useless. More than other people, the exoteric researcher must be moved by some practical, and above all realistic, spirit. That’s because what is really important it’s not talking about this or that, but clearly reaching one’s own goal. We’re not able to see this goal until the end, and in any case we are not allowed to imagine it. As a matter of fact, who gives way to the temptation to imagine what he doesn’t know, then he surrenders to illusion, and Maya is a “negative god” always waiting for a weak to grab at.

That’s why we need both experienced watchmen, being always on the alert to preserve their Brothers’ and Sisters’ safety, and guides showing them that initiatory tradition is the only reality a true applicant can refer to. In fact, it’s impossible to keep any form of “initiatory transmission” without a link between an Initiate and the tradition that made him like that.
Without any “initiatory transmission” the energetic stream among the eggregore (one of the possible thought forms), the Initiate and the Postulant doesn’t take place. More, without any evocation of energetic stream, there’s not even any ritual “realization”, then we have just a useless sound of pretty words. Flatus vocis, as the Templar Rule founder used to say.
The causes of such different interpretations of the only Model of initiatory System are evident, because mental diversity is one of the human individual features.

What we said a lot of times will not slip our readers’ attention: there is no system better than another one, because every diversity arises from our habit to stay “grabbed” to our own natural and psychological language, often believed by many people to be unique and the best possible.
Different languages ended up by misunderstanding the original form of all kind of principles, making them appear always different or even totally opposed, according to their style and appearance. Every interpretation is just a branch of the same tree. By standing on one of them we can lose sight of the whole tree. The branch is a symbol of individualism and private nature; then only the whole tree can be taken to be a symbol of itself and of the nature it shows and represents. That’s why every follower turns to east and west during his education, avoiding any useless branch.
We call them useless because the idea of the “relative” draws our attention far from the sense of the “whole” and it could be useful just to satisfy uncertain and temporary curiosities.

They teach us that we have to drop our own habits and aim to Self-synthesis in order to rise from our separate and personal nature. There’s some truth in this teaching. The Self is transpersonal, and it reflects many supermundane principles. Each of them can become a personal model. If, paradoxically, we take an impersonal model for instance, the follower’s personality will become impersonal too. And this is an important goal in our “liberation” from material chains.
Finally we can conclude that it isn’t the model that should demean itself to the Postulant’s level, but it’s the Postulant that must rise and reach the initiatory model. There’s nothing “humble” in this. It’s just a “practical” concept.

The initiatory Path is clear because it comes from soul and rises back to it, whether it moves a feminine or masculine body.
It’s an inner elevation path that no applicant, disciple or candidate could be asked to humble in, because this path is a part of his spiritual nature.
Humiliation isn’t clear because the Sons of Light recognize the truth with no need to bow and adore it.
Bowing is a symptom of a wet and passive path. It’s an emotional feeling belonging to devotional natures, neither useful nor necessary to reach initiatory goals.

On the contrary, it can be useful to practice its models: intellectual, then abstract and finally spiritual. Then following the Path means to practice initiatory principles, while it doesn’t mean to adore them, get them alive in themselves or let them replace any personal “choice”. If someone wants to walk out of the path, that will not be a problem. But it’s free choice, not Free Will. Then in this case, please don’t look for fictitious alibis to hide personal pushes. The clear path is a common way that is not open to any form of individualism.

Anyway, the individualist can follow his own road. He has the right to grope or go on alone, but diverting other people is a different matter.

Turning other people out of their certain path is with no doubt a great karmic fault, so before “filling space with the sound of our words” or “engrave them on paper” (like oriental Brothers use to say) we must be sure of - costs and proceeds – of every action able to affect someone else’s destiny (dharma).

This is the initiatory “responsibility“ each of us assumes every time he addresses anyone else to a different branch of his path.
How many of them are really aware of it? But every fault remains, even if it isn’t intended to hurt, and its lasting scar remains, too. Then you’ll agree with me that it’s no more matter of dogmatism or respect, but everything has to be reconsidered on a responsibility level. From a positive side, responsibility is extremely important. On the other hand it could have very serious consequences, both for who leads and who is led to do wrong. I keep thinking what they taught me: in case of doubt better not to say.

Many thanks for your kindness, it’s the same for me.

With love
Esonet Editorial Staff