Three specifics of the initiatory path

« … The world of esotericism and initiation is open to all wishful men …». «In order to re-cognize oneself, though, the ‘cognizant’ must be able to ‘enter’ and ‘descend’ himself and to interpret correctly what he sees. » «…in the so-called esoterical world many talk about esotericism, but how many can actually practice it? How many are keen on sacrificing themselves (the personal self) and mystically die (like the salmon) in order to give birth to a new life, that is a new status of conscience? It is talked a lot about re-awakening and rebirth, but how can we be reborn if we don’t really die? ...»

Q: «…The world of esotericism and initiation is open to all wishful men…»

A: To nurture liberal feelings is laudable. Unfortunately, though, liberality on the initiatory path is utopia. Initiation is not the evolution of a sentiment, although commendable, but the concrete realization of an inner process strongly wanted and hardly conquered.

For this reason on the initiatory path every kind of emotiveness, even the devotional one, faces obstacles that, without a proper preparation, become insurmountable.

An example of it is the lack of intellectual sensitivity, which must be found first and then educated, cultivated and developed, in order to reach the degree of intelligence symbolized by the opening of the two legs of the Compass.

Furthermore, it is necessary to reach the ‘communion’ between sensitivity and intellect, in order to synchronize with the diversity of the Ego (or soul). The ‘being’ of the latter is not interested into the limits of personality (the physical self) except in extraordinary situations, among which there is the energy of the instinct of survival, individual and of the species.

Two concepts are immediately clarified to the ‘cognizant’. First that ‘goody-goody ness’ can’t make up for the inability to reach the depth of ideas, symbols and principles. Second, no aspirant has ever turned into an initiate only because he wanted it.

The initiatory postulate can be pursued through the ways (mysteriosophical, cognitive, mystic, etc.) that respond to the different ‘psychological languages of the aspirants.

This happens up to the (real) initiation, that goes beyond the differentiation of languages, for a synthesis of knowledge called Gnosis, that means ‘the man who is guided by his spirit’.

The inner synthesis produces the illumination of the physical conscience and the psychic phenomenon called knowledge by contact. This means to be reached by thought of a higher kind (inspiration and creative ability) that flows back into the mind (psychic precipitation) through the contact (called bridge) that joins the lower self (physical personality) to the higher Ego (emanation of the soul).

The initiation, therefore, is not the development of a feeling, but a goal that can be reached only finding in ourselves the necessary energy and will to face the long process of transformation that concludes the initiatory project. This journey is at times very painful; it leads from the practical reason (physical or concrete mind) to the part of conscience that has been hidden by the shadow of unconsciousness.

In the cone of shadow of the inner unconsciousness is the subtlest part of conscience (spiritual essence) that the ‘cognizant’ must learn to re-cognize, in order to widen his own intellectual consciousness (See expansion of conscience).

The expansion of consciousness, though, must not be confused with the common ‘practice of sciolism’ which, although educated, doesn’t bring any inner improvement.

In order to accept fully this statement, the distinction between practical reason (physical mind) and higher intellect must be clear. The practical reason is a characteristic (character) of personality originated by the (imitative) learning and based on memory. On the contrary, the intellect is a faculty of the higher conscience, accompanied by intuitive intelligence and empathy.
We could say that the initiatory path is a ‘thread’ that leads from the physical reason to pure knowledge (spiritual mind), passing through the intellect.

In order to weave this thread the ‘cognizant’ is taught to ‘build’ the higher mind he doesn’t have yet. He must start by dominating (not destroying) the physical impulses that guide the natural mind of the physical personality (lower self).

Esoterical education is developed at first through the learning of symbolic ideas. Afterwards it is taught to look for the ‘direct contact’ with the major Ideas (world of causes or causal world) and with the archetypical thoughts, which are unchangeable models of creation (see monads).

In an advanced stage, the ‘cognizant’ is not taught any more to think, but to see what he thinks. He is shown how to use the instrument of visualization. In this way he learns to ‘build’ images-thoughts, tactile-thoughts, sonorous-images, color-images and taste-images.

All this precedes the contact with the first true living symbol: himself. This leads the initiate to re-cognize himself not only as an exclusive result of the physical Nature.

Q: «But in order to re-cognize himself, the ‘cognizant’ must be able to ‘enter’ and ‘descend’ himself and to interpret correctly what he sees.»

A: The correct interpretation of what you meet, see and touch in yourself is necessary, simply because the conscience (sub-conscious and super-conscious) expresses itself through ‘images’ that don’t have only a metaphorical form (a lake, a fish, a building, a light, etc.); they take on human features that are able to speak to the visitor, that is living images able to interact with the ‘cognizant’. Even if this sounds incredible to a profane, this is not only esoterical reality, but scientific as well. It started with Freud and his ‘fantasmatic enquiry’.

These are some of the conditions for the ‘traveler’ to reach initiation. If they are not accomplished nothing happens; only the aspiration becomes desire of a goal longed for. Desires turn into astral speculations (passional and emotional) from which deceit, dreams and dis-illusions originate, dimming the ‘travelers’.

Therefore in order to avoid any dis-illusion, it will be convenient to commit to develop immediately the two main aspects: will and intellect.

«…no matter if they are scientists, painters, simple workers, masons and so on….»

With the due respect to workers and scribes, the initiatory path is neither a common nor a natural path. It is aimed to those who have, or commit to have, very special gifts, necessary to the process of ‘inner transmutation’.

A master wrote: chatters don’t cook the rice.

This reminds us that thoughts and ideas transform and transform us; not chatters or good intentions.

In order to transform in something different, supposedly better, we must learn to transform the thoughts (that flow and therefore they must be geometrized) and the ideas (that are inner models).

The mind can be unable to generate new thoughts; if it is able to do so, though, we can assume that ideas give shape to the mind and not the other way round.

To support this theory, the initiates teach us that is the ‘need to see’ of the higher conscience that formed the eye and not the eye to form the sight.

Furthermore, in order to become initiates, we must leave the path of the common appearance and stop integrating with the social role interpreted in the profane life. This is necessary to follow models originated from subtle realities, which at this point I think it is superfluous to remind you. There is no point in thinking of the roof if we haven’t built the foundations of the building.

What is left is to consider two data summarized in two words: disintegration and integration. In synthesis, the work to do is to dis-integrate from the usual profane models (leaving, abandoning and refusing the image of the ‘old’ self) and try and integrate with ‘new’ models, among the most suitable to the initiatory model.

Q: «… in the so-called esoterical world, many talk about esotericism, but how many can actually practice it? How many are keen on sacrificing themselves (the personal self) and mystically die (like the salmon) in order to give birth to a new life, that is a new status of conscience? It is talked a lot about re-awakening and rebirth, but how can we be reborn if we don’t really die?...»

A: From these words it seems that the experiences with the ‘common esoterical feeling’ haven’t been elating. On the practice of ‘so much talking and nothing done’ there isn’t much to be added, except to verify a reality all but encouraging.

From the text a third aspect emerges, on which there’s a lot to be said.

It is the aspect of the emotional deformity that pollutes the affected esotericism with deformations originating by fideist, exoterical and passional beliefs.

Words like sacrifice, death and punishment don’t exist on the initiatory level; they flourish in the religious materialism, irreverent because of its pessimism. The distinction is enormous if the initiatory brilliance gets in contact with the darkness of the devotional cults.

Such a dark pessimism must not touch the postulant; even if the initiatory becoming is difficult, its horizon is joyful. It is full of good expectations, like the light of knowledge, the realization of love and impersonal ideal, because of the effusion of universal conscience and brotherhood; furthermore there is the perspective of the contact (in oneself) with the divine plan.

For all these reasons, the initiatory path (if well carried out) can’t involve sense of sacrifice, but only will to rush to the goal. Even if the mutation is long and difficult, the inner freedom that it brings fully rewards every effort.

Therefore this looks like the most profitable investment we can imagine.

It is a path of progress where there is no room for the pessimistic vision.

Besides, death is in reality the abandoning of the ‘old skin of the worm’ to be reborn as a ‘butterfly’; who can complain for not being a worm any more? Perhaps who will never be a butterfly?

The initiate cognizes, therefore he understands and knows. For this reason he becomes a conscious spirit that ‘serves with joy’ unfortunate brothers and sisters, unable to see or feel. The latter can’t understand and therefore they don’t know what they are doing; neither can they understand the fate they are creating for themselves. Even if by lending a hand to the ‘blind in the heart’ (not in the soul) we could be, or rather we certainly will be, hurt by inability and ignorance, to become a (small) guide or a (small) lighthouse is the closest thing to common wellbeing; it is not so bad to suffer because of it.

‘Looking up’ there is another common wellbeing to preserve; it is the one that goes towards the direction of the plan of the soul. It must not be disregarded and it is necessary to ‘change’ for it.

In order to ‘change’ the initiate is not afraid of dying a little every moment.

He is indeed happy about it, because he knows that he will live again the next moment under a better form.

Even if he knows that nothing of his life belongs to him any more, he knows he belongs to life forever. This is the closest thing to immortality.

«…now, I know immortality». Shouts the re-born master.

Athos A. Altomonte