Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Chapter 1 Duality-The Male-Zelator Degree
ZELATOR DEGREE
As we mature and confront reality we also deal with some lower emotional baggage. This level is thought of as the awakening of the conscience. Normally this development can take place around ten or twelve years of age. Sadly it might never take place in some cases. The development of our ego can not continue in a healthy manner until this stage is completed.This degree has two levels of thought.
In the first part of this degree we hear the voice of our conscience and either ignore it or aspire to spiritual and noble goals. We have good intentions but identify very much with our physical body and human ego. We feel we are unworthy to have the things we desire. We try doing the right things but keep falling short of our own expectations.
In religious terms we try hard not to sin but we still do. Every day we do things over and over again that will take us straight to hell and we may begin to despair. We are sinners. We are unworthy. We think evil thoughts.
Heavy feelings of guilt and unworthiness are encountered at this level of thought. A powerful force seeks to dig up our deepest subconscious psychic contents and complexes and expose them openly to us. We are brought face to face with every word we ever regretted, with every thought we were ashamed of. We feel as if we are little more than animals mindlessly reacting to physical and emotional stimulus much like science tells us. At this level we are brought face to face with the mirror of our soul. We don't care if God/dess lets us into heaven or forgives us because we can't stand ourselves, at least not for eternity.
This is a very hard time and many flee in terror at the image of themselves in the mirror. They spend the rest of their lives in misery, guilt and shame, hating themselves and dreading the day that they must die and face their final reward.
Others hear the call "repent sinner". Do not identify with your physical body. Identify instead with your immortal body that lives on after death. "He who believes shall never die." "You must be born again into a new spiritual body." You must be saved.These are the messages that we hear from others at this critical stage of ego development. Our conscience is beginning to talk to us and when we are ready to listen and follow it's council huge changes take place in our lives.
There is a mental shift in which life becomes a test and trial that is necessary to pass before we earn eternal salvation. If we the best we can every day and follow the inner voice of our conscience God/dess will forgive us for the errors that we make. Most importantly we learn to forgive ourselves. As we accept the inner voice of our conscience into our hearts and strive to follow it we grow spiritually.
In this second level we are "born again". We identify with a spiritual body or soul that is immortal. We begin getting used to the idea of living forever. Because the ego is self-centered there is a feeling of separateness from others along with the joy of being "saved". There is a sense of isolation and terrible loneliness and we want others to experience what we have. It is hard to accept thatwe are forever alone with a unique personal perspective.
Even when we try to share this perspective we can't and this realization is devastating. The things that are so important to us simply do not matter to others. Still this loneliness is the result of distorted thinking. We are never really alone because the entire universe is always a part of us and we are a vital part of it.
Our realization and experience of being "born again" causes us to weep for the loneliness and suffering of humanity. They don't understand what they are missing.At this point we must develop compassion in our hearts for others. As we share and interact with others we become less lonely.
Our sharing becomes more mental and slowly concepts gain strength and reality over our lives. We live through conscious intent instead of passing fancy. As this happens the emotions lose their control over our lives. We gain control over them to the point where they are repressed and almost non existent. As this happens we depend more and more upon reason and logic. This is a very painful period because we are also mourning the coming death of the emotions. Life is no longer as fun as it once was. We have lost our "inner child".
As we mature and confront reality we also deal with some lower emotional baggage. This level is thought of as the awakening of the conscience. Normally this development can take place around ten or twelve years of age. Sadly it might never take place in some cases. The development of our ego can not continue in a healthy manner until this stage is completed.This degree has two levels of thought.
In the first part of this degree we hear the voice of our conscience and either ignore it or aspire to spiritual and noble goals. We have good intentions but identify very much with our physical body and human ego. We feel we are unworthy to have the things we desire. We try doing the right things but keep falling short of our own expectations.
In religious terms we try hard not to sin but we still do. Every day we do things over and over again that will take us straight to hell and we may begin to despair. We are sinners. We are unworthy. We think evil thoughts.
Heavy feelings of guilt and unworthiness are encountered at this level of thought. A powerful force seeks to dig up our deepest subconscious psychic contents and complexes and expose them openly to us. We are brought face to face with every word we ever regretted, with every thought we were ashamed of. We feel as if we are little more than animals mindlessly reacting to physical and emotional stimulus much like science tells us. At this level we are brought face to face with the mirror of our soul. We don't care if God/dess lets us into heaven or forgives us because we can't stand ourselves, at least not for eternity.
This is a very hard time and many flee in terror at the image of themselves in the mirror. They spend the rest of their lives in misery, guilt and shame, hating themselves and dreading the day that they must die and face their final reward.
Others hear the call "repent sinner". Do not identify with your physical body. Identify instead with your immortal body that lives on after death. "He who believes shall never die." "You must be born again into a new spiritual body." You must be saved.These are the messages that we hear from others at this critical stage of ego development. Our conscience is beginning to talk to us and when we are ready to listen and follow it's council huge changes take place in our lives.
There is a mental shift in which life becomes a test and trial that is necessary to pass before we earn eternal salvation. If we the best we can every day and follow the inner voice of our conscience God/dess will forgive us for the errors that we make. Most importantly we learn to forgive ourselves. As we accept the inner voice of our conscience into our hearts and strive to follow it we grow spiritually.
In this second level we are "born again". We identify with a spiritual body or soul that is immortal. We begin getting used to the idea of living forever. Because the ego is self-centered there is a feeling of separateness from others along with the joy of being "saved". There is a sense of isolation and terrible loneliness and we want others to experience what we have. It is hard to accept thatwe are forever alone with a unique personal perspective.
Even when we try to share this perspective we can't and this realization is devastating. The things that are so important to us simply do not matter to others. Still this loneliness is the result of distorted thinking. We are never really alone because the entire universe is always a part of us and we are a vital part of it.
Our realization and experience of being "born again" causes us to weep for the loneliness and suffering of humanity. They don't understand what they are missing.At this point we must develop compassion in our hearts for others. As we share and interact with others we become less lonely.
Our sharing becomes more mental and slowly concepts gain strength and reality over our lives. We live through conscious intent instead of passing fancy. As this happens the emotions lose their control over our lives. We gain control over them to the point where they are repressed and almost non existent. As this happens we depend more and more upon reason and logic. This is a very painful period because we are also mourning the coming death of the emotions. Life is no longer as fun as it once was. We have lost our "inner child".
# posted by banjo @ 5:11 PM 
