Welcome everybody! We have arrived at the seventeenth lecture, the final one of this course on the Sufi Principles of Meditation.
We have covered many exercises, many practices, so that we train and stabilize our consciousness. We have learned to withdraw our perception from distractions, and we also learned how to awaken the consciousness so that it can perceive without filters, without obscurations, so that it can understand what it sees. While we have spoken about spiritual insight and comprehending our experiences, we are now going to go a little bit deeper. We have to understand what consciousness is. Where does it come from? What is its ultimate root? What is the synthesis of a human being? In our studies we speak a lot about the Being, our Innermost. Some have called it spirit. Some have called it God, in accordance with the language, the culture, the scriptures, the customs of a given people, the idiosyncrasies of a given messenger. But what is the Being? What are its qualities? How do we recognize its states? More importantly, how do we subsist within it? Many people have approached spirituality from having some type of mystical or spiritual experience. They call it an awakening, but the reality is that such a state has often appeared or emerged seemingly by accident, and the beginning aspirant does not yet know how to activate that quality of being at will. God, divinity, reality, we can say, is our primordial root, fundamental nature, but what is and what are the qualities of divinity? Sufism explains this very beautifully. Perhaps the poet Rumi, the most notable Sufi initiate from both east and west, in terms of popularity, had characterized the nature of divinity very simply and very profoundly. That nature is love. That quality is bliss, is ecstasy, is conscious love and compassion, infinite joy. Some people argue that the real nature of a person is anger, pride, hatred, vanity, lust, but this is mistaken. When you really sift through and remove that which is extemporaneous, superficial, artificial, acquired, learned within a person, when you peel away the layers of conditioning, of misapprehensions, of half-truths, of assumptions and beliefs, ideas, religious values, culture, name, language, heritage, etc., you arrive at love. Love is truly a principle that escapes definition and even words, and yet it is the fundamental impulse that permeates everything, and which drives our actions, spiritually speaking, within its most obscure, mysterious currents. As I said, some people think our true nature is hatred, anger, or violence, because these are qualities that are very prevalent in humanity, and yet the question becomes: what do we value most? Is it coercion? Is it manipulation? Deceiving our neighbor? Lying to our family and friends, betraying our loved ones? The truth is that although a person can torture us, afflict us with great pain, they cannot compel us within our very being. There is a resistance in relation to qualities and states like pride, anger, violence, oppression. Persuasion, from conscious love for others, is a truly dynamic force. It motivates people to be inspired, to change, to be a part of communities, to want to listen to others, where its opposite, which is coercion―a type of violence upon the mind and body of others―produces a type of agitation, friction, conflict. Therefore, love is a truly penetrative and motivating force. It is the reason why there are communities, groups, schools, teachings. It is the reason why human beings commune and share and break bread. It is the reason why we have these teachings for how to change, how to overcome suffering, and how to become truly divine, to really strip away all that is wrong, illusory, false, and superficial, so that we can go into the depths of our own innate, true nature. Love is the fundamental reality of divinity, and yet people do not understand what it is, and more importantly how to develop it even further, with intentionality, with conscientiousness, with dedication. So, this quality of being―we have to make a very clear distinction―does not have an individual self. There is no “I,” no “me,” no “myself” within the Being, within the divine. This confuses people because we grasp at a sense of self, an identity, in accordance with our external customs, our name, language, culture, appearance. We say, “This is me. This is who I am. This is what I am,” and yet none of that exists within divinity. What we have are desires, cravings and attachments, impulses, نَفْس nafs according to the Sufi initiates, egos according to the Gnostic initiate Samael Aun Weor. Our desires are precisely that which keep us encaged, trapped, not seeing reality, not seeing what is there in front of us. If you have been following the sequence of exercises in this course, you would have begun to see with direct experience that the more you observe as a consciousness your psychology, the more you begin to understand that the consciousness, the Essence, the soul, does not have a sense of “I” or self there, but it is a distinct quality. It is perception, apprehension of reality, but without labels, without any type of projection or naming what is being seen, what is being experienced with our psychological senses. It is a state of selflessness, and when there is no self, when there is only the consciousness present, the Being can act within. It is those moments of pristine clarity, in which we are not identified with a self, whereby we are filled with the abundance, the plenitude of the Being, the presence of being here and now―not projecting our thoughts into the future or fearing the past. We are simply being here and awake, alert, as if we are watching a rain pouring upon a cobblestone street, in which we do not have to label what we are seeing, but are filled with that yearning and astonishment of the new. That state is selfless, and where there is no self, there is the plenitude of God. The Being is love, but the Being has no desire or self. Often, people read the poetry of the Sufis and can be confused by this because the Sufis speak of God’s desire for the soul and the soul’s desire for God. In Arabic you have مراد Murad, “the desired,” which is the Being or الله Allah, while مريد Murid, “the one who desires,” is the consciousness. The soul desires God, and God desires the soul. We are a little bit more specific in our language. This desire the Sufis speak of is yearning, longing, aspiration, intimate inquietudes within the heart. So, we use the term a little bit differently, as desire is an ego, because that is typically what constitutes our psychology: an attached sense of self or identification with external factors. Heaven is a state of being. It is a quality of consciousness in which there is no “I,” in which we are empty. There is a saying within Gnosis: God searches the nothingness in order to fill it. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message
But likewise, when our mind is filled and conditioned with multiple conflicting factors, divisions, contradictions, fragmentations, we suffer, and God cannot enter there. Divinity cannot subsist or be within us when our consciousness is shattered, and in this way we cut ourselves on the broken mirror of our soul. We do not reflect a perfect image of the peace, serenity, and beatitude of the divine.
Hell is our own mind. It is our defects, our نَفْس nafs, our psychological aggregates, and as long as we are attached to a sense of self, we are not perceiving heaven. Wherever the delusion of your selfhood appears―there’s hell. Wherever “you” aren’t―that’s heaven. ―Abū Sa’īd
The ego must not be present. It must be absent to the self so that we can experience divinity, which is selflessness, which is pure love. If you do not believe me that love is selfless, look at the life of Jesus. Look at the prophets, the great masters and luminaries of humanity who taught through their example how to serve others and to not expect a reward.
We state that love is the goal of our studies. However, it cannot blossom in us naturally, spontaneously, unsolicited, when our heart is not cultivated, when it is filled with weeds. Therefore, we have to simplify our psychology. We have to become simple. It does not mean that we have to become stupid. It means that we remove the complexities and the confusions and paradoxes of our nature, our egotistical, selfish nature. Right now, our mind is really complex. If you sit to meditate and you examine yourself, you will see that the mind is all over the place. Hopefully, it is not by now if you have been practicing these exercises, but when you meditate, you begin to perceive this in the beginning. Meditation reduces, it strips away, it removes everything about us that is illusory, unnecessary as Rumi taught: Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. ―Rumi
So, the soul has been referred to as a mirror by many Sufi initiates, including Ibn ‘Arabi, who is Sheikh al-Akbar, “the greatest of Sufi Masters.” He wrote in a book called Kitab al-Ahadiyyah (Treatise on the One Alone) that only divinity can know Himself and that the soul is a mirror. It can reflect a perfect image, or it can be distorted. Unfortunately for us, our mirror, our consciousness, is polluted. It is contaminated. It is rusted with afflictions. We do not see what is really inside, our true nature, which is divine. We do not perceive divinity because we have obscured, have dirtied the mirror, which can truly reflect qualities like love in a unfiltered, unobstructed, unhindered way, because when we grasp at a self, we do not see reality. We do not see the truth.
Our sense of self is dependent upon many extemporaneous influences: the impressions of life which enter our psychology, such as a cup of coffee. Therefore, our defects emerge. They seek gratification of the senses through those impressions, from any type of food or drink. We may have gluttony or the food of lust, which is to look at sexual images and feed desire, degeneration. We have the food of pride, which are the sensations or impressions of being praised. We have anger, which is frustrated desire, which is an aversion to the impressions of life which it cannot control, and therefore it protests. The same dynamic applies to all our egos. Our sense of self craves its nourishment, its food: the impressions of life which enter the senses in our psychology and produce reactions, and because we are identified, we do not perceive this interchange or exchange of different selves. We are never the same in any given moment. We are conflicted. We are all over the place, as we mentioned many times in this course. Therefore, we have to annihilate the complications. We have to simplify ourselves, integrate the soul that is trapped―free it, liberate it. Stop feeding defects. Stop giving it food, and in this way, you tame the beast. Annihilation of the ego is the foundation and basis of religion. However, everybody avoids it. Nobody wants to polish the mirror and look at their own face, which is why Rumi taught: How can you become polished if you resist every rub? ―Rumi
These are different circumstances and ordeals in life. These are situations that produce a lot of friction in our life, in which we begin to perceive all the multiplicity of errors we carry within, all our faults. We need those challenges so that we can change, so that we can have real knowledge, γνῶσις gnosis or معرفة Ma’rifah of the truth in Arabic. You cannot give testimony of divine unity when you do not possess psychological unity, without integrating the soul, without performing an alchemy with the consciousness.
We have to take all of those conditioned selves and remove them: free the essence that is trapped, the soul. Take those multiplicity of desires and make them one. In the words of Rumi: I once had a thousand desires, but in my one desire to know you all else melted away. ―Rumi
This is transmutation in a psychological sense. It is a form of alchemy. We transform the density of our conditioning into the purity and light of divine perception.
So in this lecture, we are going to talk about a really essential point, that to know divinity we need expedient methods. We also need to understand selflessness, the emptiness of phenomena, that nothing is really intrinsically existing in of itself, but that everything depends on other factors, for everything is transient, in transit. It is changing. As we begin to understand the interdependent nature between all phenomena and understand our own attachments and desires, we begin to perceive that our sense of self really does not have true basis, that divinity, the plenitude of the Being, is compassion, is love born from this understanding, this perception, this wisdom. 
Conventional and Ultimate Views
We will also study the Tree of Life, the kabbalah, very deeply, because it is a map of love, of consciousness, of Being, in order to tie these principles together, so that we can subsist, to return to our innermost divinity.
The Tree of Life is a map of the self from the most dense and conditioned below to the most subtle, pure, rarified, and beautified above. The higher you ascend this glyph―which is not a map of vertical space, but of internal states―the more selfless and happy we become. The further we descend towards the shadow beneath the Tree of Life, beneath מלכות Malkuth, the physical body, the physical world, the greater one’s suffering and attachment to self. This is the Tree of Life within the Book of Genesis, within the Abrahamic traditions. Beneath the Tree of Life we find the hell realms, the inverted סְפִירוֹת sephiroth or spheres of consciousness, which are trapped in conditions, egos, selves, نَفْس nafs. The Qur’an refers to this as the tree of زقوم Zaqqum, which in Arabia is an actual tree whose leaves are really bitter to taste. Therefore it is a symbol of inferior states of consciousness that are acquired and experienced by those who fail. We can refer to these spheres as dimensions, as aspects of consciousness. These are also places in nature to which we gravitate based upon our quality of being. If you remember the lecture on Stations of this course, we talked a lot about these spheres, these סְפִירוֹת sephiroth. In Hebrew, the term סְפִירוֹת sephiroth means “emanations.” These are states and qualities of being that emanate from the divine, from the Absolute, الله Allah, which in Arabic is the Nothing, the No. It means “the God” literally, but if you look at the syllable لا la in Arabic, it means “No,” negation. This is a term used for the abstract absolute space, which is the womb of cosmic potentiality, of being that is not yet realized. It is selflessness. It is pure, divine, supra-divine happiness without conditions, without self, and yet it is the true, legitimate, fundamental nature of reality, when you go to the very heart and core of any phenomena. The Absolute is known in Hebrew as אין Ain, אין סוף Ain Soph, אין סוף אור Ain Soph Aur, the Nothing, the Limitless, and the Limitless Light. From that nothingness, that cosmic space, emerges a profound, beautiful light, which is the sephirah כֶּתֶר Kether in Hebrew. That sephirah means “crown.” It is the supreme light of divinity that emerges from an eternal seity, the space. That light is pure consciousness within the material universe. Now, while I am using some Hebrew terms, the Sufis and the Muslim initiates referred to different qualities of being, these different סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, by Arabic names, because kabbalah as a map and science of being is within all religions. It is mapped out within Judaism, Jewish mysticism, Jewish spirituality, in a very deep way, and we can use this tool and glyph to help us understand what all religions are talking about in their fundamental synthesis. Now the light of the divine is known as الْحَقُّ Al-Haqq: The Truth: כֶּתֶר Kether, the crown, the supremacy of divinity, a profound, abstract, rarefied, pure being that is known in manifestation. That light, because it wants to create, expresses in multiple ways, and therefore that light emanates out and becomes חָכְמָה Chokmah, which is Hebrew for “wisdom.” In the Qur’an there are many references to ٱلْرَّحْمَـٰنُ Ar-Rahman: the Compassionate. Every Surah of the Qur’an except for Surah 9 begins: 
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
חָכְמָה Chokmah is the wisdom, the penetrative insight of divine consciousness. It is very elevated. It is a perception in which one or one’s experience is within all beings and there is not an individual self, but all beings are one within this state.
That light also wants to create something and therefore it expresses as الخالق Al-Khaliq: the Creator, which in Hebrew is בִּינָה Binah: Intelligence, that force of intelligent expression that knows how to manifest universes, to create them with understanding. These three principles כֶּתֶר Kether, חָכְמָה Chokmah, בִּינָה Binah, the crown, the wisdom, and the intelligence of God, constitute one light that expresses in three ways. In terms of relating to previous religions such as Christianity, this glyph or principle of forces can be known as Father, Son, Holy Spirit. In Islam, they reject the Trinity as stated in the Qur’an. That is because the Christians had degenerated their tradition and have confused the Trinity as three people, anthropomorphizing God, and that is impossible and wrong. Instead, these are one force that expresses as three so that all the worlds and universes can be sustained, created, harmonized, equilibrated, manifested. الخالق Al-Khaliq: the Creator, is the force of בִּינָה Binah, and there are many names of God in Arabic, but these names that we are using in this glyph are some of the most obvious that can apply to the Tree of Life, because each sephirah has a sacred name of divinity within Judaism, within mystical kabbalah, but we can also apply the Arabic kabbalah as well. The Arabic, divine names represent the same principles, the same truths. These three principles are very divine, and most people know nothing of them from experience. Instead, we are down below in מלכות Malkuth, the physical body, and as we have learned the practices of meditation, we have discovered what the lower four סְפִירוֹת sephiroth are, especially the fifth from the bottom up. In meditation, we learn to take our physical body מלכות Malkuth―which is the “kingdom” that contains all the forces from above―to willingly relax that body. Adopt a posture, relax, and introspect. We learn to work with energy, יְסוֹד Yesod, the foundation of our spiritual discipline. That is through exercises like mantra, pranayama, prayer, runes, sacred rights of rejuvenation, sexual alchemy. We are learning to transform the subtle currents of our body so that we can gain control of our heart, which is הוד Hod, Hebrew for “splendor,” the splendor of the compassionate heart. We likewise put our mind in a state of suspension, relaxation and calm, נצח Netzach, and by doing so we obtain victory. The way that we do this is by willpower, תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth: the human consciousness, human willpower, because our human will, the beauty of the soul, has to learn to control thoughts, feelings, sensations, and energy. By doing so we begin to learn to activate the consciousness with intuition, with wisdom, which is גְּבוּרָה Geburah: Justice in Hebrew, the religion and conscience of the soul, so that in dedication and practice we can begin to experience our own inner spirit חֶסֶד Chesed: Mercy in kabbalah. In Arabic the name of God for חֶסֶד Chesed in kabbalah is ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ Ar-Rahim: the Merciful, our innermost spirit, روح Ruh in Arabic, or רוּחַ Ruach in Hebrew. Notice that the further you ascend up this graphic in terms of conscious experience, we begin to become less selfish. Obviously, below we are identified with our own mind, emotions, instincts, and our physicality, and with willpower―which is much more subtle, refined, directed with will under the conscience, our divine soul―we can begin to access the spiritual realm, our spirituality, and perhaps even much higher than that. These are degradations and levels of nature. The forces of divinity express themselves within the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth. 
We have included some of some of the Arabic names as well. The physical body is the most manifest aspect of who we are. ٱلْظَّاهِرُ Az-Zahir: the Manifest, is a sacred name of الله Allah, divinity. In Hebrew it is אדוני הארץ Adonai Ha’aretz, Lord of the Earth, because our physical body must become sacred.
We do so by learning to contain the sexual creative potency of יְסוֹד Yesod. We do that through ٱلْوَدُودُ Al-Wadud: the Lover (the Loving). It is really interesting that in Arabic, the name ٱلْوَدُودُ Al-Wadud, is spelled و Waw د Dal و Waw د Dal, which its equivalence in Hebrew is ו Vav, ד Daleth, ו Vav, ד Daleth―two spinal columns from two dervishes, man and woman, male and female, Adam and Eve. Together they work by taming the creative energies within a marriage in order to establish their religion, to glorify divinity, ٱلْمَجِيدُ Al-Majid: the All Glorious, within the heart, to conquer the mind through ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ Al-Qahhar: the Conqueror, in order to become an initiate, ٱلْمَـالِكُ Al-Malik: the King, in תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth, the fifth initiation of Major Mysteries as we have explained in the lecture on Stations. We have to, of course, follow our conscience, ٱلْحَكَمُ Al-Hakam: the Judge, גְּבוּרָה Geburah. Another term for גְּבוּרָה Geburah is دين Din, which means “judgment” and “religion.” Our real religion and spirituality is based on how we judge our own defects, our own errors, in balance with the mercy and blessings of divinity, ٱلْرَّحِيْمُ Ar-Rahim. There are many names of God in Arabic. They apply in many ways in the Tree of Life. This is just one way of approaching it. It is really inexhaustible how profound these principles are, but this is the map. This is who we are in our full constitution, in our multidimensionality and being. If you have noticed from the Absolute, אין Ain, אין סוף Ain Soph, אין סוף אור Ain Soph Aur, emerges the Tree of Life, the universe, which is manifested reality and which emerges from unmanifested potentiality, الله Allah, the Nothing. It is interesting that in Islam, it is against the tradition to anthropomorphize divinity. There are no statues promulgated in that tradition, of divinity, because you can not anthropomorphize space. You can not characterize it through a statue. In reality, الله Allah, the Nothing, the Nothingness, the true Being, is only represented within Arabic calligraphy, which is a very beautiful and rich tradition that developed in the Muslim faith as a result of this distinction. From that nothingness emerges light and that light condenses in levels of matter, perception, and consciousness. We are in מלכות Malkuth, and we are learning to enter into states of meditation so that we can access reality, which is more accessible and real the further up this diagram you ascend―again, not in vertical space, but in states and levels of being. There are more elevated states of being and there are more inferior states of being based upon our actions. The Sufis refer to the experience of the divine, which is basically גְּבוּרָה Geburah, חֶסֶד Chesed, בִּינָה Binah, חָכְמָה Chokmah, כֶּתֶר Kether, and beyond, as witnessing, to witness the truth, to experience it, to know it. They call this contemplation, مشاهدة mushahada. When we really are in the outskirts of entering into this knowledge, we are in מלכות Malkuth listening to this lecture, hopefully with a calm body, a receptive heart, and an open mind, and with willpower, and full attention, so that we can comprehend with judgment, real understanding, the reality of what is being taught, and therefore to extract its spiritual nature. All of these phenomena are manifested. They are what can be experienced in the universe, but the heights of divine experience are not within this universe, really, at the heights of this tree, this trinity, of this Logoic Triangle: כֶּתֶר Kether, חָכְמָה Chokmah, בִּינָה Binah, the light of divine continuity and consciousness. As we meditate, we begin to gain glimpses of these realms. We can have access to them when we go to sleep. The body is at rest and the soul travels within the internal worlds, which are these different סְפִירוֹת sephiroth. If we are working seriously, we can access much higher states than we can normally perceive had we not practiced. These are the stations of the Sufi path, the degrees of development and initiation. There are a couple verses from the Sufis. Ibn Karbalā’ī stated something interesting relating this dynamic: manifested reality and ultimate reality. If you studied Buddhism, you will be familiar with how there is conventional and ultimate views. In the conventional sense, we know that we have a physical body. We have energy. We have emotions. We have mind and in a more subtle degree, we have will, to act. To experience the real nature of our inner spirit, our divine consciousness requires abandonment of self, attachments, our terrestrial identity, this conventional sense of “who I am,” “what I think,” “what I feel, my likes, dislikes, attachments, my cravings, my aversions, my ignorance,” etc. Ultimate view is when there is no “self” obstructing it, in which you perceive directly, from an unobstructed height in a spiritual sense, which is why the Sufis stated the following: When the seeker realizes the station of contemplation (mushāhida), which is witnessing God’s Essence comprehending and encompassing all phenomena (which is really all of the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth that emanate from that divine source, and as we experience the selfless nature of emptiness, the Being, Allah, we perceive that divinity has knowledge of all things, perceives all things, experiences all)―“Does not your Lord suffice, since He is witness over all things” (41:53)―he continually witnesses lights from the mundus invisibilis. From such a mystic’s perspective, this world and the hereafter are one and the same. This can only be realized by a vision that is all heart and spirit, not a view bound by mere mud and mire. ―Ibn Karbalā’ī, Rawdāt al-janān, II 164
These סְפִירוֹת sephiroth can emerge within our consciousness and can visit these different dimensions through perceptions, through experiences in meditation: the invisible world, the mundus invisibilis. It is from that direct witnessing of higher states in which, as a mystic, we perceive that this world and the hereafter are one and the same. In truth מלכות Malkuth, the physical body, the kingdom, the physical world, is merely the expression of internal principles and actions. Our physical body obeys its energies, יְסוֹד Yesod, how we react with our emotions, and how we think. However, we are clouded by these lower סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, these lower spheres of being, and in truth, we have to clarify our perception, so that we perceive with the spirit ٱلْرَّحْمَـٰنُ Ar-Rahman, the omniscient, objective, and real, the heart, which in this sense, we can say, it is ٱلْحَكَمُ Al-Hakam: the Judge, our divine soul, and not by mud and mire: egotism, selfishness, attachments. Reality is experienced when the mind is receptive, and the consciousness is active―not the other way around.
The Requirements of Gnosis
What does it mean to worship divinity? What does this worship involve? From an esoteric Gnostic, Sufi perspective, there is a saying in the Qur’an:
Worship God, and ascribe not partners unto Him. ―Al-Nisa 36
Unfortunately, in our times we have a lot of theories, a lot of terminology, a lot of labels for spiritual states in accordance with different theological structures and theories, ideas, and assumptions. We have many beliefs about religion. We have many ideas about spirit, and the truth is that if you ask many people what spirit is, what God is, they all have different definitions. Therefore, that indicates that they are wrong, because they are not agreeing on reality. They all have different opinions of what reality is. That is because they do not see it. They do not experience it. They do not know it. Instead, what we have are lineages based upon ascription, ascribing ideas unto divinity. We can think what we want. We can believe what we want. We can theorize, assume, and worship in accordance with our concepts, ideas, and convictions. We can ascribe to divinity many of our own ideas, and, again, assumptions, but in truth it must be experienced. This is the demarcation between Gnosticism and many exoteric traditions.
The Sufis and the Muslims have a very interesting term between this dynamic of projecting concepts onto divinity, ascribing partners unto divinity, holding equal certain things with divinity and that has to do with projecting our ideas. They call it شرك shirk. They call it idolatry. They call it polytheism, worshipping many gods, but how is this so? When we value our concepts over reality, we are idolaters. We are mistaking our desires and assumptions for what is actually there. We are not experiencing what is there. We can say that any concept and belief that we ascribe to with our conviction at heart, which is not based in direct perception of the truth, constitutes شرك shirk, polytheism. So, what is genuine worship? It means to practice without a self, without an identity, without labeling, but allowing the mind and heart to be in a tranquil state so that we can perceive clearly the Tree of Life, divinity. Tranquility allows us to have inner exploration of our psychological and spiritual unity. It might seem odd that we are relating conceptual beliefs and ideas with شرك shirk, with polytheism, idolatry. It is because we have many ideas that are all over the place, conflicting, paradoxical, unsubstantiated. We have many multiple ideas and assumptions, but are they really rooted in facts? If it is a fact of life and experience, we do not need have any beliefs about it, because we know. So, we need to integrate the consciousness. We do so through a state of tranquility, serenity, repose. There is a couple of statements from Al-Qushayri from the Principles of Sufism, which relate what is necessary in order to really worship divinity, to have knowledge (γνῶσις gnosis in Greek, معرفة Ma’rifah in Arabic) of one’s inner Lord, one’s inner divinity, which requires we abandon our ideas, our most cherished convictions, and theories. In general, it is to the measure of one’s alienation from one’s own ego that one attains direct knowledge of one’s Lord… I heard Abu Ali al-Daqqaq say, “One of the tokens of the gnosis of God is the achievement of deep awe and reverence for God. If someone’s realization increases, his awe increases.” And I heard him say, “Gnosis requires stillness of heart, just as learning requires outward quiet. If someone’s gnosis increases, his tranquility increases.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
We have to be alienated from the ego to really treat our defects, our pride, our vanity, our hatred as our worst enemy, to let it go, to not invest so much energy into this self, because once you abandon the self, you really perceive the majesty of the Being and have reverence, deep awe, and respect for your inner God, because you know divinity is always present with you. It is stated many times in the Qur’an:
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to you than your jugular vein. ―Qur’an 50:16
The more we realize divinity, the more respect, awe, joy, inspiration, and happiness we experience. It increases, but this is based upon meditative practice requiring stillness of heart, in the same manner that learning requires outward quiet, and the more realization one acquires, the more peace and certainty one has.
The Definition of Love and Will
This is based upon an understanding of love and will. In synthesis, the Sufis taught about alchemy, الله Allah-χυμεία kimia from the Arabic and the Greek, which means “to fuse or cast a metal,” χυμεία kimia, with الله Allah: to fuse oneself with divinity. We do so by making a profound distinction between love and desire.
In synthesis, we can say selfish actions produce sorrow, whereas selfless actions produce happiness, because they emerge from love, which is not concerned with oneself, but the other. Conscious will is the soul’s capacity to focus attention upon an object and to perform deeds of love, compassion for others, even for one’s enemy. Samael Aun Weor referred to this as Christ’s Will, (he even wrote a book with that title), which is the perfect, heavenly expression of superior action, to really sacrifice oneself for others, to respond selflessly to any situation―not for our own benefit, but for the blessings of others, the benediction, the sacrifice for others. Desire is selfish will. It is the opposite of the consciousness, because the former is a mechanical reaction to life while the latter is a deliberate, intelligent response. The Sufis corroborate this point that our common, ordinary, selfish will has to be overcome. Al-Qushayri states the following: In scholarly usage, love, mahabbah, means will, iradah, but the Sufis do not mean will when they speak of love. For human will does not connect to the Eternal―unless one understands it as the will to draw close to Him and glorify Him. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Genuine love is pure, and of course in Gnostic studies we have emphasized many times that pure love is chastity. Chastity is not the mere restraint of sexual energy, but refers to restraint and purity of the mind and heart as well, in which we do not act out of lust, ambition, adultery, pride, selfishness, vanity, extortion, etc. Selfish will is desire. We have to transmute our desires, our defects into love, from selfishness to selflessness.
Some say that hubb, love, is a name for purity of affection, because the Bedouins when speaking of the pure whiteness and regularity of someone’s teeth use the expression habab al-asnan. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
There are many sexual alchemical symbols in this paragraph. The mouth is always a symbol of secret knowledge, because דעת Daath in Hebrew, معرفة Ma’rifah in Arabic, γνῶσις gnosis in Greek, was once only given by mouth to ear. It was never written down explicitly because the science of alchemy or the perfect matrimony is extremely powerful and transformative. If you want to understand that principle, you can study the lecture given recently called the Gnostic Mysteries of Chastity.
This science or the transformation of the soul is how we purify and utilize our energies in order to expand our consciousness. We also find a lot of symbols relating to water here, which is a representation of the sexual energy that cleanses the mind and flows abundantly within those who know how to circulate it with intelligence, with understanding. The quote continues: Others say that since hubab is a word for the excess water that results from a heavy rain, mahabbah came to mean the heart’s boiling and stirring with the thirst and excitement of meeting the Beloved. Still others say the word is derived from habab al-ma, the greater part of a body of water, because love is the object of most of the heart’s concerns. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
As we explained in the lecture on renunciation, water is creative, symbolic, literal. Those creative waters are the seminal forces with which we become baptized and initiated. That body of water, the over-pouring of the soul, emerges from the Absolute, which is a great ocean. If you awaken your consciousness in meditation and approach the Absolute, you perceive the emptiness like a great, dark ocean, but there is a profound, dark light hidden there, a rippling, an abstract movement and repose, which is the full negation of all manifested things, but is the real state of Being. It is the ocean within which we must drown ourselves in love, to be fully immersed, encompassed, and inoculated by that.
Another derivation draws the word from necessity and fixity, for one says ahabba al-baghir of a camel that kneels and refuses to stand. In just this way the lover’s heart refuses to leave the remembrance of his Beloved. Hubb is also said to come from hibb, an earring. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, another symbol here. We are referring to a type of willpower in order to know divinity, to seek without faltering, without giving up, to advance out of necessity and fixity.
The poet says:
As I said, the mouth is a symbol of alchemical knowledge because we pronounce sacred sounds within a matrimony, in sexual union, to promote elevation of our creative force, but also the ear relates to this mystery of alchemy, معرفة Ma’rifah, divine knowledge, so that we can receive that teaching from mouth to ear, listening in to secrets which were never written down until as recently as 1950 with The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor.
That serpent is a dual symbol. We have given many courses and explanations about this allegory, which represents basically this: How our sexual purity can grant us knowledge of our true nature, or our sexual impurity can eject us from Eden, from happiness, from bliss, from love. What matters is how to use this energy well, or we condemn ourselves because that force has to act. It can act in a polluted, selfish way, or it can be harnessed with intelligence, with wisdom, with patience, with understanding. 
The Three Gates of Gnosis
To access the heights of these mysteries, we work with that energy, with the science of alchemy, especially, الله Allah-Kimia: to fuse one’s self with the Being. We find that this direct knowledge is symbolized even in Islamic architecture. You see this image, which is the Mecca gate number thirty-seven from Al-Masjid an-Nabawī, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. This mosque is also known as Al-Haram, or Al-Haram al-Madani, and Al-Masjid an-Nabawī. It was built by the Prophet, and it constitutes one of the largest mosques in the world. It is the second holiest site in Islam after Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca.
The Arabic inscription shows the name of Prophet Muhammed followed by his title: Apostle of God. This door signifies the entrance to genuine wisdom, which we experience by living through the alchemical mysteries of the prophets. This is דעת Daath in Hebrew or معرفة Ma’rifah in Arabic, the doorway to the highest mysteries. It is because that force has the potential to transform us radically, to open the doorway into those higher states of being. If you are not working with the creative energies, you will not access selfless states. Instead, you will access the opposite, which is harmful. Let us examine what these three gates of this mosque represent. They represent the three gates of gnosis according to the Sufi master Abdullah Ansari of Heart, and it is very beautiful that this mosque contains this tradition and this teaching. We can learn a lot from its symbolism in terms of the kind of work that we need to perform if we really want to obtain the highest degrees of mystical experience. There is the Gate of Mercy: باب الرحمة Bab ar-Rahmah to the south, the Gate of Gabriel: باب جبريل Bab Jibril, to the west, and the Gate of Women: باب ٱلنساء Bab an-Nisa to the east. Let us read these quotes for a deeper understanding of this mosque, but also how it applies to our spiritual work. From the field of Wisdom the field of Gnosis is generated. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Remember the word wisdom in Hebrew is חָכְמָה Chokmah, which is the kabbalistic symbol for Christ, Christic perception, selflessness, the power of Vis-dom: the power of divine vision. From this vision, the field of gnosis is generated.
God, the Most High, says, ‘[And when they listen to the revelation received by the Apostle] You will see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth’ (5:83) 
We have to study the Tree of Life in order to understand the three gates, in relation to four directions mapped out by the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life has many angles in which we can approach it. A lot of different mysticisms and teachings relate to four directions, North, South, East, and West, within scripture. Often times, those references are indicating certain aspects of this diagram in order to teach something very intuitive. So, while it might seem very complicated and difficult, when you have meditated on what these directions symbolize in relation to the Tree of Life, after study and practice, it will become much more clear to you.
Now specifically, the North relates the right pillar of the Tree of Life, which is the pillar of mercy, with qualities like חָכְמָה Chokmah: Wisdom, חֶסֶד Chesed: Mercy, and נצח Netzach: Victory. We have the South relating to the left pillar of the Tree of Life, which is בִּינָה Binah: Intelligence, גְּבוּרָה Geburah: the divine soul, Justice, and הוד Hod: the emotions, Glory. The middle pillar, towards מלכות Malkuth, is going towards the West, while the top of the Tree of Life towards כֶּתֶר Kether, the higher sphere or point to this glyph, is the East. What is significant about these directions is that they relate to qualities of being, tendencies, and manners of conscious expression, whether in conditioned states or unconditioned states. The East is where the sun rises especially. We can say that כֶּתֶר Kether is the Far East because that is the highest, at the top of the Tree of Life. We can say תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth is the middle of this diagram and is governed astrologically by the sun and Venus, the star of love. We can call that the Middle East. It is interesting because many scriptures take place in the Middle East. It is midway between the top and the bottom of this diagram, but is also pointed towards the East because astrologically, the sun relates to תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth, the beauty of the soul, the solar, divine, creative volition. The West is related to where the sun sets, to those principles of divinity that go down into the infernal worlds, that descend into darkness, because the further away we are from the light, symbolically, the less understanding and intuition we have. The North relates to spiritual forces, because the right pillar, Mercy, is divine, related to חָכְמָה Chokmah: Wisdom, חֶסֶד Chesed: Mercy, and נצח Netzach: Victory. The South, the left pillar, its forces descend down towards מלכות Malkuth, and down towards the infernal worlds, the negative states of consciousness. 
What is interesting is that as the right pillar, those forces descend into יְסוֹד Yesod in order to be harnessed by our spiritual practice. When we abuse of the creative forces of judgment, גְּבוּרָה Geburah: divine consciousness, it descends into the hell realms. If you have studied yoga, and pranayama especially, you know about the two energetic currents on the spine. The Tree of Life relates to your spinal column as well. The right pillar is precisely mercy, the solar creative force, Pingala in Sanskrit, and the left pillar of severity relates to Ida, the feminine creative polarity within our spine. We have a masculine polarity, which is Pingala, the solar force, but also a feminine, lunar, receptive force known as Ida, and that energetic current―Ida, in most people―is fallen. It does not rise up to the brain from the coccyx, but instead descends to the hell realms.
So, this relates to why, according to some mythologies, demons have tails, because that serpentine fire of Ida is descending. It has “gone south,” so to speak. If you have heard the term, when things go really bad, you are going south. It originates from this. There is some credence to that saying in a kabbalistic sense. If we want to understand the Tree of Life in relation to our spiritual work, we study these four directions. You can also learn more about the four directions in the kabbalah, especially by studying operas such as Turandot. We have a course The Secret Teachings of Opera where we talk about that specific composition by Puccini, which talks about the four directions in more detail. We can study the three gates, specifically, of the mosque we were talking about, Al-Masjid an-Nabawī: The Prophet’s Mosque in relation to this teaching by Abdullah Ansari of Herat. Gnosis of the first gate is the foundation of Islam; gnosis of the second gate is the foundation of faith, while gnosis of the third gate is the foundation of sincerity. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We have explained previously that the first gate, which is the knowledge of being, of unity, of unique peerlessness, is the foundation of Islam: submission to divinity. This is related to the Gate of Mercy: باب الرحمة Bab ar-Rahmah, to the South. If we wish to access the unifications of our soul, the unique peerlessness of the Being, we have to control the left pillar in us. It is necessary to receive divine mercy and to enact that blessing in us by working to control that fallen current within us, Ida: the lunar, creative, serpentine fire in our spine. It is the Gate of Mercy related to the left pillar because with our fallen and mistaken actions, we create suffering. We create problems for ourselves, and therefore we have to submit to divinity by controlling the creative energies. There is no escape from this. It is fundamental in a kabbalistic, alchemical, initiatic, and Sufi sense.
We submit to divinity because our Being is merciful and wants us to change, and therefore directs his attention towards the South, which is the Gate of Mercy, because the left pillar of the Tree of Life, by learning to work and stabilize our consciousness with those forces, we attain equilibrium. The second gate, which relates to God’s power, His omniscience, His beneficence, is the foundation of faith. This is the Gate of Gabriel: باب جبريل Bab Jibril, to the West, relating to מלכות Malkuth, the physical body. So, the former left pillar really is governed by גְּבוּרָה Geburah, severity. Divinity can be very severe with us because of our wrong actions from the past, but we do receive many blessings and intercessions as a result of our sincerity, of submitting ourselves to divine law, and not selfish law. מלכות Malkuth relates to the West, the foundation of faith, the Gate of Jibril. 
We can say that God’s power, His omniscience, His blessings, come from جبريل Jibril, which in Hebrew is spelled גבריאל Gabriel, related to the Nordic runes, Gibur, and the Egyptian Ra and the Hebrew אל El. It is the power of sexuality, because the crossing of man and woman within the physical world is what forms the strength, Gibur, of God. In Hebrew we say אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי Attah Gibor Le’olam Adonai (AGLA אגלא): “You are Almighty Forever Oh Lord” as a mantra or sacred prayer within kabbalah. When you combine man and woman as a cross of forces and energies in מלכות Malkuth, they spin. They rotate like our chakras. They vibrate. They move. They flow. They form a swastika, which unfortunately was a symbol that was misappropriated by the Germans in World War II, even though that knowledge was applicable to all ancient traditions. The movement of the cross is the force of sexual power, which people like Hitler and his cronies abused, but the original meaning has to do with גְּבוּרָה Geburah, the forces of the strength of God, Gibur-Ra-El, גַבְרִיאֵל Gabriel, גְּבוּרָה Geburah in Hebrew. That sexual strength descends from the left pillar down into מלכות Malkuth to give us force, in order to perform alchemy.
It is the Gate of Gabriel because in the physical world is where we need to practice if we are married, if we are in a matrimony. By mastering the cross, we rise out of the West into the East, towards heaven, towards the Middle East, and beyond if we are serious. That force of the Gate of Gabriel is precisely in the West. Nobody can enter heaven without working through Gabriel. If you have remembered all the stories of the prophets in the Bible, they are all announced by Gabriel. Likewise, the Prophet Muhammed was announced a prophet because of جبريل Jibril. He received the first recitation of the Qur’an upon جبل النور Jabal Nur, the “mountain of light,” and that mountain is in תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth. It is in the Middle East where the sun rises, where he would go meditate and receive divine teachings from جبريل Jibril, which are symbols, representations of alchemical knowledge, his sexual creative work within the perfect matrimony. The third gate, which relates to knowledge of charitable works, loving in close intimacy, is the foundation of sincerity. This is the Gate of Women: باب ٱلنساء Bab an-Nisa, the East. Personally, I find this the most compelling because as Samael Aun Weor mentioned in Practical Astrology, The Manual of Practical Magic: Humans came out of Paradise through the doors of Eden, and Eden is sex itself
She is the gate to Eden and man is the gate to Eden for woman.
So, this sexual power of Eden, of bliss, is loving in close intimacy with divinity. We really show love for الله Allah when we really learn to be chaste in the sexual act, when we are transmuting diligently. Specifically, because if you look at the Arabic calligraphy in the name of الله Allah, you have four letters: أ Alif, ل Lam, ل Lam, ه Ha. The letter أ Alif is a straight line. It is phallic. It is the masculine, creative, projective, positive symbol of man. ل Lam is like a tongue upon which the Word is gestated, the Verb, the creative expression, in which, by mantras in the sexual act, we transform and transmute that fire. We have the ل Lam or ל Lamed in Hebrew, of a man or the ل Lam or ל Lamed of a woman. Then you have ه Ha, which is like a womb, the feminine, creative, negative, receptive, sexual organs. That is the power of الله Allah: when husband and wife work together in remembrance of divinity. That is the door to paradise to the East. We face the East, the rising sun, when we pray to Mecca, towards the Kaaba, the sacred stone of יְסוֹד Yesod towards the East, which is rising above מלכות Malkuth, the West. When we raise that sexual force of יְסוֹד Yesod up to our mind and to our heart, we are really sanctifying the Gate of Women: باب ٱلنساء Bab an-Nisa, to the East. We face the rising sun, which reminds us of the Germanic Easter, Eostre, as we mentioned in the previous lecture. Why is this the gate of sincerity? Because if we are not really honest with our sexual behavior, we are not going to be honest with ourselves or divinity. We cannot access profound knowledge without that humble basis: acknowledging where we are at, what are behaviors are, and what we must change. 
The Three Pillars of Gnosis
The three ways of gnosis also relate to the top of the Tree of Life. As we mentioned extensively, these are principles, energies, lights, forces―one intelligence, one divine unity that expresses and manifests as three. This is توحيد Tawhid: the unity of God. These three expressions of one light can be understood by the Sufis’ demarcation of three degrees or levels of school, of esoteric, Gnostic, Sufi instruction.
We have شَرِيعَة Shari’a, طريقة Tariqa, حقيقه Haqiqah. معرفة Ma’rifah is דעת Da’ath, the creative knowledge, which, when this image is placed upon a human being, relates to the throat―again, the mouth, the Verb, the Word, the secret knowledge that was only given through oral transmission to candidates that proved their discipleship, their worth. These three pillars, we can say, relate to what Al-Hujwiri said in Revelation of the Mystery, that the Essence of divinity is known as כֶּתֶר Kether in Hebrew, the crown. חָכְמָה Chokmah: Wisdom, are the Attributes of divinity, the divine qualities of the Being. Divinity’s Acts are בִּינָה Binah: intelligence. Here is what this Persian Sufi master had to say about this topic: The Knowledge of the Truth (Ḥaqíqat) has three pillars―
Who are those capable of knowing the Unity, the Essence of divinity, כֶּתֶר Kether? It is those who have reached puberty, whereby the sexual potential is developed and mature. This indicates how individuals whose sexual energy is activated can begin working with transmutation, so that such energy provides a basis for comprehension.
Divinity is not localized within one particular space, but is space itself, the absolute abstract space wherein any universe is gestated. In this way, the Sufis agree how divinity does not have wife nor child, which is a response to the degeneration of the Christian Trinity. The Father, Divine Mother Mary, and Christ child were taken to represent literal, anthropomorphized figures, which is missing the point regarding the symbology of scriptures. Biblical characters, while having literally lived in the past, more importantly represent principles that apply to our own inner work. As for our imagination and intellect, only those who possess the seed, the sexual essence or synthesis, can awaken genuine intelligence and perception. This is because, as we explained previously, the Qur'an refers to initiates as "possessors of seeds" or "kernels," ulu'l-al-bab, which is often translated as "possessors of intellect." In Sanskrit, intellect is बुद्धि Buddhi, or in Hebrew, גְּבוּרָה Geburah, the Arabic دين Din. Initiates possess the secret of sexual knowledge, the sexual seed, the kernel of life, and are therefore known as intuitive kabbalists, whereas the intellectuals, the intellectual kabbalists, only possess the shells, the appearance of diverse doctrines. Al-Hujwiri continues: Knowledge of Divine Attributes requires you to know that God has attributes existing in Himself, which are not He nor a part of Him, but exist in Him and subsist by Him, e.g. Knowledge, Power, Life, Will, Hearing, Sight, Speech, etc. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
Samael Aun Weor explained that the best atoms belong to חָכְמָה Chokmah as the attributes of a universal consciousness. We can access such infinite states in deep meditation and learn to subsist within them through familiarity and training. While they "are not He nor a part of Him," such divine qualities or states of Being exist within His fundamental nature, which can be realized in us when we are properly prepared.
Al-Hujwiri continues: Knowledge of the Divine Actions is your knowledge that God is the Creator of mankind and of all their actions, that He brought the non-existent universe into being, that He predestines good and evil and creates all that is beneficial and injurious. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
Again, בִּינָה Binah is the creator, the empowerment of all actions, especially our sexual behaviors. If we do not awaken consciousness through the positive use of the sexual force, it becomes channeled through ego, animal desire. However, בִּינָה Binah, divine action, allows for the emergence of uncreated things, the materialization and manifestation of the abstract within the concrete. He provides both good and evil because בִּינָה Binah is beyond good and evil, דעת Daath or معرفة Ma’rifah: the Tree of Knowledge beneath the Logoic Triangle on the Tree of Life.
Here we are using kabbalistic explanations for Sufi doctrine in order to clarify. شَرِيعَة Shari’a: the law, divine instruction, relates to how we act, how we receive the teaching, how we apply it with intelligence, with understanding, so that divinity can be cultivated within a space in our hearts, in our consciousness, so that we can walk the path of wisdom طريقة Tariqa, or חָכְמָה Chokmah, which is wisdom. In this way, we begin to experience and understand, from direct experience, what the attributes of divinity are: compassion, altruism, philanthropy, chastity, patience, humility, faith, wisdom, diligence, perseverance. Then we have حقيقه Haqiqah, the truth, relating to the Essence of divinity: the supreme qualities of the Being. الْحَقُّ Al-Haqq: The Truth. So, we accomplish that by working with معرفة Ma’rifah or דעת Da’ath in Hebrew, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which allows us to become pure, as the Qur’an teaches and emphasizes many times. The Three Ways of Gnosis
Let us relate some more quotes from Abdullah Ansari of Heart, which break down this structure for interpreting conscious experiences, mystical instruction, but also our direct experiences.
The way that leads one through the first gate is envisioning the Creator’s providence (בִּינָה Binah, the sexual force) in the opening and closing of (human) handiwork. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, what is the creator? As I said, الخالق Al-Khaliq relates to בִּינָה Binah, the intelligence of how divinity creates through sexual union with our partner, within alchemy. It is the opening and closing of human handiwork. This relates to knowledge of Being, of unity, of peerlessness.
There are a lot of references in the Qur’an, which refer to the handiwork of humanity that are symbols of divine expression. For example, the Qur’an mentions how God made the ships of the sea, iron, weaponry, vineyards, date palms, which are nourished by rain as signs and symbols for those with understanding, intelligence. These are all representations and symbols of how divinity creates in us, creates the soul through the iron of weaponry, which is willpower, and the ships of the sea. The sea, as I said, is a sexual symbol. We cross the sea of temptation through the great ark, so that we are not drowned in the flood of destructive passions. We perceive divinity's influence in our lives through our handiwork, our sexual path, our discipline, which has to be handled with intelligence, with בִּינָה Binah. We can experience בִּינָה Binah in a sense, in our level, as we are working through transmutation exercises. That is the power and energy that grants us understanding for interpreting what the diverse religious scriptures have to say in their synthesis, in their fundamental root. It also is the way and the gate that leads us towards experiencing who the creator is in us. Let us continue reading: The way that leads through the second gate is the contemplator’s own interior recognition of the wisdom (חָכְמָה Chokmah) of divine Providence within himself. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, these are inner states, inner qualities of the being. Divine providence is the manifestation of compassion, which is חָכְמָה Chokmah, wisdom, which we recognize in ourselves as we learn contemplation, selflessness. If you meditate deeply and penetrate within this sephirah, as Samael Aun Weor and others have mentioned, we can experience being multiple people, multiple individuals, experiencing a state of omniscience in which you are witnessing yourself. For example, there was one Gnostic instructor who mentioned that he perceived, in this sephirah, Krishnamurti teaching a group of students, and he saw himself, with a lot of love, providing beneficial knowledge for humanity. He returned to his body, and he was very alarmed, wondering if he was Krishnamurti, but the truth is that he penetrated in to the sephirah חָכְמָה Chokmah, which is wisdom, omniscience, divine consciousness. Let us continue:
The way that leads through the third gate is the perception of God’s Mercy (כֶּתֶר Kether, the Mercy of Mercies) that recognizes [the worth of] praiseworthy works and overlooks sins. This final and last gate is the field of the gnostics, the alchemy of lovers, and the way of the Elect; it is the way that beautifies the heart, increases one’s joy and expands the feeling of love. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This also relates to knowledge of charitable works, loving in close intimacy, which is increased as we are intimate with our partner with divine love, with chaste love, with pure love. It beautifies the heart. It is the alchemy of lovers. It is the field of the Gnostics. In this state, we can really receive divine aid.
Subsistence in God
What is subsistence in divinity? We talked briefly about how some of these states can be experienced in meditation, can be mapped by this diagram, can relate to scripture, teachings, and systems of thought, but it would be good to understand what it means to subsist in divinity, which is baqā in Arabic.
As we mentioned, we can have fleeting experiences related to the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth of the Tree of Life, but knowing how to sustain them requires training, knowing how to subsist and to be in those states. What is subsistence specifically? To define it for you, it is: The state or fact of subsisting; the state or fact of existing; the providing of subsistence for support; the means for supporting life, such as a living or livelihood. It is the source from which food and other items needed to exist are obtained. ―Dictionary.com
For the meditator, divinity is our livelihood. It is our nourishment. It is our subsistence, our substance. In philosophy, subsistence relates to existence, especially of an independent entity. It is the quality of having timeless, abstract existence, which again relates to the trinity of the Tree of Life. It is abstract for us. It is very difficult for us to ascertain as concepts, but can be intuitive and known through experience. It is “a mode of existence by which a substance is individualized" (Dictionary.com). It is the meaning of subsistence.
We want to make our consciousness an individuality, as I said. Right now, we are a multiplicity. By integrating our consciousness from its multiple defects and eliminating those faults, we individualize ourselves. We integrate the soul so it can reflect the perfect unity within. There is no other way to return to divinity but to eliminate all that is false. It is the radical axis upon which Gnostic and Sufi teachings are based in their esoteric origin. This is why we talk a lot about the annihilation of the ego, which, of course, is a difficult topic for people, because we are all attached to ourselves. It is a fundamental quality of our experience, that we do not like to perceive our faults, to eliminate and change them, but this is the basis of religion. The Sufis referred to annihilation as fana. Without it, we cannot be within God. From the field of Annihilation the field of Subsistence in God comes. God, the Most High, says, ‘God is the Best, the most long-lasting and Subsisting’ (20:73).
These are reasons why we should really work seriously in ourselves to understand our own faults. Death will arrive. Our means of subsisting in life will vanish. The limits will be broken as we enter into the internal worlds after death and are forced to confront our past. Understandings will be eliminated. What we thought was factual, but was illusory, will have to be addressed.
As it is mentioned in the Qur’an, the unbelievers will be given their account within a book. It is a symbol of retrospecting one’s life after having deceased. History will fade away. Knowledge of the world will be useless. Allusions are transient. The information in our head will be wiped out because we do not remember how we came into this world, where we are going, and where we are now. So, all these things are transient, but God eternally exists, and he exists in His ultimate unity. Unification is the goal. Purification of the consciousness is our objective. 
The Day of Alast
I would like to relate a brief excerpt from the Qur’an, which teaches something very beautiful and profound about our relationship with divinity.
Before the soul had emanated from the Absolute into the manifested universe, in order to begin a specific spiritual work, the Sufis referred to this conversation between the soul and divinity as a type of profound revelatory moment that had to be reinitiated again by the soul that is learning to return to divinity. We emanated from the Absolute into the universe and now we must return to the Tree of Life with knowledge, with wisdom. The moment of communication with divinity, we can say, the moment we left the Absolute, is known by the Sufis as the Day of Alast. It is the covenant of divinity with the soul. When we talk about the Absolute, we pay close attention towards the אין סוף Ain Soph, which Samael Aun Weor clarified in his book Tarot and Kabbalah is our own particular synthesis, an atomic, super-divine force of Being which is like a point of light within the abstract absolute space from which we emanated. It does not have knowledge yet of its full, divine happiness and potential. Therefore, it sends down its knowledge towards the Tree of Life in order to enter מלכות Malkuth and hopefully to return upward and back towards the source. This is the meaning of the verse from Hadith Qudsi: Allah says, “I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known, so I created a creation (mankind and the Tree of Life), then made Myself known to them, and they recognized Me.” ―Hadith Qudsi
So, divinity is that beautiful treasure we seek to uncover within our meditations, to know divinity, to recognize divine intelligence, and divine expression within our dreams, within our meditations. The following verses from the Qur’an relate and apply, basically, how the power to witness divinity is born from our seed, our creative sexual matter. We will relate and explain this to you:
And when thy Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their progeny and made them bear witness concerning themselves, “Am I not your Lord?” they said, “Yea, we bear witness―lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, “Truly of this we were heedless,” or lest you should say, “[It is] only that our fathers ascribed partners unto God beforehand, and we were their progeny after them. Wilt Thou destroy us for that which the falsifiers have done?” Thus do We expound the signs, that haply they may return. ―The Heights, Al-A’rāf 172-174
Samael Aun Weor mentions that we return to the Absolute by working with alchemy, within a marriage in מלכות Malkuth, and then rising up the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth to the heavens, back towards our אין סוף Ain Soph. It is interesting that this verse is found within Al-A’raf: The Heights within the Qur’an, because we have to return to the heights of this diagram, the superior states.
We bear witness through the sexual seed. This is the fundamental teaching that Samael Aun Weor gave in his books. It is the sexual seed that grants the energy, the capacity, the knowledge, the wisdom by which to access this reality within its multidimensional grandeur and splendor. It is interesting that in the Qur’an, the word progeny translates from ذرية dhurriyyāt, which derives from a root that literally denotes “small particles, atoms, seeds,” which are scattered, and this is very interesting. This word also means “progeny” or “offspring” in many other verses from the Qur’an. These atoms belong to יְסוֹד Yesod specifically, but all the different סְפִירוֹת sephiroth contain particles that are sexual energy in seed. Those forces and potentialities can grant us the capacity to return to divinity. In the path and process by which we return to the Absolute, we create the soul. We create vehicles that relate to each of these lower סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, so that we can have it and experience, know, and understand the forces of those levels of nature, becoming more rarefied and beatified as we ascend. In the end of the work, what is really interesting is that after having perfected ourselves within the ten סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, we can enter and emerge to return into the אין סוף Ain Soph, but at this point, as Samael Aun Weor mentions in Tarot and Kabbalah, we enter the אין סוף Ain Soph as our unity: that super-atomic point or star, that synthesis of our real Being, the real Being within, and we abandon all vehicles below. They dissolve. What is extracted as a type of synthesis or essence of those lower ten סְפִירוֹת sephiroth is a seed, a germ. Those ten סְפִירוֹת sephiroth are reduced to a single point, a single atom within each individual sephirah. You have ten, and they enter the Absolute, so that when the soul is united with the perfect plenitude of divinity, whenever the master that is self-realized wants to enter the universe, he can put those seeds, that progeny into activity, in order to manifest anywhere at will. Such a monad or unity, such an אין סוף Ain Soph, has knowledge of its own perfection. Therefore, those seeds have to be gathered. They are scattered in us. This is the meaning of “to bear witness from their loins,” or better said, the Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their progeny, their seeds, those atomic spiritual essences that relate to the Tree of Life, and made them bear witness concerning themselves. You bear witness of reality through divinity, through working with those forces and mastering them, so that in the end, we dissolve, in a form of annihilation, in order to subsist within God, within the אין סוף Ain Soph Paranishpanna, an atomic, super-divine star of our Being that shines with great glory and splendor in the absolute abstract space. This is الله Allah, the root of all Being. In relation to the Tree of Life, if you have studied the books of Samael Aun Weor, he mentions creating solar bodies. We create vehicles through the sexual seed, which are solar, material vehicles or means of expressing the perfect light of divinity within the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth themselves. These solar bodies are known as the Wedding Garment of the soul in Christianity. You also have in Arabic, لباس التقوى libas al-taqwa, the garments of reverence within the Qur’an, the vehicles of the soul, the pure, energetic, divine, spiritual vehicles that we can have within the world of dreams, within the internal dimensions, so that we can navigate in those spheres consciously, with intentionality, with lucidity, with consistency, with continuity. These are vehicles that are created within a marriage. You can study The Perfect Matrimony for more elaboration on those points. Here we are only synthesizing how when you work with the sexual seed, you are using the energy that can grant you witnessing of the truth, as stated in the Qur’an, so that we can return to our divine origin. What is interesting about the solar bodies or these vehicles of the soul and spirit within Islam are mentioned again here: O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you raiment to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But (the clothing of chastity) the raiment of reverence (libas al-taqwa)―that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember. ―Al-A'raf 26
The Arabic words لباس التقوى libas al-taqwa can be translated as “armor” due to the fact that reverence, which is the Arabic تقوى taqwa, comes from the word attaqa, which means “to shield oneself,” and it is a reference to, as mentioned many times in the Qur’an, how one has to defend oneself against the punishment of hell fire, against our animal passions. Likewise, this raiment of chastity guards one’s private parts, which we utilize the creative potential for divine will. Study The Perfect Matrimony for better understanding of alchemy, The Mystery of the Golden Flower, and also Tarot and Kabbalah by Samael Aun Weor. These dynamics are explained very deeply. Here we are relating this synthesis to the Qur’an.
Dissolution within Love
In the end, after you have extracted all the seed essences of all the different סְפִירוֹת sephiroth within you, you dissolve within the Absolute and achieve true, genuine liberation and subsistence.
We end this slide with Abdullah Ansari of Herat’s statements. We talked about the ten סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, the ten spheres, which can also be ten stations, which can also be signified as 100 stations or levels and degrees of initiation relating to the Tree of Life. Each of the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth is a station in itself. All these one hundred stations are dissolved in the field of love (mahabbat); the field of friendship is the field of love. God, the Most High, describes how He will produce a ‘people whom He loves and who love Him’ (5:54), and ‘Say: if you love God, follow me’ (3:31). But friendship has three stations: it begins with truthfulness, its middle is drunkenness, and it ends in non-existence. Praise be to God, the Beginning (al-awwal) and the End (al-ākhar). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
The אין סוף Ain Soph, our true divine Being, is real love, limitless being, divine expression and freedom.
We have some poetry from Rumi, I would like to relate to you in terms of these concepts. Now, while we have given explanations of a kabbalistic and abstract type, which can be very challenging and difficult, these principles become understood through deep meditation and a lot of experience. Rumi, the great Sufi poet, mentioned some of the principles relating to love, and really knowing this from factual experience is a matter of conscious awakening and not just mere study of the intellect. I invite you not to receive this knowledge in the intellect but to really grapple with it in your heart. We need to take a lot of time to meditate on its contexts, because this is a result of many years of study, experience, and work in relation to this topic. Rumi says it best: No matter what I say to explain and elucidate Love, shame overcomes me when I come to Love itself.
That Water of Life is our sexual creative force. Therefore, it is the seed, the kernel of love, that opens the mysteries that cannot be divulged by mere speech, because its expositions are beyond the written and spoken word. Often times those meanings become obscured from too much intellectualization.
One other thing that we want to remember or bear in mind is that our actions are really the best predicator of spiritual life. Our words, our concepts, can be very hypnotizing, such as “I hope,” “I promise,” “I will do this,” “I believe in this,” “I wish,” “I have faith in these teachings or concepts,” but without action they are really quite useless. We can live our whole life ascribing partners unto God, unto divinity, hoping that one day we will be spiritual, but the reality is that we fulfill these in us when we enact selfless, compassionate action. It is in this way that we really fulfill شَرِيعَة Shari’a in Arabic, divine law, the divine commandments, and that way we walk the path طريقة Tariqa, which is meditation, entering deeper states of tranquility, insight, and learning to focus and concentrate upon one goal. In this lecture, for this meditation specifically, we learn to enter inside the Being, to penetrate the world of the Being. We can have many words for these concepts, but what is important is the reality, the experience. This is only accomplished through actions, through daily consistent discipline, and by working with the three factors of the revolution of consciousness as we have explained before. 
Practice
For this final lecture in this course, there is a simple practice you can use in order experience what these principles are about.
Adopt a meditation posture and completely relax. Withdraw from the senses and enter a state of equanimity and internal silence. Pray to your Being to grant you illumination, wisdom, and inner experience. While falling asleep, maintain vigilance, مراقبة muraqaba, and attentiveness, concentrating upon the presence of your Innermost to grant you the comprehension you seek. You can utilize one of the following two powerful mantras:
There is the mantra from Prajnaparamita sutra: Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Swaha!
The mantra known in Arabic as هو Hu, which is pronounced with an elongated breath. What is interesting is that Samael Aun Weor related the same mantra, but in the Chinese, Chan Buddhist way, in many of his books, specifically Magic of the Runes. It is the mantra Wu, pronounced like breath, the same sound prolonged like a hurricane:
It is the same mantra, the same teaching. The Sufis pronounce: الله هو Allah-Hu, repeatedly prolonging its vowel sounds, its syllables, and even going inside mentally, pronouncing it internally until falling asleep, entering through astral projections into higher dimensions to experience these for oneself.
At this point in time, I would like to open the floor to questions Questions and Answers
Question: Are the mantras pronounced mentally? Do you do the microcosmic star as well?
Instructor: You can pronounce them physically, and it is good to perform the microcosmic star before you physically sit to practice and to get yourself in the right state of mind, to enter into a state of serenity. You can pronounce the mantras verbally. Focus on the sounds. Let yourself recite these sounds first out loud, then dropping your volume and then enter doing it silently in the mind until you fall asleep, consciously letting that mantra totally engage you. The important thing is that we immerse ourselves within the mantra, in its vibration, internally. This is most powerful and most effective. In that way, like any other mantra from astral projection, you learn to separate from your physical body so that you can access those internal worlds, specifically in a deep, profound, and penetrative way. Question: How do Christian saints attain sainthood since they are mostly celibate? Instructor: So, as with any saint within the various religious traditions, they attained sainthood through a marriage, and of course, that knowledge was not given publicly. It had to be kept secret because it is controversial even now today, with the internet and openly teaching about these things. It is even difficult for people now to appreciate, understand, and to even want to practice and experiment with this science. Now, those saints from different traditions, whether they be from the Christian faith or from the Muslim and Sufi traditions, they all achieved initiation by working with the seed. Some masters had already worked with transmutation and alchemy in previous lives like the present Dalai Lama. He worked with alchemy, tantrism in his past existences. He reached sainthood, which we can say is the fifth initiation of Major Mysteries, the fifth initiation of fire or the peak of sainthood. Now, perfection, prophecy, and mastery are a very deep topic, which one acquires by entering the Venustic initiations as explained in the courses of kabbalah, Tarot and Kabbalah and The Three Mountains by Samael Aun Weor. We also gave an article called “Who is a Master” where we talked about specifically the different degrees within Sufi mysticism, sainthood, mastery, and prophethood. Saints, we can say, have acquired the fifth initiation of fire, but they do so through alchemy. In the case of the Dalai Lama, he already reached the fifth initiation of fire and was working as a single person in this existence. In order reach mastery, one has to be married, but it does not mean that those saints had done it in that current lifetime in which they became recognized for their sainthood. Question: What is the best way to die in your desire? I do not know if I have comprehended or not. It is my yearning for my Divine Mother to decapitate it. Do I have to break it down to my different desires? Instructor: The best way to die in desire is to comprehend. Our comprehension unfolds in layers, in levels. What we understand today, we will go deeper in tomorrow. This is a moment-to-moment work in which we examine our present state. If you really want to eliminate egos, we have to go deep inside and comprehend the root. If you eliminate the branches, the branches can grow back if you are not careful, but if you go for the roots, you can extract the tree of زقوم Zaqqum, the inverted tree of קְלִיפּוֹת Klipoth, the hell realms. If you are not sure if you have comprehended it, or not, it means that you have not comprehended it. If you comprehend it deeply, you understand where the ego originated, how it sustains, how it feeds, how it works, what its food is, what its triggers are, what other egos does it relate to, etc. If you comprehend it a little bit, it is good to ask for elimination, especially, to pray for our Divine Mother to give us strength to resist it, comprehend it, and to not feed and give it what it wants. If you really want lasting, deep change, you have to go into the profundities and that often means we face the very thing that we do not want to face. This could be very difficult and very challenging. It can also help you to break down certain events in your life: visualizing it in retrospection meditation, to perceive what moment you reacted or mistakenly behaved, whether physically, verbally, or just mentally. Whatever you comprehend, you can pray for annihilation, but understand that to be radically free from those tendencies, our comprehension has to be very robust. Your Divine Mother will give you the challenges and experiences for that ego to come up. If you do not comprehend it, those ordeals are going to keep repeating. It is important to repeat them because if we do not learn our lesson, then we got to go through it again. The important thing is not to exacerbate the karma that is repeating itself in that situation, but to take advantage of it. Learn to suffer consciously. Be patient. Allow ourselves some space and time to grow, not to be shaking the fruit from the Tree of Life out of ambition, but to let it blossom and let the fruit ripe on its own so that it falls on your hand when the moment comes. That is what comprehension is like. When you are meditating and you are not expecting any answer, when you just silence yourself and do not think―not as a blank, foggy, amorphous state, but as a pristine, sharp, lucid clarity―suddenly understanding emerges. It can appear in a form of experience, an intuition, a vision, and that understanding is enough when it is really profound, when you finally have intuited it, discerned what is going on in that situation. You can cut out the root. Remember that the term Samsara in Sanskrit means “cycling.” It is repetition and repeated, egotistical, psychological patterns that we go through again and again. When you really understand the root of it, you cut through it. That is nirvana. It is cessation. It is peace. So, study yourself and be patient. Do not rush. Take the time to understand one ego at a time. Analyze it profoundly, and when you least expect it, the understandings will emerge on their own. Question: How can we gauge our current progress in Gnosis? Instructor: Some people think it is mystical experiences, but that is not a guarantee of real development and change. Instead, you know you are changing and progressing when you no longer repeat the same mistakes. For example, perhaps at work you may have colleagues that are very negative. They gossip a lot. Perhaps they may even speak badly about you, and you might overhear this. Suddenly, you feel rage, anger, despair, fear… different egos that might emerge in the moment. You find that you are progressing when those situations repeat as a form of testing you and you do not psychologically react at all. You do not repeat the same reactions to the situation. You are not selfish there. There is no “self” present in those moments. You can be criticized and condemned by the same people, for as before you felt great aversion and suffering, you do not feel that anymore. You understood those faults in you and what kept producing that pain. Yes, you can have internal experiences in the superior worlds, the astral dimension where divinity will show you the level of your work. To see yourself in a coffin going into the fire in the astral plane is a symbol of eliminating certain egos, being dead psychologically. Those experiences can emerge and give us some gauge and guidance, which is really beautiful, but also you find that you are not repeating the same mechanical behaviors. You are more conscious, and you are not reacting with the same egos. In fact, you are responding with patience and love like the example that I provided. It is how we respond to life, not react. That is a strong measurement of what we are doing. Question: What is the purpose of the circle movement that we see in the Sufi dances? Or what is its significance in relation to meditation? Instructor: We have a very similar practice within gnosis. We call it the Sacred Rites for Rejuvenation, in which we spin from left to right in order to activate certain latent psychological, energetic centers known as chakras. The Sufis do not refer to them in the Hindu sense, but they refer to it as اللطائف الستة Lata’if-e-Sitta, which are relating to certain organs of perception within Sufi psychology. They are energetic centers that allow for deeply experiencing our internal worlds. Part of the spinning process is to activate those centers, those forces in a significant and dynamic way. We can perform those dances, which are very sacred and beautiful. They represent and replicate the movement of the planets and spheres around the sun as a form of divine love, divine conscious realization. When we perform the sacred rites of rejuvenation, we also spin left to right, the same direction as we are turning a steering wheel in front of us, in order to perform certain spiritual works. There are different ways we can approach this practice, such as comprehending egos, activating chakras, healing sick organs, praying for divine assistance, and the Sufi dances parallel this as well. They are deeply integrated. Thank you all for coming. Thank you for attending this course. I hope you enjoy and study it deeply and apply it to your life. We wish you many blessings. Inverential Peace! Or as we say in Sufism: ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ As-salamu Alaykum!
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In the course of this study and practice, we now arrive at a critical point. Everything we explained about the science of meditation thus far establishes a certain foundation, which specifically is the capacity to awaken the consciousness, while placing the mind, heart, energies, and body in a state of suspension, in profound passivity, in deep repose.
When the obscurations that filter our perception are removed, we learn to activate an objective state that knows how to apprehend the essential nature of reality. Most people, however, do not even get past the body. People are identified with sensations, a discomfort in their posture, an irritation, an itch, a scratch, a pain, making many movements and never entering introspection itself. If we are constantly attending to the body, we are not meditating. We have to put our body at a comfortable posture, so that we can relax it, and more importantly, so that we can forget about it. Let it be. Let it go. We also have to harness vital energy, but with attention, so that we can guide it wisely, intelligently, so that it works for us, not the other way around. We explain many times that we must not be fascinated with energy. We need it. We cultivate it. We direct it. It is useful when it is directed within its specific orbit. Unfortunately, there is a tendency in many spiritual movements and schools to identify with the chakras, those vital vortices of energy, to be fascinated by energy itself. But, just as a normal person would not be proud of having a full tank of fuel in their car, likewise, a genuine meditator does not identify him or herself with how much energy they have, with sensations of a psychic type, that they perceive with supernatural senses. What matters is how you drive your car. It does not matter how much fuel you have in it. Obviously, to a degree, we need it. But how you drive, how you manage your mind, your heart, and your body, with conscious awareness―that is essential. We also must not identify or invest energy within feeling, with surging negative emotions, with inferior sentiments, with anger, with vanity, with pride. Associative thought must also be suspended. It must be abandoned, and many people get stuck here. Their mind wanders. Their thoughts race. They think of what happened earlier in their day, and a chain of subjective memories hypnotizes the consciousness. We become absorbed in what happened yesterday, and what we should have said, and how we felt, and what we thought. It is important that we are no longer distracted, that we clarify our attention and learn to focus on one thing, to not let it be dispersed or fragmented. As we learn to direct and sustain our attention, we naturally develop continuity. We are in a constant state of self-remembrance. We feel the presence of divinity at all times. We have deepened serenity, and this is where the potential for certainty and insight becomes realized, as we explained in the last lecture. As you concentrate upon one thing, you can develop consciousness. You strengthen understanding and you experience certainty about it. The natural function of the consciousness is to perceive and understand. If you do not perceive a phenomenon, you cannot comprehend it. It is a basic law of causality. However, just because we perceive something does not mean we understand it, let alone perceive it clearly and objectively. For example, you can perceive a rope in the moonlight and initially believe it to be a snake. You can become filled with fear and terror. Many emotions surge within yourself as you see this object, thinking it is a serpent. It is only when you shine a flashlight upon the object that you perceive and understand what is happening. Magically, then, your fears vanish. This principle applies not only to the exterior world, but to our inner states, our psychological states, our ways of being. We do not clearly perceive our internal worlds. For most of us, it is very muddy world, an obscured reality within ourselves. Situations tend to happen, and we just react. We can know that we are angry. We can feel upset. We can feel proud, or we can think our thoughts, but these are just mechanical reactions to life. They are not conscious. They are not directed with intelligence. We do not really understand or see that our minds are the source of our sufferings. But it is when you shine light through observations of yourself, when you look at yourself, that you gain clarity and peace. Isn’t it true that once you understand a problem, what to do, what the solution is, how it was caused, where it came from, how it was sustained, how it made others suffer and other people involved in the situation, isn’t it true that we find peace? There is a cessation of suffering. Pain extinguishes, like a candle being snuffed out. The problem is that we have not trained our consciousness enough in order to really look at the facts, to not merely react to life, but to understand it, to perceive it in a new way. We often experience a psychological state, but we do not question what we perceive. We are not objective, if we are honest, if we examine ourselves, if we look. We can know that we are angry. But are we observing the anger? It is only when we separate from the ego, when we observe it with an active consciousness, that we can arrive to a very beautiful and magical dimension known as comprehension, real peace, real depth of a spiritual nature. Samael Aun Weor stated in many books, especially Igneous Rose, that comprehension and imagination must replace reasoning. We have explained before that imagination is the ability to perceive nonphysical imagery. It also applies to our sense of psychological self-observation. It is a different type of perception in which we are looking, psychologically, into the sources of our thoughts, our feelings, and our impulses. We examine where they come from, how they emerge, what they feed upon, how they sustain, how they pass, how they make us suffer. Some traditions have called this clear perception vipassana, insight, perception. The Sufis call it vigilance, مراقبة muraqaba. In Gnosis we call it imagination. However, as we begin to perceive nonphysical imagery while we are meditating and during our dreams, we also have to master the science of interpretation―to discriminate what we see, to have certainty about what we see, and certainty about what we understand, what is happening. This establishes the confidence of real faith, not belief. It is not a matter of thinking something is true or feeling it is true, but knowing it, having seen it. This is the essential fulcrum of Gnostic studies. However, we cannot really begin to understand what all the great messengers have talked about in terms of God, reality, the truth, if we do not practice in ourselves these principles, if we do not develop reverence and awe, real respect for these methods, because they work. We should learn to apply them as a scientist, not expecting a result and not running away from the results when they do emerge, but learning to see with a clear mind―to experiment, to verify, to test. This is why the Sufis, especially Al-Jurayri, in the Principles of Sufism, stated: Whoever does not establish awe of duty and vigilance (muraqaba, or awareness: muhadarah) in his relationship to God will not arrive at disclosure of the unseen (mukashafah) or contemplation (mushahadah) of the divine. ―Al-Jurayri
We have explained what some of these Arabic terms mean in previous lectures. Here we are going to build upon the steps that lead toward comprehension of the truth, contemplation, to witness, which as the Sufis and Muslims state in the Shahadah: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His prophet.”
We bear witness of the truth when we have experience. It is conviction born from perceiving reality and understanding it. The term مراقبة muraqabah is not only known as vigilance, but it is the Sufi term for meditation itself―to watch oneself, to examine one’s thoughts, one’s perceptions. Without this foundation, we cannot really experience the divine and more importantly, understand the message. So, we will talk in this lecture about the stages that lead, specifically, towards not only experiencing these principles but verifying and understanding them, more importantly. 
Three Steps of Initiation
We enter the internal worlds with cognizance and learn to initiate communication with our inner Being by studying three specific steps, three parameters, three principles. We preface this discussion in that these are not rigid plateaus, where you have to master one stage before you enter the next. These principles relate. They interrelate. They integrate. They support one another. They complement each other. While there is a sequence, in turn, and in truth, they represent one profound dynamic, which is self-realization, to know oneself within our multidimensional Being. We can fluctuate throughout these three stages even within a single moment in meditation. Samael Aun Weor states the following in his book, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology:
Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition are obligatory steps of the Initiation. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
If you have listened to other lectures on our website, we have talked extensively about the path of initiation. You can also study the lecture Stations within this course, where we talk about what it means to initiate a new way of being, a path, a method, towards the realization of the divine.
Whosoever has raised these three steps of direct knowledge has reached supraconsciousness (which is the consciousness that is beyond our ordinary perceptions. It is the way that a god perceives, a master, a prophet). The world of Imaginative Knowledge is a world of symbolic images. Inspiration grants us the power of interpreting symbols. In the world of Intuition, we see the great cosmic theater and we are the spectators. We attend the great drama of life. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
We study these principles to provide direction in our work, to give us focus, to give us orientation. You can see in the background of this image a prayer niche facing towards Mecca. You find these within any mosque. It is known as the قِبْلَة Qibla. It is how you direct yourself towards the stone of the الكعبة Ka’ba in the Middle East in order to pray. It is a symbol of your concentration, your focus, and your discipline, specifically with the stone, الكعبة the Ka’ba, יסוד Yesod in Kabbalah, the work with creative sexual energy, as we have mentioned many times.
So, in order to really master these three steps of initiation, to understand the process of experience and how to understand what we perceive, we have to be very dedicated, very prayerful, very devoted. In synthesis, imagination is the perception of nonphysical imagery. Inspiration is the recognition of divine symbolism or iconography. Intuition is the comprehension. It is the understanding or the interpretation of internal symbols and experiences. So, in a moment of meditation, you can be relaxed, entering profoundly into yourself, when you suddenly receive in your mind, that is quiet, a symbol. It arrived to you with clarity, with a perception that is very crisp, dynamic, powerful. You see it not with physical senses, but with psychological senses, with a capacity to perceive images, imagination. We often think of imagination as something fanciful, and ironically, we think of it as something false, when in truth, imagination permeates everything. I know in our Western culture we like to look down upon people who use their imagination, like artists, so to speak. But in truth, the greatest inventors, architects, creators, builders, first perceived something in their mind and then they made it manifest in reality, physically. The problem is that for most of us, our imagination is conditioned. We tend to use it in the wrong way. But when it is purified and perfected, it becomes a vehicle through which divinity can speak to us, can communicate to us directly. So, you can be meditating and receive an image―not only that, but it arrives clearly and with a lot of vibrant colors, detailed, like a vivid lucid dream. You recognize a symbol and therefore you become inspired. You feel joy because you realize that God is speaking to you. But the problem with most of us is that even if we have that experience, we get bewildered. We do not understand the message, and then we run to our friends, our instructors, or dream dictionaries, or books to find some kind of answer to a specific message given to us by our inner Being, and the problem is that we get more confused, because no one can interpret your dreams for you. Instructors can give suggestions, but really, we do not understand the karma of a person. We do not see into other people’s minds, especially over the internet. We get those inquiries online and we see it even on the forum. People ask people or instructors to interpret dreams. The reality is that intuition, understanding of those experiences, will unfold naturally as we meditate. It is good to know symbols and different teachings from the prophets that relate to different symbols, but the truth is that the magical blossoming of realization unfolds when you put your mind aside, when you stop comparing with the intellect. You let your consciousness speak to your heart. The Sufis do not use these terms, but we reference such stages in the following way: Awareness (muhadarah) is the beginning; then follows disclosure (mukashafah), then contemplation (mushahadah). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
First, we have to become aware of the divine presence inside. We become aware of images, imagination, perceptions, experiences, which unfold beautifully when we do not desire it, when we let our mind rest, and we wait and are open, receptive.
We acquire disclosure when we recognize with inspiration and joy that divinity has communicated with us through symbols, whether in meditation or in dreams. When you have an impactful experience, you feel great happiness. It hits you in your heart, even if you do not intellectually understand it, and the way to understand these messages is not with the intellect. It is with our heart, with our conscience. We can understand that divinity has disclosed, has unveiled a specific message for us, and it now is imperative that we learn how to interpret it with intelligence, without prejudice, without egotism, without desire. When we learn to interpret without the ego, we arrive at intuition, contemplation. We put the self away. You cannot know the truth with your mind, with your intellect. Your mind can only compare data from the senses. You need a different type of understanding, intelligence. Reasoning has to be put aside and this is why people often do not know how to discriminate what they are seeing, and so this lecture will serve to explain that process. 
Imagination
Let us examine the definition and guidelines for imaginative knowledge from Samael Aun Weor:
For the wise, to imagine is to see. Imagination is the translucence of the soul. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
The question is, is our perception or imagination translucent? Is it clear? Can you take an object and visualize it perfectly? Can you sustain it for a long period of time?
Most of us, if we are honest, will find that the mind will distort the image. We cannot see clearly. We do not see with color, with intensity. We cannot sustain it. This is because our mind is conditioned. Our ego manipulates the practice. So, the solution is to be patient, because this skill, this sense, will only be developed with consistency, with intentionality. We all have the capacity to imagine. We all can perceive. We all have that potential. Some people, unfortunately, have used the term clairvoyance to denominate a term that is natural to anyone. Primarily, this group of people, I believe this is a group of French initiates, wanted to confuse those who were not studying their teachings. Clairvoyance really signifies “clear vision.” They gave a technical term to a natural function. Therefore, people have come to many absurd conclusions about what clairvoyance or imagination is, like it is a gift that only few people have. If I tell you to imagine an apple, you can see it, not with your physical eyes, but with your consciousness. The question is how developed that skill is and its very quality that can really help us to perceive divinity, internally within meditation and within dreams. So, there is positive imagination and there is negative imagination. Positive imagination is free of ego. There is no conditioning there. There is no subjectivity or delusion. It is not mixed with impurity, like anger, or pride, or resentment, or fear, or lust. Negative imagination is the type of fantasies that we have and engage with all day, typically. We think of conversations and things we wanted to say to a person at a given moment, or we indulge in images in our mind related to lust, with pride, with anger, etc. This wastes a lot of energy, and it means that our imagination is not translucent. It is not clear. We purify it gradually with patience. Samael Aun Weor continues: Whosoever awakens consciousness has reached Imaginative Knowledge. This one moves in the world of symbolic images. The symbols that the student saw while he was dreaming he now sees without dreaming, as before he was seeing them with a sleeping consciousness. Now he moves himself among them with an awakened consciousness even when his physical body is profoundly asleep. When the student reaches Imaginative Knowledge, he sees the symbols but he does not understand them. He comprehends that all of nature is a living scripture that he does not know. The student needs to elevate himself into Inspired Knowledge in order to interpret the sacred symbols of Great Nature. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
We have a lot of exercises in our tradition to develop imagination. There are visualization practices to strengthen their capacity, to perceive nonphysical imagery with color, with vibrancy, with intensity, with clarity, with depth, and with sustainability. Of course, our imagination in the beginning is going to be mixed. But, with practice, we transform conditioned perception into unconditioned perception, negative imagination into positive imagination.
It is important also to understand that there are two essential dynamics related to imagination. Visualization practice requires that we project an image. But it also requires that we learn how to receive images as well. With visualization, we take an object. We initiate it. We perceive it. We sustain it. We do it with gentleness. Imagination is a beautiful flower, an immaculate rose, with very delicate petals. It is not achieved through force, with exertions, with strain. It arises from the mud of your psychology with time and patience and great care, with tenderness, with affection, with love. Imagination comes to us when we recollect. We do not force it. We do not coerce the mind. Imagination is translucent and natural, like a cool moon reflected within a pond, within the pristine and limpid waters of a lake. So, if you lose the lucidity of the image that you are trying to visualize, it is good to open your eyes again, look at your object again, then close your eyes and continue. Train yourself. Be consistent. With practice you will begin to sustain images with great accuracy and consistency, and this is the skill that is going to open up the internal worlds when you combine meditation with relaxation. Ever have a dream? Ever enter the dream world consciously, perceiving images and sounds and places and people and things? This is the doorway to real knowledge. So, when you work with imagination and you develop relaxation, you enter your psychology with concentration. You access knowledge of the superior dimensions: those realities that all the great prophets have called heavens. 
Candle Visualization
So, what are some practices we can do to develop this? We got to remember that as we are practicing, the mind is going to attempt to distract us. It is going to distort what we perceive, and when this happens, it is good to look at the object again and recall the exercise without force.
You can take a candle and observe it. Light it. Look at its qualities and color and details, and then close your eyes gently and visualize the object. If you find that your mind is distracted, it can be good to engage with preliminary concentration exercises, like focusing on the breath or a mantra, or you can open up your eyes again and observe the candle. Bring your attention back gently, without force. Remind yourself, not with recrimination, but with delicacy and confidence. Bring yourself back to the practice, and eventually you will start to sustain your imagination over prolonged periods of time. Start short. Begin with five-to-ten minute practices. Do them frequently, but daily, and then you will find you get better at it. 
Plant Visualization
If you want to get even more profound into this type of exercise, you can visualize a plant. So, if you want this to work, it can be good to go on to google images, to actually own a specific plant, and find pictures that relate to its appearance, but also to its internal physiology. This is so that you can understand its constituent parts, what it is made up of, because this is very important when you practice a technique given by Samael Aun Weor in the book Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology.
Our visualization has to be very scientific. We have to know what makes up a plant. We have to be exact if we want it to work. So, you can imagine the form, the figure, the structure, the perfume, the color of the plant. It can be any kind. If you can get an aloe or a maguey, or other plants we use for magical rituals, elemental magic, like in Igneous Rose by Samael Aun Weor, the better. 
The important thing is that we have the plant of our choice and that we have precision with our visualization. You imagine the protoplasm, the membrane, the nucleus.
While maintaining drowsiness, we also reflect upon the four essential elements of the plant: its cell protoplasm, which is a viscous, elastic, and transparent substance, like an egg white. The four elements that relate to the protoplasm are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Perceive the nucleus. It is a miniature solar system, where life palpitates with abundance. It circulates, it flows, like the planets around the sun. Examine the nucleus in your mind eye. Perceive the nuclear juice and the nucleolus, which is covered by a nuclear membrane. The nucleolus is constituted by corpuscles that shine with light. We can also imagine how mineral substances make organic combinations within the plant cellular protoplasm. You can perceive the grains of starch within the luminous chlorophyll, which shines like a green light. Samael Aun Weor explains that we can enter ecstasy when contemplating plant cell nutrition, its relationship, and its reproduction. So, this is a very skilled exercise. It takes a lot of focus, but if you invest a lot of time and energy and work into this, it is very fruitful, very positive. 
So, when you are imagining the reproduction of the plant, and you know its parts, you can observe and imagine the chalice of the flower, which are its sexual organs, and the pollen is the masculine, reproductive element. The pistil or gynoecium is the feminine sexual organ of the plant, with its ovary sac, which is filled with ova, the stylus, and stigma, specifically.
We can visualize the process of fecundation, which is really important, where you see the feminine germs and the masculine gametes, when they meet. After exiting the anther, the pollen, which is the masculine gamete, reaches the ovary of the plant, whereby the feminine gamete waits with longing, with sexual anticipation, with ecstasy. 
It is important to remember that in this stage of the visualization, because we are focusing on the details of the plant, we are now going inside of the evolving and devolving processes of the plant itself. We have to perceive the sprout, the bud, which grows slowly, giving birth the leaves, to flower, and branches.
However, we have to recall that everything that lives must die. It must decay. It must devolve. This is the sister of evolution. Everything has birth, life, and genesis, gestation, formation, existence. But then it decays, devolves, degenerates, dies. You cannot have one without the other, and, as you are imagining the withering, the decomposition and death of the plant, you are perceiving its leaves and its stalk retracting and dying.
Now, what is the purpose of this exercise? We are becoming conscious of these spiritual laws and how they operate with all existing things. This visualization can apply to us as well, and if you go really deep, allowing the mind to settle, to calm, and you are visualizing all this with clarity, you can enter into the superior worlds as your body falls asleep. You enter the internal planes and receive higher knowledge about these processes, because to imagine is to see. It does not mean to fantasize: to project our desires of what we think or want. It means to receive new information. In this practice you are projecting an image and you are sustaining it with accuracy. You are maintaining its vibrancy, its depth, its life. You hold it and you wait. The next step is that if you are patient, if you are serene, if you are concentrated, and you are not expecting anything, the truth emerges. You are going to receive new information. It is going to relate to the object of your practice, and this can occur in the form of a living drama, a scene, an event, a situation, whereby you are both the witness and the participant. If you are meditating on a plant, specifically, you can eventually leave your body and speak face to face with the elemental of the plant. These innocent beings appear with beautiful colored tunics or togas. They are innocent children, very simple and pure. Now, the Sufis refer to this principle of imagination in different ways. They speak about awareness, which can be a very broad and general term. But specifically, we have to become aware of this whole process, of all these principles, of all the details of our visualization. I will read for you a quote from Principles of Sufism by Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah, which explains and corroborates what Samael Aun Weor wrote: Awareness [from the same Arabic root word hudur, presence], is presence of heart, which may be produced by the coming together of innumerable small proofs of what is real. It is still behind the veil, even if the heart is present with the overwhelming power of the practice of remembering God. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
What are these innumerable, small proofs of what is real? There are many people who write to us about their experiences. They are meditating. They achieve a state of quietude, of introspection. The mind is at rest. The body is calm. The energies are circulated through pranayama and suddenly lights emerge, colors, sounds, experiences, visions. This is imaginative knowledge. It is the capacity of the soul to perceive the higher dimensions, which are inside.
Many people have different experiences when they work in Gnosis. This constitutes definite evidence or objective testimony of the truth, of divine states. However, such perceptions are still behind the veil, so to speak, because we can perceive all these things, but we do not understand what we perceive. We feel a powerful divine presence within our consciousness even if we do not grasp the full depth of the vision. Mindfulness
This is why we study mindfulness. The term مراقبة muraqaba is Sufi meditation: to watch oneself, one’s thoughts, one’s desires, one’s preconditions or prejudices, assumptions, cravings, aversions, etc.
Our capacity to imagine is strengthened when we self-observe. You need both. If you want your imagination practices to go well, you should be observing yourself all day so that the very sense of perception is strengthened and complemented by your imagination exercises. It is the same capacity to perceive, although they do have their distinct qualities. But when you are working with self-observation, you are working with positive imagination. You are learning to perceive your own inner worlds: your defects, your faults, learning to perceive objectively, learning to act objectively, to be in a state of equanimity. To be successful in these studies, we have to be vigilant. We cannot sleep as a consciousness. It is important to remember divinity in our actions and perceive and understand and observe our psychological process at all times. The word vigil means “to not sleep,” to not lose attention. A vigil often encompasses a ritual in which you are praying over the dead, in which you do not sleep, or other practices in many indigenous cultures where they pray to the divine gods, the masters, the buddhas, the prophets, and renounce physical sleep, even if but for a day. Some people refer to this process as mindfulness, which is the continuity of attention, or being aware at all times throughout our day, and even at night when we are asleep, physically, we learn to be conscious in the internal worlds. We achieve مراقبة muraqaba, meditation, by establishing ourselves within serenity. I will read for you some quotes from Abdullah Ansari of Herat from the Stations of the Sufi Path. He provides some guidelines for developing this introspective quality of perception: From the field of Serenity the field of Mindfulness is born. God, the Most High, says, ‘They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they even flag or intermit’ (21:20). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, this emphasizes that one cannot lose their attention even but a moment. It is a difficult process and training ground, but it is essential.
Mindfulness involves striving and is of three kinds: being mindful of service, being mindful of the spiritual moment, and being mindful of the inner consciousness. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We must engage in selfless activities. We have to learn to serve our communities, families, our loved ones while in a state of vigilance. This is the prerequisite. However, this can only occur when we no longer anticipate the future, nor ruminate about the past. We have to be present, here and now, as we explained in the lecture called The Present Moment in this course. Inner consciousness reflects our deepest connection, our solidarity and expression of Being. It means that we follow our hunches, our inquietudes, our longings, our intuition, where we know something without having to think about it. We know what to do in a given moment without having to rationalize. The quote continues:
Being mindful of service is achieved through three things: revering God’s command, knowing the Prophetic tradition, and recognizing pretension. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
How do we revere God’s command? We not only study the Piscean and Aquarian teachings, but we reflect upon how they are realized and related to our life. This is when the teachings become really fruitful and not an intellectual exercise. We learn to follow the commands of our Being by following our heart. We learn to recognize which psychological states are harmful or beneficial. We do it through observations of the facts, through experience, through trials, through errors, through failures.
The prophetic tradition, obviously in Islam, relates to the Prophet Muhammad, but it also refers to the ethical caliber, the lives of any genuine master. For us, as Gnostics of this tradition, we reflect upon the process of Samael Aun Weor, who describes the path of initiation through his example in books like The Three Mountains, which is a spiritual autobiography. We have to also recognize pretension, to identify when we do things with pride or with humility. You can only examine yourself. You have to know this from experience to distinguish the difference. And being mindful of the spiritual and metaphysical moment is achieved through three things: elimination of passion, purification of thought, and being overcome by divine love. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, you master your abilities in the moment by comprehending and eliminating passions: the egos, nafs-al-ammara in Arabic. Purify your mind. We do it by discovering and restraining desire, by judging it through retrospection meditation, and praying for annihilation when we comprehend it fundamentally.
We have to remember the presence of God. We do this when we are tempted and when we do not allow ourselves to be guided by desire. We follow our intuition which knows right from wrong. Lastly: And being mindful of the inner-consciousness is achieved through three things: losing [attachment to] the world, becoming free from the self, and returning to God through intimacy. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We need to identify how we are attached to impressions, why we crave or possess aversions to certain situations. We have patterns that we repeat. We need to examine this. We have to follow the thread of inner consciousness, like Ariadne’s thread in the labyrinth that Theseus follows in order to escape after slaying the Minotaur. Follow the thread, the continuity of your consciousness, to get out of the mind. We do that by examining our impressions, psychologically and externally. We free ourselves from the ego when we realize that we are not ego. This is a profound state of joy, real happiness.
Intimacy is a sexual and alchemical term, which unfortunately many Sufis ignore, often attributing it to realizing divine states, exclusively. However, the greatest intimacy with our Divine Mother is achieved in the perfect matrimony. Study the lecture on our website called Divine Love. It is in The Sufi Path of Self-Knowledge. 
Inspiration
Divinity speaks in symbols, which is always particular to the time, the needs, the interests, the language, the context, and the idiosyncrasies of a given culture. We can see in this graphic a representation of diverse religious forms, which contain esoteric principles. We should become familiar with them.
These 13 symbols starting at twelve o’clock, moving clockwise, are the Bahai faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native Spirituality, Sikhism, Taoism, Unitarian Universalism, and Zoroastrianism. Different messengers have appeared to provide this wisdom, but since aspirants require different nourishment, possessing unique particularities―we all have different aspirations and tastes―divinity often conveys such truths in a way that it is going to be palatable. It is going to be accessible in a given moment in history. Symbols, however, convey greater meaning than words, which is why internal experiences have always been coded within divine abstractions, within allegories, within parables, within situations, within dramas. People often ask why God speaks in symbols. In truth, you simply cannot convey that much depth through plain English. As much as we may like Shakespeare, really the most deep truths are abstract and symbolic. A word can convey some variety of meaning, whether its connotative or denotative, implicit or explicit, the hidden or the literal meaning. However, a symbol can operate on multiple conceptual and experiential dimensions―all at once. For example, you can receive a cross in a dream and overall, it can refer to a state of profound moral suffering, but also the four elements of the ordeals. It can relate to sexual temptations, the crossing of male and female forces, the death of the ego. It can also signify the return to divinity. So, the language of God is intuition. It is a type of grammar. They are the building blocks of meaning of an intuitive and spiritual type. It is difficult to learn, but if you are patient, you will learn it and it will guide you in your daily life. This grammar is synthesized through religious symbolism, especially the sacred arcana of The Eternal Tarot. These are the archetypes of the spiritual path itself. Each arcanum or law represents a truth that can apply to many different, specific events or problems. These are universal ideas, which become particularized to an event. For example, you can meditate and inquire into a certain problem, visualizing it within your imagination. As you awaken consciousness within the internal worlds, you perceive a drama, which can unfold in relation to a number. This signifies that numbers and their symbolism are intuitive. They are dynamic. They represent principles and forces. They symbolize specific conflicts and struggles, as well the anecdotes and antidotes for change, for remedy, to whatever problem we are facing. When you recognize that these symbols are a direct communication from your Innermost Being, you become inflamed. You become enraptured. You become inspired. You are perceiving something new in your consciousness. It is like a shock. It gives you joy. Literally, the term inspiration, from the Latin inspirare, signifies, “immediate influence of God or a god,” “to breathe upon.” Inspiration is when we recognize, through alert novel perception, that God has answered us. However, while we recognize that divinity has given us an answer, in relation to a symbol or a problem, we have to learn to interpret the message. However, the problem is the ego. People who do not question their perceptions and how they interpret their internal experiences have gone even so far as to commit crimes, literally. For example, we can internally see that our spouse is committing adultery with someone else. We can wake up from the dream and then mistakenly condemn our partner, not realizing how that inner vision was either a projection of our own desires, or―if it was objective―a scene from a past life, which our spouse is incapable of repeating again. Internal perceptions have to be analyzed coldly, like you are dissecting a cadaver. You have to do it without superstition, without attachment, without assumption, not allowing any belief, any condition of mind to twist what you see. This is why we study religious symbolism. We study the path so that we do not get confused. We can verify whether or not our experiences are objective when we measure them up to the works of the prophets―not by modern people, but by real initiates whom we have verified. If our inner experiences do not coincide with physical facts, with evidence, with verification from scripture, from the teachings, from the instructions, then we can sincerely disregard what we perceived. It will be a projection of the ego. We can be very confident in that. Samael Aun Weor gives a quote regarding this: Inspired Knowledge grants us the power of interpreting the symbols of Great Nature. […] When the “I” interferes by translating and interpreting symbols, then it alters the meaning of this secret scripture, and the clairvoyant (the imaginative one) falls into a crime that can conduct him to jail. Interpretation must be tremendously analytical, highly scientific, and essentially mystical. There is a need to learn how to see and how to interpret in the absence of the “I,” of the myself. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
Inspirational knowledge is uplifting. Its invigorating. It is really a beautiful thing, because we are unveiling the mystery of our Being. We are receiving true wisdom and we are receiving guidance, ethically, about our problems―what to do―how to behave. This is why the Sufis explained:
After this comes disclosure (unveiling, mukashafah) which is presence which has the quality of proof itself. In the condition the heart has no need of pondering indications or searching for the road, nor seeking protection from occasions of uncertainty, and it is not screened from the nature of the Unseen. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
These are different terms than what Samael Aun Weor gave. Unveiling is inspiration. It is when we unveil the mysteries and receive direct proofs of divine reality. We do not question or “ponder” what to do, because we do not need to “search” anymore for “the road,” the path: the way to the answer to an issue. The answer has appeared, so we are no longer uncertain about what divinity wants from us or is guiding us to do. We are no longer “screened from the unseen,” the Being. We feel great inspiration. We feel shock. We can feel awe, because we have successfully communicated with God and that God is speaking to us.
In synthesis, if you want to develop inspirational knowledge, you can meditate on classical music, especially Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart, Puccini, Chopin, Liszt, the great masters. Their music teaches these archetypes and enliven the heart. 
Unveiling
We see here an image of a woman wearing a burka, a face covering, which is an esoteric symbol of how the Divine Mother is hidden from the eyes of the profane, but is visible to those who maintain chastity. We achieve unveiling through working with transmutation, with breathwork, with pranayama. We do so through mantras and sexual alchemy. Abdullah Ansari of Herat continues:
From the field of Breath the field of Unveiling is generated. God, the Most High, says, ‘The heart in no way falsified that which he saw’ (53:11). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We have mentioned many times in this course that by harnessing the creative potential, we gain clarity in our perceptions, to the point that we acquire real faith, which is confidence born from experience, not belief. It does not matter if you think or do not think divinity is real, what matters is the experience, to verify, to know.
Unveiling is when the heart sees God, and the signs of such disclosure are three: the heart is drowned in the remembrance of God, the innermost consciousness overflows with His gaze, and the inner heart sees the Reality. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
To be drowned in remembrance is to be totally absorbed within that beautiful inspiration in the heart, because we have received a message, a symbol, and therefore, we are seeing God with the heart, not with the mind, but with the senses of the soul.
To gaze upon divinity is symbolic. God is formless, but divinity takes spiritual and religious forms so that we can apprehend its archetypical and intuitive nature. To see reality is only possible with an awakened and discerning heart. So many people approach spirituality with the intellect and therefore they do not understand mysticism, because it is not an intellectual process of comparing data. The mind can label phenomena, but it is no substitute for experience. The first kind of unveiling involves three things: truthful discourse, fear of people, and inspiration in invocation. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
These are relating to, again, the three stages or degrees of Sufism: شَرِيعَة Shari’a, طريقة Tariqa, and حقيقه Haqiqah or معرفة Ma’rifah.
Here we find the first level of unveiling, which is شَرِيعَة Shari’a―listening to the doctrine, truthful discourse, to be inspired and feel that this teaching is true based off our intuition in the heart and what we hear and receive with gladness. It means to validate and recognize these teachings with a receptive mind and heart that knows how to pay attention. We also feel inspiration or experience unveiling when we recognize how our actions bear consequences, especially when we relate with people. If we act with ego, we affect others, and therefore everyone is interdependent. No one is separate or isolated. In this way we feel great awe. We can feel fear, reverence, respect because we recognize that God is in all people and within ourselves, and therefore we do not act stupidly, intentionally. We should also feel inspiration when we pray or invoke divinity, as we know in our practices and rituals. The second kind of unveiling involves three things: stability of states, firmness in sincerity, and recognizing a higher bliss. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This relates to طريقة Tariqa: the path of meditation, and it relates to the stability of states and the consistency and temperance of one’s practice. When we are consistent, we receive continual and consistent inspiration. We apply the knowledge daily and practically. We get results, even if but long-term.
We also remain firm in our sincerity, and we continually assess ourselves through inner accounting, محاسبة muhasabah in Arabic, self-observation. Recognition of higher bliss has to do with Samadhi, ecstasies, absorptions, whereby, the soul penetrates the superior worlds and unites with divinity after abandoning the ego. Lastly, relating to the higher paths of Sufism, we have حقيقه Haqiqah, the truth and معرفة Ma’rifah knowledge. And the third kind of unveiling also involves three things: attaining stability and peacefulness, attaining dignity like that of the angels, and attaining steadfastness like that of holy and spiritual people. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Stability is temperance, to be firm and resolute, and these are developed with serenity, gradually, as we renounce egotism. We can have dignity like the angels, which is nothing like pride. It is humble. It is a recognition of one’s real worth, which does not assert itself upon other people, which learns to respect the will of other people. It offers guidance and solutions to problems without force, without manipulation. We do this by learning to work with the forces of persuasion, not coercion.
While we can maintain our dignity, we learn to establish boundaries with people. Humility does not mean that we necessarily become a doormat, but learn to act appropriately with dignity for the benefit of others, even if it contradicts others’ ego. Of course, to distinguish this quality requires a lot of discrimination and analysis of oneself, to not assume we are anything, but to be empty, like a clear sky. Steadfastness, like holy and spiritual people, applies to those who practice meditation and transmutation, even for hours. It was said by Samael Aun Weor that a serious meditator practices five to six hours a day. Of course, this is the level of a master and has to be built towards―very difficult, but, as by his example, it can be done. We have to start with where we are at. With patience we shall possess our soul. 
Intuition
After receiving a divine symbol, we have to comprehend and intuit its meaning.
As we explained earlier, mathematics is divine. It is symbolic. It is archetypical. It is allegorical. It is parabolic. It is symbolic. Each number represents a principle. Each of the divine arcana, the laws of the cosmos, represent higher truths. About this, we find the following verses from Samael Aun Weor: The world of intuition is the world of mathematics. The student that wants to elevate himself to the world of intuition must be a mathematician or at least must have notions of arithmetic. […] In the world of intuition, we find only omniscience. The world of intuition is the world of the Being; it is the world of the Intimate. In this world, the “I”, the myself, the ego, cannot enter. The world of intuition is the universal spirit of life. ―Samael Aun Weor, Sexology: The Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology
So, no self can be present. If you really wish to experience the highest levels and dimensionalities of Tree of Life, we cannot have any ego present. The self must be absent. There must not be any condition there. It does not mean that the whole ego has to be dead right away, but we have to learn to train ourselves to separate from that so that we can go within.
If you wish to understand and comprehend intuitive knowledge, you can meditate on mathematical formulas. Now it is easy to rationalize how 2 + 2 = 4. However, to understand the archetypes behind this, from experience, requires a lot of depth. Now, if you look at the Hebrew language, you find that the four-lettered name י Iod ה Hei ו Vau ה Hei represents “man, woman, phallus, uterus” within alchemical terms. It is the synthesis and power of the Divine Father and the Divine Mother manifested within a couple. This synthesis expresses the creative power of God. You can analyze this intellectually, but to understand how a god creates, from experience, is very distinct. Intuition is known by the Sufis as contemplation. It has been called witnessing, مشاهدة mushahada. At this stage, we perceive a symbol, and we understand what it means. As stated by Al-Qushayri: Then comes contemplation which is the presence of the Real without any remaining doubt. Suddenly, the sky of one’s hidden inner being (sirr) becomes clear of the clouds of the veil, and the sun of vision rises in the sign of honor. The truth of contemplation is as Junayd said, “Finding the Real comes with losing yourself.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
With comprehension, contemplation, witnessing, we do not have any doubts about what we perceive. There are many levels of comprehension. We can have it in the physical world. We can even have it in the internal worlds, levels of intuitive knowledge as dynamic and broad and deep, and pervasive as the Tree of Life, which is why we study that kabbalistic glyph many times. However, to really have this type of understanding, the ego, the self, has to be absent, even if but for a few moments.
Some people have the mistaken notion that intuition exclusively applies to having a samadhi, in which you enter the superior worlds and enter a vacation. You leave the physical world behind and have some powerful, tremendously mystical experience. The truth is that intuition is that, but also it is as simple as comprehending an ego, where you perceive that shock in your consciousness, that presence from divinity that showed you right from wrong. It can last a second and then it is gone―but you felt it. You experienced it. It was deep. In this way, we have no doubts about what we perceive. As you see in this image, the sun represents Christ, the Logos, the truth, which arrives when we lose our ego, even if but temporarily. As Samael Aun Weor explained, the “I” cannot enter the intuitive worlds―only the consciousness. Therefore, we have to abandon our mind to experience the Truth, reality. 
The Kabbalistic and Alchemical Significance of the Light Verse
Imagination, inspiration, and intuition are represented in one of the most famous verses of the Qur’an. I will read it for you in brief:
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp―the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star―lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has knowledge of all things. ―Surah An-Nūr [Qur’an 24:35]
The Qur’an is a book of kabbalah and alchemy. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, a map of the multidimensionality of our Being, from the most divine rarified states to the most dense and crude―our physical body or the earth.
Divinity is a light. It is a form of cognizance, which does not have any form, but can take form. It is clear perception, like within a lamp. If you study the Tarot, you know of the Ninth Arcanum: the Hermit, who bears the lamp of wisdom from which real knowledge is born. Yet, this is not knowledge from any book, but from experience, your own life lessons. Samael Aun Weor often describes our Innermost Spirit as a light within a glass of alabaster, which is buddhi, the divine soul or consciousness. The oil that lights the lamp is the science of Hermes. It is the sexual energy that has to be hermetically sealed and transmuted, as we explained in the lecture on Breath. An olive tree represents the sexual force, since our gonads are two olives, whether two testicles or two ovaries, from which the oil, the Hebrew שֶׁמֶן shemen, which is semen, provides the light of our temple and our spiritual life. That olive tree is neither from the East or the West in terms of physical direction. It is within us. But why is that tree not from the East or the West? People are very fanatic in their religion and think that the truth is only to be found in a certain scripture, in a certain religion, in some certain direction on the earth. But the truth is that you carry knowledge within your sexual glands. It has to be untouched by the fires of lust when we practice chastity. Without this basis, there is no light or understanding. Without the fuel for spiritual experience, we cannot awaken consciousness―period―which is why it states: “Allah guides to his light whomever he wishes.” That light is imagination. It is the capacity to perceive with spiritual sight, insight, certainty. “Allah draws parable for mankind and Allah has knowledge of all things.” These parables are symbols, allegories, archetypes, which inspire us to work, and to have knowledge of all things is to possess intuition, understanding of its meaning. 
Contemplation and Witnessing
We have a couple of versus from Stations of the Sufi Path, accompanied by an image of the Prophet Muhammad ascending the seven heavens upon الْبُرَاق al-Buraq, “the lightning,” the creative power of the Divine Mother. It is that energy that can give us the capacity to perceive the higher worlds. You cannot perceive heaven without it, divine states, which is why this initiate states:
God, the Most High, says, ‘Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ears and earnestly witness the truth’ [50:37] ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Unfortunately, in these times, many people do not even have a heart. They cannot understand mysticism because they approach these studies solely with the intellect. It is good to acquire knowledge of the books, and scripture, and teachings, but then it is merely knowledge in the mind. Whether we understand what we have read is another thing. We understand it from experience. To witness the truth, we have to learn to listen with a receptive mind and an active heart, an active consciousness. This verse continues:
Contemplation occurs when the veils between the obedient servant and God are removed. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
What are the veils that obscure perceptions of the divine? It is desire: anger, pride, lust, vanity, greed, avarice, jealousy, skepticism, morbidity, attachment, obsession, pessimism, selfishness, doubt. If we are desiring an experience, we will not have it. If we calm and quiet the mind and await the answer, patiently and with concentration and imagination, then the experience arrives magically.
There are three ways to realize contemplation: The first is to advance from the level of knowledge the level of wisdom; the second is to advance from the level of patience to the level of purity, and the third is to advance from the level of gnosis to the level of divine Reality. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
These three ways are mapped out by, again, شَرِيعَة Shari’a, طريقة Tariqa, and حقيقه Haqiqah- معرفة Ma’rifah, which we are going to elaborate here.
Wisdom, Purity, and RealityA person will advance from the level of knowledge to the level of wisdom through three things: by putting one’s knowledge into practice, by revering the divine commandments, and adherence to the prophetic tradition. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. We learn how to apply what we learn. Knowledge and being must be balanced. If knowledge is greater than your Being, then you become constipated. There is a lot of data in your mind, but it can be confusing and disorienting. It ferments when we do not actually perceive what we read, and a lot of people become very morbid that way. It is unfortunate. We recommend you study a little bit, but practice a lot, and in that way you gain experience of what is being written here and achieve equilibrium and balance.
Revering divine commandments does not mean to obey a tradition literally because someone told us to, but because we recognize the positive results of our practice. We feel happiness when we enact compassion and ethics and chastity, especially. Adhering to a prophetic tradition refers to living one’s life like the masters, like the prophets. Likewise, a person will rise from the level of patience to that of purity through three things: abandoning disputation (munaqisha’), abandoning self-will and personal deliberations (tadbir), and understanding the necessity of contentment. This is the spiritual station of the contented. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, on the path of meditation, when we are content with our lot, we rise from the level of patience to that of purity.
It is important to learn to avoid arguments with people. People who want to dispute with us or argue and debate, enter conflict verbally, to violate the minds of others, mentally, verbally, and likewise ourselves, waste a lot of energy, as we mentioned earlier in this course. It is good to save energy, to be patient, to offer these teachings from a state of humility and understanding, not from fanaticism or dogma, like we want to coerce someone to follow our faith. Persuasion is better, not coercion. Self-will has to be abandoned also, to no longer deliberate with the intellect for solutions to problems, because the mind is a machine. Instead, we should use intuition. It is also necessary to be content with our lot, to overcome the craving, the desire for more, like “I will only be spiritual if I get a partner,” or “I’ve studied this book,” or “received blessings from this master,” or “had this spiritual experience.” We have to start with where we are at. Be patient. You will acquire purity by enduring your karma, in experiencing suffering patiently, with humility, with love. Every valley should be exalted, every mountain and hill laid low, says Isaiah. Lastly, in relation to the path of حقيقه Haqiqah, the Truth, and معرفة Ma’rifah, Gnosis: Likewise, a person will ascend from the level of gnosis to the level of divine Reality through three things: behaving with awe and respect whilst in solitude and retreat, cultivating humility in service, and acting with self-sacrificing generosity to his companions. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
It is important, if we really want to develop intuitive knowledge, we practice these three principles: wisdom, purity, and reality. We should respect and revere divinity and the practices when we meditate. We do so from experience. To blindly accept is not to comprehend, is not to intuit, is not to experience. We should do so when we are alone, but also on retreats, especially.
You can experience this if you come out to our Gnostic retreats that we have, in which Glorian Publishing hosts. Hopefully with COVID, things will settle down so that we can again have retreats in person and practice in company with spiritual people. Respect in reverence. Cultivate an atmosphere of happiness, of elevation, of inspiration, of intuition. Humility is really important when we sacrifice for others, because we have to learn to help others without pride, not thinking we are better than others, that we are sacrificing for people because we are spiritual and they are not. Condescension and pity do not help anybody. Instead, even being humiliated and shamed by others, but also helping them regardless, is a noble quality. Lastly, we show true generosity when we give to others without self-interest. It can be time and services or skills. For some people its money. For other people its teaching. We have our own unique talents and dispositions that can help. So, these skills can guide you in developing intuitive knowledge, intuition, in accordance with the three stages of the Sufi path. Practices
We always conclude these lectures with practices.
1. Each day, develop your self-observation or inner accounting محاسبة muhasabah from moment to moment. As part of your self-observation, become aware of your use of imagination. Are you using it mechanically? Are you fantasizing about things that are not there, that are not real, that are subjective and relating to your ego? Or are you in a receptive, alert, and cognitive state, perceiving your surroundings and your internal worlds with clarity? 2. Every day, practice meditative retrospection. Recall what you perceived externally and internally from the entire day. Also, more importantly, question the validity of what you perceive. At this point in time, I would like to open up the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Question: How does one work on the fear of what we are unable to grasp as our Being begins to move and interact with us while unconscious (sleeping) yet conscious?
Instructor: So, from my understanding of the question is the fear of the unknown. As we are experiencing new things, we have perceptions such as in sleep. Some people have become terrified of astral projections, specifically, the sensations of leaving the body or even having visions internally that are very powerful, profound, and shocking. In relation to that, if I understand your question correctly, fear vanishes as we first become familiar with the phenomenon, but also as we learn to understand what in us is scared. Fear is an ego. It is a condition. It is a self, which traps our attention within a very limited scope. You have to observe that fear when it arises within you. If it takes over and you lose an experience as a result―because those times of emotion pulls us away from samadhi―we have to meditate, to relax, to observe, to introspect, and visualize that event as it happened, not according to our desires, but based on facts. What did we perceive that happened, in relation to the event? Examine the quality of the dream, the vision. Examine your reactions. Be patient. Concentrate and imagine it. Sustain the visualization. Pray to your inner divinity, your Divine Mother, to give you understanding―and then wait. When your mind is still and you are not even expecting it, the intuition or the understanding will emerge about what that fear is doing to you, what it is, where it came from, how it manifested, how it has been fed, how it kept you in darkness. Therefore, when you have deep comprehension of that ego, you can pray to your Divine Mother to eliminate, and She will in accordance with the magnitude of the fault, the depth of the karma involved, but also how much energy you have, because some egos are really gigantic, monstrous, and are not capable of being eliminated on one’s own. So sometimes, in reality, for those really deep-seated egos like fear, which obviously have very deep roots, we will need special help, for the deepest egos. You can eliminate what you perceive at your level as a single practitioner, but married couples can have more force by which to go into the really unconscious, subconscious, and infra-conscious elements of the mind, so that you can really clean your abyss inside. But of course, beginners can start with where they are at and eliminate a lot of ego on their own. So, there is no excuse if one is not married. Question: How does one tell the difference between the mind or with the mind and heart? 
Instructor: Now, if you study Kabbalah, Tree of Life, there are four spheres from the bottom to the top, or four spheres especially that should concern us when we study meditation and practice it. You have מלכות Malkuth, the physical body. You have יְסוֹד Yesod, the vital energies. You have הוד Hod, the emotions, and you have נצח Netzach, which is the mind. These are the lower qualities of our psychology, which are impure, conditioned by ego and self.
הוד Hod and נצח Netzach, the emotional and mental worlds, exists within the fifth dimension. Some people have a difficult time distinguishing between the two. Sometimes, even having dreams, one can have a difficult time discerning if they are in the emotional world, הוד Hod, or the mental world, נצח Netzach. It all stems from a lack of discrimination, physically. 
We study what is known as the three brains, which are machines that operate within our internal physiology, but also our psychology. We have a physical brain in our head, in our cranium and esoterically, a brain is merely a machine that processes energies and matter and forces. So, we know the intellectual brain obviously, but the emotions of the heart is a brain within itself, how we process feeling.
If you have a hard time distinguishing between the mind and the heart, you can practice certain exercises relating to the heart itself, like the mantra “O,” where you focus on a vibration in the heart center, to fill it with divine energy and force so that it becomes inflamed, awakened, and inspired.
We also have a third brain, which is the motor-instinctive sexual brain. It is a combination of movement, instinct, and sexuality, relating to our spine and its nervous systems. We have to take care of our human machine because the body is a temple that can manifest divine aid and force. You learn how these brains function in you by learning to observe yourself. I recommend you study a lecture called Self-Observation and The Three Brains (these are separate lectures), within the course Beginning Self Transformation. You can also study the earlier lectures in this course, since they will help to clarify that for you. Question: First, is death of the ego an appropriate perspective considering the ego consist of such a significant representation of this reality and conquering, maybe, more responsible? Instructor: So, I will repeat the first question. Death of the ego is the best perspective because our consciousness needs to eliminate our defects, our egos, our faults. So, if I understand your question, we understand reality when, it becomes significant for us, when we die to the self. This means to conquer oneself. We really conquer our inner universe, become kings and queens of our spiritual and psychological nature, when we eliminate impurities like anger, pride, vanity, fear, laziness, lust, gluttony, pessimism, morbidity, shame, etc. If the ego does not die, the soul is not born, because those egos trap and condition ourselves. If you want to have a clarified imagination, really deep and penetrative, objective, you have to remove the ego. The soul and the Being are inspiration. They are states of happiness and joy, which emerge when the ego expires. So, inspiration occurs, when you―as we mention in other lectures too, about working with the breath, to inspire―inhale the vital force, the prana, the life energy of our body, in order to awaken the consciousness. But we also have to expire the ego, or the ego must die. If we do not eliminate the ego, especially those that really prevent us from practicing, we become very degenerated, or better said, expired, so to speak. We lack inspiration, enthusiasm, and happiness. So, yes, we become responsible individuals as we eliminate anger because we know how to relate to others with greater inspiration and joy, with greater understanding and intuition of people. Question: What is crying a sign of within the human being? Instructor: I would have to ask you to clarify the question. Is that in relation to a dream, a vision that you had? If so, you would have to understand and relate the context for what happened, because I will just speak in general about dream interpretation as we are studying this topic of imagination, inspiration, intuition in accordance with the Sufis. In order to understand an experience like a dream, we have to relate it to a lot of different principles. Intuition, inspiration, and imagination are the preliminaries, the basics. As we are going to relate in a course on Dream Yoga and Astral Projection in the future, we also study in our dreams, in relation to the symbols that we receive, four laws which relate to how we interpret inner experiences, or the way that God speaks to us. He does so through contraries, philosophical analogies, correspondences, and numerology [See How to Interpret Dreams and Analyzing Dreams through Meditation]. I briefly mentioned the role of numbers and The Eternal Tarot and how we can use that sacred symbology to interpret the hours and dates and times within our dreams, so that we can understand what is going on objectively, what is God trying to tell us. Now, when you examine a dream itself, usually what happens is that there is a situation that unfolds in relation to a specific drama with characters, and usually this represents us, or we can be involved in the drama itself like a participant, but also, we are witnessing like a third person. If you are examining a crying person in a dream, you have to analyze the context. What is happening to the person? What is the situation? What is the drama? because sometimes based on your intuition, your hunches, you might have to relate that symbol in relation to an analogy to something else. It can correspond to certain details in your physical life. It can contradict what you want or what you want to happen. Dream interpretation is very beautiful and dynamic. It is very subtle and intuitive. I invite you, in the meantime, you can go online to Glorian.org and study the course on dream yoga and astral projection. They give you some details about how to work with the four laws, specifically, for dream interpretation. We are going to give a course of our own, eventually, and we are going to talk about that in a lot of depth, specifically. With that explanation, I hope that is a basis for understanding your particular symbol that you are perceiving or have perceived. Question: In the light verse slide, what does the calligraphy signify? 
(A mosque ceiling with Arabic calligraphy: النور An-Nur, "The Light")
Instructor: In Arabic, it is النور An-Nur, which means “the light.” Now, Arabic calligraphy is very beautiful and dense as a tradition, primarily because in Islam, they are not allowed to anthropomorphize divinity, because you cannot. Now, divinity or الله Allah, which is a four-lettered name for God in Arabic, signifies the Absolute. Also, the light that emanates from that unmanifested potential, known as אין Ain, אין סוף Ain Soph, and אין סוף אור Ain Soph Aur: the “nothing,” the “limitless,” and the “limitless light” in the Kabbalah. That light, which we call Christ in Gnosis, is an energy that manifests from the void, from the uncreated, from the limitless potential of cosmic abstraction.
So, the Muslims would depict divine truth in relation to Arabic Calligraphy. That light verse is An-Nur, which is very beautiful and very deep. So, that is the basic explanation, especially why calligraphy exists in that tradition. Question: According to Sufi teachings, we cannot eliminate the ego. In fact, we need to utilize it. We can work on the ego, but how can we eliminate? It is not possible. Ego cannot die, correct? Instructor: So, this common confusion can arise when we are not familiar with the different gradations of soul within Sufi Kabbalah. The Sufis talk about نَفْس nafs, which means “breath.” It also means soul or أنفاس nafas can mean “inspiration” as well, to inspire, to breath in. There are levels to the soul, and we explained in a lecture on breath, especially, how there is nafs al-ammara, which is the lower animal soul, which we call ego. Then you have nafs al-lawwamah, which relates to the more conscious soul known as רוּחַ ruach in Hebrew, the Kabbalah, the thinking-emotional soul, the conscience, which knows how to judge and evaluate the conditioned psyche, the lower soul, or ego, in that sense. Then you have nafs al-mutma’innah, which means “the soul at peace,” נשמה Neshamah in Hebrew, the Kabbalah. This the spiritual soul, the divine consciousness, which is never mixed with impurity. So, the Sufis explain that the soul has to be transformed, the lower soul into the pure. It has to be tamed and dominated. Now, we are a little bit more specific in Gnosis, in that, that whole condition itself, the lower animal passions, have to die completely. If you study the poetry of Rumi, especially, it is very obvious that when he talks about the death of himself and the death of desire, the death of myself, he is talking about the lower animal functions of the psyche. So, the ego has to die. That lower animal soul, or the consciousness that is trapped within lower animal qualities, is transmuted. It is a form of alchemy. The soul is extracted from the impurities and the impurities are eliminated, so that the lower soul―the animal soul―becomes a human soul. It could be an issue of semantics. I mean, if you are more specific about a particular verse or teaching from the Sufis, I can clarify that for you. Question: Can you speak a bit more on how to eliminate one’s ego? Instructor: Yes, there is a whole procedure and process we come back to again and again, as we mentioned in this course. But, if you really want to know how to eliminate the ego, you can study on the Gnostic Meditation Course the lecture called retrospection meditation. It is at the end of that course. We have a whole analysis about the steps and stages for dying to the ego. That lecture is based on three books: Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, The Great Rebellion and The Revolution of the Dialectic by Samael Aun Weor. The basic process involves three stages: discovery, judgment, execution, meaning self-observe your ego in the day. Gather data about the facts. When you meditate, you introspect and judge your faults, like you are judging a criminal in a court of law, a spy you have seen in action and have gathered information about. You judge that defect in your meditation and then you eliminate through prayer. Study that lecture on Gnostic Meditation: Retrospection Meditation. That goes into much more depth than we have the time to elaborate here, but it is very thorough. I hope you study it. Question: Can you explain the difference between intentionality and ridding ourselves of self-will, and how to be both intentional and humble, intentional without expectation? Instructor: It depends on what we intend. Who wants what, when, why, and how? You can only know the difference when you are examining yourself, observing with your consciousness in a given instance. Is your ego trying to act in a certain situation or was it your conscience? You have to judge in the moment. Observe the facts, and if it is not clear, especially, meditate on the event. Visualize it. Now, the difference between intentionality and ridding ourselves of self-will, is that our ego, like pride, intends to fill itself, sometimes by belittling others, by harming others―by being angry, even. It intends harm. It has its thoughts, its feelings, and its impulse to act. You have to see it in action. Observe it in the moment. That is the first step if ridding yourself of self-will, because you have to separate from it. You have to look at it and observe it. If you are identified with it and you feeling that you are those thoughts, feelings and will to act in mistaken ways, then we are merely suffering and making other people suffer. The beginning is to be humble and to recognize, in a state of observation, how we are not innocent people. It is easy to blame others for their faults, but difficult to examine our own. You only reach that point of understanding when you are serious about looking at yourself, not with physical eyes, but with psychological self-observation. Now, the soul knows how to act intentionally in any instance of life. That is only determined through conscience, through intuition, following your heart. Your heart will tell you how to behave and act even if it contradicts your mind, and usually, our mind will fight us very hard. But you have to look at the results. Perhaps, for example, you are at work. You see someone who is a coworker that is suffering a lot. You feel inspired to talk to them but maybe you are shy or hesitant. If you listen to your ego, you do not say anything and therefore you miss an opportunity. But, by following your heart, you can speak words of encouragement, even if it is difficult for you. Usually, in those situations that are challenging to fulfill, because the mind resists, those tend to be the right actions. But you have to gauge it in your heart. Examine your conscience. I suggest, if you want to know more about that topic and the difference, study the lecture Spiritual Discipline in our Sufi Path of Self-Knowledge Course. We go into a lot of detail about will and self-will, what does it mean to act with consciousness, and desire―the difference between them. Question: I just had a question in reference to what you were talking about, ego death. Is there a correlation to it in the Bible? It mentioned the fatted calf is the thing killed for the prodigal son―the Son of Man is offered as a spotless lamb? Is that in correlation to the animal soul that as one purifies or works on ego, baser egos, stains, spots, are cleared from that ego, but still has to die, because subtler egos are seen more refined or pure, but there, still must be a sacrifice in the end? Instructor: Sure, so, the calf that we are talking about is the Golden Calf, so to speak, which is out own egotism and idolatry. Now, I am not too familiar with the verse that you are referring to… Question: In the prodigal son story, the fatted calf is killed. It says, “Go and kill the fatted calf for my son has returned home. He was dead and now he is alive again.” It just what you were describing with the animal soul and how even that can seem to be, they are keeping a fatted calf. It is not a sickly calf. The spotless lamb is not a sickly, disabled lamb. It is a pure, healthy thing, but still must die in those cases. Instructor: Yes. In relation to the prodigal son especially, that represents any one of us, who was once wayward, and lost, spiritually speaking, and has returned to divinity, and as a celebration for having returned to our divine origins. Divinity rewards us by hosting a dinner, the banquet of the lamb, the feast of initiation, so to speak, because internally, a banquet or a dinner party, usually with angels and masters, occurs because we conquer ordeals internally, overcoming certain obstacles. There could be some symbolism there in relation to sacrificing one’s ego, killing the ego so that you can really enjoy supper with the lamb, so to speak, with Christ. Question: The reason I thought of it is because it seems like as one works with Gnosis, then powers can be acquired. Experiences can be had, which gives, as you say, inspiration, but it also seems that it doesn’t necessarily mean that one’s sense of self is dead, and Samael says, “Don’t be identified with magical powers.” So there is an ego that must die, but ego is gaining knowledge along with the soul, right? So, in the end, despite all its grandeur, which this process can seem to add a sense of grandeur for oneself, unless discerned, it has to die, even if it is grand, which can be very horrifying, to discover you are something great, and must be the lowest, as Christ. You must be the least. Instructor: Yes. That is why it is important that when we are working on ourselves and acquiring spiritual experiences, we cannot become proud. Mystical pride is a terrible problem in spiritual movements where we have experiences about certain phenomena that are very powerful, and then our pride will take what is pure in that experience and attribute that to itself. But it has nothing to do with inspiration. That is the opposite. That is expiration, we can say. We kill our heart whenever we assume that those experiences belong to us, when in truth they belong to divinity, our soul. Our soul is the one that receives initiation, not the self. So, it is important to make a distinction there because the mind will take ownership of experiences that do not belong to it. Therefore, we have to be humble like Christ and to accept the worst humiliations within our ordeals and paths because those are the medicine we receive so that we learn to keep our feet on the ground, to really understand our perspective in this work. When the ego interferes, we create problems. That is why we have to be patient with our experiences, but to also be humble and recognize that these things belong to God, not to us. Question: What is the meaning of resurrection? Instructor: You can study The Eternal Tarot on our website, where we talk about that Arcanum and the Tarot, specifically, but in one sense resurrection is a card in the Tarot that comes after inspiration. What is interesting is that Arcanum 19: Inspiration relates to how we acquire understanding of symbols and the relationship of interdependent things, how all phenomena interrelate with each other, and that we are a part of a great cosmic whole, and that we feel joy, and inspiration, and happiness when we understand that relationship. Resurrection is a card that relates to when the soul has really perfected itself. The ego is fully dead, and the soul is reborn within the Being. There are many levels of application of this. I invite you to study the Arcanum 20: Resurrection on The Eternal Tarot of Alchemy and Kabbalah course. You can study that whole series even, if you really want to understand the context for resurrection, especially. But, in synthesis, resurrection comes after inspiration. We can say resurrection is a form of rebirth, in which you have a solidified and deepened understanding of higher truths, kind of like the world of intuition. Question: Can you discuss the ego of lust? I have always only thought of it as sexual lust, but I understood that it exists in many other subtle ways, such as in a deep desire for sensations, emotional, intellectual, passion, mental stimulation, or even methods to escape from boredom. This understanding has allowed me to comprehend why I have suffered for so many years. Instructor: Yes, because lust is a desire. Typically, we think of sexual desire, but there is also lust in gluttony. We lust after certain foods and drinks, certain intoxicating substances. We also have lust in avarice, in greed. We lust after material things. We feel jealousy. We lust after a person’s destruction. It is easy to categorize the ego in terms of seven types, like the seven deadly sins. But the reality is that the ego is much more complex than that. We use the law of seven, the seven primary defects, to have a basis for understanding the plethora of conflicting desires we carry within. Now, pride can be lustful. Lust can be angry. Greed can be proud of having position in money and wealth and acquisition. You can only really understand the depths of any ego specifically by looking at it for what it is and not labelling it, because there is a tendency and danger in us to want to label our inner psychology with the mind and not really looking at it for what it is. The ego is a really complex mess. One label does not describe it. There is a beginning by studying the three traitors, especially: the demon of the mind, Pilate; the demon of the heart, Caiaphas; the demon of desire, Judas, but as well as the seven deadly sins. This can give us some more intuition and basis for going deeper into ourselves. But, yes, lust is really in all things. It is the original sin, and that really explains why all our defects are lustful, in a sense. They crave after certain desires and impressions. Question: Is the Divine Mother really our highest selves or higher self? Instructor: She is the heights of our Being, and the Divine Mother, we can say, permeates the entire Tree of Life. If you want to understand our place in the cosmos and our own psychology and spirituality, we study the Kabbalah. 
Now, the Tree of Life maps out our entire Being, and there are many levels to the Being. As the Qur’an states, “Light upon light” (24:35): level upon level of Being. The Divine Mother, we can say is בִּינָה Binah, the Holy Spirit, in Kabbalah. But also, She is the אין סוף Ain Soph, the womb and limitless abstract space from which all beings emerge. She is also related to גְּבוּרָה Geburah, Divine Mother Death, but also our instincts, יְסוֹד Yesod, and even our physical body, the Earth.
So, yes, She is the highest aspect of ourselves, but She permeates the entire multidimensional nature of our Being. So, she cannot be studied in isolation, but has to be understood in relation to the five aspects, which are explained in the book, The Three Mountains by Samael Aun Weor. You can also study the lecture The Divine Mother in our course on Beginning Self-Transformation. Question: I attempt to self-observe during the day, practice observation and imagination techniques at night. I feel, for the most part, like its mechanical now. How can I change that? Instructor: Examine your habits, how you are doing things, and look for patterns. The solution is, sit and reflect. Empty your mind. Do not think. Do not label anything. Suspend your senses. It can be good to do pranayama, mantras, transmutation. Establish some degree of serenity. If you find that you are very mechanical, it could most likely mean that you are not concentrated enough, or you are doing things unconsciously, which means we have to clarify our observations of what we are actually doing. Self-observation can be mechanical. We can observe ourselves and look at data, see our physical surroundings and our environment, and know that we are feeling certain emotions and thoughts, but we have to learn how to separate from that. It could be good to change your routine so that you do something new to kind of shock you out of the habit of just repeating the same schedule, but not seeing any results in your practice. Self-observation, when its properly performed, is when you see something new for the first time. If you think you are examining things mechanically, examine the examiner. Observe the observer. Who in you is looking? Turn the question back on your own mind. When you observe something, like a fresh rain fall on a cobblestone street, like in Europe or some beautiful place, some ancient city, some immaculate surrounding, you feel great inspiration and joy that you cannot describe in words, a type of sentiment that is very deep or profound. You do not know where it comes from. It is not forced. It is not manipulated. It is not labeled. It is something natural and spontaneous to you. That inspiration is what you should feel like when you are self-observing. You are looking at the world like you have never seen it before. In reality, you have not. Everything is changing. Everything is in flux. All phenomena are interdependent. So, learn to find joy in your perception. Examine what in you is trying to do things mechanically. Turn in on yourself. This is kind of a very Krishnamurtian effort. He talks a lot about observing without a self or an “I.” That is what you need to do. Just keep looking. Keep working at it. It is not going to be perfect in the beginning, because we develop Gnostic egos that want to do the work, so observe those Gnostic egos who are trying to observe in you. In that way you keep things fresh. Question: What are your thoughts on ayahuasca and how it relates to Divine Mother? Instructor: In these studies, we do not use drugs or plant substances like that, like Ayahuasca, or other drugs like marijuana, cocaine, drugs, alcohol, especially. This is primarily because those substances condition the consciousness. They awaken perceptions within the conditioned ego, the self. The kind of inspiration in spiritual experiences we are talking about in these studies do not require any type of outward influence. It only requires a certain inner discipline, and therefore is very pure. We are very pure in our studies and application of these principles. There are a lot of indigenous cultures and traditions that have utilized plants like peyote, ayahuasca, and other substances, but mostly those traditions are degenerations. They have lost the essential value of working with the soul or elemental of the plant, not ingesting it like a drug. The Divine Mother demands purity. There are two aspects of the Divine Mother, we can say, in synthesis. There is the heavenly Virgin Mary and then there is Santa Maria, which is the inverted influence of that divine force. It channels within our ego and becomes demonic. This is what certain entities like black magicians or demons invoke and utilize in their practices, like using ayahuasca and these substances, because they are awakening powers of the Divine Mother, but channeled through hell. They are seeing perceptions and experiences, but they do not question what they see, unfortunately, and mistake hell for heaven. There are infra-conscious perceptions relating to our ego, our conditioning itself. We try to remove conditions from our psyche and therefore do not reply on any substances, and neither did any master of the White Lodge. We have an article on How Drugs Affect Our Spiritual Development. We go into that question and problem very deeply. So, I invite you to study that if you are interested. Question: Is the Divine Mother experienced in between breath or in between breaths? Instructor: I am assuming this is pranayama or mantras, especially pranayama, you can say, in sexual transmutation, even in alchemy. Now, the inbreath and holding the breath is important because you are learning to circulate the sexual energy to your brain. As for experiencing the Divine Mother as a result of breath, you can experience intuitive sparks of understanding and comprehension any time during the practice. If you are inhaling the energy and really circulating it well and containing it, directing it, you will feel ecstasy in relation to your Being, pretty much at any stage. What matters is your concentration and your awareness of what you are doing. That is how you are going to gain mastery of the practices itself. Any other comments and questions? So, I thank you all from coming. We have one more lecture in this series. It has been a long one. The next lecture will be on Gnosis, Subsistence, and Divine Love. I thank you all for coming! 
This is the fifteenth lecture in a series on the Sufi Principles of Meditation. Everything we have explained so far is the requisite. It sets the stage, the parameters, the foundation of our particular focus today, which is the science of certainty.
Any person who approaches meditation, spirituality, religion, longs to have understanding of the truths contained within a tradition, to have profound insight, wisdom and direct knowledge of how to live with efficacy, with understanding, with ethics. Students who have studied this tradition, from the writings of Samael Aun Weor, often struggle with this principle the most. Comprehension is an extremely elusive thing, and yet is the nourishment, the food, the daily sustenance of the Gnostic. There are many different means of meditating, different objects, different focuses, whether on a particular defect, a psychological aggregate, an ego, which specifically is the most important meditation we can do. By understanding our own errors, we can change them. We can transform our daily life into a beautiful work of art―the perfected human being. We can also gain comprehension or certainty of a scripture, especially if we take the time to relax our senses, to reflect on a particular verse within a scripture, especially when its meaning eludes us, when we are confused, when we are uncertain. Now, when we approach this concept, or better said, this principle, we need to remember that while we have a lot of knowledge, perhaps in our intellect, does it really mean that we have consciousness, experience of what we read? This is an important and profound distinction because many people fail to understand this difference. If you do not experience what you read, if you do not verify it with facts, then we neglect a very important part of who we are, a fundamental principle of our own consciousness, which is to understand. Different schools, philosophies especially, movements, educational pedagogies, often speak about metacognition. In layman’s terms, it means to think about the process of thinking, what it entails. What are the structures? Yet in the Gnostic movement we take this principle much further than mere intellectual analysis. Real metacognition, if you look at the prefix “meta,” has to do with understanding itself, how and why we think, and more importantly, how we are present in this moment. We really need to intuit without having to label, with our mind, the very processes of cognizance, how we apprehend phenomena, and more importantly, how do we interpret it, whether those experiences are very mundane like washing dishes, or something really subtle and profound like having an astral projection, a dream, a vision. The intellect fails to understand what we perceive and yet it is a tool we can use. It is useful within its orbit. It can store information, associations, memories, symbols, data, but it is not the primary functionalism of understanding. This is evident by an alcoholic who knows their addiction is wrong and harmful, yet they continue to engage in behaviors that create problems. Knowledge is of the mind; comprehension is of the heart. Someone who really understands why alcohol is dangerous and destructive will not touch it, no matter how many temptations. Understanding is a great mystery. How do we know what we know when we know it? How do we interpret our experiences, what we perceive? What is certainty, to really know something? Is it intellectual? Or perhaps it is something much more moving, expansive, infinite? We have been going back again and again to the study of consciousness. We state it is the root of our perception. It is what grants us the capacity to be. However, as we have explained in our studies of Kabbalah, the Tree of Life, the structure and dynamics of the soul, the different structures and constituents of our make-up, we have been exploring how we perceive through filters, through conditions of mind, which have to do with―primarily in the beginning, when we meditate―our body, our senses. We may have an itch, a scratch, a pain in our back. We need to become aware of our physicality. We need to relax the body. We do so primarily by working with energy, vital force, whether through pranayama, mantras, or sexual transmutation. We have to put our energies through a state of suspension. We have to comprehend these forces and how they direct the body. More importantly, we have to direct everything that we are in its lower strata. The consciousness is the Essence, the soul who needs to be driving the car, which is our body, our energies, and especially our emotions. We need to relax our heart and suspend all negativity, even if but for a few moments. We have to relax the mind, to not think so much, to not let the mind ramble on and on in a chain of associative thinking, which really is endless, unless we observe it and not identify with it. We observe and let it rest. Likewise, we need to work with our willpower, our concentration, and focus on the act of observing, of perceiving, which is the consciousness itself. It is when you really focus your concentration within and look with a receptive mind, heart, body, and energies, your consciousness activates and everything else beneath the consciousness suspends. But our consciousness must become awake, activated through the psychological and spiritual pressure of our inner Being, who guides us through intuition, through hunches, through the heart. There are different degrees of who we are, but the question is, do we discriminate what we perceive? Are we looking at our mind, our heart, our body, and our energies with clarity, with purity, with depth? Or does the mind carry us away with what happened yesterday, and that leads on to another thought? Then our body itches. We scratch it. Then we have a pain, and we adjust ourselves. Our heart is in turmoil, in emotional suffering over a drama that happened the previous day. Are we perceiving all this? ― and are we not identifying with it? ― because the word identification has to do with where you place your attention. Where is your consciousness going? Where are you? Are you stuck on the body? In its pain? We can learn to fix that in the beginning by finding a posture that works and helps us to relax. Are we identified with the sensations and energies of our vital body, meaning, our self is there? We feel that we are the energies present, or do we think and feel that we are the mind, our thoughts, and our heart? ― whatever sentiments pass within the screen of our being? Identification has to do with our psychological state, the quality thereof. Consciousness is like water. In its inherent and pristine form, it is very pure, fluidic, dynamic, but when it enters in a dirty cup, it takes on the characteristics of that cup, whether its sediments and dirt, it stains, which have to do with all of our psychological baggage we carry within: our pride, vanity, hatred, our lust, ego, or as the Sufis state, nafs-al-ammara, “the soul that inclines towards evil,” negativity, pain. The consciousness needs to be purified. We have to learn to really direct it, to clarify it, to exercise it. All the practices we mentioned so far help set the stage. We need a body and posture that is relaxed so that we can forget about it. We need to stimulate the creative sexual energy and to direct it, to empower our consciousness, and not to fascinate over it, to linger on it, but to let those energies help suspend thought and negative emotion and feeling, so we can really concentrate within, with vivid intensity, with clarity, with inner strength, which is not a type of exertion or mental strain. It is merely the application of willpower, to focus on one thing and not be distracted. Then when the consciousness learns to look at one thing at the exclusion of all else, we can extract wisdom from that phenomenon, but of course, the consciousness must be developed. It has to work. It has to know. It has to understand what it perceives. We tend to see phenomena, physically or within meditation, and we mistake its true essence for what it is, its reality. 
A classic example of how we misinterpret how we perceive is the Hindu example of mistaking a rope for a snake. You see a rope on the floor, but you are in the dark. You do not see clearly, and your mind, emotion and fear kick in. By instinct you want to run. You feel terror, and when the thoughts emerge, “I have to get out of here” ― you panic. We are not seeing the object for what it is.
This has to do, not only with the awareness of our environment, but more importantly with our psychological conditions of mind. It is important for the consciousness to perceive, but we have to understand what we are seeing. This is why you need to turn the light on. Light is consciousness. It is perception. The consciousness is what can know. It can understand anything when it is developed. The consciousness learns to discriminate what it sees. It has objectivity in degrees, the more we work with it, expand it, and develop it. In Western philosophical studies, they refer to the study of knowledge as epistemology, which is the investigation of how we know what we know and whether or not it is possible. The problem with the movement, however, is that it leans towards materialistic dogma. People become very confused and uncertain because rather than verifying truth, perception, they often get caught in the object of dialectics of a materialistic type. They remain in the domain of the physical senses, within theories. We bring this up because understanding our perceptions, the objectivity of what we perceive, we have to learn to discriminate, to really objectively analyze, to understand, to arrive to a deeper comprehension of reality. This does not mean that we become skeptical, morbid, repressive, judgmental, or fanatical. Analysis is not intellectual. It is a type of intuition of understanding and knowing without having to think about it. You perceive it and then you understand. A lot of people approach meditation, metaphysics, with the aspiration to understand divine reality and the highest truths of religion. However, people do not realize their desires for experiences, for these types of insights, or their own morbidity, pessimism, doubts, do not allow them to understand their traditions, meditation, religion, yoga, Gnosticism, or Sufism especially. Our conditions of mind prevent us from really interpreting with objectivity. It is our desires, our egos, nafs al-ammara, which obstruct the realizations that we seek. It is stated: The thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it. ―Bayazid Bastami
The Sufis speak in paradoxical parables, often in statements that are apparently contradictory, but they are very fluid and dynamic. They play with words to fool the intellectuals but speak in an intuitive grammar, the building blocks of the soul, which baffles the mind, but is understandable with the heart.
So, what does his statement mean in relation to ourselves? Your desires and egos―which are frustratingly seeking heaven, which want astral samadhis, jinn states, clairvoyant, telepathic powers and abilities that Samael Aun Weor writes about abundantly in his works―those cravings and attachments are the very thing that lock the door to reality. They are the lens through which we see and that we do not understand why we suffer and do not get what we want. This is why we spent so much time discussing serenity, calmness of mind, contentment, and renunciation of expectations. This is the prerequisite to insight. Without the ability to place serene, unwavering, intensely clear concentration upon one object, if you cannot focus on that one thing without wandering off in the mind, we cannot understand at all. You cannot have insight. You cannot be certain about what is going on psychologically, because the mind is like a big salad that is mixed up with a lot of different flavors. While we can be attracted to the salt, taste, dressing, and the different vegetables included, we are not seeing each ingredient for what it is. If you really want to see and understand the stratifications of mind, you have to let everything settle so that you can see the layers, like oil and water, separating. You need to be still. You can only do that when you are focused. If you forget the object of concentration, relax. Gently bring back the attention to whatever you are focusing on. Let the mind settle and be. When everything is profoundly still, acquiescent, clean, whenever the mud settles at the bottom of the jar, the water above becomes pure so you can understand what is going on. This is a parable of our psychological state. In Arabic, the term “insight” is فرصه firasah, which relates to fareesah, a lion who hunts prey. Insight is the same. It is like a lion that hunts for food. What is the food that we seek when we develop insight, when we are looking at a problem, a defect, a scripture? We are looking for the food of the soul, comprehension and understanding. Samael Aun Weor refers to this as creative comprehension, because when you really understand something with your soul, you feel light―a spark in your being. It is nourishing and it gives you spiritual life. “Meditation is the daily bread of the Gnostics,” as Samael Aun Weor says. That bread is understanding. Without it we have no longevity in our practice. This is why people leave meditation. They do not understand what is going on. They may have set the table for a remarkable meal, and yet they do not appreciate what is there because they are too attached to their own desires, their own cravings, their own mind. In order to talk about insight, perception, discrimination, understanding, certainty, the foundations especially, previously we talked about شَرِيعَة Shari’a within Sufism. It is the ethical commandments, stipulations, and laws of spiritual divine conduct: how to behave physically, mentally and emotionally. This is in order to gain concentration and willpower. If you cannot direct your attention, you cannot achieve anything. This is why Bayazid Bastami stated that only seekers find the truth, but you do not find it by seeking egotistically. By letting desires and ego rest through prayer, serenity, worship, concentration, and focus, you allow intuition to come to you spontaneously, without expectation. That is حقيقه Haqiqah, the truth, wisdom which arrives without any effort. It magically appears, flashing within you. It courses within you through astral experiences, when you are meditating. When you are focusing within and settling as your body is asleep, you suddenly start to perceive in your imagination, your visualization, different scenes, experiences, conversations, events in which you are both a spectator and a participant. You start to roam within a world that opens up within your consciousness that is inaccessible to the physical senses. These are flashes of intuition, of experiential wisdom. This is the beginning, and it is important, the way that you combine your ethical conduct, شَرِيعَة Shari’a, with inner experience, حقيقه Haqiqah, which means “reality,” “truth” in Arabic, the path of truth. You have to practice the middle pillar or middle path known in the Sufi tradition as طريقة Tariqah, which traditionally indicates a Sufi school, but also implies meditation. I’ll read for you an excerpt we have gone back to a few times before in order to emphasize these points: The divine Law is doing what you have been ordered to do. Haqiqah is bearing witness to what He has determined and ordained, hidden and revealed. I heard Abu Ali al-Daqqaq say that God's saying [in the Opening Surah, Al-Fatihah of the Qur'an] iyyaka nabudu―'You we worship’―preserves the outward practice, the divine Law. Iyyaka nastain―‘to You we turn for help’―establishes the inner reality, the Way. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
“You we worship, and to you we turn for help.” This is perhaps one of the most beautiful statements in the entire Qur’an, which is why it is included in Al-Fatihah, the most recited verses of that scripture. It is because when you worship divinity, you are concentrating. You have to exert some effort in your consciousness, your human will, in order to focus on what you are doing. When you turn for help, it is when you allow everything to rest with an open and receptive consciousness so that you can see inwardly and receive insight. This takes no effort.
When people follow their desires, their egotism, نَفْس nafs, they close the door to comprehension. The primary obstacle is our own mind. If you want spiritual experiences, you need to understand what is craving those things and why. 
The Signs of Divinity
I would like to read a few verses from the Qur’an which emphasize the importance of certainty, the importance of understanding, which appear in a form of signs that are mentioned again and again in the Qur’an. These are known as آیات ayat. Each verse in the Qur’an is known as a sign, as آیات ayat, because they are revelations of direct experience.
I shall turn away from My signs those who wax arrogant upon the earth without right. ―Al-Ar’af [7:146]
What are these signs of God? People literally interpret them as the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the mountains, the trees, within the limits of astronomical and meteorological influences, literal physical phenomena. In truth, as we explained previously, especially in the lecture on Striving, these are meditation symbols. They represent mystical, psychological, and spiritual states.
Those who act arrogantly without right are those who lack ethics. They do not obey the laws of compassion, of reciprocity, of humanity, of understanding, of patience. The Qur’an continues: Even if they were to see every sign, they would not believe in them. ―Al-Ar’af [7:146]
The Qur’an often speaks about the non-believers, whom we mention are our own egos, our defects. So, these signs are symbols within meditation, which we witness when we practice contemplation, مشاهدة mushahada. Despite the fact that some people might have experiences or visions, they often reject them because they are fascinated with merely physical, external things, not internal reality.
There are different schools of meditation that teach you to not focus on your visualizations at all. They reject any type of experiences or non-physical imagery. This is destructive. This is a mistake. These people reject the inner symbolic language of divinity, the actual communication with the divine. Therefore, they fanatically reject any experiential dimension of religion, or religare in Latin for “reunion.” So, these mystical states are anathematic and offensive to them. No amount of experience will convince them. The Qur’an continues: And if they were to see the way of sound judgment, they would not take it as a way (meaning out of suffering), but if they were to see the way of error, they would take it as a way. ―Al-Ar’af [7:146]
What is conscious judgment? As we explained this in previous lectures, especially in the lecture called Conscious Judgment and the Gnostic Psychology course on our website, it is conscious. It is intuition, inner discrimination: knowing and understanding what we perceive with objectivity. Many people hear these principles and reject them because they want to feed their desires. As the Qur’an states:
That is because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them. ―Al-Ar’af [7:146]
People deny Gnosis because they do not study and they do not practice. Even if they practice, they do it with selfish motives. Therefore, they have no experiences.
Heedlessness is negligence. As Samael Aun Weor stated in The Revolution of the Dialectic, he explained how negligence refers “to not elect,” to not act consciously, to not do anything, to not use your willpower and concentration within practice. Negligence and carelessness lead every human being to failure.
The Qur’an states:
As for those who deny Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter, their deeds have come to nought. ―Al-Ar’af [7:147]
Our deeds come to naught if we do not really practice effectively. As Samael Aun Weor stated in The Great Rebellion:
Those who do not know how to meditate, the superficial, the ignorant, will never be able to dissolve the ego. They will always be impotent driftwood in the tumultuous sea of life. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Great Rebellion
And the final verse from this excerpt from the Qur’an:
Are they recompensed for aught save that which they used to do? ―Al-Ar’af [7:147]
So, we receive the consequences of our actions. We always follow the trajectory of our deeds. If we do not understand the causes of our own affliction, we cannot understand how to change. Change occurs when we comprehend the internal causes of our behavior. Therefore, creative comprehension has nothing to do with guessing, with supposing we are a certain way but are not, with theories, beliefs, and lies that we tell ourselves. It is profound honesty, non-negotiable, profound, direct criticism of our most hidden faults. It is about taking accountability for who we are, what we have done, and where we are going. It is direct intuitive understanding without any type of rationality. You just look at who you are. Examine yourself.
Samael Aun Weor stated the following in Igneous Rose regarding the faculties that are the foundation for certainty and insight: Discernment is direct perception of the truth without the process of reasoning.
As we have explained previously, imagination is not something necessarily conditioned, negative, or subjective, like a fantasy, a delusion of the mind. It is something that is perceived within the consciousness. It can be objective, or it can be subjective. It depends on our psychological state. We have to learn to develop this faculty, to see, to imagine, to have insight, to perceive something, so that we can understand it without having to rationalize, having to guess what we see. We need to visualize and imagine so that we can understand, because you cannot comprehend what you do not perceive.
This is why imagination exercises are very powerful. They establish the groundwork by which we can have greater color, vibrancy, and perception within our consciousness, but then we have to learn to discriminate what is going on. This is why it is stated: The man of spiritual insight hits his target with the first shot. He does not turn to interpretation or opinion or calculation. ―Husayn bin Mansur Al-Hallaj
If you are guessing or calculating, or hypothesizing what is going on, it means that we do not comprehend.
Certainty is ContemplationCertainty is contemplation (mushahadah, witnessing). ―Al-Hasan al-Nuri
The name al-Hasan al-Nuri means, “the beauty of the light.” Certainty, comprehension, and contemplation are all synonyms for understanding. Direct mystical experiences constitute authentic knowledge.
So, we can read many books, but if we do not experience what they write or what they talk about, we do not really understand them with great depth. Those who do not awaken consciousness in the internal worlds do not know divinity, or reality. You can believe in these teachings and these truths, but have you actually talked with God? Do we even accept that there is the possibility that one can? There is a very distinct difference between someone who believes and someone who has really experienced. Contemplation is not a belief. Beliefs are projections of the mind, a sentiment in the heart, a precondition or supposition of what reality is. It is a religious zeal without evidence. Contemplation is pure receptivity, and it is the acquisition of divine truth. 
As I stated before, the mind has to be completely receptive. It has to be passive. It has to be tranquil, calm, like a limpid and pure lake. When the intellect is still, the consciousness becomes activated. It can reflect internal imagery like the surface of a pond or lake. The heavens become manifested in images. This is an allegory or parable in correspondence to the spiritual path, contemplation. Meditation activates the consciousness, not the mind.
There is a story in the Qur’an which beautifully teaches some of these principles. It is a story of Moses coming up to Mount Sinai to talk with divinity. It is a symbol of how our own conscious willpower in meditation learns to receive divine aid. And when Moses came to Our appointed meeting and his Lord spoke unto him, he said, “My Lord, show me, that I might look upon Thee.” ―Al-Ar’af, [7:143]
We all yearn to have this knowledge and experience, to look upon divinity, to know divinity. So, an appointment is something that is planned, a scheduled event. In this verse, it is a promise of divine union, or spiritual experience, which we can only have certainty of through practice, experimentation, and verification. So, what is our most important appointment to keep and make? In this tradition we state that it is daily meditation.
The highest wisdom is directly perceived within the higher worlds. Divinity, as we have mentioned before, is formless, infinite, like space. However, divinity can take on forms to teach us something profound. In order to perceive divinity in the highest of realities, we need to really be humble, as you are going to see in this verse, to not have an iota of pride present. The Qur’an states: He said, “Thou shalt not see Me; but look upon the mountain: if it remains firm in its place, then thou wilt see Me.” ―Al-Ar’af [7:143]
What is a mountain in esoteric symbology? What is immovable and unconquerable? What is elevated and beautifully serene at the same time? It is perfect concentration. It is willpower. A mountain, in initiatic symbolism, is the spinal column, which is a symbol of will, wherein the Kundalini or الْبُرَاق al-Buraq―”the lightning” that carried the Prophet Muhammed to the seven heavens―rises. It happens within our stone, ٱلْكَعْبَة, al-Kaaba, יסוד Yesod, and through meditation we activate it. Through alchemy, we raise that energy. The Qur’an continues:
And when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble to dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. And when he recovered, he said, “Glory be to Thee! I turn unto Thee in repentance, and I am the first of the believers!” ―Al-Ar’af [7:143]
ٱلأعراف Al-A’raf, means “The Heights,” in Arabic. I remember an experience I had meditating physically with a group of Gnostics. We were praying on our knees within our meditation chamber, and I remember struggling with a defect of pride that was really bothering me. It was against another student who I knew at the time. I did not like having this mystical pride in my heart―and I could see it in myself that it was creating problems―vanity and feeling better than this other person. So, we were praying very deeply while on my knees, and I was struggling with this aggregate. I was looking at it and praying to my inner God to show me understanding, to give me certainty of what this thing is and was. I was creating suffering for myself.
So, I entered a very profound state of serenity and direct, clear observation. Suddenly, when my body was at rest, I forgot about my physicality, and my energies were transmuted through the exercises that we performed that evening. Then, insight, like a lightning bolt, shot through me. I suddenly understood in that moment what that defect was, how it worked, where it came from, why it subsisted, why it was feeding, and how it was eluding me. It was like this verse from the Qur’an: the mountain shattered. My Divine Mother, the lighting force of الْبُرَاق al-Buraq, the Divine Mother Sulu-Sigi-Sig in Nordic language, the Rune ᛋ Sig, the lighting vajra-energy of divine feminine creativity and destruction, took this ego and killed it.
I remember kneeling and feeling great love and humility, not only for my Divine Mother, but for this person who I had a qualm with. I understood the ego and it shattered to cosmic dust. It was gone. The mountain shattered. That aggregate was annihilated. Therefore, I turned in repentance with happiness. That is how we really, in the matter I am speaking, believe. We have knowledge and conviction of what we perceive. So, I was swooning psychologically from the energy that was manifesting in me as my Divine Mother. I felt great happiness and relief afterward. That is a form of certainty, and witnessing in a very simple, profound, practical sense. The Three Forms of Certainty
Let us talk about the three forms of certainty because there are levels of knowledge, conviction, and understanding that are very well explained within the Sufi doctrine.
Certainty is assurance free from delusion. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
As Samael Aun Weor wrote in The Revolution of the Dialectic:
A mind which is divided by the depressing process of options cannot serve as an instrument for the Innermost. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of the Dialectic
Therefore, to be caught within dualistic thinking, binaries, ideas, ideologies, possible outcomes, means that we are hypnotized, deluded, and confused. We are going back and forth like a pendulum swinging from the hands of a hypnotist. This type of rationalization and the battle of antithetical concepts really is depressing because we really do not comprehend, or know with facts, what is going on.
Certainty is of three kinds: knowledge of certainty (‘ilm al-yaqin), the eye of certainty (‘ayn al-yaqin), and the reality of certainty (haqq al-yaqin). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
These are levels of certainty that we are going to unpack today. They are all very important because there are different meditators with different capacities of understanding and experience. If you really study the writings of Samael Aun Weor, you learn that he is very broad in his range of teaching different levels of initiates, whether from the very beginning to the highest. We can also say he is very synthetic. He takes a lot of difficult concepts and explains them in a very unique and refined way.
All that knowledge is useful. It is practical, but we need to be at that level of development to understand the path itself. Knowledge of certainty is the knowledge based on reasoning, the eye of certainty is a knowledge based on perception, and the reality of certainty is real and true. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Our intellect is useful when it is controlled by our consciousness. Knowledge without being is useless. It is egotistical. We can have a lot of information in our mind and use it to create the atom bomb, something that is not humane, and very destructive. Knowledge without ethics is dangerous. However, knowledge utilized by the spirit is beneficial.
Knowledge of certainty is necessary in the beginning. We have to study the teachings in the mind. We need to have concepts, structures, and information because that is primarily how we learn, especially in the West, intellectual knowledge being our primary modes and means of disseminating information, and/or knowledge. The problem is that we intend to take that knowledge and not understand what we read. This is why we really have to meditate on this knowledge to gain insight, so we can see how it relates with our practical life. This is the path of شَرِيعَة Shari’a , the law, the outward discipline. The eye of certainty has to do with conscious experiences, when we really verify what we read. We can read about astral projection. We can become fascinated with the theory, but until we have done it ourselves, it is merely a concept. However, if you have the experience, it gives you faith because you see that your experience is not only isolated to you, but to millions of people who have experienced these truths. This is طريقة Tariqah, the inner path, meditation. Reality of certainty is when we have the highest mystical experiences, divine states. This is known as حقيقه Haqiqah: truth, and معرفة Ma’rifah: knowledge. Let us continue with this quote: Knowledge of certainty is achieved through studying, the eye of certainty is achieved through visionary disclosure of reality, and the reality of certainty is achieved through witnessing the reality. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path 
In the beginning, study the path. Study the books of Samael Aun Weor. Study the scriptures, so that when you have experiences, you will not be confused, and not be lost. Many people may have internal experiences, which are mapped up by Kabbalah, the Tree of Life, but if they do not know Kabbalah, they are not going to be very skilled in navigating those internal worlds because Kabbalah is the language of those inner dimensions themselves.
Visionary disclosure is imagination. It is when you perceive things in meditation. You have symbols that arrive to you that disclose themselves from the obscurity of the subconsciousness, which enter your psyche without you willing it. These are meditative experiences. Reality of certainty is primarily the knowledge of the Absolute. The Tree of Life emanates from that zero base, the zero dimension, the abstract absolute space, the limitless light and the nothingness. In Kabbalah it is known as Ain, Ain Soph, Ain Soph Aur. In Islam it is known as, الله Allah. In Arabic, ال Al is “the,” the indefinite article, and له lah is negation, meaning: “No”―the Nothing, the space. It rejects any type of anthropomorphism, which is why in Islam they do not allow symbols or representations of divinity, because that cosmic space cannot be characterized by anything within this universe. It has to be experienced. It is the illuminating void. Obviously, this is a very broad range of knowledge, starting with the intellect, or even having an astral experience or having experienced a samadhi within the heights of the Tree of Life. The truth is that we have to begin where we are at. Some people need basic knowledge, and that is primarily every one of us. We should not assume that we are advanced spiritual initiates, but to really take on humility and recognize that we do not know and are easily fooled. Humility opens the doorway to real experiences. We need introductory knowledge, but also other people require deeper insight. Some people have astral experiences and even samadhis, therefore they need “certainty born from visionary disclosure” or “the highest reality.” Therefore, as instructors we try to provide certainty from various levels of experience. All of these teachings are necessary. Some people like to leave out Kabbalah. They think it is too complicated, too difficult, but at one point you found it difficult to learn your ABC’s. With practice you learn it and you can start to form words and sentences. The same thing with Kabbalah, the sacred arcana, the Tarot, the esoteric divine grammar of the conscious language. With it you learn to apprehend the intuitive knowledge of higher realities. You have to begin and practice where you are at. Do not vacillate but continue with it. It is difficult, but nothing that is worthwhile is easy. As instructors, we have many courses. We give many perspectives on these types of things. Now, all of it is necessary because people who have experiences, have dreams about numbers and the Tarot, need to study that knowledge so that they can become competent in the internal worlds. It is necessary. If a student leaves this knowledge in the intellect, we cannot say that it is the teacher’s fault. Samael Aun Weor stated, “To teach without explaining is the equivalent of not teaching.” It is all practical. Use it well. Read a little but meditate a lot so that you can understand more. Apply what you learn. This is the foundation. The quote continues: Knowledge of certainty is the result of audition, the eye of certainty is attained as the result of inspiration, and the reality of certainty is the result of truly seeing what is evident (ayān). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
At first, we have to hear the doctrine. In Buddhism, this is the path of Shravakayana. As shravakas, as “listeners,” we come to lectures to learn the doctrine and teachings. Then we begin to apply that knowledge. That is the beginning.
Then with practice, we perceive with the consciousness divine symbols in meditation or out of the body. These inspire us. This is the esoteric experience of the Mahayana path. We become inspired to act compassionately for humanity because of what we perceive. With comprehension of the inherent selflessness of divinity, the interdependence of all phenomena and the profound joy of the Absolute, reality is understood when we witness through concrete evidence, experiences, truths beyond the body, the affections, beyond the mind. In Buddhism, this is the path of Tantrayana: the path of the continuum, tantra, of consciousness, which is never broken, but sustained intentionally. Knowledge of certainty consists in the recognition of causes and causation, the eye of certainty consists in gaining liberation from causes and causation, and the reality of certainty is emancipation from all false expectation and discrimination. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
In the beginning, we have a basic knowledge of karma. We learn ethics, cause and effect. If I speak with anger, I will produce pain. It is very simple. Simplicity is more profound than complicity, complication, or multiplicity of desires. We need to learn to follow divine law and to integrate our consciousness, to not be fractured in so many different defects. We need to follow the superior law of consequences so that by overcoming karma, we perceive its causes. We liberate ourselves by learning to perceive with clarity.
Lastly, reality is emancipation from any type of desire, anticipation, or interpretation of the intellect: to suppose, theorize, or believe. It is the pure receptivity of mind and activity of consciousness without an iota of self. 
The Degrees of Spiritual Insight
There exist degrees of insight which are more-or-less mingled with desire until we are fully purified of ego.
Insight arrives when we abandon negligence or heedlessness, by really practicing each day, because you are not going to have real depth or consistency unless you really dedicate a lot of your time. Renounce superfluous activities so that we have a space and a psychological environment that is conducive for spiritual growth. Insight really guides us. It is the food that alleviates one who starves. Insight is what guides us in all of our daily activities and interrelations in life. It has to do with knowing how to act with vibrancy, profound attention, intuition, and wisdom that cuts through suffering. Abu Said al-Kharraz said, “One who sees with the light of spiritual insight, sees with the light of the Truth. The very substance of his knowledge comes from God, unmixed with either negligence or forgetfulness. Indeed, it is a judgment of Truth flowing from the tongue of a servant.” Abu Said’s expression “looking with the light of the Truth” means seeing by a light with which the Truth has favored him. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Self-remembrance is the light. It is what orients us. It is why we dedicated an entire lecture to this principle. Striving against desire, as Prophet Muhammed stated, is the monasticism of the Muslim. It has to do with integrating our consciousness and recollecting the presence of divinity in our heart, being inspired by the presence of compassion and conscious understanding of our relationship with others, to exchange our own self with those who suffer. This is how we can really judge phenomena correctly, with intuition.
Al-Wasiti said, “Spiritual insight means the rays of light that gleam in hearts and the solid establishment of a spiritual knowledge that conveys secrets of the invisible realm from one hidden place to another (this a direct reference to the Tree of life and all its different sephiroth, dimensions). Thus the possessor of insight witnesses things in the way that the Truth brings him to witness them, and he speaks what is in people’s minds.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Our hearts gleam with compassion and wisdom when we possess certainty. Really, the most beautiful quality of a true human being, a master, is their intelligence and their wisdom, because it is synthesized in the force of divine love. To really love another person well and objectively, we need intelligence, wisdom, and clarity in our perception. These also have to do with experiences, flashes of inspiration, and imaginative perceptions which grant us intuitive wisdom and knowledge. I will read to you a quote from Samael Aun Weor, in the book Igneous Rose which relates with this interrelation with people:
In the presence of any person, many images that correspond to the internal life of that person with whom we are in contact will emerge from our interior. This is known as clairvoyance (or we can say imagination: to perceive, to have the basis for spiritual insight).
In synthesis, imagination is perception of non-physical imagery. It is a psychological sense. You can begin to read people well or better when we work on our own mental obstructions: pride, anger, defects. When you eliminate ego, you start to see with greater understanding and depth so that when you are encountering people, you start to sense their thoughts, their mind, and emotions.
All of us have had some type of experience with this, because, as an example, we might have been in a room with a person who did not say a word, yet we can sense their anger boiling, seething with rage, even though they do not say anything. We can sense it. It is a psychological sense. It is a form of imagination. This is something that can be developed even further. This is known as the science of telepathy or transience, the understanding of thought and mind, our interrelations with others. Inspiration is the recognition of symbols and internal states. It is to really be inspired with joy. We see in a new way and we are learning to navigate in a new world that is infinite and profound. Intuition is insight. It is when we have real certainty. We understand what we perceive. We have a whole lecture, especially the next lecture of this course, focused on these three elements: imagination, inspiration, and intuition. I am only introducing it now, but it is very deep and profound. The Insights of Students and Gnostic Masters
Beginners study and then seek to verify what they read. Masters experience and then seek physical evidence to verify their experiences. I will relate some quotes that are very deep that explain the insight of a beginner and the insight of a master.
It is said that the spiritual insight of students is a thought that demands verification, but the insight of the gnostics is a verification that demands a reality. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
I will give you an example of this. Oftentimes in the beginning, we have an intuition or a hunch that something is true, but we do not know. Therefore, we have to test, experiment, and verify our hypothesis. We have to verify through experiences, practices, and come to a conclusion based on whether or not, from our experiences, the phenomenon is true. Now, a Gnostic, one who can develop more insight and knowledge, often has internal experiences that they have to verify physically. You can have an astral experience where you perceive something really beautiful, profound, and divine, but you may not understand the real depth of it until you physically find the evidence later on. I will give an example of this.
I remember I had an experience about my inner divinity, in which I perceived the Tree of Life with its ten spheres, its sephiroth, this diagram that we go back to again and again. However, at the time I was just a beginner, and I did not understand what this symbol was. So, I had to look physically in the books and eventually get in contact with an instructor who pointed this out to me. I had the experience before I physically knew about it. Obviously, this gave me a lot of faith.
I remember even one time I was dedicated to practicing a Japanese martial art known as Aikido and I had an encounter with a black magician who was attacking me in the astral plane. I remember this adept of the black lodge grabbed me and did a technique that was from Aikido. I asked him, “What was this?” because he disabled my arm as I was combating him. I did not know what exactly that technique was. He just said this was Aikido. When I returned to my physical body, the next day I asked my physical sensei, my Aikido instructor, and showed him the technique that was used against me. I said, “I have heard of this move and I want to know more about it. What is it?” The person said, “This is Nikyo,” a way you can grab a person’s hand. By twisting them in a certain manner you can disable them from attacking you. I was really amazed by that too, because here I learned an Aikido technique in the internal worlds before I knew about it physically. Obviously, for a lot of people we study first and then we verify. Sometimes we can have inner experiences that we have to verify with physical facts. This is really important. It is important that we verify what we perceive with physical evidence so that we can have certainty of what we have seen and experienced. This is why the writings of Samael Aun Weor are very valuable and why he was so explicit about his own personal knowledge in teaching others, because he was giving a road map for those who were having inner wisdom and knowledge for themselves so that they would not be confused. Ahmad bin Asim al-Antaki said, “When you sit with the people of truthfulness, sit with them in truthfulness, for they are the spies of the hearts. They will enter and leave your heart without your feeling it.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, I remember on many Gnostic retreats, I personally witnessed how being around certain instructors and missionaries, that have been practicing for a very long time, could read my mind. They would always speak very intuitively towards me, very humbly, with a lot of compassion. They were never going around boasting about being initiates. There are people who can read us very easily even if we think they cannot.
This assumption that we are an isolated bubble, that we can think and feel whatever we want, is an illusion. We are all interdependent. Our thoughts and feelings travel. Our energies and mind affect others, and there are ways to discriminate these perceptions, but unfortunately in us, we are very asleep, so we tend to not have any understanding. These psychological senses are blunted in most people, but you can learn to refine them through spiritual exercises like transmutation, sacred rights for rejuvenation, mantras, alchemy, and meditation especially. I heard Muhammad ibn al-Husayn say… that Abu Jafar al-Haddad said, “Spiritual insight appears as a spontaneous intuition that nothing can challenge. If contradictions arise, it is a simple thought, an event of the ego.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Comprehension, we can say, is undeniable. It cannot be contested. This is why we use physical evidence. We have to verify what we experience, so that we do not get misled. If our inner experiences push us to break against the law of ethics, compassion and شَرِيعَة Shari’a, it means that it is an egotistical experience. It is conditioned and subjective. By inner experiences, حقيقه Haqiqah―combined with ethical law, superior laws, spiritual conduct―gives us faith, because we verify the truth of what we are seeing. So, if there are contradictions between our perceptions and the teachings, if it violates our ethics or our chastity especially, then we can say that this experience is subjective. We should dismiss it as a delusion of the mind.
The Certainty of Insight
Let us elaborate on a few more quotes. Let us talk about the nature of certainty and insight.
From the field of Certainty the field of Insight is born. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
As I said previously, you cannot understand what you do not see. You have to perceive it first in order to discern and ascertain the meaning of that phenomenon. This is why:
God, the Most High, says, ‘…when they remember God, they see’ (7:201). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Self-remembrance is critical. You need to remember the presence of your Being, to be conscious and then to observe so that you can discriminate. This quote continues:
Insight is being able to see, and it involves three things: having insight into God’s acceptance, having insight into whatever is required in respect to obediently following the Prophet, and having insight into Reality. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Having insight into God’s acceptance is important. We have written to too many people who correspond with us, who feel very hopeless, who feel lost, individuals who are very pessimistic and self-deprecating. They believe they cannot be saved. They are in a depressed state. They feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of this teaching and they feel incapable, or that somehow, they are not lovable. This is a skewed and flawed perception and illusion of the ego because all of us have the Essence within. If we have remorse in our heart and want to change, as we explained on lectures on renunciation and repentance, then we have the possibility to change.
We need to realize that divinity is merciful, not from reading a scripture merely, but from experience. Pretty much every surah in the Qur’an begins:
Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
A lot of people are afraid of the Qur’an. They think it is a very severe scripture. It is very strong, but each surah begins recognizing the compassion of divine love.
In synthesis, we have to really respect the laws and teachings given by prophets, not by contemporary people who may be more or less interested in spirituality and have beliefs. We have to rely on prophets, initiates, and masters who really convey a lot of understanding from experience. In these Aquarian times we do not follow anybody. The Age of Pisces, which is known by its conservative knowledge, is a strict adherence or transmission of knowledge between master and disciple through proving oneself through years of worth and exercises. The Age of Pisces is obsolete. We now live in the Aquarian Era where knowledge is given openly. However, we have to adhere and be devoted to our inner teacher, our inner master, our inner Being. The Aquarian knowledge is finding the master within, not without. Lastly, in relation to this quote, reality is the Absolute, الله Allah, the emptiness, the void of compassion and limitless light, the uncreated light, the abstract absolute Seity. Qur’anic Verses on Insight
Abdullah Ansari of Herat explains many beautiful teachings in relation to the Qur’an, but also the different degrees in insight and how they apply to the different aspects of our spiritual life. I will read for you these excerpts and I will explain them in length.
Having insight into God’s acceptance lies in finding familiarity (āshnā’i) with God, as we read in the Qur’ān, ‘Now proofs have come to you from your Lord, proofs to open your eyes, if any man will see, it will be for the good of his own soul’ (6:104). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
How do we become familiar with God? When we suffer and are depressed, we should not go to our teachers. We should meditate. Gain the answers from your inner Being. That will give you life, validation, and conviction. By repeatedly exposing ourselves to internal divine states, the virtues of our soul, we have proofs and visions. We perceive in our imagination our virtuous qualities. Often, they come in inspiring symbols which contain and unveil intuitive knowledge about how we must proceed in any daily aspect of our life, whatever we are struggling with or having problems with. That is what is going to nourish us the most. The quote continues:
Having insight into following the Prophet is being firm in following the Prophetic tradition, as we read in the Qur’ān that, ‘I do invite unto God, on evidence clear as the seeing with one’s eyes, I and whoever follow me’ (12:108). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We have to respect the prophets and learn from them. It does not mean that we blindly follow their words, but comprehend their practical teachings. We have to not render cult to personality but to the inner master, like the Being of Samael Aun Weor.
Unfortunately, there are many Gnostics who make a very big mess of the prophetic tradition. They render cult to the personality of Samael Aun Weor, even though his personality [Víctor Manuel Gómez Rodríguez] was annihilated at the end of his initiatic work, physically, when he achieved resurrection with the body of liberation. If you want to learn more about this principle, you can study the glossary on Glorian.org, especially. A lot of people worship his personality like a cult, and they ignore the practical teachings of internalizing inner experience for themselves. It is true that the highest commandment, from the book of Mark, chapter 12, verses 30 and 31, state this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these. ―Mark 12:30-31
We have to love the masters especially. They gave a profound sacrifice, to teach us things that we cannot access on our own, but it does not mean that we worship their personality.
In synthesis, should you love your neighbor’s ego? A lot of Christians interpret this statement, “Love your neighbor as yourself” in terms of their own selfishness, their own complacency with wrong―to admire and give in to behaviors that are negative, mostly fornication, especially. We have to worship the inner self of other people, not their personality, not their ego. When we work and act compassionately for others, it is because we are not reacting towards their own defects, but towards their heart, their Essence, speaking to their soul. This is the most dignified aspect of an individual. We should seek to edify others by acting consciously, not feeding the mind. We have to be very firm with ourselves in relation to the prophetic tradition. Myself I sacrifice to my love, and my neighbor as myself―thus runs the speech of all creators (or alchemists). But all creators are hard (of willpower). ―Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
This is kind of a play on a biblical teaching. It may seem very sacrilegious, but he is making a good point. “I sacrifice my ego to my Being and my neighbors’ ego to my own divine compassion. This is the speech of the creators, the alchemists, the initiates,” but of course this takes a lot of willpower: to restrain our mind and act for the benefit of others even if they do not like it. By knowing the line of demarcation of that really requires insight, intuition, to follow your heart. Let us continue with this quote:
Being insightful into reality is seeing your Lord with the eye of your heart, as we read in the Qur’ān that, ‘…the earth… mountains… and beautiful growth are to be observed and commemorated by every obedient servant who is turning to God’ (50:8). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Our heart is what perceives the higher worlds, not the intellect. We can often perceive in the astral plane many beautiful, powerful, serene, and divine astral landscapes, mountains, forests, beautiful scenery that really depicts our level of being.
One experience that comes to my mind where I was in the astral plane in some kind of small room in the dark. A light turned on and I could see myself in a mirror, and I remember reflecting and recognizing where I was, that I was in the astral dimension and that I needed to go up a staircase. So, I went up and I found myself in the middle of a beautiful mountain town, kind of like somewhere in Colorado almost. This town seemed like it was from the 1500s, like the medieval era, with beautiful, simple houses with ornate architectural structures, rustic, scenic, filled with a lot of people dressed like they were humbly going to work, living a rural life. 
I remember looking in the distance seeing a forest and a beautiful, majestic mountain capped with snow. I felt with all of my heart the presence of my inner God, that this is a symbol of ascending out of the basement of my own mind, escaping the darkness of my own cage and entering into the society of the initiates, being helped, being invited, being called to.
Those experiences, when we see landscapes and things of that nature, refers to this Qur’anic statement: “the earth, the mountains, the beautiful growth.” Divinity shows us these experiences when we are really working in ourselves and to give us inspiration to help us change. 
Divine Acceptance, Scripture, and Reality
There are three main categories in Sufi thought in terms of insight: divine acceptance, scripture, and reality. Let us elaborate further:
Having insight into God’s acceptance springs from contemplation of one’s experiences, and the signs and proofs of God in creation. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
When experiences have to do with spiritual signs, these are symbols that inspire us as proof of divinity, of reality, in creation, which has to do with the Tree of Life, not the physical world. Do not interpret it literally. Let us continue:
Having insight into following the Prophet lies in the Scripture [the Qur’ān], and the Tradition of the Prophet and the writings of the pious followers of the Prophet. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We can develop great certainty. We have to study proven sources, not text that we doubt, that we question, and that make us feel ill at ease. Samael Aun Weor’s writings are particularly poignant and deep because he speaks with a great level of clarity, in synthesis, so that we can interpret any scripture with the key, the alchemical and kabbalistic knowledge.
We have to study both the doctrine of Pisces, the different religious scriptures of the world that we have received, and also the Aquarian knowledge, the writings of Samael Aun Weor. The synthesis of the two can really give us certainty about the path. If we have doubts, we can read both and really come to our own conclusion about what is real, what is objective. Now, it is unfortunate that many Gnostics have harmed students and even potential students by restricting the freedom of their thinking, such as saying that only certain books can be read, and this is wrong. We should really study all the writings that he gave, primarily because they are very pragmatic and practical. They teach us how to experience these things for ourselves. We should develop certainty from exposing our knowledge to the best possible sources that we can find. For the purpose of this course, I have been using the Sufi writings of Rumi, Ibn ‘Arabi, al-Hujwiri, Abdullah Ansari of Herat, and many other Sufi initiates whom I have studied for a long time and have experiences of their writings. We are using good sources to teach these principles in order to show you the synthesis, so that you can have certainty. Also, we have to be open to learning from our teachers, meaning: people who practice this doctrine. To really learn from those who are ethical and pious, not from people who try to coerce the minds of students with fanaticism by teaching them not to think for themselves. Here, we are trying to teach how to think, not what to think. We invite you to reflect on these for your own spiritual life, whatever may benefit you. Let us finish this quote: Being insightful into reality may be likened to the light illuminating the heart that calls upon you saying: ‘this is it,’ an echo in the ears singing: “I am here,’ and a clear sign on the path of declaring: “I am with you.’ ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Knowledge of certainty exists when we read and gain conviction at our level. This singing in our ears has to do with clairaudience, hearing the mystical sounds of the superior worlds, especially through astral projection. This constitutes the eye of certainty, when we really perceive the presence of our inner Being here and now. Then reality is verified through conscious awakening, when we realize that our Being has not abandoned us. This is acquired through deep visions, prophetic visions especially. For those of you who may read the writings of Samael Aun Weor, you can feel that “this is it.” This is a knowledge that is very profound, and it gives you inspiration, but we have to go deeper than that. We need to investigate and verify what we have read to see whether it is true within our experience. That way we open the door to the highest realities.
The Joy of Contemplation
So, insight and certainty give us joy. They give us inspiration. They give us optimism especially, and real happiness. One of the primary characteristics of real certainty is that one has faith, and it is the same meaning as faith.
A lot of people mistake faith with belief, whereby they are thinking and feeling something is true, but have no evidence. Certainty is when you know for yourself with repeatable, undeniable facts. Therefore, it gives us happiness. It gives real joy, inspiration, and hope. We have encountered some students before, online through correspondences or in the forum, who are very pessimistic and feel that they are not getting anywhere, or that this teaching does not provide hope. I find that particularly strange because when you have direct knowledge and certainty of what these things are teaching, you have great joy, inspiration, and joy. You see that you are changing. This is why we make psychological photographs of ourselves, and practice work memory―what we have taught on our courses on psychology―comparing what we are now to what we were before, having the certainty and knowledge that we have changed many bad habits for the better. That is a cause for great inspiration. This is insight that gives us life. Sadly, there are people who are very pessimistic and dark. They live in a very sour and morbid environment, and they want to bring other people to that state because they suffer. It is really sad. We need to give them our compassion and our help. A lack of insight really gives us a dead heart, to be dead spiritually. Concerning the saying of God Most High, “Or one who was dead―we have brought him to life” (6:122), a Sufi said, “Someone who was dead of mind, but God Most High brought him to life with the light of insight, and set for him the light of divine manifestation and direct vision―he will not be like someone who walks, unconscious, with the people of unconsciousness.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
When we have superlative conscious experiences, we gain certainty in the law of cause and effect, karma and faith, that positive action that produces happiness for oneself and for others. Even if we become clouded and asleep in our discipline because it is difficult to be awake, we still have strength. We are motivated. We may fall asleep again and again, but we keep waking up because we are driven by joy. We practice unlike those who have never practiced, and we have happiness unlike those who have never had happiness. We should learn to be more serious and develop ourselves, but to help those who do not know.
Experiences come and go. We have spiritual light and spiritual nights, but when we have tasted that divine knowledge, we are inspired and pushed to work. It is said that when insight becomes sound, its possessor progresses to the level of contemplation (mushahadah). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
There are degrees of insight, levels of comprehension. Contemplation and witnessing are the direct experience of the highest truths, which we are going to explain in future lectures.
Practices
So, to conclude we are going to give you some practices:
Each day, develop your self-observation or inner accounting (محاسبة muhasabah) from moment to moment. Also, extend your mindfulness: the length of time you are aware of yourself. Every day, develop your meditative visualization. Pick an object like a candle, a work of art, or a statue, whatever inspires you. A lot of Sufi initiates will take Arabic calligraphy, even the kabalistic initiates of Israel too, will take the Hebrew letters and visualize them. Imagine them in the screen of your perception when you close your eyes. If you need to take an object and look at it for a time to visualize as much as you can, you can do so. Then close your eyes and concentrate. Visualize and relax. Also, if you lose your visualization, you can open your eyes again to anchor yourself: get yourself stable. Adopt a meditation posture, relax completely―your mind, heart, and body, your energies―then focus 100% attention on your visualized object. I recommend starting simple if you really want to develop the full capacity of your imagination. You have to begin small. Sometimes you may want to pick up a piece of art that may be complex and complicated. If you want to do something specifically ornate, focus on one aspect of it if it is difficult. Visualize that well and then move onto other areas. Some people in Buddhism take a mandala or an ornate symbol of Buddhist art and imagine aspects of one whole diagram and move along through it, visualizing aspects. The reason why we practice visualization is so that the consciousness has greater strength by which to perceive greater depth and greater energy. You can also take something like a stone, a very simple object, and imagine it. Or if you work on the candle flame, in the beginning you can learn to focus on the flame and not be distracted by your thoughts. Then imagine the candle glowing with life and light in your consciousness. This will greatly help you establish the conscious capacity to awaken in dreams. This is why it is very important. At this point in time, I would like to open the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Comment: God reveals himself to simplicity and humility, not to those engaged in laborious study and superfluous learning. The Gnostic ought to not rely in his own thoughts, but always seek to confirm them in the divine scripture or the nature of things themselves. Without such confirmation there can be no such thing as spiritual knowledge, only wickedness and delusion.
Instructor: Yes, this is very true. As I said, base yourself on facts. Divine mystical experiences have a quality that is very simple, and they arrive to our heart when we eliminate pride. This is kind of similar to that experience when I was meditating with a Gnostic group, in which I perceived the awakening of my consciousness and a state of humility by annihilating a certain defect. It was very simple, but very profound and amazing. You can study all the books of Samael Aun Weor. You can engage in discussions and debates. You can know what he wrote in a certain chapter and a book, back to front, and front to back, but that knowledge in the intellect is superfluous. We cannot rely on our own mind. We need to study and develop a strong spiritual, intellectual culture. We need the knowledge of what symbols mean, but we have to verify what these are about from experience. We use the scriptures because they are sign posts for inner knowledge and they really explain the nature of our own psychology, where we are at spiritually, and where we must go and must do. Real certainty is developed by not relying on our own desires, but by confirming our spiritual experiences in the light of scripture and objective consciousness. Other than that, we have to negate what is useless because our experiences will be negative, driving us to wrong action. We have to be very critical of ourselves, critical of our mind, not in a morbid or self-deprecating way, but with a healthy dose of neutrality. There is the story of doubting Thomas, who represents this principle of certainty. All of the apostles came to him saying, “Christ has risen from the dead!” But he said to them, “I will not believe anything you tell me until I verify for myself.” Unfortunately, people interpret this as a literal moment in history, that there was an apostle and he was very skeptical, perhaps negative, not having any faith, and not believing what the other apostles believed. Until he finally saw Christ face to face and touched his wound did he then really believe. Now, this is a symbol of certainty and how we develop it. We do not accept and do not reject anything until we have seen it for ourselves. It does not refer to a negative criticism, morbidity, or doubt. It is a quality of consciousness, of discernment. Know the teachings, know the doctrine, but verify it. Keep it in balance. Knowledge and being, when they are combined together in harmony, produce real spiritual understanding. If we have too much knowledge but no experience, we become very sour people, very wicked. We then look at the teachings as some kind of repressive, or oppressive thing, not understanding its utility, its practicality. So, if you do not want any doubts, experience it for yourself, but also know the road map so that when you investigate the internal worlds, you do not get lost. Some people travel to another country, metaphorically speaking, in the internal worlds, and do not know the language or the locale. They do not know how to get to a certain destination. This is why we study kabbalah, scriptures, the teachings, the doctrine, so that we can learn to navigate with efficacy and not be confused. Question: What is the difference between fantasizing and visualization? How do you visualize without stepping into the room of fantasizing? Instructor: This is an excellent question. Fantasy is negative. It is the projection of the ego. We have spoken abundantly about the difference between the Essence, the consciousness, which is free and unconditioned, to the egotistical self, defects, desires, nafs-al-ammara: the lower soul, the animal “I,” which is a multiplicity of different desires and defects which condition and trap our potential, our Essence. We have about 3% free consciousness and 97% conditioned consciousness. While this is a very disturbing statistic, according to Samael Aun Weor, it depicts our daily state. How often do we go through out our day identifying with the memories of the past or being hypnotized by illusions, thinking about events that have not happened or will not happen, fantasizing about our perfect partner, who we are going to meet, about a romantic rendezvous and how all the things we are going to say and how we are going to be admired by our co-workers, etc.? All of these are delusions of mind. They are projections of the intellect. They are the images of the conditioned psyche. We are perceiving those images and memories in our mind, but they are not voluntary. They are mechanical. They just happen because our consciousness is passive and our ego, our mind, is active. Fantasy has to do with a very subjective state of perception in which we are perceiving the contents of our mind, but of course, our mind constantly fluctuates. It changes. It projects its desires in the screen of our imagination, and this is very toxic, very negative. Fantasy is the opposite of visualization. Now, visualization is when you are learning to activate the unconditioned, clarified, pure aspect of our consciousness. It is when we are learning to perceive non-physical imagery with intentionality, with voluntary will, without being distracted, and without being conditioned by any desire. The only way you are going to know the difference is through experience, through practice. You can be sitting to meditate. You adopt a posture. You relax. You can even do a mantra to help calm your mind and transmute energy. When you are focused enough on yourself, you can visualize a candle. You have the intention and the will to take that one object and to see it in your perception with clarity, vibrancy, and color, even with sound or smell because the consciousness can experience these perceptions, even beyond the physical senses. But suddenly you will realize as you visualize this object, your mind will start to change it. It will adulterate it. It will say, “No, I can visualize this better and do something better with it!” That image will then begin to change and change its form in many ways. In most cases this is our mechanical mind taking our perceptions and distorting it. If you find that you cannot focus on the visualization, then you may find that you need to work more on concentration, because you can try to perceive this image of the candle and it is going all over the place, so much that you cannot focus. This means that you need to develop more serenity. So, focus on an object so that you do not think at all, or better said, with less intensity, and let the mind calm down. Focus on the breath or do a mantra. Take a candle and when you see it lit, observe it, and observe how you are observing. Simply look at it, and when your mind starts to think, label, and do other things, do not repress the mind. Do not gag it. Do not push it aside. Just simply look and gently return your attention like you are recalling a fact. That is all it is. That is all you need to do. Fantasy has to do with how our mind mechanically, repetitiously, unconsciously, projects images of an egotistical type. Visualization is when you will it with the consciousness. In the beginning it is very difficult, because 97% of our consciousness is trapped in ego. Visualization is working with the 3% consciousness that is available. But with time and practice it will get easier and you will learn to discriminate more and more. Knowing the complete difference between subjective and objective perception is the quality of an angel. Do not think you are going to master it right away. It takes a lot of practice. Comment: I have a painful theme in my life that I cannot comprehend despite meditation, asking, begging. I do not receive answers and I do not know what the Being needs from me. I want to forget about this problem and remember God as much as I can and be happy and accepting, but this is difficult as these thoughts can be obsessive at times. Instructor: This is pretty much every one’s situation. We are in the dark. We suffer. We struggle. We have an issue, a problem, an ordeal in life that we do not know how to navigate or resolve. Sometimes, we may be engaged in meditation trying to fix the problem, trying to come up with an answer, begging for an answer, but we do not get it. Every initiate in this path must face this reality, a period of darkness in which we have to face ourselves. The way that we resolve it is by being patient. The answers are there. Our Being can communicate with us, but anytime that we identify with any ego, we obscure our vision, and oftentimes our efforts to meditate, pray, ask, and beg, become filled with suffering and the desire to change the problem. An essential virtue that we need in this path is patience and tenacity. We have to be patient by enduring the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. When there is a problem that we cannot resolve, in accordance with the words of Shantideva, why worry about it? If there is no solution, why be upset? If there is a solution, why be upset as well? Our mind constantly goes after and seeks with the intellect the resolution which it can never resolve. So, the solution is to abandon thought and of course it is very difficult to do when we are filled with intense emotions. The solution is to relax for a time and engage in activities that help you forget the problem, because if you keep churning, thinking, struggling in the mud, you are going to become exhausted. So, if you are in quicksand, the solution is not to move with agitation, but to be still. If our meditation reflects this agitation, and we are approaching it with the intention of getting a result, oftentimes that desire obscures the realization. As that quote from Bayazid Al-Bastami stated, I will re-iterate his point right here: The thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it. ―Bayazid Bastami, Essential Sufism
So, if we seek with desire, we will not find the solution, but if we relax, calm down, relax our heart, relax our mind, relax our body, relax our energies, suspend everything, and abandon the world, abandon our thinking, our feelings, our projections of desires in mind, when the mind is still, the answers come. I suggest, primarily, if we do not get the answers we want, it is because we want it out of craving, out of desire. We have to abandon desire and not seek for the answer, but let it come to us. This is a very distinct pivotal move in our introspection. So, do not obsess over it. Let your thoughts cease and relax. If you find that meditating is difficult, take breaks. Engage in activities that give you joy, happiness, purpose, and certainty. It could be simply playing a game of chess, reading a book, writing poetry, composing music, following our heart. Sometimes distracting us help us to get more focused. If you want to get rid of a problem, forget about it. Do not think about it. Approach it when you are not looking for an answer. It is a very difficult and subtle thing to fulfill in oneself, but it is what leads to the door of certainty.
Question: You touched on insight. Is this in any way similar to introspective meditation? And you shared many experiences being in the astral world. How real can the astral world be compared to our world? Do people have to work, go to school, play sports? Do they have governments, and do they look like us on earth? Instructor: We talked a lot about introspection, which is the key of understanding ourselves. We do say that our primary practice and one of the most essential we fulfill is retrospection meditation. You can study a lecture we gave at the end of the course on our website, called, Gnostic Meditation, where we explain how we retrospect our day. We visualize the events that happen chronologically from morning to evening or evening to morning, in order to remember and recall in our imagination the different events that we experienced, so we can understand our own psychic aggregates or egos that emerged. That is what retrospection meditation is. We are talking a little bit about introspecting ourselves, which is the beginning. Now, yes, we related some astral experiences. The astral world is more real than the physical world. I know a lot of people like to think the astral world is something vague and amorphous. They have a lot of assumptions about this dimension, like it is something insubstantial, but they are wrong. Personally, I have had many experiences in the astral plane where I was fully lucid and had been given a lot more help, so I can have more clarity in that state. The astral world is a dimension of matter, energy and consciousness, but at a different level of nature. It is more subtle, but that does not mean it is immaterial. But because we are unconscious and asleep, constantly projecting, and fantasizing all day in our physical body, when we physically go to sleep, we take our dreams with us into the astral world, where our mind projects its imagery on the screen of the astral dimension, so that we perceive in our negative imagination, perhaps some incoherent, ambiguous, fractured dreams, which, maybe, is a repetition of our daily states. In the astral plane, because people are unconscious, if you really observe them objectively, you see that people do the same thing there that they do physically. They are asleep. They do not recognize that either they are unconscious in the astral world or they are dead. This is why in Greek mythology, Thanatos and Hypnos, death and sleep, were brothers. You want to know what happens to you when you die? If you want to have certainty about what happens when you die, look at your night life. I do not mean going to the club and partying. I mean when you physically go to sleep, where do you go as the consciousness? Do eight hours pass and nothing happens, then you wake up? Or do you have some big, scattered recollections of doing something or being chased by a monster or what not? That is a barometer of how conscious we are, and because we do not discriminate what we perceive, we do not have certainty of life after death. This why people who approach astral projection and dream yoga tend to do so with a lot of theories and suppositions―not with certainty, but subjectivity of its reality. If you are objective and conscious in the astral world, if you really awaken your imaginative knowledge, you can start to perceive that reality with a receptive mind and an active consciousness, so that you do not dream and project your mind into that world, but perceive people going about their work, going to school, playing sports, going to their government jobs. When people recollect dreams of going to work it is because they were actually going to work in the astral plane, but they were just so asleep and mechanical that they did not know they were out of their body. The solution is to develop mindfulness, awareness of yourself moment to moment in a continuous, consistent manner. That way you can wake up in the astral world. If you wake up in the physical dimension, stop daydreaming, stop fantasizing, and start to be receptive, alert, awake, aware, and remember your Being, you will remember your consciousness when you are out of your body. So, yeah people look the same when they are in the astral plane. I have seen family members of mine, and they look exactly the same. I have seen dead relatives who did not know they were dead, and they looked exactly like they did physically. People appear in accordance, in relativity with their physical life, with some exceptions. Any other questions? I appreciate you for listening. I appreciate the questions. In the next lecture we are going to build off this topic in order to talk more about these three stages of knowledge we mentioned in brief: Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition, in accordance with the Sufi wisdom and the Gnostic teachings. Thank you all for coming. 
Remembrance is a particularly significant topic, well-known, not only within Sufism, but all meditative and religious traditions.
In Gnosis we speak a lot about self-observation. As you have been following the sequence of this course, we have explained many times what self-observation, self-reflection is. We introspect. We look. We gather data about our psychology, our internal states, our external behaviors, but also our psychological behaviors, our instincts, impulses. This act of taking account of oneself has been known in Sufism by the Arabic term محاسبة muhasabah. It is known as inner accounting: to measure our qualities. It is to perceive from a radical honesty what we possess in abundance and what we lack in depth. When you practice self-observation, you as a consciousness, an Essence, must separate and observe the three brains. We examine our intellect, our emotions, our impulses. These are the three spheres of thought, feeling, and action, but as we have explained many times, consciousness is not thought. It is the perceiver of thought. Consciousness is not emotions. It is the perceiver of emotions. Likewise, the consciousness is not impulse. It is the perceiver of impulse. We have to learn from practical facts how the consciousness functions and malfunctions within our daily states. When our consciousness is not conditioned, when we are acting upon the free Essence, we learn to perceive without “I,” a sense of “me, myself,” “what I want,” “what I crave,” “what I hate,” “what I desire.” Unfortunately for most of humanity, thought, feeling, and instinct is all we know. In fact, we really worship selfishness in this culture, not only in the East but in the West―everywhere. Self, as we have mentioned, is ego, the Latin word for “I.” It is desire. In Arabic, it is نَفْس nafs, nafas. While people proclaim that they are spiritual, that they have this spirit, God inside, the reality is that all of us suffer from anger, from pride, from lust, envy, greed, laziness, gluttony. All these qualities that we think are who we are, are in fact the obstacle to the remembrance of the divine, the experience, the direct knowledge. These qualities are ego, desire, conditions of mind, nafs al-ammara, as cited within the Qur’an, “the soul that inclines to evil,” to impurity, to conditions, to suffering. Even the term passion, which is commonly interpreted to refer to one's ambitions or dreams, one's desires, one’s greatest qualities, in fact, in its original term means “suffering.” Why do we talk so much about ego, the self, what we are, what we think, what we do? This is because divinity, the Being, cannot mix with the ego. The spirit, the Innermost, the divine, cannot mix with the devil. They are like oil and water, and if we are honest in examining ourselves through the practices of this course, we will recognize very clearly that we are a chaos. We are mixed with many impressions and cannot discriminate what we see―positive from the negative, liberated from conditioned. This is why we meditate: to actualize serenity, as we stated in the previous lecture, whereby the disparate elements, the discord, the confusion within our psyche, can settle. With serenity, with meditation, we allow the different elements of our conditions and our Essence to stratify into distinct layers, so that we can discriminate and understand what we are seeing, what we perceive. When you are calm in body, heart, and mind, the heaviness of the ego becomes still. It sinks, and meanwhile, the superior qualities of our perception, in their elevation and lightness, rise. This is how we learn to understand our daily states, our daily experiences. Without serenity, there is no remembrance. There is no recollection of divine states. This is why meditation is essential. You simply cannot discriminate or understand your life experiences, no matter how many philosophies we give and tell ourselves, if we are not meditating. You simply cannot be spiritual without actualizing the state of meditation itself: a state of serene perception that understands what it sees. Without meditative serenity, it is impossible to know the difference between objective and subjective states of being. If there is ambiguity, if there is guess work, speculation about where we are at in this path, then honestly we have to confront the fact that we are not spiritual. We are unconscious, asleep. To be spiritual is a very demanding term. It means to have the spirit incarnated. It means to have your very thoughts, your feelings, and your actions to be performed solely for others. not ourselves. The spirit, God, the Being, cannot integrate with desire. Now I'd like to point out that we should not get caught up in language and semantics. While Sufi masters and poets have often translated “desiring for God” in many ways, in reality they are longing for divinity They are aspiring, because to crave and desire, within strict esoteric language, is to be attached, to be egotistical, to be in a cage. We always ask a very fundamental question when we examine ourselves, when we begin these studies: What is our level of being? Who are we? Where are we going? Where have we come from? Why do we exist? Why do we behave in specific ways in certain events? If we are honest with ourselves, we will all perceive that we really do not know God, because our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions are selfish. People don't discriminate their own psychology. They attribute many divine qualities to conditions of mind and this is a hundred percent negative and false, because the reality is that if we have even a hair's width of a selfish desire, it means that the spirit is not there. God cannot enter your room, your consciousness, when you have no light, when you don't clearly see without a self. Even when we sometimes might perform a beneficial action, a selfless action, our pride takes relish in it. We give to somebody and then we feel: “I am such a good person.” That means our deed is corrupt, no matter how noble and honorable our thoughts. Therefore, we don't have the spirit inside. The spirit is God. It is not ego. It is not “I.” It is not the self we believe we are. This is why Jesus stated in the Book of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 3, in relation to giving selflessly: But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ―Matthew 6:3
For those of you who have studied Kabbalah very extensively, you understand that the left-hand path is precisely the path of those who follow desire, ego, conditions, نَفْس nafs. The right-hand path as mentioned in the Qur’an is followed by the great Sufi masters, the meditators: those who really work to eliminate everything that is false in themselves. Rather than knowing charity, compassion, selflessness, altruism, philanthropy, kindness, instead, what we know and worship and idolize in this society is hatred, adultery, violence, sarcasm, manipulation, lies, and crime. These states are readily accessible to us because that is predominantly what we are. We are conditioned by all these factors, all these diseases that, in a fever of delirium, this society worships as a god. Simply look at our television shows, our sitcoms, our comedies. We are perverse.
In Gnosis, we speak a lot about self-remembrance: to remember the divine self, the spirit. But what does self really mean? What does it even mean to remember something? This is the confusion that has led many people into the abyss. They don't know the difference between heavenly and negative states. This is why the Qur’an repeats many times how the infidels, the disbelievers, the black magicians, are a “people who don't know.” They don't discriminate. They don't understand. The faculty of recollection means to bring something to our mind, to have a memory of a person, place, object, or idea. It could also be an image of an experience we recall within the screen of our imagination, our perception. Imagination, as we have explained before, is the capacity to perceive. It is visualization: to perceive non-physical imagery. As we mentioned, if somebody tells you to imagine an apple or what you ate for breakfast, you see a picture in your mind. It just arises naturally. Or somebody asks you to remember how you got here wherever you're at. How did you get home? You can see it. That sense is atrophied in most people, but when it's developed through meditative science, that process and depth, the lucidity, the clarity, the color, the vibrancy of our imagination, expands. It becomes deeper. It allows us to really access worlds beyond the physical plane. Imagination does have to do with how we perceive impressions through the five senses, although physicality is merely just a sliver on the conscious spectrum of possible experiences. In reality, as we are observing ourselves, we are developing this faculty itself, the ability to perceive without conditions, without subjectivity, without faults. In truth, we can only remember what we've experienced. So the question becomes, as a sort of catch-22, how could we remember God, when for most of us, we don't recollect or know Him? When you read the writings of Samael Aun Weor, you hear about astral travels, out-of-body experiences, jinn states, and naturally, people become inspired. You are filled with longing, aspiration, and inquietudes, but also, we might feel some craving and aversion or even jealousy―attachment in wanting to know these truths for ourselves. Now while we really are in the dark, in a lot of suffering, it's also true that we all knew divinity to some degree, but because of our wrong actions, we have obscured that presence. In order to return to the divine, to repent, ٱلتوبة al-Tawbah in Arabic, we have to purify the consciousness, to reflect and experience the Being within ourselves. As the Prophet Muhammad relates in the Hadith, the oral tradition of Islam, the heart is a marvelous organ. When it is perfected, it illuminates everything of our psychology. The initiate Rumi, the great Sufi poet also stated: Do you not know why your mirror does not glitter?
Like Prophet Muhammad stated, "the polish of the heart is ذِكرْ dhikr (remembrance of God)." Metaphorically, we are not virgin. We are not pure because we created the ego, نَفْس nafs, desire. All of us were virgin at some point, physically and psychologically, having a purity of mind, heart, and body that could reflect divinity perfectly. The spiritual work is about cleansing the heart so that we can receive, within a polished, purified, and perceptive consciousness, the superior worlds, the divine images of the heavens. This is imagination.
When you're sitting to practice, you calm your mind, your heart, your body. You recollect the presence of your Being. You concentrate fully upon your innermost spirit, praying for guidance, and when your mind is absolutely still, when there is no ripple in the mind, suddenly new images arrive. They flash. They appear and then disappear, and sometimes they even prolong themselves into profound experiences within the astral plane. When the consciousness is active and the mind is receptive, we perceive the heavenly dimensions. Therefore, if you want to experience those states, you have to cleanse your heart―purify it―sharpen it with specific techniques, as we will explain. There are many people who are very morbid, who write to us and are despondent that they don't know God, and they become filled with terrible pessimism, fear, doubt, despair. The reality is that while we may be ignorant of divinity―maybe we never had those experiences that I mentioned―the truth is that divinity is here and now. We just don't recognize it, and therefore, to continue in ignorance is a choice. God is with us. All the initiates state this fact. As stated in the Qur’an, Surah 50, verse 16: And indeed We have created man, and We know whatever thoughts his inner self develops, and We are closer to him than (his) jugular vein. ―Qur’an 50:16
God is with us, but because we have attachments, we have cravings, aversions, hatred, etc., we don't perceive Him. What is the solution? What is the method? What is the path? It is to comprehend your defects, because the door to remembrance is found in recognizing the superior states of the soul when we separate from desire.
There are many proverbs and teachings within Sufism that illuminate this point. As commonly stated amongst Sufi initiates: He who knows himself knows his Lord. ―Sufi Proverb
One of my favorite sayings of Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī:
The key to success in worship lies in meditative reflection (fikrat)…whoever persists in such reflection in the heart will behold the invisible realm in the spirit. Whoever contemplates God through keeping watch over the thoughts which pass through his heart will be exalted by God in all of his outward deeds. ―Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī in ‘Aṭṭār: Tadhkirat, 154-155
Rumi also said, "Do not seek for love." We have to remove the barriers of its expression. As we remember the qualities of divinity, which are love, compassion, altruism, faith, we really walk the path. This is why Rumi stated:
Remembrance makes people desire the journey; it makes them into travelers. What is sweeter than the remembrance of the Friend? Hey, do not sit idle like this! Invoke! ―Rumi
When we do experience superior qualities, states of Being, the divine, we recognize a conscious flavor, a sweetness that permeates all of our experiences and inspires us towards virtuous action. It is genuine freedom.
The Definition of Remembrance
So what is remembrance? The Arabic term is ذِكرْ dhikr. It is not only a state of being, but it is a practice for the realization of God.
While it can be difficult to access and sustain, remembrance is a fundamental aspect of the path. Without it, you simply cannot understand any practice within the Gnostic tradition, within the Sufi tradition, within all religions. Once we have access and recognize what it means to be conscious, to be vibrant, to be aware, to have an alert cognitive attention, a virtuous attention, the work becomes to maintain that state continually. It is a state of vigilance of superior states, superior qualities that only you can taste. Certain actions produce harmony. Certain behaviors produce suffering. You have to observe this in yourself. When you consciously choose not to follow the ego, you are remembering God. Without that constant struggle, that striving, that holy war, we cannot remember the divine. We cannot return to Him. As stated by Al-Qushayri from the Principles of Sufism: Dhikr, the practice of remembering God, is a strong pillar in the way of the Truth. Indeed, it is the mainstay of this Way. No one attains to God except through continuous remembrance. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
These are superlative conscious states of the Being, superior levels of being. We mentioned many times, such as in the writings of Samael Aun Weor, how a superior level of being always awaits us in this moment, at the intersection of the horizontal beam of life, the line of existence, with the vertical path of the Being.
Whether we experience higher states depends on what we do, how we act, how we behave, not only physically, but internally through the different ordeals and circumstances of our life. When we are tested with a violent situation, somebody approaches us with anger, how do we respond? What do we do? What do we choose? Do we remember compassion or do we forget? Moments of great trial and crisis are the best moments for developing remembrance. It is precisely the least disturbing moments of life, the most tranquil, that are the least favorable for our work, and because we have to face very difficult ordeals, we have many exercises in this tradition. Remembrance is developed not only through self-observation and acting ethically, but we have many exercises that amplify our consciousness, deepen our remembrance, such as mantras, prayers, alchemy, runes, and sacred rites for rejuvenation. There are many practices in Gnosis. By combining the appropriate psychological state with our spiritual discipline, we empower our consciousness. We give it energy. If your consciousness is weak, you cannot act ethically. You will not have control. You will not remember what to do. This is why energy, breath, transmutation, concentration, imagination, are essential. These allow us to access superior states so that we can eliminate the impurities. We can remember what to do when we are tested. As the Sufis state: There are two kinds of remembrance: that of the tongue and that of the heart. By means of the tongue’s remembrance, the servant reaches constant remembrance of the heart. Its object and result is the remembrance of the heart. If the servant becomes one who remembers both with his tongue and with his heart, the state of his spiritual search is described as perfect. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So mantras help to invoke divine energy. They're like a smartphone. You notice in this society that we basically have a whole world of information in our hand with a smartphone? We can access data and knowledge that was once impossible for people to get without great struggle. Our ways of communicating with divinity is like this. You might have a dream even in the astral plane of talking on your phone to your parent or your parents. That is a symbol of remembrance, where you are speaking with God and receiving the answer that you need. If your phone is off, if it's broken, it means you've been cut off from remembrance. These are symbols, allegories, and parables of the consciousness.
Invocation is ذِكرْ dhikr, remembrance, to invoke, to mantralize, to pray. This is a form of communication and empowerment for our Essence. Some people like to argue about what is better: silent or vocal recitation, whether to pronounce a mantra in the mind or out loud. The truth is that both are necessary. As Samael Aun Weor stated in Esoteric Medicine and Practical Magic: One can articulate with the creative larynx, one can vocalize with his thought, and one can vocalize with the superlative consciousness of the Being. ―Samael Aun Weor, Esoteric Medicine and Practical Magic
It's good for beginners and even advanced practitioners to vocalize mantras out loud. That is because it strengthens our remembrance, our concentration. It's much easier to concentrate upon a mantra that you are vocalizing with your speech. There's also something energetic that happens when you pronounce sacred words, whether from the Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, etc. You charge your body with force, with energy. You give more battery life to your cell phone, so to speak.
However, there's also silent mantra recitation, to do it in one's mind. This is especially effective for when you are in your day; you are not at home and you are at work or wherever you may be, that you can't necessarily have the solitude and silence of your own home, of a particular time to practice. If you are around other people and engage with life, silent mantra is very effective. You can pronounce it internally so that you stay focused in where you are at and what you are doing, and also what you need to do. This takes a lot more skill. Obviously, somebody who is just beginning is going to struggle with this, but with familiarity and practice, when you adopt a mantra and recite it mentally, internally, it opens doorways of understanding that are very deep, of how to act and behave in life for the benefit of others. When you are really conscious, vocalizing all day internally and also when you sit to practice at home, when you mantralize, when you pray aloud, you complement your development. These exercises work from the inside out and the outside in: internally and vocally. Some mantras can be whispered, especially as you are practicing dream yoga. You're falling asleep at night and you are vocalizing out loud a mantra to help you astral project, and as you are falling asleep, you whisper those sounds until reciting them mentally. With enough concentration and practice, you can fall asleep physically and enter the superior worlds with lucidity. So there are different purposes for their invocation. We advise that you work with both. 
Continual Remembrance
In Islam, Muslims pray five times a day. This is known as صَلاة salat. These are the canonical prayers established by Prophet Muhammad after his miraculous Ascension, المعراج al-Miraj, the Night Journey as cited within the Qur’an and the Hadith. He spoke with his Inner Being and received the commandment of how to teach remembrance to his disciples within the Muslim community.
As Gnostics, we practice remembrance in every moment. I believe one Zen master was asked, “How long do you meditate?” and he answered, “When do I never meditate?” or “When do I not?” Why is it that remembrance is an obligation for all moments of life, whether physically awake or in the dream state? This is because it is the only way to act properly, selflessly, consciously, whether in the material world or the superior worlds. We need to be in an awakened state to be present, to be alert. This is why Al-Qushayri states in Principles of Sufism: One of the special features of the practice of remembrance is that it has no assigned time. Indeed, there is no moment in which the servant is not commanded to the remembrance of God, whether it be an obligatory duty or a recommended one. The ritual prayer, though it is the noblest of all devotions, is not possible at some times, while the heart’s remembrance is continuous in all circumstances. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
We have to be conscious wherever we are at, whether in the body or out of the body, because there are dangers. There are many ways, if we are not paying attention, that we can harm ourselves, harm others. Remembrance is a form of holy war. It is the monasticism of the Muslims, says Prophet Muhammad. As Al-Wasiti stated:
The best act of worship is watchfulness of the moments. ―Al-Wasiti
This is because esoteric practices are only fruitful when we perform them with attention, when we are aware, when we remember what we are doing. If we are reciting a mantra but thinking of something else, it means that we are not paying attention. We are not remembering God. We are lost. We are distracted. Practices only have strength when we are building our conscious momentum.
So when you are paying attention all day, and also when you sit to practice, you are going to have more strength, more depth, more clarity, more profundity, more facility with your discipline, your practices, your meditations. When you are constantly remembering your Being, you have more energy. When you are restraining negative thought, negative feeling, and negative action, you have the force available, the reservoir of energy available by which to amplify the consciousness, whether through meditation, runes, mantras, alchemy, etc. Vocal remembrance, but also internal remembrance, complement. You need both. If you're lacking consistency in either one of those disciplines, it is something to re-evaluate and to consider. If you want to advance further and more quickly with more depth, with more understanding, you have to remember yourself. Don't forget where you are at. Don't daydream, and don't daydream when you practice. 
The Sword of Remembrance
Now, people often look to life to acquire weapons, guns or martial arts training as a means of self-defense, as a form of protection against danger. Now, the best protection in reality is to remember God: to recollect the presence and state of your inner God, your Being, your virtuous qualities, your compassion, so that divinity can guide our will through the appropriate response to an impression.
According to Samael Aun Weor, he stated in Revolutionary Psychology: The best weapon that a human being can use in life is a correct psychological state. One can disarm beasts and unmask traitors by means of appropriate internal states. Wrong internal states convert us into defenseless victims of human perversity. You must learn to face the most unpleasant events of practical life with an appropriate internal uprightness... You must not become identified with any event. Remember that everything passes away. You must learn to look at life like a movie; thus, you shall receive the benefits... You must not forget that if you do not eliminate mistaken internal states from your psyche, then events of no value could bring you disgrace. ―Samael Aun Weor, Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology
What is an example of this? You're at work and you have difficult clients. They are provoking your anger and if you respond with hostility, with retaliation, you harm yourself, your clients, and your job. Mistaken psychological states, the ego, can exacerbate a problem and make it a million times worse. Instead, learning to respond with kindness, with compassion, with insight, we can disarm a situation. It is the ultimate form of warfare.
The Sufis collaborate this point. They refer to remembrance as a sword with a sharp blade, wounding the transgressor and defending the virtuous. As Al-Qushayri states: Remembering God with the heart is called the sword of the seekers. With it the seeker slays his enemies and drives off troubles that are headed for him. Even if difficulty should overshadow the servant, his fleeing to God Most High in his heart immediately turns away from him the thing he hates. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
But who is our enemy? It is our ego: our pride, our hatred, that does not want to be humble; our lust that craves to get what it wants at all costs, including at one's expense and the expense of one's neighbor; jealousy, which corrupts businesses, families, religions, is an enemy. We have to be relentlessly compassionate to other people but mercilessly cruel to ourselves. It is necessary to dissect our own defects with the terrible scalpel of self-criticism, says Samael Aun Weor. This is holy war.
When you remember to do the right thing and you actually do it, even though you are tempted to behave in ways that are really problematic, you sense it in the moment. You perceive it, if you are observing yourself and remembering your Being. You are perceiving this ordeal when someone is criticizing you and yet you have a choice: to follow a superior way of being by transforming the situation, or by reacting negatively, by not transforming the impression of the aggressor. When you transform your psychological state of anger, the situation evaporates. When you act compassionately or kindly in a sincere way to somebody who is very aggressive, we can disarm the problem. Really, self-remembrance is the best weapon. It is the best defense. It is the most proven to develop a very spiritual life because through that type of action and work, by fleeing to God in our heart when we are really tempted to do something wrong, we receive empowerment. You sense the right way to behave. You intuit what to do. That is remembrance, and when you actually do it, you deepen your remembrance. This is the necessary thing to reflect upon. This produces the sweetness of devotion. The Sweetness of Devotion
When you are recognizing states of your Being, superior qualities, when you are recognizing how heavenly states of consciousness produce happiness and negative states of consciousness produce sorrow, you develop real devotion, real prayer. But how do we recognize this state of self-remembrance?
These are distinct psychological qualities, like tasting water from wine. You know them from experience, from repeated, recurring facts. Virtuous action, selflessness, is a form of a lightness. There is no density there. When you act compassionately or with conscious love for somebody, you feel a type of freedom when it is genuine. You simply do it out of love. It is simple. It is not complicated. Now, egotistical states are different. They are selfish. We are more afflicted. We have a greater attachment to a sense of self. We intensify our suffering. We become complicated. Problems augment. They get worse. We don't see a solution. In reality, remembrance has a sweet quality. It is serene. It is beautiful. When you taste it, you will know it. It is so profound, so moving and so persuasive that when you access it, you seek to experience it again and again. We do that by removing conditions. Hasan al-Basri said, “Seek sweetness in three things: in prayer, in the remembrance of God, and in the recitation of the Qur’an. If you find it, good. If not, know that the door is shut.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
The door of remembrance is found through honesty with oneself, not with other people, necessarily, but with your own states, with what you can measure, what you can test, what you can plumb within your own depths, your own psyche.
Are your practices dull? Is your meditation superficial? Is it vague? Are things unclear? Are you uncertain about how a certain action in the day perhaps was the wrong one, but don't understand why? 
The reality is that when you're practicing remembrance, you are acting upon and recognizing the right way of being. When you see the virtues of your own soul, you feel sweetness, devotion. We show love of God because we love our neighbor as our inner self, our inner spirit. We have to be like a child kneeling with humility, as you see in this image. But we cannot be humble if we are not honest that we are arrogant, that we are proud. When you recognize and remember those states of how your virtuous qualities are very far and different from desire, you practice devotedly with great zeal, with a sense of industry and diligence.
Divine Remembrance in the Servant’s Heart
When you remember these virtuous qualities, divinity, as we said, augments and deepens our state. We get help. We become inspired. We receive an influx of force that is very dynamic. We receive energy, aspiration, inspiration, profound knowledge about what to do, even in circumstances that are very confusing or morally ambiguous and ambivalent. When we approach God in remembrance, when we seek divinity earnestly, divinity approaches us. Divinity meets us and guides our efforts. This is an infallible law. As stated amongst the Sufis within Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism about this fact:
Another special feature of remembrance is that it produces remembrance in response. God Most High has said, “Remember Me―I will remember you!” (2:147). According to a hadith, Gabriel said to the Messenger of God, “God Most High says, ‘I have given to your community what I have not given to any other community.’” “What is that, O Gabriel?” the Prophet asked. “It is the saying of the Most High, ‘Remember Me―I will remember you.’ He has not said that to anyone outside this community.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
What does it mean that God will remember us? We spent a lot of time discussing the dynamics and expressions of consciousness, such as contraction and expansion, absence and presence, attention and awareness. If we work seriously to know divinity, our Being gives us light, gives us experiences. This is not a belief. This is a fact. When you are really dedicated and are working earnestly, sincerely, your Being works much harder to help you, to help us. This is corroborated in the Hadith, I believe from Bukhari:
“Allah says, 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than them; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running. If he comes to me with sins that will fill the world without associating partners with Me, I will welcome him with pardoning as big as that.’" [Bukhari, Tawhid 16, 35; Muslim, Dhikr 2, (2675), Tawba 1, (2675)]
We have spoken a lot about borrowed light, receiving help from the White Lodge and our own divinity. Sometimes we can access states of being that are not approachable or accessible for the beginner. We simply cannot do it on our own, but we often will get help through internal illumination and experiences, insights in our meditation to push us, and this precisely represents the principle I mentioned.
For every effort you make towards your Being, it becomes amplified. States of presence, of being, can come and go. Our consciousness can expand and contract according to our efforts, to our level, but the more familiar you become with what these principles of meditation entail and you apply them, as you get more competent with these exercises, you gain greater depth, greater vibrancy, more understanding. You simply perceive more than you could have on your own, and this gives us faith. As we develop our conscious capacities, divinity aids us. Therefore, if we have a very morbid attitude, very pessimistic, that we are not advancing in this path, we have to really evaluate our foundations: to recognize what in us is keeping us locked in hell. You do it by evaluating your heart. Remembrance is not a cerebral exercise. It is the doctrine of the heart. As Al-Qushayri states: In one of the holy books it is written that Prophet Moses said, “O Lord, where do You dwell?” God Most High revealed to him, “In the heart of My believing servant.” The meaning of this is the indwelling of remembrance in the heart, for the Truth, may He be glorified and exalted, transcends every kind of inhabiting and incarnation. It is only the affirmation and attainment of remembrance that is intended here. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So who is الله Allah? It is the Absolute Abstract Space, as we have mentioned many times. The cosmic space does not incarnate. Instead, when we remove all the conditions and baggage from our consciousness, we remain within God's spacious luminosity, profundity, a limitless presence.
The Forms of Remembrance
But let us examine what the forms of remembrance are, how they express, how they develop, and how we can approach them. Remembrance emerges when we reflect upon ourselves in meditation. This is fikrat, serene perception:
From the field of Reflection the field of Remembering God is born. God, the Most High, says, ‘only those who remember turn to God in penitence’ (40:13). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This is from Abdullah Ansari of Herat from the Stations of the Sufi Path.
When you remember to fulfill your esoteric exercises, you turn in repentance. You turn in contrition, humility towards divinity. We practice because we want to look for answers to our problems, to our sufferings. Without reflecting or taking account of our defects, without analyzing them, without understanding them, we won't gain access to superior states of being, because we will be identified. Our identity will be trapped in a sense of self, in a cage, within pride, lust, vanity, greed, laziness, gluttony, etc. Let us continue with this quote: Remembrance is to bring to mind what one has received and accepted. The difference between reflection and remembrance is that reflection is seeking but remembrance is finding. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So when we enter meditation, we concentrate within an intensified, clarified state, within a serene depth of stillness. We can learn to reflect the wisdom of divinity within our imagination. This is the state of meditation.
When you stop thinking, rationalizing, churning with emotion, we suspend our senses. We withdraw our consciousness from our sight, from our hearing, taste, touch, smell. We even withdraw from thought, from instinct, from desire. This is a profound conscious activity. It is a form of striving. When we gently withdraw our attention from the distractions of our intellect, of our ego, and when your mind is still, when it's calm, you can begin to imagine, to receive images that do not originate from this physical world, but from the superior dimensions. When you receive knowledge, images, experiences within the screen of your consciousness, when your body is at rest and completely forgotten, you are accessing a state of remembrance. When you consciously apprehend the truth of your Being, whether through a samadhi, an ecstasy, an astral projection, you learn to subsist through a state of remembrance because you have accessed your true identity. You are not distracted. You are not lost within a chain of associative thinking. You are firm in remembering your perception. There is no “I” there. There is no self. It is clear seeing without a condition at all. Recognizing this state requires a lot of practice because we have a lot of heaviness and dullness to our mind, but if you're diligent, you will remember what this state is repeatedly as you work. Let us look at what Abdullah Ansari of Herat states: Remembrance comprises three things: harkening with fear to the divine warning, gazing with hope upon the herald who proclaims the Friend’s promise, and acknowledging with supplicant tongue one’s indebtedness to God’s beneficence. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So as I said, remembrance occurs in many levels. We learn to remember ourselves here and now in the physical body, in the beginning; to not forget what we're doing; to recall and remember to act virtuously, and this later translates itself within the internal planes. When the physical body goes to sleep, if you're being very effective in your daily discipline, you start to awaken consciousness in the higher worlds, in dreams, out of the body, and in that way, we could be reprimanded through experiences from divinity.
I know a lot of times, we like to think that samadhi or ecstasy, superior states of being, are going to be blissful, and there is a state of bliss found when the ego is absent, but often times, we can be given experiences not as a compliment, but as a warning to help us be very firm; to have awe; to have reverence. When they talk about fear of the divine, they're really referring to reverence, respect, to love God so much and remember the ethics of divinity, that one is afraid to act with ego. This is a conscious quality. This is not egotistical fear. This is awe, reverence, and respect, the diligence to act uprightly. Remembrance of the truth, the verity, the veracity of the prophets, their honesty, is also another form of remembrance. When we really verify what they are teaching, whether from the writings of the Sufis or Samael Aun Weor or whomever, we recognize and understand the authenticity of what they teach, the principles from experience. This is also a form of remembrance: to recall the teaching, in all aspects, in times of our life, and also remembrance has to do with our verb, especially when we show other people how to change: to show them the way and to be grateful to divinity through prayer for the help we receive. These qualities strengthen us. They give us fortitude. They give us encouragement. They give us inspiration. 
Remembrance through Fear, Hope, and Need
Let us examine a few more quotes from the Stations of the Sufi Path in terms of what this dynamic looks like in a more focused detail.
Remembrance through fear is in respect to three things: fear of what is hidden within the practical application of ethics and the Prophet’s habitual practice, being fearful for the unseen outcome, and remorse for the time and moment spent in distraction. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So we must remember to act ethically. We do so by studying the teachings, by learning the practical instructions, the scriptures, the writings, the prophetic traditions, whether from the life of Prophet Muhammad, or the life of any initiate who is really a master of Major Mysteries, someone with a lot of development, a prophet. As we said, to fear is really to have awe. In Hebrew it is פָחַד pechad, to have reverence and respect for the commandments of the Being, and then if we act incorrectly, we will suffer unforeseen consequences. We will suffer.
What are these unforeseen consequences, these outcomes? Eventually in our practice we learn to awaken in the internal worlds. We can receive prophecy, premonitions, visions about what will happen in the future, warnings about how to act in our daily life in preparation for great trials, great crises. In terms of this type of remembrance, this type of longing, this profound inspiration in recognizing the truth of our dreams, I can relate a brief experience that I had this morning. 
I woke up in the astral plane and my inner Being showed me Arcanum 35 from the sacred Tarot. These arcana, these laws, these cards, demonstrate principles of nature about our particular path, where we are at and what we need to do, but, also the dangers and the inevitability, the prophecy of what's to come, what must happen. These are laws of nature, laws of Being, laws of divinity.
Arcanum 35 is Grief. I had that experience, and later this day, I found out from my father, physical father, that I had a relative who just died in a very terrible way, and so obviously, I was very struck, very wounded. I still am. But also I was very shocked. I was really sparked into remembrance by that experience, that my Being was warning me, was showing me what was going to happen, but I didn't know until, obviously, the facts presented themselves. What is interesting is that each of these sacred arcana, whether major or minor, they have forecasting elements and a transcendental axiom that teaches a profound truth about a given circumstance of life. The transcendental axiom of Grief states: That which is now comes from that which has been, and what has been is what shall be now. ―Transcendental Axiom of Arcanum 35: Grief
When we recognize how your visions come true, it really sparks you into remembrance. You feel that tremendous amazement about how one can know or intuit these things before they happen. It gives us faith, but in relation to this axiom or this 35th Arcanum―”that which is now comes from that which has been and what has been is what shall be now”―this experience really reminded me of death. Eventually we all have to die. We will pass, so we should really remember ourselves, to remember our purpose for why we work, why we study Gnosis, why we apply it, why we yearn for God. Death is inevitable, and so we should learn to respect divinity who can guide us when things are really hard. So we should really spend more time in remembrance than in distraction. We should not waste time doing frivolous, superfluous, stupid things―wasting time. We should really be practicing more.
But what is remembrance through hope, according to Abdullah Ansari of Herat? Remembrance through hope is in respect to three things: sincere repentance, caring intercession, and luminous mercy. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Repentance is a form of remembrance because we find solutions to our sufferings. Therefore, we learn to act appropriately. We also remember divinity whenever we are visited by our Being, whenever the initiates of the White Lodge of the astral plane, the prophets, the divine beings, intercede for us. They help us. They give us wisdom and knowledge.
What is luminous mercy? When we recognize how divinity has blessed us through a heightened and intuitive perception, we feel brightness. We feel hope. We feel inspired. We long to change and we are encouraged to keep moving, to advance. We know the benedictions of divinity through an intensified clarity, a quickening of our perception, our conscious abilities. Abdulla Ansari of Herat continues: Remembrance in supplicant neediness is in respect to three things: continuous invocation, familiarity with that Pre-eternal grace that heralds joy, and an open heart gazing upon its Lord. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Remembrance, ذِكرْ dhikr, invocation, prayer, mantras, should be practiced in all moments of our life, internally and verbally. Samael Aun Weor mentions that an occult medic and esoteric Gnostic healer, an initiate, should vocalize an hour a day. That gives one substantial force and energy by which to really cut through illusion, but also internally we should mantralize throughout all moments of our daily existence.
Familiarity with pre-eternal grace, divine blessings, occurs in mystical experiences through samadhis, to prophesy, so when the body is asleep and you are speaking face-to-face and receiving knowledge from your Being, that is familiarity with pre-eternal grace, that divine compassion that is really timeless. Our heart also opens when we see divinity in the superior worlds, when we gaze upon him through the symbolic language of dreams, through direct perception. 
Inner Self-Remembrance
Inner self-remembrance has to do with our human machine, as we have come back to many times. We have the five centers, as we have illustrated in different lectures. We have our intellect, emotions, movements, instincts, and sexual drives―or the intellectual brain, the emotional brain, and the motor-instinctive-sexual brain.
These are the centers through which our ego acts. This is where our defects manifest and express. If we are watching the processes of our thinking, our feeling, and our behaviors, we learn to control the mechanicity of our life. We stop being machines. We stop being unconscious automatons, and instead, we learn to act with intelligence, with creativity, with genius. Inner self-remembrance has to do with superior qualities: the superior intellectual center and the superior emotional center. These are spaces in which we receive knowledge from divinity, whether through intuition, whether through superior ideas or imagination, comprehension. The ego cannot act within the superior intellectual center nor the superior emotional center. These are distinct qualitative states that you have to verify in yourself. In daily life, they have the same quality as dreams―conscious visions, better said―no dreaming, no ego, no desire, no projections of the mind, but they are a profound activity that is a receptivity. When you activate these superior centers, you learn to receive wisdom and intuitions and knowledge that have nothing to do with our common, everyday associative thinking, our churning emotions, nor our passionate drives, our impulses. These two centers are very important for meditation and they function in us when the consciousness is developed. Only the data, the wisdom, the intelligence from the Being is processed here. When we are really connecting with divinity, we are learning to access these centers to receive insights, understandings. Samael Aun Weor states the following in Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology that emphasized everything we have stated so far, and how our own ego is the obstacle to enlightenment, and also, if we are going to achieve illumination, we have to remember our Being. It can come to pass that we are incorrectly related with ourselves. Accordingly, we suffer deeply due to the lack of inner enlightenment.
When you remember God, you don't suffer as much. Even with enough training, you do not suffer at all. You endure, patiently, the trials and tribulations of life because you have light inside, cognizance, humility, joy.
Conclusion and Practices
In terms of this course, we have been giving some practices, some general recommendations for you to fulfill. For this lecture and practice, we want to continue developing our self-observation or inner accounting, which is محاسبة muhasabah in Arabic. We do so from moment to moment, to facilitate mindfulness, which means to maintain continuity of attention, remembrance.
We mentally recite a mantra throughout the day, instant by instant. So there are many mantras in this tradition, many traditions, but you'll find an abundance within the writings of Samael Aun Weor. I recommend you study The Perfect Matrimony, especially, for many exercises and mantras that can help you, but if you pick up pretty much any book from our teacher, the Master Samael, you'll find exercises and mantras that aid in this process. Likewise, every day, vocalize a mantra for 30 minutes to an hour. Adopt a meditation posture, relax completely, and then focus a hundred percent attention on your vocalization. When you are mantralizing, you should sing. Let the sacred sounds vibrate in your consciousness, in your body, in your glands. Let your attention swim within the energies of the mantra, within the ocean of that force. Saturate all aspects of your Being with the vibrations, and if you are working on a particular mantra―that obviously will work with the different chakras in the body―focus on those centers. You can even visualize and imagine energy accumulating in the spaces where your mantras are affecting, whether it is the chakra of the throat, the chakras of the crown and third eye, etc. At this point in time, I'd like to invite you to ask questions. Questions and Answers
Question: Hi, good evening. Thank you so much for this really great lecture! It was really timely for me because I have been spending most of my time, the holy war, and also trying to observe myself. It's kind of where I am at, and so it was helpful to hear you speak about it.
One of the things that really was helpful to me is understanding or just hearing you say, to go to your heart when you're struggling with... well for me, it's like anger. I sometimes try to think about them. I don't go to my heart, and I imagine doing that and I could feel myself relaxing and could feel a nodding, like I was reviewing, while you're talking some things that happened today. So that was super helpful, but I know one thing that I am still struggling to understand in myself, how it plays out, is some of the way that my emotions are activated and utilize a lot of energy. Last Friday, I ran into a deer for the first time in my life, and it had a baby that was left alone and the mother died―not instantly either―but I was just undone for the whole day. I do not know where to put that because if I put it in my heart, it seems like that part's already working in the wrong way. I am not looking at it the right way, and I know that it sapped my whole energy for at least a day, and who knows what in my dreams, and... I don't know. But I am just wondering if there is some way... like I can understand how when I am intellectualizing about my anger, trying to think about it mentally, that that doesn't help to unravel it. But how do I unravel my emotions? Where do I move that to look at it more clearly? Instructor: That's a great comment and a great question. When we are filled with emotional suffering, a lot of intense pain, very strong emotions, in many cases, it can be good to sit and to pray: to ask our Being to help us understand this emotion and this sorrow that we feel. Obviously, when taking another's life, whether intentionally or unintentionally, even if that of an animal, we feel great sorrow, great pain. There are many remedies to help in the process of healing the heart. I know sometimes that if your emotional state is strong, it can be very difficult to handle without breaking down, and sometimes, even allowing ourselves the space to cry is important. It is not good to repress or to bottle up emotions, especially if you are filled with a lot of emotional tension and anxiety, a lot of suffering. You neither want to repress it, nor do you want to indulge in it, but at the same time, if you need to let it out and cry, it is good to do that.
I recommend working with the magic of the roses, especially, and praying―praying for understanding of the situation, but also recognizing that it was an accident. As terrible as it is, as much suffering it might have inflicted, we have to seek forgiveness of ourselves and also comfort from our Being. Your Being can give you the solace and peace that you need. The way that you do it is by closing your eyes, relaxing, and of course, when our emotions are churned up, it's very difficult to handle, because the emotional center is much quicker than the intellect, and even movement. When emotions are volatile, we can struggle to control them. In a sense, the kind of control we are talking about has nothing to do with pushing it away or hiding it, but also not feeding it. It is important simply to be.
When you remember God, you are being in the moment. It does not mean that you're not going to experience sorrow, that you're not going to experience pain. Remembrance has to do with when you are consciously examining yourself, and if the reality of your state and emotion is that you were in a lot of sorrow, you have to look at it, but without having to try to gag it. It simply does not go away. So do not hide it. Look at it. Sit with it, and sometimes if it's too difficult to overcome it, if you are really struggling with your emotions, it could be good to take a break, you know. Practice in short sessions, but when you remember your Being, when you access His compassion for the state of affairs for yourself, you can learn to find peace. You have to learn to forgive yourself. Sometimes, I know in these studies we like to say that we have to be cruel to the ego, cruel to desire, to examine ourselves with a scalpel of self-criticism, but this does not mean that we become morbid and pessimistic, filled with egotistical shame. Remorse is something else: a conscious quality in which we are no longer identified with the situation. We have to learn to forgive ourselves, to have compassion for ourselves too. This is not identification. It has nothing to do with nor relates to necessarily feeling good about ourselves, but instead, it gives us a space to recognize that we are not perfect. Only the Being is perfect, and therefore we have to find forgiveness for ourselves, for our mistakes, for our errors, and to accept the consequences. Obviously, there are ways to work with the souls of nature, and I recommend that if this is something that you really wish to work with, you can pray deeply to your inner Being to give you insight and understanding about how to approach the situation, and by relaxing and withdrawing your consciousness from your thoughts, your feelings, and your body. You can begin to intuit and perceive the answer. Obviously, again if you are filled with a lot of negative emotions, it can be difficult to meditate. That is why sometimes it's good to take a break, relax, and approach the situation when you have more clarity. Reminiscing and ruminating and being morbid does not help. Instead, learning to relax, to find calm, to forgive oneself for an error, this opens the doorway to peace. I hope that answers your question. Comment: I think it was helpful. Yes. I do not think I ruminated at all, but I think I had a little bit of intellectual glitch in terms of understanding―not wasting my emotional energy―because I don't repress my emotions at all. So I thought expending them in that way was wasting them and not utilizing them in the way that they were intended, you know, to feed my consciousness, in the same way that anger was too. Another thing about it was that I was on my way to work, so in some ways I had to kind of repress myself, even though I still am kind of alone a lot of the time. It works. So I got to cry too, but it was just, I was thinking just by having that intense feeling, it was wasting the energy. And I did do a lot of the things that you said. I mean, I had no choice, because it was so painful and I could only just pray for the deer that it wouldn't suffer and the baby could find its way and to be taken care of. It's all I could do. Instructor: The solution is to examine your states. Remembrance is a very expansive and profound quality, and even when we remember the presence of our Being, it doesn't mean that we're not going to feel some type of affliction or sorrow. But whether or not we are identified with our own shame, our own morbidity or negativity, or sense of self that, you know, is egotistical, is one thing, but having compassion is something else, which obviously in your case, as you are explaining, you know, one feels great love for sentient beings. We have to learn to forgive ourselves and to really send our love and compassion to all of humanity and all of life. “May all beings be happy, joyful, and in peace!” You can pray this in yourself, in your heart, and mantralize the vowel “O,” so that that energy saturates your heart and gives you strength by which to obtain serenity and to gain insight about the situation. So you have to realize that this situation was not intentional. You know, you have to forgive yourself. Comment: Thank you. Instructor: You're welcome. Question: Should we work with the practice of the key of SOL with prayer and transmutation from moment to moment? Master Samael says we must live in a state of alert wakefulness and relaxation to awaken. This is a practice we must witness within our experience to see its value. The longer we are able to maintain it, the greater it's benefit will become for us. Gnosis is a journey upstream. We need to fight against mechanical habits inside ourselves, which want to fantasize about past and future, like and dislike, accepting and rejecting and bring us out of reality. We need to fight against our mechanical reactions. We need to remain within reality. Instructor: So yes, the key of SOL is very important for remembrance of ourselves. It's a acrostic that stands for subject-object-location. Subject, as we have been explaining, is where we are observing our three brains: our thoughts, feelings, and impulses. We are also aware of the objects around us, and likewise, our relationship to them, and lastly, location has to do with our awareness, our expansiveness of where we are at: what street we are on, where we are going, where we came from, why we are moving. This has to do with our location. Subject-object-location literally stands for SOL, which is related to the consciousness, but also the sun, as in the solar force. As we are expanding our consciousness and remembering who we are and where we are at, our unconscious states, our defects, observing them, we are also remembering to be present and to perceive our surroundings and location. This is a state of prayer. Remembrance is the best prayer, when we really work not to be distracted by anything outside of us or within us, just to be attentive and aware at all times. Transmutation, as we have explained many times, the work with breath, pranayama, runes, sacred rites of rejuvenation, energy, helps to empower our consciousness from moment to moment. So this helps us to be alert and wakeful, because if you don't have conscious energy to empower your practice, you are not going to be attentive. You will forget things. So this is a qualitative state you have to witness again and again to really understand its value, its purpose. When you see the benefits of it, then you really push to maintain it. If not, it's just a theory. Question: Can you give us examples of how you self remember during the day? In the beginning, did you use external reminders like your phone or watch? I find myself so quickly in an asleep state, yet the will and love for God is so strong. Instructor: Yes, some practical examples of remembering our self can involve some external factors. I know some people have liked to use a stopwatch or a reminder on their phone every hour or 30 minutes or 10 minutes, whatever the frequency is desired, to remember oneself as an alert shock and recognition that one needs to be practicing. Self-remembrance is practiced and developed throughout the day in accordance with our exercises. So for some of us we might like to get up early in the morning to do runes. For me, I like to meditate at four in the morning. Sometimes I get up at that hour naturally. So when I am awake at that hour and I have energy I go to my chair, my meditation space in my home, I do a mantra or I do pranayama. I meditate. I introspect, especially since the energies of the morning hours are very conducive for practice. Oftentimes, to really self-remember throughout the day, we have to remember to practice. Have a set schedule that we know we can fulfill, a practical schedule, something that we determine based on our own needs and our experience. Whatever exercises are most conducive for us that we need the most, we learn to practice them consistently. I believe Prophet Muhammad made the statement that divinity does not look so much towards what you say you can do but cannot do, but rather what you say you can do, as little as it may be, and actually doing it. So, if you like runes, for example―this is something I like to practice―you may have a set schedule in the morning where you do it for an hour, 30 minutes, 20 minutes, whatever is most conducive for your own development. You have to measure that based on trial and experimentation. Other people may be more dedicated with working with the sacred rites for rejuvenation, the Viparita Karani Mudra, certain mantras that they dedicate an hour a day or a certain time throughout their schedule in order to, every single day, remember to do those practices. Those exercises are an anchor. Those are meant to really situate ourselves and our perspective and our practices so that we are more focused, so that we can approach the daily problems of life with greater efficacy. I know in my last job I liked to spend my breaks―I'd have an hour and a half of time free at work in my own office―I would do runes. I did an hour and a half of runes, especially before I would meet with clients and do my work, and I would have a lot more energy by which to remember myself. So those exercises are very potent, but we have to remember to do them. If not, then we are not going to remember ourselves, especially. But if you like having an alarm on your phone or watch, that could be useful too. I know some people do that. That is how we really remain consistent. Question: Please give an easy explanation of consciousness and the difference between that and the subconsciousness. Please give examples if possible. Instructor: Yes. When you are conscious, you are aware of the moment. You are not thinking of anything else. You are not distracted by a memory, a daydream, a projection of thought, associative thinking, memories, reminiscences. You can be washing your dishes, but if you are thinking of your fiancée or friend, your neighbor, the paper you have to write for school, the job you need to do, or what your friend said yesterday, it means that we are not conscious. It means we are subconscious. Sub-consciousness has to do with memory, especially, and when you are remembering other things than what you are doing and not really focused on where you are at or what you are perceiving, it means that we are subconscious, or just beneath the surface of real perception. Another example is when you're on the train or you're taking the L, for example, if you're in Chicago, public transit, you are riding the train, but you're remembering an argument you had with a friend or a co-worker, and you're feeling very upset, to the point that you're just ruminating in the mud and that you don't hear your stop, or where you are supposed to get off, it means that you are subconscious. You are not awake. You are not attentive. That is the main differentiation there. So the more that we learn to overcome that distracted sense of self, we learn to be more present, aware of where we're at, what we're doing, where we are, and more attentive to our internal states. That is when we can really begin to work on the causes of our suffering. Any other questions? So no more questions. We will conclude. I thank you all for coming to this lecture. The best form of remembrance is watchfulness of the moments, as we've explained. It's also good to remember divinity by being grateful, having gratitude for our blessings in life. As difficult as any situation might be, even if we get in terrible accidents, we can feel gratitude and love and respect and happiness for the many blessings that we have received, and also to give our love and our kindness and compassion, our understanding towards others, even of animals―all living beings. I advise you to reflect on these principles and to remember your Being, who is the source of life, to have gratitude for all that we have received. I thank you all for coming.
The purpose of meditation is to acquire information which is not readily accessible to the senses. As a fundamental rule, direct knowledge of divinity, reality, the truth, can only occur once the psychological conditions that trap our perception are removed.
All of us in Gnosis long for intimate wisdom, the radical transformative experience of speaking directly with the divine. However, while we may engage in deep prayer, calling out intensely for guidance, asking for instruction, the reality is that we cannot receive the message, the response, when our minds and hearts are distracted and afflicted. It is like comparing our prayers to a broadcast, like an SOS call, an emergency signal. We desperately yearn for truth, for knowledge, for wisdom, and we pray. We supplicate. We ask for help, and yet, metaphorically, psychologically, we have the radio playing at full blast. Many people know how to pray, to talk with the divine, to supplicate, to beg, and may even be very eloquent at it. However, the reality is that nobody knows how to listen: to receive the essential message of divinity, which is not apprehensible to our cloistered, negligent, conditioned consciousness. If we are honest, we will see that our lives are filled with noise. I do not mean just while we drive our car or listen to our iPod. The truth is that our mind is constantly thinking. We are always conceptualizing, debating, arguing, projecting associative thought, ideas, lectures, sermons, warnings, onto the screen of our existence, to the point that we don't even have any awareness of our surroundings. We talked about this briefly in the lecture on awareness, being present in the moment, absence and presence, paying attention. We tend to be very lost. The mind is not concentrated on what we are doing. We are consciously asleep. We are not awake. It is in the stillest moments in our lives when we acquire the most clarity, even when such realizations are startling and often times disturbing. In the silence of discontent, in the inquietudes of our heart, in our most intimate longings, we have received a secret impetus, an insight, a divine intuition. As Al-Junayd stated about retreat: Sufism is sitting for a few moments without cares and worries with God. ―Al-Junayd
Divinity always speaks to us. The problem is that despite our prayers, we do not know how to abandon identification, anxiety, despair―to be capable of perceiving and even understanding the reply. We do not know how to listen, to receive.
Divinity speaks in the form of intuition: to know without having to think about it. Rationalization and our over-reliance on concepts, intellectual processes―this is the obstacle. This is the lock on the door that leads to divine experience, genuine wisdom. We have to make a very clear distinction between the mind or intellect, and the consciousness. Hopefully in this series of lectures, you have grasped the thread about this distinction and the different qualities inherent within our innate capacity to perceive: the consciousness, the Essence. Consciousness is the capacity to see, to perceive. It is not thought. It is not the mind. Humanity likes to think that our essential nature is thought. But this is not true. The French philosopher Descartes was wrong when he said, “I think therefore I am.” To think is not to be, to be present, to be watchful. You could be listening to this lecture, but if your mind is chattering, you are not present. You are not being here and now. You are dreaming. Consciousness is very dynamic. It is a very broad spectrum that is beyond the conditions or limitations of thought. This can be very evident through a traumatic experience. I am sure some of us might have been in a car accident before: some kind of danger in which your consciousness was shocked into being present. In a single instant of danger, a person confronted with the split-second decision of to be or not to be, can respond appropriately to a crisis without needing to think at all, without needing to rationalize. You can be driving your car, and then you can turn away from oncoming traffic, because in the moment prior, you were distracted. You were not paying attention. It is only much later after the heat of an ordeal like that that we even begin to think about the calamity that was avoided. This indicates to us that thought is a very slow process. It is not quick. We have other functions in our psychology that are much more expedient, fast. A lot of people like to deify the intellect. Academics, scholars, intellectuals, defend and acclaim the mind. They believe that it is superior to all else, and this is wrong. This is limited. Consciousness is the potential to experience and respond to life with lucidity, with judgment, which can operate much quicker than thought can, than any type of intellectual deliberation, like in the example I offered you of driving a car. You didn't have to think in the moment. You just acted because you knew what you needed to do to survive. Thought is a projection, and if you study Tibetan Buddhism, especially the writings of Padmasambhava in The Tibetan Book of the Dead, in the chapters on the nature of conscious awakening [Introduction to Awareness], he explains very beautifully how the mind, the intellect, the self, is always projecting its thoughts onto experience, and it doesn't see the reality. The mind constantly projects its films upon the screen of existence, and we, hypnotized, simply follow its thread, its associations, its connections, not recognizing that this is a form of conditioning. It is a type of agitation and movement that is contrary to meditation. It is not stillness. Our minds are constantly in a state of hypertension, we can say. We tend to be very agitated in the West, North America, over-excited by many distractions in life, and yet, while the mind is constantly in tension, this does not mean that our consciousness is awake, that it is comprehensive, that it is understanding of what is happening in our daily life. Understanding or comprehension is a distinct characteristic of the consciousness, but this can only emerge if we perform a very fundamental shift in our psychological sense and center of gravity. Where we are within our behavior and our conduct? Where do our actions come from? We have to observe this. We have to question this. We have to analyze. In truth, we must make the consciousness active and the mind passive. This is a tremendous turn in direction within our psychology, because right now our mind is active and our consciousness is asleep. If you do not believe me, you can reflect on a moment in your life in which you weren't paying attention, perhaps like in your car, and perhaps learning a hard lesson that you nearly died because you weren't remembering yourself, where you were, what you were doing. Our mind currently dominates everything we do, and of course, anybody who studies meditation recognizes this as a fact or to a point. We realize that the mind is a source of our problems. It is not the panacea. It is not the solution, regardless of what our culture and society believe. It is easy to see and to reflect on how overthinking, constantly worrying, daydreaming, and ruminating about a problem, only makes us worse. It makes us suffer, and this is something we want to avoid. But better than avoiding the problem, it is better to look at it with clear and untainted eyes―a serious examination of our mental stream. The truth is that when the mind is receptive, when it is calm, lucid, it becomes an amazing instrument, an intelligent vehicle through which we can work for divinity and humanity. The mind can be a wonderful gift if it is balanced, if it is harmonized, if it is in equilibrium with all the other centers of our psychology. 
It could become like a lake. It can reflect within its crystalline waters the starry heavens. When it is still, it is profoundly deep, reflective, intuitive.
Comprehension and understanding are the direct apprehension of the consciousness without having to think, without having to rationalize. Thinking is a disturbance in the mind. It is like when you thrash in a lake. You are swimming, or you throw a stone into the depths. Thought is like that. It is a rippling of the waves of our mind. Our mind ripples with reactions, in an egotistical way, from the center of our existence to the periphery, which is our senses. Although lot of people do not recognize this fact, it is possible to comprehend life without relying on thought. Thought is a disruption within the flow of existence. Thought itself can flow serenely without having a rippling effect, leaving its wake within our interior psychology. You can do this by watching yourself: allowing existence to flow through you through the path of concentration and serenity, which we are explaining today. 
Comprehension is the capacity to know with a receptive mind, an intuitive mind. You simply know the answer to a problem. You direct your attention. You allow your mind to rest. You let it receive. It waits. It is like a chalice, and in the Christian symbology, the Holy Grail partly represents this: the chalice that receives the blood of Christ, the energies and principles of the divine. But of course, you must clean the inside of the cup and not be like a Pharisee, only worrying about the exterior: your college degrees, your job, your career, if this is something that really matters or is on the forefront to you.
Instead, our psychological purity is what matters. We can intuit, we can comprehend, we can understand when the consciousness is engaged with life, and the consciousness is only engaged when our personality, our habits, all those customs relating to our language and culture, our racial identity and heritage, our concepts of mother flag and nation, when our traumas cease, when they no longer dominate our states. The mind and the personality, which are necessary, need to become passive. They have to serve as a vehicle and not the operator. But learning to distinguish this is very difficult. This is why we practice concentration in the beginning, to develop the consciousness, to separate from the lower qualities of our self, which must be examined. The consciousness in truth can direct the mind, or the ego can, نَفْس nafs, selves, conditions. The consciousness, when it is in command of the centers of our psychology, knows how to manage energy for the Spirit, for upright action and even the betterment of humanity. This signifies a very profound state of perception―continuous, consistent, clear. It is unconditioned by a sense of self, physically, materially, culturally, etc. When the “I,” the ego, is absent, then the consciousness experiences the plenitude and silence of God. Silence and serenity is the spontaneous, natural state of our Being. The problem is that we have smothered all this, all our good qualities, within attachments, cravings, ignorance, mechanicity, reactions, fear. This is why we don't understand or receive clear messages from the Being. This is why we have so much delusion in our lives, why we are confused. Despite our most cherished beliefs, we can learn to understand and receive the messages of the Being with great efficacy, with clarity, with facility, with ease, when we adopt the appropriate training. While meditation schools, lectures, and books can provide instruction about the form, the spirit of serenity, it is only understood from experience. This is why Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi stated the following: Silence is the language of God. All else is poor translation. ―Rumi 
The First Stage of Worship
All schools of meditation teach how serenity, internal silence, is the prerequisite for meditation. Prophet Muhammad was known to have said in the Hadith, the oral tradition of Islam, that “an hour of contemplation is better than a year of prayer.” Yet what is contemplation?
We explained previously that the Arabic term is مشاهدة mushahadah: to witness the truth, to perceive new information about reality. Contemplation is the state of meditation. When you bear witness in a court of law, you are verifying what you have seen, heard, and experienced to the best of your ability. The same with contemplation of your innermost divinity. Witnessing and experiencing the truth obviously occurs in degrees. It has many levels of experience. It is multi-dimensional in relation to the universe and our own inner constitution. Consciousness and truth have infinite potential for expression and investigation of the physical and even the internal worlds. However, to even begin to have a space for contemplation, whether of a book, a scripture, a teaching, an event in your life, a virtue you have experienced in yourself or an ego you have self-observed, we must acquire some initial stability of concentration and internal serenity. Which is why Prophet Muhammad stated: The first stage of worship is silence. ―Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
In our example of sending out an emergency signal from the radio, you cannot receive, let alone understand the codes, the response, if you are distracted.
So as I said, many people already know how to pray. People go to church and synagogue, to mosques, to Buddhist temples, to monasteries. They have many formulas they use to pray and they are all very beautiful and necessary. Yet the reality is that few people know how to receive. This is why there's so much absence in many people's hearts. Very few people know how to listen within. This is because distraction is our common state of being. If you sit to examine your psychology, not in the future, but here and now, even if just for 10 minutes, you will directly perceive that your mind is all over the place. You may be spacing out. There are discursive, fragmented thoughts, memories, everything pulling you in many directions. It may be due to fear, pride, hatred, lust, desire, ego, س nafs. Silence, on the contrary, is a psychological space in which we can actually learn to understand and directly communicate with divinity without vagueness, without: “Maybe I did and maybe I didn't.” No ambiguity. No abstraction. No theory. No belief. You simply know. It could be good to have external silence when you are seeking to cultivate a meditation space or practice, since a very welcome or warm and calm environment is conducive for beginning meditators to really actualize the first steps of their discipline, which is equanimity, dispassion, serenity, clarity. 
Outer and Inner Silence
The Sufis explain this very well, that there are two forms of silence: external and internal.
Silence has two parts, outer quiet and the quiet of heart and mind. ―Al Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is from Al-Qushayri's Principles of Sufism. Let us recall that just as there are levels of instruction, teaching, and practice with in Sufism, within Buddhism, Gnosticism, etc., likewise, our degree, our intentions, and the depth of our silence is characterized in distinct categories and grades.
There are levels to serenity. It is not like we are just going to sit and practice and suddenly the mind is completely blank instantaneously. There are gradations to different states of inner silence. We can examine two categories according to the Sufis, the one who trusts in God and the Gnostic who has already had some experiences with divinity. Al-Qushayri states: Someone who trusts in God stills his heart as a way of laying claim to his sustenance. The gnostic stills his heart in acceptance of destiny through the quality of harmony with God. ―Al Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
If you have been following the sequence and practices of this course, you will see that mystical experiences, astral projections, dream yoga visions, etc., are the natural result of working with Gnostic practices, including mantra, pranayama, sexual alchemy, transmutation, runes, sacred rites for rejuvenation, jinn state exercises, many exercises. If you have tasted such experiences and verified them through a consistent discipline, you naturally gain trust in divinity. You become familiar with divinity to your degree, in accordance with the level of your practice.
Therefore, we have confidence in the practical reality and consequence of a still mind, of a silent intellect, a balanced heart distinguished by its equanimity. We practice so as “to lay claim to our sustenance,” which is why Samael Aun Weor stated that “meditation is the daily bread of the wise.” It is our food, our nourishment. It is what gives us strength, and when we verify those states, it encourages us to practice further, which is what the Sufis are stating. Likewise, the Gnostic, the initiate, stills his or her heart, enters internal silence and accepts whatever mystical state arrives spontaneously within the screen of his or her consciousness. But how do these two, the one who trusts, and the Gnostic, defer? We can examine further in this quote: The one relies upon the fineness of His work. The other is content with the totality of His decrees. ―Al Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So as beginners, we rely on the refinement of His work, which signifies ethical discipline. We restrain negative behaviors and, in turn, we enact virtuous behaviors, which are known as ethics, precepts. These help us to conserve energy so that we can awaken our consciousness. By refining our actions, our Essence, our soul, becomes stronger and empowered. This is the meaning of the doctrine of شريعة shari’ah, the law, the divine commands.
Only after truly defining ourselves for many years in meditation does one learn “to be content with the totality of His decrees,” which have to do with very profound mystical states: the exaltation of our Being, whether in daily life, or especially in the dream state. It is also indicated and indicates an acceptance of His states, whether of absence or presence, as we discussed previously. Al-Qushayri concludes here: With this meaning they have said: His misfortunes came over you, And the cares of your inner being were relieved. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So with familiarization and acculturation to these principles of serenity and silence, we gain greater confidence in the Being. This is faith. This is knowing. There is no doubt there. You know what consciousness is and you know what the Being is because we act ethically in each moment.
When we establish this training, we can face extremely difficult hardships and ordeals relating to the path of initiation, and this is because divinity is testing us to determine: What are our states? What have we developed? What is our level of being? Despite all these challenges, we remain at peace. This is a great victory. We also related in prior lectures how when we remember the presence of divinity, even in a tragedy, in a deep trauma, amongst cataclysms like that are happening today, we don't suffer. We know we are protected or guarded. We are defended in times of need, so that our deepest longings for instruction and guidance are fulfilled in practical life. I have to say that this pandemic has definitely been very terrible for many people, and in my case, I know as a result of my work that I have been blessed by divinity, have been aided in many of my needs, so I am very grateful for that. I have that faith. It is what I have experienced not only physically, but internally, in the internal worlds. So this is what confidence is. We know, and yet to know this security, this confidence, this humility in divinity, it is necessary to really master the power of speech, which is the science of silence. The Eloquence of Wisdom
All meditative traditions emphasize the wisdom of silence. Samael Aun Weor, the founder of our tradition even stated that “silence is the eloquence of wisdom.” But what does this mean?
We learn to receive wisdom through physical and psychological silence, through having a mind in a profound state of receptivity, dedication, and respect for divinity. We learn from others, the world, and our teachers through having a humble, silent, and receptive mind. Passivity of the personality, the tongue, and the mind are the prerequisite of learning. No matter any field of study, one has to listen. One has to engage with the consciousness to understand, so that the consciousness is awake, so that it is reflecting its brilliant character, its lucid attention, its diligent activity and its penetrative engagement with life. Have you ever listened to a lecture or a person and found that your mind is talking while they are? This type of internal chatter has to cease if we really want to gain a genuine appreciation of reality and others, especially. In Buddhism, the bowl of our consciousness must be up to receive whatever arrives. Samael Aun Weor dedicated an entire chapter in The Revolution of the Dialectic that detail these principles. I'd like to read to you the following, “The Defamation of the Word”: The explosion of a cannon destroys the glass of a window. On the other hand, a soft word pacifies anger or wrath. Nevertheless, an insulting, inharmonious word produces anger or melancholy, sadness, hatred, etc.
So in synthesis, speech can serve divinity and ennoble humanity, or it could destroy and sabotage our happiness and the happiness of others.
Sufism and the Qur’an speak abundantly about the need to show respect in our verb. Gossip and slander have really destroyed spiritual movements, political movements, as we are seeing now, today. The foundation of genuine spirituality is the ethical and conscious expression of our words, which have the power to unite communities, or it can destroy them, as we are seeing abundantly today. Let us read some excerpts from this chapter from Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism: A wise man said that the human being was created with only one tongue, but with two eyes and two ears so that he may hear and see more than he says. Ibrahim bin Adham was invited to a banquet. When he sat down, the guests began to gossip. He remarked, "It is our custom to eat the meat course after the bread, but you have begun by eating the meat!" (He was pointing to the saying of God, "Would one of you like to eat the dead flesh of his brother? No, you would abhor it" (59:12)). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
To enter meditation, we have to really conserve our energy. This includes our mind, our emotions, our vitality, and our will. Negative words waste energy and waste our potential, the ability to awaken consciousness. This is why the Sufis spend a lot of time focusing on verbal discipline, the chastity or purity of the tongue.
Al-Qusharyi continues: A Sufi said, "Silence is the tongue of forbearance." Another said, "Learn silence as you have learned speech. Speech will guide you, and silence will protect you." It is said, "The chastity of the tongue is its silence." And it is said, "The tongue is a beast of prey. If you do not tie it up, it will attack you.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So this is verifying what Samael Aun Weor wrote. Chastity, while the sexual principle of conserving and transforming energy, applies to our speech. For as Samael Aun Weor explained, we modify our sexual energy based on our words, our qualities. If our speech is lustful, negative, degenerate, we will radically fortify our desires, our ego, our نَفْس nafs. When we have purity of speech, dignified words, and harmonious communication with others, we empower the soul and the Spirit of our neighbor.
However, there are degrees of psychological, of ethical, of verbal, of conscious purity, which is studied within the three-tiered structure of Sufi and Gnostic meditation. The Degrees of Silence
We discussed extensively regarding the three stages or degrees in meditation: introductory, intermediate, and advanced practice. Or شريعة Shari’ah, طريقة Tariqah, and حقيقة Haqiqah / معرفة Marifah: the divine law, inner meditation, and mystical experience, respectively.
Silence has levels of application within different contexts and even refers to states of initiating development within spiritual schools. In the beginning, meditators struggle to control their tongue: to not indulge in vain conversation, to not talk about politics, debates, argumentation, disputes, words filled with anger or resentment. This is due to the fact that we waste a lot of energy on these things, especially when we speak with ego. Remember that we also spoke a lot about the nature of breath: the three types of soul mentioned in Kabbalah and the Qur’an, which relate to the degrees of silence on the spiritual path. Let us review these:
Our egos are نَفْس nafs, nafas, which translate as “breath.” We even find in the opening of Ecclesiastes, chapter 1 verse 2, how through the breath we indulge in vain things. We waste our potential, our energy, our dynamism: Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. ―Ecclesiastes 1:2
The Hebrew term for vanity is הֶבֶל habel. This is the original name for Abel in the Bible who was killed by Cain. This is a symbol of how through the wrong use of speech, whether it is vulgar expressions, nonsense, inconsequential, meaningless words, incoherence, negative emotions, desire―we kill Abel, הֶבֶל Habel, our consciousness.
Cain is the soul that inclines to evil: Nafsu-l-Ammara, which is wrong thoughts, wrong feelings, wrong actions. These all find their synthesis within speech. Speech is a form of alchemy, whether for good or for evil. It combines and expresses the inherent nature of our psychology. When we wish to convey to others our ways of thinking, our feeling, our being―we speak. We create circumstances based on the amalgamations, the combinations, the articulation of words. We empower our speech through the internal content and intent of our psychological state, here and now. Speech is modified by sexual energy, and vice versa, which is why adolescents’ voices change during puberty: the development and invigoration of hormones and sexuality. How you manage your verb is predicated upon sexual energy. To even obtain the beginning stages of serenity, we have to refrain from vulgar speech, from vain words, from excessive discussions, from polemics. We waste a lot of energy this way that is necessary for really entering serenity. It is an act that really agitates the mind, and when you are trying to meditate, it is counterproductive. It is like punching holes in the bottom of your boat when you are out in the middle of the ocean. You are going to sink. Instead, let yourself rest. Let the waves of the ocean calm. Do not churn and stir up the mud. This is all part of ethics. We waste energy through egotistical speech, through vain breaths of desire. In this manner, when we conserve our energies that are usually wasted through explosions of angry words, violent words, we then have the fuel and the power necessary for prayer, for mantras, for vocal exercises that can consciously redirect that storehouse of energy, of psychic power, emotional force, sexual energy, towards a noble purpose, which is the awakening of our consciousness. Inner silence of mind is the foundation of Gnostic practitioners or those who have divine experiences: knowledge of God. 
Rumi stated in the beginning that “silence is the language of God,” the Being, who speaks through hunches, intuitions, here and now. When your mind is naturally, spontaneously quiet, time ceases, like you see here in this image of a Sufi in meditation facing a clock. We no longer think of the future or the past. We are fully engaged within ourselves in the moment.
This is the entry point to receiving objective knowledge. However, you cannot hear or register those intuitive impulses, let alone act on them, if your mind is constantly disturbed, if it's afflicted with noise. That noise is anger. It is the thoughts of pride, fear, laziness, lust, gluttony, etc. Internal chatter is the definite characteristic of ego, of a conditioned self. By restraining ourselves from wrong action, by fulfilling ethical precepts from our religious traditions, we cultivate a psychological atmosphere that is very clean. It is reverent. It is ethical. It is compassionate through patience, direct perception, and insight. We get very strong. We have more happiness in our life. We have more strength. This is the antechamber. It is the precinct. It is the space in which divinity can communicate with you and guide our actions. In this way, this is how we blame ourselves. This is how we work with the self-reproaching soul, Nafsu-l-Lawwama. We learn to discriminate against our defects with our consciousness. We work with meditation. We analyze and critique all the expressions of the ego within our three brains. So when you develop familiarity with these qualities of serenity and inner peace, which is born from intuitive action, we learn to acclimate ourselves. We learn to respond with virtue. We don't react mechanically to life like we used to. This is how we really love and remember divinity, حضور hudur, the presence of the Being, when you really restrain any thoughts that are distracting and distracted, which attempt to pull us away from our connection, the thread and continuity of the moment, of our awareness, of our mindfulness. Beginners restrain their tongues from wrong speech. Gnostics attain silence through intuitive action, when you act without having to think about it. You simply know. This is the quality of the heart, not the intellect. Lovers of God never forget the presence of their Being because they never allow even a fragment or a hair, a distraction the size of a hair’s width, into their consciousness, which is why Al-Qushayri states: It is said, "Silence for the common people is with their tongues, silence for the gnostics is with their hearts, and silence for lovers is with restraining the stray thoughts that come to their innermost beings.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So those masters that never forget their innermost divinity have acquired the soul at peace, Nafsu-l-Mutma'inna. Their silence and serenity is eternal. It is permanent. It is unfaltering.
The Definition of Serenity
Let us explain some more practical dimensions about silence and serenity. We have an image here of the human machine. This is our constitution. It maps all of our processes, psychological level, and even a spiritual level as well.
Right now, the centers, the intellect, the emotions, our movement, our instinct, and our sexual qualities tend to be mechanical, conditioned: fulfilling the impetus and impulses of desire, the ego. Silence must exist with an all five centers if we really want to enter meditation. This is a state of suspension of all activity, whether physical or psychological, where we withdraw our consciousness from the physical senses, and, more importantly, from internal disturbances. In the same manner that the limpid pool ripples from the movement of an insect or a stone, likewise, our psychology ripples with any physical or psychological movement, any disturbance. How do we disturb our body? If we are meditating, we move too much. Maybe we scratch an itch. We adjust our posture all the time. Maybe we feel discomfort or pain. Maybe our bodies are too excited, too tense, agitated. When we sit to practice meditation for however long we resolve, it is important that it is done with the purpose of not moving throughout the duration of the practice. If we are moving during our practice, we are not meditating. Silence and stillness has to exist in our body first. Therefore, we have to resolve to ourselves not to move. I know beginners struggle with this, where after five minutes, one can't maintain one's position. But with training it gets easy. It comes to my mind stories of Samael Aun Weor and even his wife Master Litelantes who would meditate for 4 hours without moving. So, they were very advanced practitioners. It's something that we can cultivate gradually. We must not move. This is why it's really important in the beginning to select the meditation posture that is very conducive for relaxation, so we can concentrate. We can be vigilant and calm. The body has to be able to rest so that it's not a distraction. It’s not an obstacle. We have to be relaxed and sleepy, but not completely drowsy, somnolent, falling asleep while losing our continuity of attention, of our self-awareness. Our spine should be straight. It should promote the flow of subtle energies or winds, the vital forces, which are in our psychology and even our physiology, as we explained on the lecture on Breath. However, our posture should be natural. It should not be tense. Your spine has to be firm enough so that you stay awake, but it's relaxed to the point that you forget the body. You don't forget what you are doing consciously, but you let the body rest, to fall into slumber. But consciously, we are awake. It's a very delicate balance. It is very subtle and something that you can only master with experience, with trial and error. The body has to rest and the consciousness must avoid fascination, dreaming, and sleep: lacking attention. But for this, our movements must cease. The instinct or the impulse to adjust, whether from discomfort or pain, is an obstacle. In the beginning, spend a lot of time figuring out what posture works for you so that you can forget the body. You can focus on what's really important, the object of your meditation. Likewise, our desires must be seen. They have to be observed. They have to be understood. Our emotional center has to be at peace. So we spoke about the motor-instinctive-sexual centers, which is really one type of activity. It is the spine located in our body and it's also the mechanism and intelligence of movement, impulse, reactions and sexual impulses that have to calm. But likewise, our heart has to be a peace. We have to learn to have silence not only in our movements, in our instincts, in our impulses, in our sexual cravings. There has to be stability, but likewise our heart. We spend a lot of time talking about sexual energy in the previous lectures. You can't achieve stillness, the spontaneous and controlled relaxation of your body, without the help of the creative sexual energy. There is just no way around it. It is the fuel for conscious empowerment. Again, if you are new to this concept, study our former lectures. We explain these details in great length. When the body settles, you can focus more within your introspection. You can also reflect and relax upon your thinking. There has to be stillness of mind. This means there is a lack of associative memories. There isn't a churning of distractions. There isn't a dispersion of thought, like light being projected into a fog. The clouds must evaporate. Thought must cease. Cessation occurs through an inversion of our psychological state. Right now our mind is very hyperactive, and in other ways, it's also dull. It's heavy. It's clouded. It's not still sometimes. Maybe it's agitated. Or maybe it's too lazy. It lacks vibrancy or lightness. Meanwhile, our consciousness is very asleep. It's passive. It's inactive. It's inert. If you don't believe me, I am sure if you attempted meditation or sat for a few moments trying to experience the state of not thinking, not day dreaming or fantasizing, it is very difficult in the beginning. Perhaps you may select an object of concentration, but you forget the focus. The mind wanders. We forget what we are doing. If we are honest, we can see from experience that this tends to be our daily state. It is a snapshot of what our entire existence is like. So this is the reality for beginning meditators. The mind and the body are obstacles and our consciousness lacks the profundity and the strength, the power to remain focused. However, through practice, this is going to change. Our consciousness must be profoundly active and the mind has to become perceptive, passive, and still. This is why pranayama, sexual energy, is very important. It is the creative waters of genesis that can create the soul. This energy can calm the mind, the heart, and the body. It is the requisite. Consciousness, which is serene perception in its natural state, knows how to see our psychological contents with clarity. It also knows how to maintain continuity without forgetting what it is doing, when we are trained. It's not accessible oftentimes in the beginning, but with discipline it becomes our moment-to-moment state. So consciousness is often characterized by the following qualities: It is peaceful. It is accepting. It is content. It is tranquil. It is a state of equanimity. It is internal silence. In its true form, consciousness is the serene, tranquil, undisturbed and unwavering ability to place attention and to perceive reality but without agitation. It doesn't reject what it sees. It doesn't justify it either. It is not discontent. It is happy, luminous, and clear. It is perception free of the desire for good or ill, from attachment, from aversion, from yes and no, from positive and negative. It perfectly accepts reality. Right now, we don't accept anything that contradicts our desires, if you are honest. Simply look at the politics today. When the world is not the way we want it to be, we suffer. We are conditioned. We are filled with psychological defects. We crave. We have emotional attachments. We have fear. We have aversion or we are in agony, mentally, emotionally, and even physically. Just as we must suspend the thinking process, we also have to rest our emotions, the emotional center, and this can be very difficult to control. Thoughts are much more easier to calm, but negative emotions can be very disastrous. This is why ethics is essential, curtailing negative behaviors, even emotionally; controlling the heart, making it into a temple and offering to our Spirit, to make it clean. Emotions are very volatile. They can be explosive. They are fast and often uncontrolled without training. But with time and practice, it gets easier. So an effective way to achieve serenity and silence is through selecting an object of concentration and focus. Concentration and serenity really go hand-in-hand. To be able to concentrate on one thing, you have to be serene, to not be distracted. But at the same time, serenity is grounded in your ability to focus on one thing: to not let the chaos of the mind take over. Some basic exercises include taking an object of concentration and focus. This is exclusive meditation. You select an object like a stone or a dot on a wall, a mantra, a sacred image, and you dedicate your entire attention upon that one thing. You exclude everything else. This is for the purpose of developing continuity of perception, undistracted attention. If you forget what you are doing, bring yourself back. Don't beat yourself up. Don't be negative or morbid, but simply be gentle. Recall your practice. The Buddha said that if you lose your attention a thousand times in your practice, but regain it a thousand times as well, you performed a very good exercise, a very successful one. Non-exclusive meditation focuses on the mind itself. It's a little bit more difficult. Actually, we could say it's a lot more difficult if we have never trained ourselves to concentrate here and now. It means to observe the contents of our psychology moment by moment, to look at the reality of our thoughts, our feelings, our impulses from a state of serene reflection. We even observe the act of observing. We are within our root nature, looking, examining, not labeling or dividing ourselves in our attention, but simply being. This can be a very profound meditation for great illuminations. In this meditation, we don't exclude anything. You withdraw your consciousness from the world and enter your own clear, pristine luminosity: the sharpness and acute perception of our Essence when it is trained. We look at our mind stream. We see it for what it is. This is the purpose of entering deep states of inner silence, where we can even comprehend very subtle distractions that emerge in the mind that are not perceptible to our ordinary senses. This is self-observation. It is self-reflection taken to a deeper level, which, when you practice it diligently, it can result in illumination. You can have an astral projection. You leave your body because your body falls asleep, but you are perfectly awake as a soul. Very deep. Highly recommend it. 
Tranquility and the Tree of Life
Such experiences of spiritual illumination are mapped here. We have been going back and forth upon the Tree of Life discussing this diagram in detail. Here, we are going to relate it to tranquility in a very powerful verse from the Qur’an. This is from Al-Fath (48:4).
He it is Who sends down the Tranquility (sakīnah) into the hearts of the believers, that they might increase their faith along with their faith―to God belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and God is Knowing, Wise. ―Al-Fath 48:4
The Hebrew term שכינה Shekhinah, according to Jewish mystics, is the power of the divine feminine. She is otherwise known as الْبُرَاق Al-Buraq, the lightning power of the Divine Mother within the Muslim tradition. She is the sacred cow of the longest (and second) Surah in the Qur’an, أل بقره Al-Baqarah. She is the force of intelligence, בינה Binah in Kabbalah. She is the top left sephirah on this diagram. She is the Kundalini, the sexual creative power of God. She is the one who grants tranquility to the meditator.
So this stop trinity in this map expresses the most subtle aspects of divinity known as כתר Kether, חכמה Chokmah, בינה Binah, which in Christianity is denominated Father, Son, Holy Spirit. These are not people. According to Prophet Muhammad, the Christians had degenerated their tradition and literally believe that the trinity are three people, and this is wrong. Instead, they are forces and principles that are one. It is unitary. It is one light that expresses in many ways―three ways specifically, as we see the number three paralleled in this diagram below in the three trinities of this glyph. Kabbalah is the science of numbers, numerology, as we explained. בינה Binah, Shekhinah, the tranquility, سكينة sakīnah, the Divine Mother, is the spiritual, the electromagnetic, the sexual creativity of divinity. This is the power that can grant you intelligence, inner peace, tranquility, cognizance. Our willpower, תפארת Tiphereth, the human soul, is إحسان ihsan, as we explained previously. It is beautiful action. It is willpower, concentration, the Essence fully developed when it obeys divinity above: the five sephiroth, above the middle center of this glyph, תפארת Tiphereth. תפארת Tiphereth is beautiful action. It is the focal point for manifesting and governing or expressing the top trinity above. It is also the perfection, the splendor of expression from גבורה Geburah, divine justice, and חסד Chesed, the mercy of our Spirit. When we utilize these intelligent principles, the sexual energy, it stabilizes the סְפִירוֹת sephiroth [emanations] below: נצח Netzach, the mind, הוד Hod, the emotions, יסוד Yesod, vitality, and מלכות Malkuth, the physical body. When we do this, our willpower is very strong. It is also very serene. It is the center of this whole diagram because through willpower is how we determine everything, whether we follow egotistical qualities below or we ascend above to higher states. Real serenity is penetrative. It is serene. It is the ability to maintain an unwavering attention upon the object of our concentration, without forgetting our purpose or the clarity of our seeing. It is the foundation for meditation. And with practice, it eventually doesn't take any effort. In the beginning, it's very hard, but with practice, when you are familiar with it, you enter it at will. This is the Zen statement of entering a state of meditation without effort, without exertion. It is the effortless effort. Our willpower, our concentration, our attention, when it is guided by the intelligence of the Divine Mother, the wisdom and supremacy of the Being, it knows how to acquire genuine faith in the teachings and to learn how to be a soldier in the Army of the Voice, according to Samael Aun Weor, which are the Elohim, the Gods, the buddhas, the masters, the prophets, the enlightened ones: those who have reached perfection through this path. The compelling intelligence and energy of tranquility, serenity, and sexual creativity allows the consciousness to experience freedom, freedom from conditions of mind. But how is this accomplished we may ask? Abdullah Ansari of of Herat states the following in his Stations of the Sufi Path: Tranquility is peace that God pours into the heart of His friends so they taste freedom. Tranquility of the heart is found in three things: in devotion to divine unity, in service, and in certitude. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path Unity, Service, and Certitude
Let us examine how to experience tranquility, serenity, according to Abdullah Ansari of Herat, the Sufi Persian initiate.
Tranquility found in the devotion to divine unity brings about three effects in the heart: fear for a day that has not yet come, knowing God who one has not yet met, and loving God whom one has not yet seen. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So as we explained previously, divine unity is a state of spiritual and psychological integrity. It means that our consciousness is unitary. It is not fragmented among so many different aggregates, egos, desires, نَفْس nafs. When we free the consciousness and unite it with divinity, we perform religion, from the Latin religare, “to reunite.” This is also in Arabic دين, din: judgment, to judge ourselves, so that we can unify our states, perfect them.
As we annihilate egos, we gain greater reverence. We even gain expectancy of future events, prophetic visions, which detail the coming destruction of humanity according to the Abrahamic traditions. We also gain confidence in and fidelity to the teachings. When we see that we are really, at the beginning, a multiplicity of defects, a consciousness that has the potential to become spiritual, we become encouraged when we realize the facts of our practice, that we are changing, even if we don't have any supreme ecstasies or samadhis, states of the soul that are very deep. They're wonderful and beautiful, but we are not driven by attachment for experiences. This is a common problem amongst meditators. It is learning to practice without craving the result. We also love divinity and the doctrine, the state of His qualities and virtues within ourselves, even if we don't witness Him through the highest degrees in the Tree of Life. There are levels upon levels of experience. “Light upon light,” says the Qur’an [24:35]. We have to work with where we are at and be humble, to accept what divinity provides but to always strive and work without craving, without attachment. The Sufi master continues: And the tranquility in service brings about three things in the heart. It leads the wayfarer to act according to the Prophetic tradition so that he tastes wealth even in poverty. It helps the heart of the wayfarer to trust the people of this path so he becomes free from obsession and temptation. And it helps the heart of the wayfarer to forget people so he becomes free from hypocrisy. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So through tranquility or serenity, we learn to follow the example of the prophets, the great masters, the luminaries: people who have really established great traditions, who are perfect in their character. This is so that we can have an abundance of divine qualities of the consciousness, even when we recognize that we are really poor, spiritually. We tend to be very afflicted. We suffer a lot. We are degenerated, and yet, we do have virtue inside, and this is our anchor that keeps us committed and dedicated.
Tranquility also teaches us to rely on the group, the teachings, the sangha, the spiritual community, to commune with other spiritual aspirants who are very humble and sincere, those who are really working effectively and seriously upon themselves. We gain trust. We gain communities. We gain the perfume and honorable association of real friendship. But also tranquility teaches us not to worry about other people. We don't gossip. We don't slander others when they are not present, and even when we are in front of them. This is so that we are not hypocrites. Abdullah Ansari of Herat continues: And the tranquility of certitude also brings about three things in the heart: contentment with what one receives as one’s portion from God, so one becomes free from being deceptive; next is valuing gain and loss equally, so one becomes free from being defensive; and third is acceptance of God’s guardianship, so one becomes free from all attachments. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So certainty of the truth will arise from tranquility when we are silent and still, when we learn to accept our current circumstance as a reflection of our karma, our past actions, because we reap what we sow. In this way, we don't deceive ourselves. We don't lie to ourselves that we deserve more, but we accept the facts with humility.
Neither do we become attached to victory or defeat. We learn to abide within a state of equipoise. There is no need to defend our pride, any sense of arrogance, our position, our desires. We accept the way things are, but strive for the better. Lastly we accept that divinity is truly watching out for us. Not from a belief, from a mere sentiment in the heart, but from experience. We also don't become attached to circumstances because divinity is the unknowable, the truth from moment to moment. Serenity in Capital, Hope, and Love
There also exists some other points for consideration. Let's see them from Abdullah Ansari of Herat:
From the field of Tranquility the field of Serenity is born. God, the Most High, says, ‘O soul made serene’ (89:27). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
Again, this is el-Nafsu-l-Mutma'inna, the soul at peace, Neshamah, the spiritual soul, which is perfected in us when we reach the end of initiation.
And serenity is peacefulness joined with intimacy. It is of three kinds in the capital with which one is endowed (naqd), of hope, and of love. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
What does it mean to become intimate with God? It means to know His states and His qualities inside through different levels of being, different experiences. This is cosmic capital. It is currency.
If you ever awaken in the astral plane and beg for help from divinity, if you are given money by the masters, by your Being, it is a symbol of receiving Dharma: divine favor, blessings, because it is money and payments by which you have earned through your spiritual work. It means to be endowed with conscious virtues. When we really annihilate the ego and develop patience, serenity, humility, compassion, faithfulness, sacrifice, compassion, naturally, the law is the law. We are rewarded for what we do. The whole Qur’an is based on this, that the unjust will suffer and the just will reap harvests of bounty. It is one of the central themes of the whole Muslim tradition and basically any religion. So if you want cosmic capital, to be endowed with hope and love, learn to perform good actions. Divinity never withhold His blessings for those who do good. This quote continues: Serenity in one’s capital is of three kings: the serenity of the neglectful in respect to possessions, the serenity of the wise in respect to experience, and the serenity of the sincere in respect to confidence of being accepted by God. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
In a basic level, we could become serene in relation to material goods. So we talked a lot about in the lecture on renunciation about this. We may be neglectful at times of certain things, but we don't worry about them. We don't worry about loss, about losing a profit. We are content.
The wise are serene from experience because they know that all trials shall pass. No matter how difficult an ordeal, how painful it is, if you maintain your serenity and patience, it will subside. Life is transient. It is not eternal. As the Qur’an teaches, life is but a distraction from the real work and the Hereafter is really more worthwhile, if we but knew. And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason? ―Al-An’am, 32
To be sincere and to know it signifies one's confidence, one's connection with divinity, that one is humble when God grants favor and to not be filled with mystical pride.
This quote continues: And serenity in hope is in three things: the reward earned by one who strives with his heart at peace, the reward given to one who waits expectantly for God with his heart in peace, and the reward granted to one who had severed all attachment to the world with his heart at peace. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
We receive the greatest gifts from the Being when we are striving selflessly in His cause. We concentrate upon him and work on our defects, our egos. This is striving in holy war mentioned in Islam, the war against our defects, not against our neighbor.
We also receive abundant experiences when we have faith from our works, that divinity is with us. For as the Apostle James stated, "Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). But if you have works, practical disciplines, you will gain experience naturally. We also receive blessings when we no longer have any internal attachments to this world, but interact with it without identifying, to have serenity in that regard. And the serenity of those in love has three signs: being engaged with God’s work rather than one’s own, being mindful and aware of God rather than being aware of oneself, and loving God rather than loving oneself. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
In synthesis, one should love humanity more than one loves oneself. We also should be aware of divinity rather than the ego, to be absent. It's better to be absent to the ego and present with the Being, and, to love divinity more than we love our desires.
Practices and Conclusion
In conclusion, we have some practices that you can fulfill so that you can reap the fruits of this teaching.
Each day develop your self-observation or inner accounting. In Arabic, this is محاسبة muhasabah. It means to analyze or to take account of our virtues and our defects. We do this moment by moment. We self-observe. As a consciousness, we are examining our intellect, our emotions, and our body, the three brains of Gnostic psychology or the five psychological centers: intellect, emotions, and the motor-instinctive-sexual centers, respectively. Observe these qualities in yourself. See them. Separate. Look at them, and everyday, develop your meditative concentration. You can adopt a meditation posture, find a position that works for you in which you can relax completely, in which you can focus a hundred percent on the object of your focus, of your concentration. And if you have questions, I invite you to ask them. Questions and Answers
Question: Does developing clairvoyance and working with the mantra related with that gland help one get or experience the illuminating void?
Instructor: Yes, to a degree. Clairvoyance, for those of you who are not familiar, is a French term meaning “clear vision.” We have been discussing in this entire lecture and course what perception is. Clairvoyance was a term given by some French initiates in order to mask the essential nature of their practice, to give it a technical flavor so that they would avoid derision and persecution. Really, clairvoyance is our capacity to imagine, to perceive, to see non-physical imagery. Now, working with mantras to develop clairvoyance, the ability to imagine and perceive non-physical imagery, aids us with many things. I'd say that not only developing the third eye or the pituitary gland, the Chakra Ajna, it is the fundamental requisite for experiencing the illuminating void. In truth, to really enter that divine absolute abstraction―the Absolute Abstract Space, known in the Muslim tradition as اللّٰه Allah, “The Nothing,” “The No,” the negation of this universe―requires that we learn to project and have that experience by going through our crown chakra, more specifically. The crown chakra relates to omniscience, and, if you enter the illuminating void, you pass beyond all universes and relativity, all conditioned experiences. So that chakra is really deeply related to the highest experiences that are really divine. You can do the mantra Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Swaha, which is the the heart mantra from the Prajnaparamita Sutra, very well-known and documented and extensive.
I recommend you practice those mantras and work with your crown. But also, if you work with your clairvoyance, that's good too. You need to learn to see your defects, to observe them, reflect upon them, take account of them, so that you can eliminate them, so that they can die. The more light you free from the cage, the more of the genie that you liberate from the bottle, the easier it will be for you when you really reach the void and you are about to enter, so that your ego of fear doesn't take you out of the samadhi.
Question: Sometimes it seems that during the death in motion, asking the Divine Mother to eliminate in the ego in the moment, just doesn't seem to work. What should we do in these moments? Instructor: So that's a good question, because there are a number of people in the Gnostic movement who have the assumption and the belief, or the teaching, that you can eliminate the ego and its deepest roots, little by little, by asking for annihilation moment by moment. You are observing your mind and you look at the egos that have emerged in your interior and ask for annihilation in the moment. It comes to my mind a lecture by Samael Aun Weor. It was a lecture for students of third chamber, of which certain missionaries who propounded the doctrine of the death in motion were not present. This lecture that he gives is available at Glorian.org, “Questions about the Elimination of the Ego,” where Samael Aun Weor had the same question asked of him. He replied that it's good in the moment to ask for removal, but it's not enough. In the moment, if you are being overwhelmed by ego, a defect of anger, of pride, of resentment, of lust, you can ask your Divine Mother to help you, to resist those impulses. In this way, you are asking your Divine Mother to starve this aggregate, to not feed it, but merely observing it in the moment and asking for annihilation, he said it's not enough. It's a flawed method. It doesn't work, because the ego is very deep. It has profound roots that have to be comprehended in meditation. You simply cannot go deep enough with the physical senses and in this physical plane. You have to really abandon the body, introspect, and enact the stages of silence and serenity and go deep within, so that you can observe those aggregates within the subconscious, unconscious, and infraconscious regions of our interior worlds. We have to be very profound, very serious, because a lot of people have made this mistake and have cut out that teaching from Samael Aun Weor, confusing a bunch of people. But in reality if you study that lecture by our guru and teacher, our Sheikh, he is very specific and clear. Meditation is essential if you really want to annihilate the ego. You can't eliminate what's in the puddles. You have to go into the ocean, so to speak. Question: In these times of lock down, a lot of ways to sacrifice and serve others are cut off. Do you have any insights or advice you can share? Instructor: There are a lot of us who need help. Obviously, we have to look at our unique skills and talents, our disposition. But if you have a Gnostic school, especially, that you are supporting, that is good. I know in our school, I have often been asking volunteers to help transcribe lectures, because we found that getting this knowledge out to people, especially in these times, is really important, so that people can be educated about how to live and change their suffering, their states of being. I know some schools ask for donations. Glorian Publishing as well offers the books of Samael Aun Weor, especially. Supporting them is wonderful, so that other people can get access to these teachings. That really is the best gift you can give to somebody. Maybe it's donating a book. Maybe it's volunteering your time. That's something that you have to evaluate. Some suggestions or things you could do, obviously, is support your local school. That is always a benefit, and really, in the path of sacrifice for humanity, we always learn to give up something of value to us, whether it's time or money, energy especially, in order to give to others, and that's never always going to be easy. Real sacrifices are painful, but you give what you can. You do what you can. For me, during the lock down, the most important thing for us has been to teach others, but not everybody is a missionary or a teacher or an instructor or will become one necessarily, but if you go on to visit Glorian.org, especially, you can help us out by looking under a section about volunteering. There are different ways to help volunteer, whether it's writing book reviews for Samael Aun Weor, getting people access to these teachings, especially. There are many ways that you can volunteer your time. Any other questions? Question: Does developing polyvoyance give us the power to see everything and everywhere at once, and how does ubiquity work? How could one person possess two bodies at the same time? Instructor: That's something I don't understand either. You know personally, I remember speaking with Samael Aun Weor in the astral plane, where I invoked him on my property of my old house. He came from the sky, landed in front of me in the form of his bodhisattva, as you see in Mexico, the pictures of him. He was dressed in a suit, a very distinguished gentleman, and he invited me to walk with him. He told me while we were discussing things how he has the power of ubiquity, that he can be in many places at once. Of course, I was just amazed by that because I can barely even be conscious in my astral body or my physical body. From my understanding, with polyvoyance, your ability of the consciousness is really infinite and that one can be conscious of many dimensions at once, not just the physical or one dimension at a time, but everything in unison. Very elevated masters like Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses, Samael Aun Weor, have that ability, because they developed it. Now, ubiquity is simply the capacity the consciousness to exist in more than one place at once. For us, that is something mind-boggling and for me it definitely is, but from my personal experiences with Samael Aun Weor and other masters, I have been able to evidence and see that they develop their consciousness to such a degree that it's really incomprehensible. God is everywhere. The Absolute has its center everywhere and it's circumference nowhere. So for those masters, it is very easy. They can manifest in many places at once, be seen talking with other people in two different distinct countries at the same time at the same hour. But, you know, that's the faculty of a resurrected master. Those are beings who have really transcended the laws of relativity. They have entered the Absolute to their degree and are able to come back and express to us their knowledge. Very beautiful. Very profound. Something that's really quite amazing. Question: Is it okay to recline on the back of a chair while meditating? I heard it could be bad for your spine. Also, what about involuntary movements, yawning, jerks, while meditating? Do those go away with more experience? One of the quotes was, "and it helps the wayfarer to forget people so he becomes free from hypocrisy." I want to watch the [presidential] debate after this lecture. Are there stages to letting go of the attachments or must they be dropped once and for all? Instructor: So the first question, yes, it's fine. You can lay your back upon the end of the chair where you are meditating. Some people find it more comfortable to sit up with your back straight, not leaning into the chair, so to speak. You have to gauge your own body and your own unique physiology, but also your chair itself. Make sure it's comfortable for you. So you can lean back if you need to. I've had great meditations leaning back in a recliner, in a sofa and a chair. I was able to maintain my attention pretty well. So make the adjustments if you need to and find an arrangement that's going to be conducive for you. As for involuntary movements as yawning and jerks, they do eventually go away. The more you let go of the body and relax and are really concentrated, your body will start to be supple and to obey your consciousness. There is a term in Buddhism called pliancy in relation to really developed stages of concentration and serenity. It means that your body is perfectly still. It is serene and calm and doesn't present any obstacle to your meditation. So in the beginning, yes, it's often that you may yawn or your body may jerk because your energies are settling. Your vital body is settling. So, be patient. As for the quote "and it helps the wayfarer to forget people so he becomes free from hypocrisy," in relation to the debate―of course, obviously we watch what we want, but whatever you see or perceive in life, the important thing is to not be attached to what we see, to not be filled with fear or antagonism or anger or resentment or doubt. Simply look. Observe. I believe also to the last point, the last question, whether one should watch the debate, obviously, I think if we want to be entertained, yes, we can watch what's going to happen. But obviously, in one sense it's important to know what's going on in the world, but at the same time, we shouldn't necessarily condition ourselves too much by all the craziness that's going on. If you find that you're overwhelmed with too much attachment to the news, it can be good to drop it for a while. Obviously, that's a balance you have to strike in yourself. I thank you all for coming! 
Spiritual retreat holds a very special place within every single tradition of meditation, whether in Sufism through the lodges, khanqahs or khaniqahs, monasteries within the Christian tradition, the temples of the Jews, the Buddhists, the Hindus. Meditation retreat signifies the abandonment of the world, to dedicate more time, more effort, more energy, more seriousness, more study, to the spiritual path that leads to the liberation of the soul.
Retreats are a wonderful reprieve. They allow us to abandon the hustle and bustle, the chaos of our modern society, the world. While this was true even in the times of the prophets, it is even more pertinent today in our modern world through the advent of the internet, smartphones, social media, Facebook, exponentially improving technology. This has made life in the West (and it is now spreading into the East) even more accelerated, hyperactive―we could say―distracted from, really, the point of life, the purpose of existence. In our world, we believe that our bank account, our job, our career, our television shows, our entertainment, our media, constitute the reality of who we are and what is of value. Obviously, if we are studying meditation and spirituality, we understand that this type of lifestyle has flaws. In essence, it is superficial. There is not much depth in a life of games, of sitcoms, of jobs that do not really fulfill our deepest sentiments, our greatest uneasiness and longing. Because people do not like to introspect, to be serious, to analyze the causes of suffering inside, people look to the external world for their panacea, their healing, their drug. In the history of humanity, it is never been more difficult to really develop a spiritual life than today, because there has been a fundamental shift in the psychology, the pace, the momentum of modern living. Gnosis or Sufism, Buddhism, Judaism, the meditative traditions, the contemplative sciences, teach us that we need to slow down. Our life is hectic. We have many responsibilities and duties, obligations in life, and we are constantly running around, pulled in so many directions that, really, it is very difficult to get a hold of and a grasp on our existence, with the Essence, with the consciousness, which knows how to live life intensely, with rectitude and with love for humanity. The Essence is the most beautiful part of us that can really blossom into a profound, deep, penetrative wisdom. Our Essence knows how to live fully without distraction, to be aware, to be attentive. But as we mentioned in the previous lecture, to do that we have to renounce a lot of superfluous activities, things that over engage and distract the mind. Our culture is very much hypnotizing, seductive, manipulative. It is based upon drawing and stealing our energy into avenues that really are a dead end. This is why every spiritual tradition emphasizes so much the need for retreat, to leave behind all the temptations, all the seductions, all the illusions of society, the world, even if but for a very brief time. This is so that we can really dedicate our efforts to really create the soul, enliven it, to empower it. While it is been very difficult to practice retreat due to this pandemic, we can, if so willing, fulfill our own meditation retreat in our home. It really does not involve much. We are going to provide you some parameters, some guidelines, and some suggestions that can help you if you are able and willing to perform retreat, and hopefully if this pandemic clears, sooner rather than later, we would love to have another retreat as provided on our websites, so that we can really cultivate spiritual force in our efforts and practices, to awaken the consciousness. But of course, if this is not possible, we still have the exercises and the teachings. We can gain a lot of inspiration, a lot of profound changes by applying the principles of meditation and of retreat, and so we are going to outline what some of those are according to the Sufi tradition, the Gnostic traditions. The Purpose of Retreat
Why emphasize retreat in this course? It is because life wants to swallow us alive. We have obligations. We have duties, responsibilities, work events, family gatherings, engagements that really lull us to sleep, which, while a necessary part of living in society, tend to put us on autopilot. They also prevent us from really deepening our awareness of the present, our quest of the consciousness to reach the divine.
It is important that we really feed that spark of inquietude in the heart, that dissatisfaction, that uneasiness we feel in our moment-to-moment life in relation to a problem, in relation to our trajectory―perhaps a career change, our existence, our family, our marriage. We feel a hunch in our core being that something must change. This is really the essence of why we begin meditation and spirituality. It is also the reason why we enter retreat, because we need to comprehend something more. It is the intuitions of the soul, the language of divinity, the intimate silence of our inner God. We receive that impulse through our heart, through hunches, and because that is usually very weakened in us, or better said, we feel that flame in the heart and yet we have so many distractions outside of us, that candle flame tends to get snuffed out. But again, and again, if we are really persistent in this path, we find that we continue to feel that inquietude, that yearning for something more. This is why Samael Aun Weor stated in The Great Rebellion in the chapter called “Inquietudes”: Trivialities and nonsense, while having no particular transcendence, still have the power at any given moment to extinguish that first spiritual disquietude, that intimate longing, that insignificant spark of light, that hunch which unsettles us for a moment without our knowing why.
Retreats really give strength when we are with like-minded people. When we practice retreat, when we meet other aspirants of this teaching who are really sincere and are working effectively in themselves, we gain strength for our own path.
Retreat is like a chorus in a musical performance. The instructors are the conductor. The composer is the guru of our tradition: Samael Aun Weor. His music are the writings and teachings that we have, and the mighty chorus, that resounds like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, is the voices of the initiates who work together in harmony, who create that synthesis, that profound alchemy in which forces mix, commune, and work like a conduit, in order to receive divine aid at a greater magnitude, profundity, impact. Also, it is important that when we have retreats, we can study some essential principles that help us to take advantage of the small time that we have. Obviously in our past retreats we only have so much time, and really by the time people get used to the exercises and the lectures and the practices and are really ready to go deeper, it is already time to leave. So what's important is that we gain knowledge and inspiration, but also we go home into the world, back to society, in order to practice these principles, deeply, with greater momentum, so that whatever hardships we face, we conquer them with intelligence and wisdom. While renunciation teaches the student to abandon psychological attachments to life, retreat is the method and the medium for perfecting and enlivening the flames of our spiritual longing. This is why Al-Junayd stated the following: Sufism is sitting for a few moments without cares and worries with God. ―Junayd Principles of Retreat and Seclusion
Let us examine the principles of retreat and seclusion:
Khalwah, retreat, belongs to the purified, while uzlah, withdrawal from the world, marks the people of union. The seeker needs to withdraw from his own kind in the beginning stages. Then, in the last stages, he needs to retreat in order to confirm himself in intimacy with God. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Retreat is a means of purifying the Essence. For those of you who have attended Gnostic retreats, we have many exercises to work with energy, to work with concentration, to work with imagination. These are our faculties that we develop in ourselves so that we can gain knowledge of the causes of our suffering, and so that we can gain intimate wisdom, experiential knowledge of our Innermost Being. As beginners, we work to develop purity, level by level, degree by degree, and it is important that if we have the time and opportunity, that we make the sacrifice in order to meet others, to learn from others, to share our own knowledge, our experiences, because this is a very beneficial influence upon the psyche. It can really give us a lot of strength to help us understand what purity is.
In the beginning of Sufism, many initiates practice retreat, but also the great masters, the prophets, learn to withdraw from the world. These are the people of union―very high levels of initiates. And while it is easy to read this verse as something physical, in a profound sense, as we have been reiterating again and again in relation to hermetic silence, this has to do more with a psychological separation, a distance from oneself with the illusions of the world. The masters of meditation prepare for union with divinity through the heights of initiation. Who are examples of the masters of union? What does that involve? Prophet Muhammad was in the habit of traveling to جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر Jabal al-Nur, the “mountain of light” in Arabic, where he would perform meditation retreat. He would leave for extended periods of time in order to really deeply practice introspection. While this is a physical and a literal history, which is very commonly known in Islamic circles, Sufi circles, more importantly for us, this is a symbolic teaching. How do we climb the mountain of light: جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر Jabal Nur (because in Arabic, نور nur means “light,” or, the Hebrew אור aur)? And what is that light? It is cognizance. It is awakened perception within the superior worlds. It is intelligence. It is the awakening of the consciousness. It is referenced many times how Prophet Muhammad was meditating on جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر Jabal Nur when he received his first teaching from the Angel Gabriel. Gabriel spoke to him in what we can say is an internal experience, an astral, a prophetic, superior experience of the consciousness. The Angel Gabriel taught Prophet Muhammad the Qur’an. If you know the tradition of Islam, Prophet Mohammad was reportedly illiterate. He didn't know how to read and write Arabic, but historically there are some scholars who state that this is inaccurate, primarily because Prophet Muhammad was a merchant, and to make trade deals, he would need to know how to read and write. But symbolically for us, what does it mean that the Prophet was illiterate? This is a very famous teaching within Islam, how an illiterate man became an illuminated initiate who was able to provide the miracle of the Qur’an القرآن, that beautiful scripture, “The Recitation” in Arabic. What is interesting is that in a spiritual sense, what this represents for us, is that we are all illiterate. We do not have the principles of divinity inscribed within our soul, which is represented through Kabbalah, the science of numerology, of numbers, of the Hebrew, but also the Arabic letters, because Arabic and Hebrew are Semitic languages that share the same roots. They have the same meanings, esoterically speaking, archetypically speaking. 
Prophet Muhammad was able to speak the Qur’an as a miracle, to recite the teachings of divinity within him. But he only did that because he climbed the mountain of light. This is a symbol of what we call initiation, of the mystical, internal Gnostic work. To climb a mountain in the astral plane signifies that we are entering initiation, degrees, higher levels of consciousness. But of course, how does one achieve this?
This is beautifully allegorized in many of the names of this story. For example the word nur spelled in Arabic: ن nun, و waw, ر ra. Or, נ nun, ו vav, ר reish in Hebrew. It is a beautiful teaching, how the light of our consciousness emerges from נ nun. In Arabic and in Hebrew, this letter signifies a fish. Or better said, in Aramaic, the word nun is a “fish”: a symbol of the sperm and ovum within our sexual creative waters. That is where the light emerges. When you conserve that energy and transform it, you raise it up the mountain of your spinal column so that it illuminates your head. You can receive wisdom from Gabriel, or in Arabic, جِبْرِيل Jibril.
In the Nordic language, the runes, which have a profound relationship to these names, you find within the named גַבְרִיאֵל Gabriel, Gibur-ra-el. The Rune Gibor is a swastika, a symbol of a cross in motion that unfortunately was misappropriated by some very mistaken people during World War II and before. That is a symbol of the creative sexual power that circulates within the initiate as they are learning to work with these exercises: mantras, prayer, runes, sacred rites for rejuvenation, imagination exercises, concentration exercises, retrospection meditation―many practices that we use in this tradition and on our retreats in order to develop the soul.
Symbolically speaking, we receive the Word, the Verb, the divine, the Qur’an, the recitation, the perfect expression of God in us, when we learn to raise the light from our sexual organs up to our head. That is how we climb the mountain. That is how we overcome adversities, because if you study this symbol and this extended metaphor deeply, you find that climbing a mountain is very difficult, especially when it is very high―and the mountain of initiation is extremely high, very arduous, very difficult. But we achieve those heights when we are working with energy, with chastity, with introspection, with visualization, with serenity, with the Essence. Prophet Muhammad was an alchemist. He knew the science of الخيمياء Alchemy: Allah-Kemia. He was married to his first wife Khadijah, whom he worked with sexual magic, his priestess, so that he could raise that light up his spine in order to receive what we call the Venustic Initiation within our tradition. He received the Intimate Christ in Gnostic terms. Divinity entered in his soul and it is symbolized by the Annunciation of Gabriel: how Gibur-Ra-El, the power of the divine, or we could say the Holy Spirit in Christian terms, inflamed his consciousness. It is the force of Ra, the solar fire within Egyptian mysticism and אל El in Hebrew, the Spirit, the Innermost, the Merciful: ٱلرَّحِيمِ al-Rahim. We can all receive our own wisdom, our own particular Verb, when we climb the mountain of initiation, which is something inside, internal. We have to remember that in the Muslim mythology, the Muslim narrative, Prophet Muhammad was commanded by Gabriel to recite and he said, “I cannot.” Gabriel said again, “Recite!” And Prophet Muhammad replied again, “I cannot. I do not know how.” And finally a third time, “Recite!” And the Prophet said, "What shall I say my Lord? What shall I recite?" This is a beautiful teaching of the three brains. We have an intellectual brain, an emotional brain, and a motor-instinctive-sexual brain. We may be familiar with the story of Peter denying Christ. It is very difficult to really develop these forces in ourselves consistently, practically, in order to really affirm divinity in ourselves. The mind fights, the heart fights, but in the third brain, the brain of action, if we are transmuting the sexual energy, working upon جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر Jabal al-Nur, the mountain of light, we achieve the synthesis and the real work of the path. It is how we learn to recite the Word of God, which is to really reflect the Spirit inside. Beautiful symbology, alchemical-Kabbalistic wisdom. Retreats are helpful for deepening this knowledge, for learning the different meditative traditions, but also really defining ourselves, really practicing deeply. Traditionally, many schools of Buddhism and many Sufis would abandon the world for months or even years. In our retreats, we spend a week. We have sometimes done more. The important thing is whatever time we can dedicate, the deeper our results will be, obviously. Very beautiful practice. It is for masters. It is for beginning disciples. It is for all students who really wish to deepen their knowledge. But of course, retreat as we've said, is a way to really confirm our intimacy with divinity. Intentions for Retreat
When we enter retreat, it is important to really reflect on our intentions. Many misconceptions about retreat exist. People often want to get away from the world. We want to avoid the negativity of our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, our spouse, or whomever. While true, we really carry the seeds of discord within our ego. Let us read a quote in relation to this from Al-Qushayri's Principles of Sufism:
If the servant chooses to withdraw, his intention must be to separate himself from people so that they will be safe from his evil―he must not be looking to protect himself from their evil. For the first of these attitudes come from thinking little of one’s own ego, while the second comes from making oneself out to be better than other people. A person who thinks little of himself is humble, while a person who sees himself as better than anybody else is arrogant. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So it is arrogant to think that we have to protect ourselves from the evils of other people as if we are saints, like we are martyrs, people who should not dirty their hands in society.
So what does it mean to be humble? To really think little of ourselves. To realize that with the ego alive, we are dangerous, negative, people, and learning to associate with other spiritually like-minded people can give us humility. It can give us faith, because we learn from the experiences of others. We share. We break bread together. We study together. We inspire one another, and we receive knowledge of a superior type, because there is a lot of energy being channeled there if the practitioners are really serious, are really dedicated, because everyone is like a part of a concert, really. Everyone has their own instruments that they play, and when they play in harmony, they create a beautiful, profound wisdom. So, let's also remember that we should enter retreat because we want to become better people, not because we want to avoid others. The reality is that to think in this way is to proceed mistakenly. We have to learn how to protect other people from our own ego. That is why we enter retreat. We enter retreat because we want to sacrifice better for humanity. We want to become better suited for our Being, to purify ourselves so that we can prevent our own lower, carnal soul, nafs al-ammara, “the soul that inclines to evil,” from inflicting damage, from influencing others negatively. The Rules of Retreat
So, retreat has basic rules. Let's read some.
One of the rules of withdrawal is that whoever goes into seclusion must acquire the knowledge that makes his commitment to unity (tawhid) firm, so that satan cannot seduce him through the imagination. Then he should acquire enough knowledge of the divine law that he is able to fulfill his religious duties so that his undertaking may be built on definite and sure foundations. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
The doctrine of unity is central to Islam. It is very profound, subtle, and sophisticated, and beautiful. This is a topic that is very misunderstood and confused by theologians and skeptics alike.
What is unity? In a perfect sense, the Being is unity. Our ego is a multiplicity. We know from Gnosis that our consciousness is trapped in multiple, conflicting, competing desires. We have to free the consciousness and liberate it from desire, from the ego, so that it can reunite with divinity when it is pure. The quality of the Essence is very unique and is a very specific flavor that can only be experienced again and again through repeated trial and error. We are not going to be perfect in learning how to discriminate our true nature from our false nature, because our desires are many, vast, and are constantly competing and fighting to steal our energy. The Essence is beautiful action, as we have emphasized again and again. It has infinite virtuous qualities, like altruism, compassion, conscious love, chastity, happiness for others, inspiration, motivation, diligence, patience, endurance of suffering and ordeals, sacrifice for others at one's own expense, one's own pride, humility, and also, the severity and justice of the consciousness that knows how to weigh a situation with mercy and equilibrium, with splendor. There are infinite virtuous qualities, but they are all united by a single thread which is the continuity of perception, of consciousness. This is very different from our desires, from our ego. Our ego in its multiplicity, is a fracturing, a dissonance, a sour taste within the mind. If we are really dedicating ourselves to separating from the ego, we begin to see more and more how egotistical states are very problematic. They produce problems. This is the multiplicity of the mind that is the obstacle and the enemy, and why we enter retreat, primarily because the ego in itself, again, conditions our potential. In Islam, the ego and its multiplicity are the polytheists mentioned in the Qur’an. Or, الْكافِرُون al-Kafirun, the unbelievers, the infidels. All of our cravings, aversions, fears, wants, desires, etc., do not obey or believe in the will of divinity in us. So how do we understand this dynamic? We may read and learn and study how altruism, how giving is a very profound virtue, and yet, when we have the opportunity to do so, we examine our mind and we find that we don't want to donate, perhaps in a certain situation, to give of our time and energy. We feel resistance. These are the unbelievers. Or, we learn about compassion, empathy, conscious love in a situation in which someone is really criticizing us. We start to see that constant fluctuation and dynamic of anger, of resentment, of hatred, of pride, with all of its cacophony of thoughts and desires and impulses pulling in multiple directions. When you observe that in yourself, you really understand that we don't have any unitary will. We may direct our efforts to promoting and fulfilling these precepts, and yet we find that our desires fight against us. This means that we are not really spiritual people. It means that we are infidels, because we have so much desire within, conditioning, egos, نَفْس nafs in Arabic. If you really want to be sincere, we have to learn and understand what unity is. When you taste it, you will know it. It is a very clear, cognizant, vivid intense state of clarity, of perception, of altruism, of giving. It is intuitive action. It is right action. It dissipates discord. It brings harmony within situations and conflicts. It knows how to understand the solution to a difficult issue through the heart, not the intellect, not through debating or theorizing or intellectualizing what one must do, but simply knowing it and acting for the welfare of others. Unity is a profound teaching. It is really the heights of realization. There are levels to understanding what unity is, the integration of the soul. But in order to really understand that particular state and quality on a consistent, experiential basis, we learn to work with the practices of our tradition, specifically by having knowledge of the divine law. This is the ethical conduct of the initiates, but also our religious duties, which is our exercises: the practices that we fulfill, such as works with concentration, serenity, or imagination. It would seem that the Sufis are speaking badly about imagination, that Satan seduces one through visualization, because we have to remember that imagination is dual. It can be conditioned or it can be liberated. It could be negative or it could be positive, liberated, free. Our desires project through imagery onto the senses, seeking to fulfill their desires. But visualization practice, working with positive imagination: the ability to hold non-physical imagery in one's concentration with vivid intensity, is an essential skill we learn to master, because that quality of consciousness allows us to access the internal worlds. This capacity to perceive non-physical imagery has to be done at will, not mechanically, not through associative thinking or daydreaming, mind-wandering, in which we have no control over what we see. The imagination that we speak of is very specific. By learning those practices we could really go deep in our work. Ethical Conduct
So as we have emphasized again and again, the practical foundations of meditation include شريعة Shari’ah, ethical conduct. This is something that we can learn. We read about it. We listen to lectures. We read scriptures. We do book studies. We talk about the teachings. We learn them. We gain an intellectual understanding and appreciation of the different precepts of religion as we have emphasized again and again, such as non-violence, non-stealing, sexual purity, charity, pilgrimage, such as in the Muslim faith.
There are even five pillars within Islam that constitute the divine law, practices that can help develop our potential, our compassion, our ethics, our kindness. This is different in different religions, but they all share the same root, which is how to work with liberated consciousness, how to curtail negative behaviors so that we don't infect our heart, our conscience. We don't make ourselves sick, spiritually, because people who are filled with hate, who live within an atmosphere of wrath, are very depleted of energy, and they suffer incredibly. They make others suffer, which is worse. Silence and Insight
So divine law helps to curtail all of that. This is so that we can enter silence or صـَمت samt, equanimity, serenity. When you learn to act ethically with precepts, you calm your mind, naturally. Through the work of self-observation and learning to respond to life consciously, to transform the impressions of life as they enter our consciousness, our mind naturally begins to settle, to become serene, to become calm. But this only happens when we separate from the mind. We look at it for what it is. We don't try to label anything we see, to justify it, or to hide from it. Simply look. Perceive what is in your heart, your three brains, your thoughts, your feelings, your will. This is how we gain insight, فرصه firasah in Arabic. This is clear perception. This is the faculty of imagination, visualization. It is the ability to see not with physical eyes, but with psychological and spiritual senses.
If I tell you to imagine an apple, you can see it. It appears in your mind. That is visualization. Now, insight or imagination, comprehension born from seeing, occurs when we learn to develop that capacity intentionally, not mechanically by hearing about some associative word like an apple and then you see it in your mind, but instead learning to cultivate the capacity to perceive with imagination, with different exercises, such as taking a candle, imagining the flame. Observe it. Look at the colors and the fluctuation of the flame, the wax, and then imagine it with clarity, in detail. You can only learn silence and insight through practice. You can learn about the concepts, but it won't have any substance unless you have experienced it. Witnessing Unity
When you really develop silence and insight, serenity, and visualization or, concentration and imagination, the ability to focus serenely and to perceive it clearly in your consciousness, that is how you witness unity. This is التوحيد al-tawhid. This is witnessing the truth. This is samadhi, ecstasy, mystical experience. This is the unity and integrity of the soul, the integration of the consciousness. Literally, it is when the soul abandons illusion, the ego, even if for a few moments, in different levels of nature.
This can occur physically, but also in the internal planes, in the Tree of Life, in the different dimensions. We could be sitting to meditate and suddenly we start perceiving an experience, not with physical senses, but with the consciousness, in which we receive symbols and messages and understandings and dramas of which we are both witness and spectator. We receive insight, or better said, symbols through our Being, through living dramas, allegories, that have to be interpreted with the consciousness.
When we learn to understand these messages, we really march in the path towards unity, unifying our consciousness. We do so through one-pointed will. We learn not to be distracted. Whatever you sit to practice meditation upon, whatever you focus your concentration on, don't think of other things. Don't get distracted. Renounce distractions, whether they are physical, energetic, through sensations or lights and sounds and mystical experiences, things that are really captivating and interesting but really are just temporary. Let them go. Don't be fascinated by what you perceive. Also, do not be hypnotized by emotions, especially negative emotions, because we have a lot of that. We have to renounce negative feeling, but also the churning of thought, intellect. And by concentrating our willpower, and letting it rest in equanimity, with meditative equipoise, we can receive the light of unity. This is how you proclaim the Shahadah (الشهادة), “There is no God but God, and Muhammad” or any Prophet “is the Messenger of Allah,” the divine. So unity is something that occurs in levels. That perfect unity of the Being has many qualities and virtues. It is infinite. We study the Tree of Life to understand all those dynamics in detail, the relationships between those principles, the ten sephiroth, the lower seven bodies, the trinities. Everything is a unity that expresses a multiplicity. So therefore, the bridge between monotheism and polytheism should be understood, because sadly, the exoteric public doctrine of Islam rejects many religions because they are interpreted to be polytheist. Many of them do not understand what Kabbalah is, that it is a map and structure of the soul, the unity of God, how divinity expresses in levels. Or as the Qur’an teaches, “Light upon light!” (24:35)―level upon level of being. There are more rarefied levels of being and more manifest, concrete levels of being. So, the Being is a unit, is perfected, is divine. We are multiplicity because we have egos. We are polytheists, whether we consider ourselves Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or whatever, Gnostic. We are infidels because we have the ego. We are fractured. We have no integrity, no unity of will. We have a multiplicity of wills. So, comprehend what unity is. Learn about that state of being, the perfection of your Innermost through experiences. Through that vision of the consciousness, you can see that, really, in the depths of all traditions, they are all the same. They teach the same principles. Those are different archetypes and qualities of divinity expressed amongst the cultures and religions of the world. They all share the same roots. The Essence of Seclusion
It is also important to remember that the essence of seclusion is more than just leaving society behind. It is an internal psychological work. It means to hermetically seal our energy.
People who waste energy never awaken. The question is, how do we waste energy? Let us seriously investigate our life. What types of activities drain us? What relationships, events, cyclical occurrences, behaviors, mechanical habits, tend to take away our vitality, our ability to really dedicate to spiritual practice? We have to learn to answer that question, personally, through reflection. The question also becomes: how do we learn to seal ourselves, our psyche, from losing energy, whether it be mental, emotional, sexual, especially? How do we lose energy? How do we save energy? Let's examine some quotes that can help us understand this, from Al-Qushayri's Principles of Sufism: Withdrawing from the world does not mean going away from inhabited places. The essence of seclusion is to isolate blameworthy traits in order to substitute the divine names for them. Thus it was asked, "Who is the gnostic (arif)?" and they replied, "A creature distinguished," that is, someone who appears to be together with people, but is inwardly separated from them. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Separation is key. Do not be attached to your actions, to your desires, to what anger wants, to what vanity desires, to what greed clutches on to. Non-attachment does not mean dysphoria, in which we don't have a sense of orientation or self, meaning: one is disassociated in a clouded, obscured, amorphous state. That is not what we are talking about.
Non-attachment is clarity. It is vivid attention. It is expansive awareness. It is the identity of our Essence with its virtuous qualities, the ability to act ethically with precision and with compassion. That is non-attachment. We give. We act for the benefit of others, not being attached to what may happen. We give from the qualities and the treasures of our heart. This is how we save energy. This is how we transmute energy. You take the sexual energy; you conserve it. But also we have to learn how to direct it with the Essence. When you empower your consciousness through pranayama and runes, especially alchemy, you learn to direct that force in an intelligent way. But if we do not save energy, we invest ourselves within desire, within nafs. We have to separate from the ego in order to see it. This is what it means “to substitute blameworthy traits with divine names.” In Hebrew, we have a name called hashim, which relates to השם Hashem, “the names,” and you find this even in Arabic. They have the same pronunciation even. Hashim, Samael Aun Weor mentions, are the igneous particles of the consciousness, the energies of the psyche. When we perceive and not act upon negative states, egos, we learn to transform hashim within us, the names, the particles of the soul, which usually are trapped in ego, in desire. 
So in Muslim mysticism, they emphasize that there are beautiful names of Allah, and this can be graphed in different ways upon the Tree of Life, which we have mentioned some correlations before, specifically such as with ٱلرَّحِيمِ Al-Rahim, the Merciful, which is Chesed, the Spirit of Kabbalah. The Compassionate, الرحمان Al-Rahman, can relate to Chokmah, Wisdom.
These divine names relate to principles and forces in us that we have to understand. When we learn to not invest ourselves within desire, we learn to substitute blameworthy traits with the divine names, with the hashim, the forces of God, so that you are cultivating a space in yourself that allows for meditation to exist, because when the mind is chaotic, you cannot meditate. If you are burning with hatred all day and you sit down to introspect, you are not going to attain anything. Instead, curtail your negative habits. Seclude your psyche from attachments. The seclusion that we seek is internal. That is the beginning. Inner Seclusion and Intimacy with God
Real seclusion, retreat, is internal. It is dependent upon our level of being. Our heart has to be secluded. It has to be separate from any ego, any naf, any desire. You cannot look to externals to know the truth, whether from teachers, from lectures, from scriptures even, from books, but from your own consciousness. That is how we really develop, and that is how seclusion, retreat, becomes fruitful, is with this basis, with hermetic sealing, with hermetic silence.
Let's read some quotes from Revelation of the Mystery, Kashf al-Mahjub by Al-Hujwiri that relate to these principles. It is related that [Al-Qarani] said, "Safety lies in solitude," because the heart of the solitary is free from thought of ‘other,’ and in no circumstances does he hope for anything from mankind. Let none imagine, however, that solitude (wahdat) merely consists in living alone. So long as the Devil associates with a man’s heart, and sensual passion holds sway in his breast, and any thought of this world or the next occurs to him in such a way as to make him conscious of mankind, he is not truly in solitude; since it is all one whether he takes pleasure in the thing itself or in the thought of it. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
So we can be in retreat but occupied mentally with other things. We have to avoid associating anything with Allah.
It is a very beautiful teaching with Islam. The Qur’an teaches we should not associate with anything other than God, but how do we associate with anything other than divinity? That is when we are distracted. Remember that Al-Wasiti said, "The greatest form of worship is watchfulness in the moments," primarily because we don't learn to associate with anything other than Him. Meaning, don't get lost in thought, with thinking. Do not be distracted. Instead, enter silence, concentrated. Al-Hujwiri continues: Accordingly, the true solitary is not disturbed by society, but he who is preoccupied seeks in vain to acquire freedom from thought by secluding himself. In order to be cut off from mankind one must become intimate with God, and those who have become intimate with God are not hurt by intercourse with mankind. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
So we can be solitary or unitary in our consciousness but involved in the world. We cannot enter real retreat if our mind is always preoccupied with other things, and where we are at or what we are doing.
Intimacy with God occurs in levels. We gain intimacy with divinity in accordance with our level of being, through our efforts, our practices. These are different experiences we can have and levels upon the Tree of Life. These are levels of remembrance, levels of witnessing, whether in dreams or in meditation. Two Kinds of Seclusion
There are some points emphasized by Ibn ‘Arabi in The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed which reiterate the points we have made. There are two types of seclusion: internal and external. These are both very valuable to know and it is important to know the relationship between them. Ibn ‘Arabi states:
Seclusion leads to silence for man, since one who withdraws from human company has no-one to talk to, and that naturally leads to silence of the tongue. There are two kinds of seclusion: firstly, the seclusion of the aspirants (murīdūn), which consists of not associating physically with others; and secondly, the seclusion of the verifiers (muhaqqiqūn), which consists of having no contact with created things in one’s heart: their hearts have no room for anything other than the knowledge of God, exalted is He, which is the witness of the Truth in the heart that results from contemplation (mushāhada). ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So the seclusion of the aspirants has to do with not being around a lot of people. It is even good on retreats to practice silence physically. On some of our retreats, but also in many others that I have attended amongst different Gnostic groups, have beautifully implemented silence of the tongue. So we could be surrounded by other students or teachers in this tradition eating and dining with people, but not talking physically.
Of course, this is very difficult because, obviously, when you are with a group of Gnostics, you want to share and learn and commune with your brothers and sisters in this path, but there is something very valuable about learning not to talk physically. You begin to understand and perceive in yourself your different egos, which want to socialize or be funny or be impressive, to look really spiritual amongst others, to really show off. These are things that we can see in ourselves if we practice this, and this is the value of physical silence, the seclusion of the aspirants. But what is even more beautiful than that is the seclusion of the verifiers (muhaqqiqūn). What does it mean to verify? It means to know from experience those mystical states in which we don't have any contact with created things in our heart. Our heart is not focused on anything else but their quality of remembrance of the Being. There is no other room except knowledge of God, and this results from مشاهدة mushahada, which means “contemplation, witnessing, meditation.” Examine your heart when you sit to practice. Be sincere. Is your mind thinking of other things? Is your heart churning with emotion? Is your impulse to do anything else but meditate? Are you preoccupied with anything other than the knowledge of your Being? It is something only you can evaluate. Only you can really know. Three Motives for Seclusion
In synthesis, Ibn ‘Arabi states that there are three motives for seclusion. Let's examine these in depth:
The people of seclusion have three motives: (1) the fear of the evil of other people affecting oneself; (2) the fear of one’s own evil affecting others―this is a higher perception than the first, as in the first case one thinks badly of others, while in the second one thinks badly of oneself, and thinking badly of oneself is better since you are more knowledgeable of yourself… ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
Al-Hujwiri made the same points that Ibn ‘Arabi is emphasizing. This is very common knowledge among Sufis.
(3) the preference for the company of the Master from the Sublime Assembly―the most elevated of men is one who parts from himself out of preference for the company of his Lord. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
Seek company of the divine prophets through your experiences. Specifically, learn to project into the astral plane. Awaken your consciousness from dreams. Learn to consult with your inner God, who has all the knowledge that you need to rectify any issue.
Divinity is wise. We can go upon the [Glorian Publishing] forum and ask for help for certain issues. Really, the most that instructors can do is really teach how to practice, primarily so that people learn to become independent. Learn how to receive help inside, to seek company of God. Divinity is a much more profound intelligence and wisdom, really, than any physical person can provide, so learn to practically experience this for yourself. Verify for yourself through dream yoga. One who prefers seclusion to the company of others prefers his Lord to that which is other than Him. And no-one can know what gifts and mysteries God showers upon the one who prefers his Lord. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So what are these gifts? These are samadhis, dream experiences, astral consciousness, wisdom from the mental world, from the Buddhic world, from the Nirvanic worlds, from the heavenly world, the جنّة Jannah, the superior dimensions. No one could really measure their infinite profundity, their expansiveness.
Seclusion never happens in the heart unless the heart feels an estrangement from that which one is separating from, and an intimacy with the One with whom one is secluding oneself, which is what drives one into seclusion. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So the question is, what is our قِبْلَة qiblah?
We have mentioned before that in mosques, they have a niche within the walls pointing towards the Middle East, towards Mecca, towards the Kaaba, the holy stone. One prays in that direction, قِبْلَة qiblah, when one is in deep prayer within the tradition of Islam.
Esoterically speaking, قِبْلَة qiblah has to do with your concentration. Upon what do you concentrate? What is the quality of your concentration? Is it sustained for long periods of time, or is it spotty? Sometimes attentive, sometimes not? Are there more degrees of attention or less degrees? Are we more inattentive than we are attentive? قِبْلَة qiblah really has to do with the quality of our concentration in our prayer. The more sincere we are and analyzing our level of being and focusing on the object of our concentration, of our dedication, will determine what we are focused on, will determine our trajectory. For most people their قِبْلَة qiblah is in television, movies, TV shows, violence, extortion, crime, etc. Therefore, what is our قِبْلَة qiblah? What is our motive? What is our center of gravity? Because Samael Aun Weor mentions that we have a psychological center of gravity, which is typically in the ego. We have to develop a permanent center of gravity within the Essence. This is our قِبْلَة qiblah. So, examine that. Meditate on that. What are you more focused on in life? What do you contemplate more than other things? What is your focus, whether physically or in your mental states, especially? Examine the relationship. Inner Silence
What is real silence?
Spiritual retreats have often been silent with the exception of instructions and directions during meditation. This helps us to curtail negative internal chatter, to force the practitioner to be aware of oneself in relationship with the world or with others. Many people enter retreat and while silent with the tongue, continue to chat very loudly in the mind, commenting on everything one sees. Let's look at what Ibn ‘Arabi has to say about this in his Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed: Seclusion has no need of the extra condition of silence, as silence is necessarily included within it, insofar as it is silence of the tongue. As for silence of the heart, seclusion does not necessarily lead to it, since one could converse with oneself about other than God and with other than God, exalted is He. This is why we have considered silence to be one of the pillars (arkān) on the Way in its own right. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So how often does our mind wander? This is something we should evaluate and examine. Reflect on this quality of being, how attentive you are, because our internal chatter tends to be very focused on specific psychological songs.
Many people, when they drive their cars or listen to the radio do so by listening to music or favorite songs. Some people even have a very specific unchanging order. They have a music playlist, whether on their iPhone, iPod, whatever it may be. And so, while we may listen to music or not, everybody has a psychological song. What is a psychological song? It is our narrative that we tell ourselves. It is our life story. It is our epic Mahabharata, our own tale in which we are the great center, the protagonist, the hero, the martyr, upon which all of our circumstances gravitate. We tend to tell ourselves that we are wronged, victimized, blamed, whatever our particular idiosyncrasy may be. We are the great hero, while everyone else is the villain. We were right, but we were wronged, etc. We tend to repeat our own song like a broken record, and of course it is going to be different for each person. For some people, it may be self-pity, feeling inadequate that they can succeed in life, that they have always been cheated, lied to, abused, etc. Some people sing songs of vanity that they are always great, they are wonderful, and that people don't appreciate their integrity or compassion or altruism, whatever it may be. We repeat our songs, even if no one wants to hear it, because in honesty, everybody else has their own psychological song. Everybody sings their own tune, so to speak. Internal chatter, this psychological repetition of mental verbiage, has to be curtailed and ended. You don't do it by pushing the mind away or telling the mind to shut up. When you learn to observe and separate from the mind, it starts to calm. When you observe the mind and it is talking at you and chattering, but you are not giving into it, you are not feeding it, you are learning to enter silence and seclusion―real retreat. So you could be physically at your job but learning to really enter, psychologically, an attitude and a space of meditation and retreat. This is really the foundation and the key. Separate from the mind. Self-observe your thoughts, your feelings and your actions. Stop giving your energy into desires, conditions of mind. This is because in solitude even, we have a lot of negative egos, a lot of painful temptations. When we are alone, we are by ourselves, oftentimes the worst egos emerge. This is why Samael Aun Weor stated the following in Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology: It is indispensable to observe oneself when alone in the same manner as when associated with people.
I am pretty sure that most people, after a while, get very tired of listening to the same tune. But ironically, in our life experience, this is not true.
We sing our songs of how we are victimized and harmed and blamed and betrayed, whatever it may be, whatever our tendency is, whatever egos we like to feed most of all. We have to examine what that chatter is, what that language is, what the results are, because if you invest your energy in defeatism or vanity or whatever it may be, we don't change the situation. We have to learn to sacrifice our own sufferings. Give up pain. Give up our attachments to pain, to egotistical states. Let's not express our suffering so much. Obviously, if there's something really traumatic and difficult, it is good sometimes to talk with people, especially when we need guidance, but that is something you have to evaluate on your own. So it is important to remember that, like animals, our culture has us domesticated, very well-trained. We are taught to adopt behaviors and beliefs and ideologies that are contrary to our spiritual nature. These are simply beliefs, attitudes or perceptions of how life is that really don't have any basis. This is the reason why our society and our world is such a mess, because people believe reality to be a certain way. However, they don't really have any basis in experience of the consciousness. Because we have different beliefs that conflict with reality, with our experiences, with each other, we suffer. This is because the egos of different people sing their psychological song. Everybody thinks that they are the victim. Simply look at different conflicts throughout the world where everyone, both sides of different issues, say that they are the victim, not the perpetrator. So they justify their behaviors, and likewise, we too justify everything we do, and this is the problem. We sing our songs articulately or inarticulately to ourselves. This is something that keeps us very asleep. So, it’s something to consider. The Witnessing of Unity
What is the witnessing of unity? Some profound teachings from Ibn ‘Arabi, al-Sheikh al-Akbar, who is considered the greatest of Sufi teachers, he emphasizes some points that we have mentioned already, but which I'd like to emphasize here:
One who makes seclusion their practice grasps the mystery of the Divine Unity (wahdāniyya). In terms of knowledges and mysteries, this brings to him the secrets of the Uniqueness (ahadiyya) insofar as it is a quality. The true spiritual state of seclusion, whether it be that of the seeker or the verifier, is to be transcendent of all attributes. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So what is the uniqueness? This is الأحد al-ahad in Arabic, the unity. Or this is where we get the Shahadah (الشهادة), where we declare the unity of God:
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
This is paralleled within the Jewish tradition by the Shema.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃,
…الأحد Ahad in Arabic or אֶחָֽד Echad in Hebrew, unity.
What does it mean when we are a verifier or seeker to experience the spiritual state of seclusion? It means to be transcendent of all attributes, meaning: egotistical qualities. We have to give up our identity as an ego. To experience the clarity of the Essence, we have to be selfless. Again, not from a state of dysphoria, of obscuration, of mental dullness, of confusion, but a state of awareness and attention and the identity of the consciousness. Let us continue: The highest state of seclusion is retreat (khalwa), for it is a seclusion within seclusion, and its fruit is stronger than that of ordinary seclusion. One who makes seclusion his practice must have certainty regarding God, exalted is He, until he has no thought that will distract him and take him beyond the confines of his seclusion. If he lacks certainty, then let him prepare himself to be strong enough for seclusion, in order that his certainty may be strengthened by what is revealed to him in his seclusion. ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So we have talked previously about what certainty is: اليقين Al-Yaqin.
There are three forms of certainty within Islam or Sufism:
Knowledge of certainty means we understand the teachings and the scriptures, the doctrine, the wisdom, from the intellect. But the seeing of certainty has to do with when we experience these truths for ourselves, through personal, living knowledge, not through belief or from reading a book, from listening to a lecture, from reading a scripture. It is what we know through experience, through facts. The truth of certainty has to do with when we really receive wisdom from God. We receive visions and insights from divinity that are indisputable, that are factual, without illusion, without question. This is how we really make use of seclusion. We have to have certainty of the practices. Obviously, if we don't really understand what these teachings are about and we try to enter retreat, it can be very difficult; obviously, learning it for the first time. So we need to have some kind of development or understanding of the teaching so that we can really go deeper. By understanding the science and the method of the practices of meditation, we have no thought that will distract us and take us beyond the confines of our seclusion. Meaning, we don't really get lost in the practices. If we lack certainty, then let us prepare ourselves to be strong enough, meaning, in this case, some meditation retreats practiced by the Sufis were very extensive, very long, very arduous, not really recommended for beginners. If you come to one of our retreats, you'll find that we have it pretty easy compared to many of the traditions, especially. There is no other way. This is one of the firm preconditions governing seclusion. Seclusion bequeaths knowledge of this world (dunyā). ―Ibn ‘Arabi, The Adornment of the Spiritually Transformed
So, we gain knowledge of the world, our ego, through meditation, as we have explained in relation to retrospection meditation especially.
Retreat Schedule
So in synthesis, I'd like to relate to you and provide to you a resource: a retreat schedule that you can adopt. You don't have to use it strictly in this manner. It is simply a guideline that you can use, that you can modify at will to help really deepen your spiritual life.
It is divided into morning, noon, and evening practices―some simple time frames that you can use if you have the time and the energy and the dedication to do so. If you look at these links, you'll find different books or practices, references, resources that you can study in relation to these exercises, whether from our own Gnostic Meditation course or Meditation Essentials, the Nordic Runes, working with energy, the seven vowels, recitations at dawn, specifically, when we invoke energies of divinity, of Christ, through mantralizing, performing prayers through the Nordic yoga. Also, there is time for lectures and scriptural study―free time, of course, but also sacred rites of rejuvenation, dream yoga, Jinn practices, etc. I won't go through all of this in detail, but you can use this resource to help you if you are willing. Recommended Sources for Meditation and Spiritual Practices
Alchemy Techniques for Married Couples
Dream Yoga Exercises
Jinn Science Mantras and Prayers for Protection
Meditation Courses and Resources
Pranayama for Single Practitioners
Runes Sacred Rites of Rejuvenation So in synthesis, it is important to understand what seclusion is. To synthesize everything we have stated, the most important principle is that if you want any type of meditation or retreat to be effective for you, learn to cultivate a space of serenity and insight. This is something that you can only do through daily consistent discipline, moment to moment awareness. I would like to open up the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Question: What does it mean to sacrifice our own sufferings if you want to transform ourselves?
Instructor: Oftentimes, “our pain is self-chosen,” to quote Khalil Gibran in his poem The Prophet. We like to waste energy. Oftentimes we have a problem in life, a situation, and it becomes very difficult to resolve. We don't see a solution. We see that we are in darkness. We have a lot of uncertainty, a lot of pain. But stewing in the filth of our mind, by letting ourselves boil in the heat of our own negative emotions, it is not going to resolve the problem. When you give your energy unnecessarily into wrong mental states, we deepen our suffering. Instead, it is better to step away from the problem, to separate from it, to separate from the mind, to not give your energy to negative emotion, because in reality, negative emotions are very infectious. They make ourselves sick. They make other people sick. So you have to consider that if you are very upset with a problem, it is not going to be easy to resolve it if your mind is clouded. Therefore, we must sacrifice our sufferings. Meaning, if you're in a lot of pain and you feel like you want to just vegetate, to vacillate, to not act in a situation, to not respond in any way, to not really introspect in yourself, it can be really useful to spend that time to practice. Sometimes, if we are in a negative emotional state, it can be very difficult to meditate. Therefore, we could do something like runes, prayer, pranayama, walks in nature, some exercise to distract our mind from the problem, and we can learn to invest our attention in a worthy cause, which is the transformation of our pain. When I have been in very difficult, moral, ethical suffering in relation to different problems in my life, I have deepened and intensified my practice. I remember I worked at one job that was very difficult. I had a very hard time transforming the negative emotions of my clients, and I was suffering a lot because I felt inadequate to really help them. So what I would do is, when I was in a lot of pain, I would do hours of runes. I mean literally, one to two hours, sometimes even more. I would really dedicate myself to spiritual practices so that I can stop or cease my own suffering. By providing good energy into my psyche, I was able to calm down and to face my problem with equity, with clarity. This is just one method we can use. Use the practices in our tradition that can help you, whatever is going to resonate most with you that helps you ease your pain so that you can really focus on what's important. If there is something you can't change that you are suffering about, then why suffer about it? There is no solution. But if there is a solution, then you can act effectively to change it. This is how we sacrifice our pain, because pain is not necessary. We don't have to churn in the mud, so to speak. Question: When I am doing a concentration imagination exercise, is it okay to mantralize at the same time to clear the mental chatter, like AUM?
Instructor: Yes, it takes some skill. You know, obviously a mantra like Aum is very useful for charging our psyche with good energy. Now, if you are concentrating on the mantra, that's really good. But also, you can visualize light and energy in your heart, especially. So those can go hand-in-hand.
There are different dynamics to different practices, different mantras. Some mantras are provided with certain visualization exercises. So I recommend that whatever practices you are doing that, you know, you really fulfill them with fidelity, whatever those stipulations are in the writings of Samael Aun Weor, but if you do the mantra AUM or OM, you can visualize light in your heart, concentrate on the vibration of that mantra. So when you perform a mantra, it is not merely just saying or reciting some sounds, but it is concentrating on the energy. It is visualizing that force in you. It is developing your focus, your perception. It is a very dynamic thing. Question: The next question is, I try to imagine my inner Father or my Monad as a tremendous light that descends from the heavens above. Is there a more accurate vision like the light descending from the crown of the head? Instructor: There are different visualizations. The best visualization practice is going to be any state or experience you have had internally. For example, in many cases I have meditated on my Innermost, mantralizing while imagining my Being, remembering my inner God as I perceived Him in the astral plane, even beyond.
You can visualize the Father as a light in the heart. You can even visualize that energy descending from your crown to your body. In certain runes like the runes Tyr and Bar, work like that. You are invoking the Divine Father to enter your head as you are bringing your hands downward, mantralizing the vowels Tyr, and then Bar.
So different practices have different orientations, but the important thing is that follow your intuition, what you need to work with. You can imagine a light in your heart, the mantras like O or Om, etc., but also you can imagine the light descending from the crown of the head, especially with certain mantras like INRI or the practice with Ares, if you studied the book Practical Astrology [Editor's Note: See also the mantras INRI, ENRE, ONRO, UNRU, ANRA for developing the chakras]. Question: One of my biggest temptations has been my ego constantly pushing me astray when it comes to furthering and deepening my practices. What is the best way to supplicate the higher forces to help develop will? Sometimes, conjurations work well for me, but sometimes I feel that I fall and allow my intellect to remove me from it and I fall back again into not intensifying my work and developing my will. Instructor: I find some of the best practices for developing willpower are the runes, especially the Rune Dorn. You can stand facing towards the east when facing the sunrise or early morning hours are good for this. Place your heels together, left hand on your left side, right hand on your right hip. Pray to your inner Being to grant you the will of Christ. 
Do the mantras: TA TE TI TO TU. You prolong them. Feel the vibration of those forces in you. Pray to your Divine Mother Kundalini and the Holy Spirit to empower your Essence so that it can fulfill the will of Christ.
Remember, in the story of Prophet Muhammad when Gabriel said, “Recite!” and Prophet Muhammad said, “I can’. I don't know basically how to read and write,” and Gabriel said again, “Recite!” and he says, “I do not know how,” and then the third time, Gabriel said, “Recite!” and then Prophet Muhammad said, “What shall I recite my Lord?” This is precisely a symbol of what you are talking about: how in the path we struggle to really fulfill divine will. We struggle in our practices. We feel that we are disconnected. You can work at the Rune Dorn, especially. That is how we recite the word of divinity so that we can receive blessings from divinity above, from Gabriel, Gibur-Ra-El: our own Spirit.
You can work with the vowels or any of the seven runes, especially, for as long as you need. An hour or more if you need to. That is a very great way to energize your practice, to give you a lot of force to do other things as well, to meditate profoundly. Question: Do you believe people can pull energy from one person to another? Instructor: Personally, I don't believe that. It is something that I know from experience. We call those people witches, sorcerers, black magicians. They steal energy from people because they cannot create on their own. They reject the Holy Spirit, the creative power of divinity within sex. They don't learn how to cultivate their own energy, and because they are vampiric, they need to thrive off the psychic energy of others. And there are many ways that they steal vital energy from people. This is why we learn practices of conjurations and prayers to protect ourselves. You can study our lecture called Basics of Spiritual Defense on our website, especially the course Spiritual Self-Defense to learn how to protect yourself. Question: Sometimes one feels strong when around worldly activities, such as dealing with problems and traffic, but sometimes it all seems unbearable and one feels an urgent need of solitude. Do you find this fluctuations to be normal on the path to total inner silence? Instructor: Yes. Obviously, you have to gauge your own level of being and your needs. It can be very difficult to be around the cities for a long period of time or to be in difficult situations. This is why people enter retreat in different traditions. When we are depleted of our energy, we feel like we need to recharge. It is good to go out in nature and enter retreats or practice with like-minded people so that we can gain more force. So yes, there are periods in which it is very difficult to walk this path. It is very normal. The important thing is that we are consistent with our practices and that we can make sacrifices so that we can practice more effectively, but also get out of the world, or better said, get out of the hustle and bustle of our modern society. Question: Thank you for this series of lectures on Sufism. Would you please introduce a few books that I can fundamentally learn more about Islam, Sufism, and contemplate and understand the link between Gnosis and Sufism? As a Muslim, I know that there is a root. All mysticism should direct to the same point. Any recommendations or suggestions would be helpful in this regard. Instructor: So probably the best book to understand the heart of every single religious tradition is The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor. He explains some points in which the mysteries of alchemy and sexual magic that he teaches so openly, is represented within Islam and Sufism, especially. He makes some comments in certain chapters about the Muslim initiates, especially. That's the best book that I know of that really explains the secret key within every tradition, especially Islam and Sufism. Once you know the writings of Samael Aun Weor very deeply, especially that book, as well as The Mystery of the Golden Flower, you can pick up Sufi manuals of retreat and spiritual practice and understand what they are talking about. Some Sufi texts that I really recommend besides the Qur’an, especially, are Revelation of the Mystery by Al-Hujwiri, Principles of Sufism by Al-Qushayri, and The Stations of the Sufi Path by Abdullah Ansari of Herat. If you want, you can email us and we'll send you a link to those texts. But if you look at the PowerPoint presentations, the PDFs that we are going to upload to our website, you'll find that we have constant references to these three books, especially those three Sufi texts. They are Persian Sufism, the best of Sufism, especially. Samael Aun Weor states in The Perfect Matrimony that the best of Sufism comes from Persia. So it is a very deep statement. I recommend you study those texts, especially. Question: I recently have been struggling with pranayama. When I do it for over five minutes, my body jitters. It feels very uncomfortable. Do you recommend walking for a while before pranayama? Instructor: Yes. It could be really good to do that. You might want to get some exercise, especially, primarily because when you start to work with your creative energies, your whole chemistry changes, literally. Your body and processes fluctuate, change. Personally, since practicing transmutation, I have experienced many changes, even in my appetite, my ability to engage in heavy work, even manual labor―you know, getting a lot of strength from the creative impulse. Sometimes, in the beginning, it can be very difficult to adapt to the vibrations of the sexual energy. They are very powerful. Sometimes with pranayama, we can feel very charged to the point that we become jittery, like you are drinking a very big cup of coffee or an espresso. So, I recommend do short practices. You know, get some physical exercise, especially. Maybe even walk in nature if you can. Ham-Sah is very good for when you are walking out in the middle of the woods, if you have the opportunity. I like to do that when I take a long hikes since it helps me to keep my body and blood circulating, but also circulate the energies as well. Or you can practice in more short spurts. If you feel that you are getting uncomfortable, take a break, but later jump back into the practice so that you can acculturate your body. Learn to make your body adapt to that inward and upward flow of force. Question: Also, this person said that I feel the energy to be overwhelming. Do you recommend cutting down on meat? Instructor: Yes, if you find that you have too much fire (the Tattva Tejas from The Panchatattva Ritual) and it is difficult to control, cut down on meat. Limit your meat intake. Sometimes a change in diet can help with that. Question: When you are in a state of remembrance of the Being, do you put your attention on your heart, breath, or imagine something? Instructor: Remembrance is a very profound and beautiful quality that is very dynamic. This is something that we are going to dedicate an entire lecture to in this course within the coming weeks. When you are remembering your Being, when you are self-observing yourself throughout the day, you should be aware of your pineal gland, especially. This is the seat of the soul. This is where we look out into our external world, but also our internal world. Remembrance of the Being is also a quality of the heart. You are observing from your third eye or the pineal gland, especially, introspecting within and perceiving within your internal states in relation to external events. So you are perceiving through the senses, but also you are exercising your internal senses, your psychological sense of understanding thought, feeling, and will. 
Remembrance, more importantly, is a quality of your superior emotional center, and this has to do with emotions that are very subtle and pure. Obviously, in the beginning we struggle to understand or taste that state, but is something that you can learn to cultivate by doing pranayama, working with breath, in which your body settles. Your mind settles. Your imagination clarifies.
You can sit down in your practice of visualization, but also mantra, pranayama. You are concentrating on your breath and you are visualizing the energy flowing in you. In this way, you are remembering your Being. You are becoming aware of the energies of God in you and how they flow inside. So this is dynamic. This is a very integral process. We sometimes teach these practices in different ways because people have different needs and also because the capacity of the consciousness is very broad and spatial. It is vast. When you get adept at imagination exercises and remembrance of divinity, you can learn to focus on your breath, your heart, your third eye, and your body at the same time. But in the beginning, it could be good to focus on one or the other, so that you have enough stable concentration to focus. Sometimes focusing on the breath is enough. It is very easy to do that with practice and it is difficult in the beginning because we haven't been trained yet. So whatever exercise you adopt for concentration, it could be very good to simply focus on your breathing with pranayama or do an imagination exercise such as the candle, or mantralize the vowel O. Be aware of your breath, but also imagine a light in your heart. These are all states of remembrance. When you are really focused, when you are really in prayer, you are obviously going to be engaging different practices throughout the day, but the most consistent practice in the state of remembrance is self-observation, self-remembrance. You do that by focusing on your pineal gland, but also learning to respond to life ethically. Remember your heart, your conscience. Question: Regarding laziness, I sometimes feel I have so much energy to practice, to read, to contemplate, etc., etc., but some other time it happens that I have not much energy to do the practices, although deep inside I feel so much need to practice meditation. What is your opinion about this so much back and forth? Instructor: It is the ego, the resistance of the mind. Our desires know that their life is threatened through this spiritual work, and so we face resistance of the mind. We know what is best. We know what we need to do. We feel the inquietude in our heart to practice deeply. However, because the ego knows that through these exercises it is going to be eliminated, it fights. We feel laziness. We feel depleted. We don't feel enthusiastic. We feel uninspired, etc. That is because the mind. Our own inner satan knows that its life is threatened, and so it challenges us at every step. The solution is to comprehend where that laziness is coming from. Look within to see where it is in you and what activities your mind avoids. Sometimes not being inspired has to do with a lack of energy. This is why I like to do runes, especially. They give you a lot of force, a lot of power. They can push you to really meditate deeply, which is why we emphasize those practices again and again in this course, but also especially in our resources in this lecture, especially. You know, sometimes the way to resolve the problem is to put more fuel in your car. If you want to drive to a certain destination, you got to fuel up. You do that with working with the creative energies. That is how you are going to have the strength necessary to overcome obstacles. Question: Must all runes be performed with a specific accompanying physical posture or can vocalizations be made like mantras while seated in a meditation posture? Instructor: There are certain mantras that you can do on your own when you are seated, but the real benefit of the runes is that they are engaging forces in nature as a result of our physical position. They are a form of yoga, and when combined with prayer, concentration, awareness, attention, and remembrance, we learn to cultivate energy in our body, in our mind and heart. Question: Also, where can I find the best description or perhaps video instruction about the runic postures and mantras? And also I am finding the runes that are paired with others? Instructor: There is a video on Glorian Publishing’s website that show the seven vowels, especially. That is one of the primary practices we do, but perhaps in the future we will have other instructional videos that teach how to do all the runes. That would be something very useful for people, I think. The best way to perform the runes is as described in The Magic of the Runes by Samael Aun Weor. That book explains how the runes are paired, which practice has to do with what, and how to do them in very clear and simple directions. 
All religions and mystical traditions that teach meditation always emphasize the need for a very difficult principle: renunciation. However, like striving or holy war within Middle Eastern mysticism, renunciation is very misunderstood.
Renunciation is typically recognized as giving up material possessions, abandoning society, in order to pursue a life of spirituality, seclusion, introspection, inner peace. In the Gnostic tradition we are very different, distinct, when we use this term. We emphasize that true renunciation is a psychological attitude. It is non-attachment, regardless of one’s material possessions, one’s external life. The truth is we can be physically very wealthy, and yet be true renunciates, or extremely poor and very attached to this world. Renunciation is a state of being. It means to be perfectly sealed within oneself, to not waste any energy of the psyche, and this is really important when we talk about the principles of meditation, specifically because in the path of striving, we are learning to concentrate, to focus our will, our attention, to remember the presence of divinity at all times, without exception. It is impossible to do this if we do not give up bad behaviors, activities that drain us, attitudes and desires that create conflict, agitation, impatience, and a lack of presence with where we are at and what we are doing. We have to save energy, and this is really important. This is essential. There are many people who practice meditation, but who do not renounce behaviors and activities that produce pain. When we invest ourselves into anger, into resentment, into pride, and especially lust, we basically have no energy left to experience reality, the Truth within ourselves. It is impossible to experience the divine, al-Haqq, the Truth, our Innermost Being, the divine, if our mind is afflicted with cravings, with desires, with attachments. All of this obscures our perception. These are conditions of mind we have been emphasizing again and again. This is the lower soul, نَفْس nafs, which in the Gnostic tradition we denominate ego, or egos, that multiplicity of conflicting and contradictory desires and selves which all strive for dominance in our interior. So long as we do not renounce negative thinking, negative emotions, which are so problematic for humanity, and negative actions, we cannot know the Truth, and this is precisely what we want in Gnosis. In any mystical tradition, we want to know divinity, to have experiences, to know the truth of heavens, hells, the soul, of God, of masters, angels, prophets, Elohim, gods, buddhas, whatever we want to call those beings who were once like us, who in reality reached those heights of attainment because they renounced the ego, the self, conditioned psyche. Those beings are perfect, but the reality is that they were once like us, and we have that potential to be a pure perfect expression of God, to really know divinity from personal experience, not from belief, not from accepting a dogma, but from facts, from witnessing the truth within oneself, one’s experience, one’s consciousness. How do we know that desire leads to suffering and that this is the reason why people do not have any knowledge of the Innermost, of God, of the Being, of الله Allah, whatever name we want to give to our divine source? The reality is that people spend their entire life chasing after desire. We are told by society to fulfill our passions, and it is interesting. We think that following our dreams, our passions, is what will lead us to a plateau of eternal happiness, a vague and amorphous heaven that has no grounds in experience. If we spend our lives chasing after passions and desires, which is really egotistical, if we are serious and analyze our own psyche, we find that these elements do not produce any type of cohesion, integrity, and divine knowledge. The word passion, even in the literal sense, can refer to the Passion of Christ or the Master Aberamentho within the Gnostic tradition. Really the term passion means “suffering.” So when people tell us follow your passions, follow your desires, follow your dreams, we are really telling each other to be hypnotized, because most of our desires, behaviors, internal states, are conditioned, are negative, and we know this from the writings of Samael Aun Weor especially. We are 97% percent ego, afflicted with problems, with pain. All of that has to be renounced if we really want to enter religion, but people do not want to give up greed, backbiting, envy, and especially lust, sexual craving, attachment to sensations that do not last. People chase after desires their entire life without really knowing why, nor realizing that to suffer in the acquisition of wealth is to suffer under the fear of losing it. Our society is based upon accumulation of everything: sensations, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence, sarcasm, amusement. This is why the Qur’an teaches that really, the life of this world is transient and has no real basis in spirituality, and if we are honest we see that most of our behaviors are precisely this. We crave something. We work to get it and if we get what we want, we suffer because we are afraid we can lose it, perhaps that job, that career, that spouse, that we fought so hard to achieve. Even Jesus said this truth in the book of Mark 8:36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ―Mark 8:36
We can pursue a life of materialism, of wealth, of worldliness, of being successful in society, but if that is all we are focused on, if that is our internal quality of being, it means we have a very superficial life. Even Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” It is vain. It is empty of any profound significance, and if anyone studies religion or meditation, it is because they want to know something more. This is why we study the principles of meditation so that we can know the truth for ourselves, to have a life that is vibrant and filled with happiness and compassion for others, of contentment, because we know divinity and experience the Truth.
The Truth is a form of bliss and treasure that is wealthy to the soul, but that can only be obtained when we give up our psychology, our psychological attachments, a craving for this or that, the constant churning of the mind, the agitation of the mind that only wants to accumulate sensations and impressions and to go to the grave. Real wealth is spiritual. It is internal. These have to do with qualities of consciousness like altruism, which binds communities together, with selfless love, conscious love even for one’s worst enemies and persecutors; patience under ordeals and hardships that are excruciating and incomprehensible. Real virtue is the foundation of a spiritual existence, of being. You cannot experience the virtues of the Essence, the soul, the consciousness, if we do not remove the impurities, if we do not abandon activities and behaviors that take the energy of the consciousness and squander it. This is why we study ethics in the beginning of any meditative science, especially within Sufism and Gnosticism. This is why Jesus also taught in the book of Matthew 6:19-21: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
People can steal your possessions, can burn your home to the ground, can take your family away, can imprison you, can humiliate you, can cause you physical harm, and yet nobody can take your virtue away from you but yourself. Virtue is like a shield that protects us from many bad situations. But of course, divinity guides the process by which we learn by facing hardships. This is why we studied the path of striving in the former lecture. But with renunciation we are learning to deepen our effort, our willpower, our work so that we are very defined, very precise in our practice and our intentions, in our actions.
No one can steal away from you your consciousness. Only we can give away our soul by giving into behaviors and activities that create pain. We are responsible for our own psyche. No one else is responsible for why we suffer. If we had no ego, we would be an angel. We would be perfected in bliss. But the reality is we invest our identity too much within a multiplicity of desires, and this is why we suffer: we are conflicted. We are split. Whatever you treasure, whatever you value most, that is where your heart will be. If your satisfaction is based on material things, when you lose them you will suffer. This is the fundamental law of causality. But if we place our value in divine states, in mercy, forgiveness that is based upon conscience, knowledge of the law, the law of divinity, شريعة Shari’ah, then we will have happiness even if situations outside are very arduous, difficult. There is nothing worse in terms of suffering than a wounded conscience. Even Friedrich Nietzsche stated in this Thus Spoke Zarathustra that “the bite of conscience teaches men to bite.” Really, if we fulfill the law within ourselves of divinity, of ethics, conscience, judgment, الْدِّين al-Din, “the religion” in Arabic or גבורה Geburah in Kabbalah, the justice of the divine, we will march upon the path of intuition, success, knowing how to navigate the reality of life without confusion, without unnecessary pain. The Being is a true treasure. Knowledge of divinity from experience is to possess the greatest gift that one could ever possess in life, which is why the Hadith Qudsi states the following: Allah says, “I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known, so I created a creation (mankind), then made Myself known to them, and they recognized Me.” ―Hadith Qudsi
Spiritual poverty in this lecture means to be a beggar of the spirit, to really recognize that we lack the qualities we admire so much in masters like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad, Samael Aun Weor. We are really destitute, if we are honest. We have a lot of conflict, and pain, and sorrows and afflictions, and this is why we are interested in spirituality, because we want a solution, how to rectify our own errors to cease suffering. This means one has to become like a beggar, really yearning for the truth, aspiring for knowledge with that longing like a fire that burns, even with pain, but it is the fire that gives us light in our daily states, the inquietudes of our own soul that long to return to the Being. Jesus said in the book of Matthew 5:3:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ―Matthew 5:3
This is from the Beatitudes. Now I think some of the translations given in the Bible are very inaccurate, as with many scriptures. “Poor in spirit,” in Greek is πτωχός ptōxós. It means: “to crouch or cower like a beggar.” It is a “descriptive quality of begging, to be bent over, to be deeply destitute in a figurative sense.” Really this verse should say:
Blessed are the beggars in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ―Matthew 5:3
We have to recognize that our life really does not have much value if we do not know divinity, and this is a type of sincerity and honesty one has to come to in relation to one’s own experiences, otherwise one is not going to be interested in wanting to change. Jesus in this statement was pointing out a very profound teaching: that we need the psychological attitude of receptivity, of striving, of yearning, to receive from the Being and know from the Being, to receive the Spirit from mystical experiences like astral projections, out of body experiences, awakening in the dream state, as we have come back to many times in this course. This is why Homer taught:
It is better to be a beggar on Earth than a king in the empire of shadows. ―Homer
We are in this world begging for wisdom. It is better to be a beggar in this spiritual path than to have all of the wealth, materially, physically like many other people in society who really are just demons, people with power, influence, but through egotism. It is better to be a beggar of the spirit, because the real treasure is in the soul, not in the external world.
This is the seminal pearl that the merchant of the biblical parable sought to acquire by selling all of his goods, so that he could really enter heaven. This is not a literal story. It reflects a psychological truth, a fundamental shift in our attitude. Do we practice meditation sometimes? Do we spend our time in superfluous activities? How much of our time and energy, our will, our actions, our activities, our behaviors are really invested in spiritual things? Do we study a little bit, practice a little bit, but the rest of our day indulge in hatred, pride, vanity? How much are we willing to really give up, to direct towards spiritual practice, to really achieve wisdom, the happiness and freedom of the soul we long for? These are some questions we will come back to, that we will analyze and reflect upon. Rumi summed up these principles very deeply: When you enter the world of poverty and practice it, God bestows upon you kingdoms and worlds that you never imagined. You become ashamed of what you longed for and desired at first. ―Rumi Piscean and Aquarian Spirituality: Renouncing Distractions
So some people feel that if they renounce certain behaviors and activities that they will have nothing, but the reality is that the kingdom of the soul is so vast and incomprehensible. The states of the Being in our experience are infinite. The Truth is infinite, is “the unknown from moment to moment,” says Samael Aun Weor. Therefore, if we give up our conditioned cage and have the courage to step out of prison, we can know that liberation for ourselves.
It is often documented how people who have been in prison for a long time are afraid of leaving because they do not know anyone else. The same is true of our psychological state, but renunciation is precisely having the courage and the will to give up mistaken psychological states. So, what is a worldly life? Typically, people define this as having a job, or a career, going to school, having friends, indulging in entertainment, travelling, watching television shows, going to religious services, etc. It was necessary in the past within the spiritual evolutionary arc of humanity to abandon society, to focus exclusively within. This was known astrologically as the Piscean Era. It was the abandonment of the world for the sake of inner development. This is a conservative influence that sought to conserve the best values for the sake of the individual. So people who wanted to know this knowledge had to find a school of initiation and prove themselves over many years before they would be admitted. That knowledge was only given by teacher to student―very conservative, based off of lineages, hierarchies, and tests. 
We are now in the Era of Aquarius, an Aquarian spirituality. This has to do with the immersion of the individual within society for the sake of spiritual development of self and other, specifically through expedient methods. Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer, the water carrier. This has to do with how this mystical knowledge is now public. It is now available to everybody without exception.
It is not necessary today to live in a khanqah or خانقاه khaniqah (Persian), a Sufi retreat lodge or center, to go to a temple, a monastery, a place of refuge, away from the world, because the esoteric knowledge of the transformation of the self is now completely available to everyone, to the public. Most meditative traditions today are still very Piscean, conservative, especially the Sufis. This greatest knowledge is kept secret by a guru, a master, a teacher, a sheikh, until the student has passed even decades of tests to prove their candidacy. The Era of Aquarius began in the 1960’s and was initiated by the writings of Samael Aun Weor. This is very significant. We use his writings specifically because they are very clear. They provide a practical basis of understanding and applying the principles of meditation and religion. We use this, his teachings, for their pragmatism, their practicality, and their lucidity, as compared to many Piscean writings that are very cryptic. However, as you have noticed, we use a lot of the different scriptures and teachings from the past, the Piscean knowledge, explaining it through the mysticism of the Aquarian Era. We know both teachings. They are really one science given in two different ways: one conservative and one liberated, free to the public. In the Era of Pisces, renunciation had to do with people abandoning their home, their life, their job, to live in solitude, to practice austerities and if you are familiar with Sufism, a lot of the great Sufi masters lived that life precisely. They were very renowned for their life of renunciation, giving up many distractions, activities, and things that really did not have any importance. In the Aquarian Era, renunciation is life in the world, but to not be of it. This is very profound and very distinct. It is much more difficult than leaving one’s country or leaving one’s home city to go live in the mountains of Tibet to meditate. Renunciation in the Aquarian Era is much more profound and radical. It is also completely transformative and expansive, because the wisdom we can acquire from living in society while renouncing the ego will provide much more lasting and penetrative wisdom. We find the fuel and food for meditation in our daily life. This is very well known in the Fourth Way School of Ouspensky. We do not have to live the life of a monk or a yogi, a fakir sleeping in the wilderness on a bed of nails, but we can learn to develop the best qualities of those paths in balance. This is known as the Fourth Way. This is the Gnostic path. It is much harder to work in this way upon ourselves, but the results are going to be much more solid, stable. Anybody can abandon the world and gain a lot of abilities: concentration, clarity of mind, focus, perception, imaginative knowledge, inner experiences. They can do so by attending a monastery and dedicating themselves to practice, for a period of time, sometimes months or years in certain traditions. However, the reality is that when these people return to the world after being away from society, its chaos, its energy, its density, they become distracted again. Many people have related how after a meditation retreat, they come back to the cities and they feel like they lost all their development. It is because it is very difficult to develop consistent willpower when we are surrounded by so much distractions, so many impressions of life that really pull us in a lot of directions, keep us very fractured in our attention. This is why many people become confused again. They feel lost especially after having attended a retreat. Therefore, Aquarian spirituality is definitive. If you can learn to meditate in the big cities, on a train, on a noisy bus, in an apartment where your next door neighbor is blasting music, if you learn to help humanity and annihilate your ego under those pressures, your spirituality is going to be much more robust, very flexible, very firm, strong, like a well-tempered sword. Sadly, though, despite the fact that we have this knowledge, that we have a lot of leisure time, in the West especially, we waste much of our time and energy and our enthusiasm in things that really do not have much value. We are really in an era of information, as symbolized by the Water Carrier. This knowledge has been catalyzed through the internet, through multimedia, by film, by technology, but sadly, while there is this knowledge, there is also a lot of knowledge that does not produce real fruit. As much as we are in an era of information, we are also in an era of misinformation, and so we can be very attracted to spirituality, but we use our time poorly, whether too much internet, television, entertainment shows, Facebook even, social media. Some people spend hours playing games and which really do not develop any type of comprehension in our soul. They are really distractions. The reality is that as much as we may want to practice Gnosis, because we invest our energy in activities that waste energy, when it comes time to meditate, we feel too tired, strained, or overwhelmed, or we feel incapable, and it is because we did it to ourselves. Real renunciation is giving up that which diverts us from spirituality in every instant of our life. We do not have to give up our job, to travel to Nepal, to go to the East to visit a mosque or a masjid or temple and to travel to Jerusalem, the holy city, to find ourselves and find God. The reality is that we have to find divinity in our daily life, amongst the most mundane and difficult circumstances, and so the Qur’an as a scripture of very profound wisdom elaborates some beautiful points in relation to what we have just stated: And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason? ―Al-An’am 32
The reality is that when we live in balance and harmony within our three brains, our intellect, our emotions, and our motor-instinctive-sexual actions, divinity will provide for us. This is scripturally emphasized in the Qur’an such as surah 6 verse 160:
Whoever brings a good deed will get a tenfold reward for it. ―Al-An'am 160
Or from surah 57 verse 11:
Who would give Allah a handsome loan so that He may give him a manifold reward? ―Al-Ḥadīd 11
Through living with wisdom, we can create a life of spiritual and material wealth, of bounty. There are really two parts of the spiritual equation:
One without the other does not work. You need both. When we become spiritual and use our wealth for the sake of spirituality, to use our time and energy and abilities in a conscious way, we receive a lot of help from divinity. We become spiritual when we use our wealth for the sake of our spirituality, and it is not the other way around. Nothing wrong with having possessions, yet there is something wrong if we simply are possessed by materialism, when this is all we think about and do.
Renunciation on the Tree of Life
We study the Tree of Life to understand what renunciation is, where we came from, where we are, and where we are going.
So renunciation is predicated on the former station, especially repentance. Repentance relates to the Ninth Sphere, as we have related the ninth surah of the Qur’an, Tawbah, or ٱلتَّوْبَة al-Tawbah, “the Return,” or the repentance relating to יסוד Yesod. In Hebrew this is the foundation. This is the work with the creative sexual energy. Repentance is the Ninth Sphere. We really show remorse and sincerity in our work when we are working effectively with our creative energies, the force of life, spiritually and physically in us. Renunciation relates to מלכות Malkuth. מלכות Malkuth means “Kingdom” in Hebrew. It is the physical body, our physicality. The path of striving is a bridge from מלכות Malkuth, our physical body, to יסוד Yesod, our creative, vital, sexual energies, even to תפארת Tiphereth, the sphere of beauty, beautiful action, the human consciousness, willpower, the soul. Notice how when we ascend this Tree of Life, we enter spheres, aspects of reality that are more subtle. They have materiality and energy, consciousness even, but at more subtle levels of experience. From the top to the bottom we have the most rarified, simplified, and pure, relating to divine states, and when that force of divinity descends, down this graphic, it becomes material, dense, and more manifest. We are in מלכות Malkuth, the physical world, the physical body, and יסוד Yesod, we sometimes denominate the vital body, the vital energies, the chi within holistic Eastern medicine, such as Chinese acupuncture and many other sciences that study the vital energies that permeate and saturate our physical body. The fourth dimension is יסוד Yesod. Our energies reside in a different level of nature. Above that we have הוד Hod and נצח Netzach, meaning “Splendor” and “Victory” in Hebrew. This is the fifth dimension. This is where we go to dream. This is a reality, a dimension, in which we have actual experience. It is a real state and quality of perception. It is a real place outside of the physical body. It is the world of emotions and thought. Even though physically we cannot see thoughts or emotions, we sense them. This is הוד Hod and נצח Netzach at our level, in this physical body, in this physical existence. But when we go to sleep at night, the physical body rests and the Essence, the soul with our thoughts and feelings, our will, enters those dimensions. The problem is that we are unconscious. We do not have any knowledge or remembrance of those states. We may have some dreams here and there in the beginning, but we do not really remember what we were doing within those states. This is why within the Greek tradition, Hypnos and Thanatos, sleep and death, were brothers. If you want to know how conscious you will be when you die, examine those hours when you go to sleep. This is the meaning of the Greek teaching, and the Qur’an also emphasizes many beautiful teachings about how Allah takes the souls of the disciples at night and returns them to the body at a term appointed, a direct reference to how we enter those states although unconscious (Qur’an 6:59-60; 39:42). This has to become a conscious experience, to awaken in those dreams, to stop dreaming. We do so by learning to be awake in the physical world, vigilant as a consciousness, working with our energies, יסוד Yesod, and learning to observe our thoughts and feelings and impulses to act without investing our energies into negative thinking, negative feeling, and negative action, the ego. תפארת Tiphereth is the sphere of willpower, we have mentioned many times. It is the beauty of the soul. It is beautiful action. It is the power of the Essence that is developed. It is concentration. It is the will of God when it obeys the higher five סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth, a Hebrew term for “emanations.” גבורה Geburah is “Justice,” the law, شريعة Shari’ah, the conscience of our soul, the divine soul, الْدِّين al-Din, the religion. It is the law, that which tells us what is right and what is wrong in our heart, and usually with our willpower we either obey it or ignore it. In most people we tend to ignore our deepest inquietudes of a spiritual nature and follow our thoughts: נצח Netzach, our feelings: הוד Hod, or our instincts within יסוד Yesod or even the physical body. In order to overcome suffering, we have to learn to follow our conscience, inner judgment, which knows how to act in life with comprehension and ethics. This really has to do with our consciousness, גבורה Geburah. Beyond that is חֶסֶד Chesed in Hebrew meaning “Mercy.” The Bible refers to חֶסֶד Chesed, the Spirit, as the רוח אלהים Ruach Elohim, the spirit of God that floated upon the face of the waters of existence in order to create life. This is in the Book of Genesis. In Arabic, حيم Rahim, or ٱلرَّحِيمِ al-Rahim, is “the Merciful,” is the spirit of God, compassion, divine love. Above that we have a trinity representative of three forces that expresses one light: כֶּתֶר Kether, the “Crown,” חָכְמָה Chokmah, “Wisdom,” and בִּינָה Binah, “Intelligence.” These are not three people, but intelligences and forces within our interior. This force is known as Christ amongst the Gnostics, or Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It is the light of Allah, the unity. The problem and division amongst Muslims and Christians has to do with the misunderstanding of this point. Kabbalah clears away the confusion. The Christians are wrong that the trinity is three people as one God. These are not anthropomorphic figures in the clouds. These are forces, principles, archetypes, blueprints for the creation of any existence. These are very rarified and beautiful divine states. This is why in Islam, in that tradition, God cannot be depicted in any form because divinity is formless. These three forces are formless. They are intelligences, principles. Above that we have the Absolute from which that light emanates, the Nothing, “the No,” الله Allah in Arabic, the negation of all manifested existence. It is the potentiality of every created thing that rests until activated, until it enters manifestation, which is the Tree of Life. Why study the Tree of Life in relation to renunciation? Because the whole point of spirituality is to renounce lower states of being in order to achieve higher states as mapped out by this graphic, especially the two wings on the sides of the two pillars of the left and the right. It is the wings of pleroma amongst the Gnostics, the entrance into heavenly states. The physical body and the etheric, vital, creative body of יסוד Yesod are really two aspects of the same thing. They penetrate each other. Likewise, with the other סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth. These spheres are not in some vertical point in space, but exist in us here and now within our experience. When you sit to practice meditation, you may find that the body is agitated. Your energies are active, flowing within you. This is יסוד Yesod in מלכות Malkuth. We could be surging with emotion, which is הוד Hod. Our mind can be racing, that is נצח Netzach. And our willpower is weak and unable to concentrate on one thing, and that is תפארת Tiphereth. The path of striving teaches us how to overcome נצח Netzach, the mind, הוד Hod, the emotions, יסוד Yesod, our instincts, and מלכות Malkuth, the body. Perfect concentration, striving in the path has to do with reaching תפארת Tiphereth. Our willpower is never distracted by anything, not by thoughts, feelings, desires, at all, and it also does not take any effort when it is perfected. This is תפארת Tiphereth, the beauty of the human soul. Concentration is important: the ability to focus on an object serenely and clearly―with concentration, without being distracted by anything. This is fundamental. We do this by learning to renounce wrong ways of thinking, wrong ways of feeling, and desires. So the principles of renunciation integrate with striving and repentance. These are different aspects of the same thing. We are studying these principles, separately, but also together because they can give us a lot of insight into where we are at. If you sit to practice meditation and you find your mind is all over the place, your emotions are surging, your energies are depleted, you are going to find that it is very difficult to concentrate at all. This is why we renounce lustful actions, especially fornication, or known as the orgasm, because that energy which can be given to the soul is wasted, expelled for a few moments of pleasure or sensations. We explain this in synthesis in the lecture on repentance. With renunciation, we learn to give up lower states of being to achieve higher ones. As Samael Aun Weor stated throughout his writings, “We must become what we are not.” We have to learn to renounce egotistical consciousness in order to obtain liberated consciousness. The best way to do this is by working with the creative energy יסוד Yesod, the foundation. Notice that it is the center of this glyph. It is the middle pillar, the pillar of equilibrium. You will obtain the greatest solidity and focus in your practices by working with your creative sexual energy, without exception. It is the waters of renunciation. As Samael Aun Weor stated in The Aquarian Message: Whosoever wants to die in the Lord must wash their feet in the waters of renunciation. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message
This is very beautiful, very profound. By learning to renounce animal sexuality, we adopt human and divine sexuality, which means that the creative sexual impulse is never expelled. It is the energy of bliss, of עֵדֶן Eden, and we can learn to cultivate that whether we are single or married.
Notice that renunciation does not have to do with becoming celibate, living in a monastery and avoiding any kind of sexual temptations. Most people who enter monasteries and try to control the sexual energy, but return to society, lose their stability, their balance, because those impressions are the most difficult to control, and yet it is the entrance to renunciation. We have to learn to renounce animal passion. The Sufis beautifully explained this many times in their writings, that desire is the origin of suffering and that it is شَيْطَان Shaitan, שָּׂטָן Satan in Hebrew, the adversary or el-Nafsu-l-Ammara, the lower animal soul that inclines to evil. Evil has to do not with a moral sense of indignation, but impure states of the ego which produce suffering. If you really want to enter the path of meditation, calming the body (מלכות Malkuth), equalizing the heart and its emotions (הוד Hod), stabilizing and calming the mind (נצח Netzach), we need willpower that knows how to use this sexual energy. It is the power of life. You can create a god within you, divinity within you, the truth, when your willpower knows how to direct יסוד Yesod up, especially within the spinal column. 
So this Tree of Life maps out the body as well. We have three trinities which relate to our three brains. The top trinity with our head, the middle trinity with our heart, and a lower trinity with our sexuality. And מלכות Malkuth can relate to our feet. Our spine has energetic currents that raise the creative impulse up to our mind and then to our heart to produce the wings of the angels, the masters.
To become a master means to master everything about our psychology, including the sexual impulse. If we do not do that, if we ignore sexuality, if we try to justify it or repress it, that energy will act, but in subversive and destructive ways. It is better to learn how to understand one's impulses and to redirect them with intelligence, with wisdom, with the supremacy of the divine, the will of divinity in us. An Astral Experience of Renunciation
This quote reminds me of an experience I had many years ago that I hope will be very useful for you.
Whosoever wants to die in the Lord (to die in one’s ego) must wash their feet in the waters of renunciation. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message
I remember in the astral plane, a long time ago, I awoke and was exploring the backyard at my old home. I was being followed by an entity that I knew was a witch, a practitioner of black magic, a demon: a being that has awakened powers within desire, within ego. This person had disguised herself as a sibling of mine that I have in the physical world, and was spying on me and trying to get close.
When this being got close to me in this astral world known as הוד Hod in the Tree of Life, I decided to defend myself to make this being reveal her true form. We do this through prayers and conjurations, exercises that invoke divinity in order to make whatever entity we confront, to vibrate with the higher dimensions or סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. So I was performing a conjuration, “In the name of Jupiter, Father of all the gods, I conjure you!”―with the mantras “Te Vigos Cosilim!” I covered my solar plexus with my left hand and extended my right hand outward and the form of the pentagram, and I saw a spark of energy emerge and shoot out, which, when it touched this entity, this witch, suddenly I was surrounded by a group of sorcerers. It was about four of them, mostly female disciples. One of them was a huge witch. She was a giant figure who stood in the circle with me and grabbed me by my solar plexus and lifted me up in the air, and of course, we know that if we don't protect our solar plexus, we can be disabled in the dream state. The solar plexus is where we store our creative energy. It is like a battery, and if you are exposed in that way, you can be disabled or drained. This master of the Black Lodge did not steal my energy, but merely incapacitated me. I remember looking at this group and they were studying me. I felt a lot of sorrow when looking at the eyes of this hierarch of the Black Lodge, a very awakened witch, which if you look at the eyes of these entities in the astral plane, you can see the depths of קְלִיפּוֹת Klipoth, which if you look at this Tree of Life, has to do with the nine inverted סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth beneath מלכות Malkuth, the hell realms. I could see the darkness of her state, a very profound, painful, impure quality, but very awake, very alert―alert as a demon. I felt a lot of sorrow for this being before me and for this group for feeling proud that they had incapacitated me. The only thing I could do was speak to them. I said, firmly, and with strength, “Get thee hence! Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and only Him shalt thou serve!”―from Matthew 4:10. When reprimanding this master of the Black Lodge, I saw, within the depths of her abysmal psyche, a pang of remorse, so lost and smothered within the cage of her ego, to which she hissed at me vehemently like a gigantic and fierce cougar. I remember, after speaking with them briefly, this witch set me down and let me walk away, and I remember looking back as I was walking across the neighbor's property in the astral plane, seeing this group of witches rejoicing, feeling that they had accomplished some kind of victory. Feeling a lot of sorrow and pain in my heart, I suddenly realized what I needed to do. I looked up to the sky and I invoked, “In the Name of Christ, by the Power of Christ, for the Majesty of Christ! Venerable Master Samael Aun Weor!” Every time I called out to Christ, a divine bell, beautifully imitated within the cathedrals and churches of the physical world, resounded with its metallic power throughout the infinite, and I remember those witches suddenly disappeared. They were gone. They vanished into the underworld from my sight, and Samael Aun Weor was standing close to where they were previously, this group of witches. He looked at me with a lot of compassion and gestured for me to walk over to him. He said, “Come quickly!” I approached him flying that short distance to reach his proximity and he showed me on the ground a pool of pristine, beautiful water and two children washing their feet in those waters. I soon awoke and after meditating for many years on this experience, I have comprehended again and again this statement from The Aquarian Message: 
Whosoever wants to die in the Lord must wash their feet in the waters of renunciation. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message
Unfortunately, like many of us in the Gnostic movement, I have ties to the Black Lodge that I am working to remove, to comprehend, to overcome. It is a very painful process, to recognize that we have those defects of perdition, of witchcraft or sorcery. It is very rare to find someone in the movement who does not have this. But the symbol is very interesting: two children washing their feet in beautiful waters―to renounce.
We have to learn to renounce the ego, whatever ego is really defined by our most negative qualities. We do so by purifying our consciousness, by becoming like children, innocent―giving up states and qualities that are detrimental to ourselves and others. The way that we do so is through meditating. Conserve your energy. Work with יסוד Yesod, because the waters of יסוד Yesod are precisely the energy that will give you the capacity to change. When you work with pranayama, with Ham Sah, with alchemy, certain runes, sacred rites of rejuvenation, etc., we learn to purify our psyche. Everything in this Tree of Life gravitates towards יסוד Yesod. There would be no Tree of Life without the sexual energy, without the foundation of our spiritual temple. You cannot balance your heart and emotions, your mental states, or even relax your body well if you are not working with these waters, daily. So that experience really humbled me. It showed me what I needed to do. Those are the same waters―really, cited in stories like The Wizard of Oz, even in its symbolic folklore―in such childhood tales of the Wicked Witch of the West being disintegrated by the waters of renunciation, in order to liberate, in that story, in a symbolic way, the Winkies: the winged monkeys that are a symbol of the desires that have trapped our soul in hell. You liberate your consciousness by working with this force. It is the force of purity. It is the force of ablution within Islam. 
Muslims, before they perform prayer, wash their hands, their face, parts of their body, in order to be suitable for prayer and remembrance of divinity. Ablution (Arabic الوضوء al-wudu) really has to do with working with the sexual energy in its most esoteric sense. You purify yourself with this force. This energy is what grants you the capacity to ascend. You cannot renounce the lower seven סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth without this foundation.
So no matter how difficult your particular path might be, if you are a person who committed a lot of wrong in this life, perhaps, even you were a black magician in past lives, you can change by working with the waters of renunciation, by working with prayer and purity. Learn to renounce the lower seven סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth in order to ascend in your meditations. Let your body, your physicality, rest. Work with energy (יסוד Yesod), your vital forces, whether through mantras, prayers, vocalizations, pranayamas, or even alchemy. Withdraw yourself from your emotions, those negative emotions which creates so much pain. Renounce them. Do not give them your attention. Do not invest yourself in them. Observe and relax your heart. Likewise, your thoughts. Let your thoughts calm by observing them, and when you are perfectly in a state of equanimity, when you are concentrated within, not distracted, but serene and clear, you can begin to experience perceptions related to the top of the Tree of Life; from the consciousness, from גבורה Geburah and even from the Spirit, חֶסֶד Chesed, الرحيم Al-Rahim, the Merciful, and even beyond. This is why Samael Aun Weor stated in The Narrow Way: We need to die, to die, and to die within ourselves, and to renounce, renounce, and renounce, and to cease existing within all of the seven cosmos in order to have the right TO BE within the Absolute. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Narrow Way
This is a very famous meditation within the writings of Samael Aun Weor, especially Igneous Rose and other books, in which we abandon the lower vehicles by renouncing them, these lower spheres in order to enter higher states. You can study Igneous Rose, especially the chapter “Esoteric Discipline of Mind,” which relates this, but I also believe in the book Aztec Christic Magic [see the chapter "Meditation"].
Life’s Impermanence
I'd like to relate some quotes that emphasize these points, what renunciation is, how we achieve it, how we understand the transience of life for our own benefit.
Abu Bakr said: "Our abode is transitory, our life therein is but a loan, our breaths are numbered, and our indolence is manifest." By this he signified that the world is too worthless to engage our thoughts; for whenever you occupy yourself with what is perishable, you are made blind to that which is eternal; the friends of God turn their backs on the world and the flesh which veil them from Him, and they decline to act as if they were owners of a thing that is really the property of another. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
In synthesis, do not be attached to the fruits of your actions. Life is transitory. Even in serious practitioners, we have a lot of laziness. I believe the Dalai Lama even stated that he gets up at 3 or 4 in the morning every day to meditate, and even he says “I have a lot of laziness in me.” So we are indolent. It is manifest when we really look, when we examine ourselves.
Do not engage your thoughts in distractions, but learn to occupy your concentration upon the eternal within states of being. We learn such practices by developing concentration, when we no longer let ourselves identify with worldly impressions or negative states that veil or obscure our perceptions of the presence of our Being. Turning our back on the world means to reject the beliefs of humanity. Those beliefs that say, “You will be happy when you do this and have a bank account and a car and a job and a career, a family.” We can have all these things and learn to be renunciants. It just means that we are not attached. We do not identify and waste energy in external things. To be veiled is to be asleep as a consciousness, to not perceive divinity within our own actions because the consciousness is obscured. It is conditioned. We have to remember the presence of God, the quality of God and our states here and now, for divinity is always with us, even if we do not see Him. As stated in Surah 50 verse 16, or the Surah al-Qaf: And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein. ―Qur’an 50:16
Divinity knows all of our thoughts, what our ego whispers within our three brains, to act and to be fed, and if we really pay attention to this internal dynamic and interchange of thinking, feeling, and acting / impulses, we can learn to see that we are not thought, feeling, or impulse, instinct. We see that divinity is closer to us than we thought. We perceive qualities of being as we have explained in this course.
The quote continues from Al-Hujwiri's Revelation of the Mystery: And he said: "O God, give me plenty of the world and make me desirous of renouncing it!" This saying has a hidden sense, viz.: "First bestow on me worldly goods that I may give thanks for them, and then help me to abstain from them for Thy sake, so that I may have the treble merit of thanksgiving and liberality and abstinence, and that my poverty may be voluntary, not compulsory.” ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery 
Lawful and Unlawful Renunciation
Our psychological attitude is what matters. It comes to mind Krishnamurti. He was a great renunciate. He made a lot of money from his lectures. He lived wealthfully, yet, he was not attached to his career, his possessions, his car, his home. So, we can learn to be the same if that's really what divinity wants for us.
There is nothing wrong with having possessions. What matters is that we are not addicted to them. We are not distracted by them. We are not wasting our time with too many activities. We should learn to minimize them. This relates to Sufi teachings on what is lawful and unlawful within Islam. This is a very common term used to relate to how divinity allows or supports certain material or even spiritual things. You can even think of the حلال halal, the term meaning, food that is pure: to be حلال halal, “to be praised,” הלל Hilel in Hebrew, or حلال Halal in Arabic, such as not eating impure foods like pork, not drinking alcohol. These are things that are unlawful amongst Muslims and Sufis, and really even among Gnostics, because those elements will condition our consciousness. If you want success with these studies, you must neither drink alcohol, nor smoke, nor eat too much red meat. Do not worry; cultivate the habit of being happy. ―Samael Aun Weor, Aztec Christic Magic: “Coatlicue”
And so we avoid eating unlawful food, even. This is the meaning of the term. Lawful is that which will purify the consciousness. Unlawful is that which conditions it, in synthesis.
Having wealth through upright living, in a lawful way, in a beneficial way for oneself and others, is a stipulation of the Aquarian teachings. The Sufis relate some beautiful points about this: The Sufis have differing opinions in the matter of renunciation (zuhd). Some of them say that one need only renounce the unlawful, because the lawful has been made permissible by God Most High. When God benefits His servant with lawful property and the servant in turn worships Him with gratitude for it, it is not preferable for him to leave it with his own will rather than keeping it with God’s permission. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So having wealth for the sake of supporting a spiritual community, for helping humanity, is beautiful, is wonderful, and even necessary. Let us remember three factors for effective spirituality: death, birth, and sacrifice. Meaning: annihilate the ego, die to the ego, and create the soul through virtuous action, to give birth to our spiritual consciousness by giving birth through the sexual creative energy, and lastly, serving humanity selflessly in whatever capacity we have. In Sufism, this is known as فناء fana, annihilation; بقاء baqa, subsistence; and زكاة zakat, charity.
The Sufis emphasize that in order to really be in the Being, to be present, to subsist in God, we have to eliminate the impurities through annihilation (فناء fana) and that way, our actions are much more charitable, profound, impactful. Samael Aun Weor spoke abundantly about the rights of Canchorrita. When we practice the teachings these three factors, we will by law of Karma receive food, clothing and shelter from divinity. 34. We must be content with the rights of "Canchorrita."
It is a law of cause and effect. If we renounce behaviors that are animal and destructive, if we renounce unlawful behaviors and activities in accordance with divinity, we will be provided for a space to live, to meditate, to work happily.
Our level of being attracts our life. Do you want better circumstances? Then renounce the ego. Do not engage in unlawful behaviors, and I am not talking about physical laws in different countries, but in terms of the law of the soul, of the Being. What is ethical? Behaviors that produce happiness, or pain? Let us choose to follow our conscience. We elevate our level of being by renouncing lower levels of being. This is the key, especially we want to have stability in meditation, consistency in our meditation, focus, concentration, deeper serenity, peace. The Virtue and Obligation of Renunciation
Renunciation also exists as we learn to be content with what we have, no longer desiring through the disease of “more.”
Desire is fundamentally the cause of suffering. It is a virtue to be content with what we have. People have many beliefs about life and spirituality, and yet they suffer a lot. We can have wealth and yet be the most miserable people on the Earth. There is a statistic that states that if you earn fifty thousand dollars a year or more, you are among the top 5% wealthiest people in the world. Sadly, even though people have abundance, we tend to suffer from internal lack. Therefore, to be attached to worldliness, to perishable things, is absurd. Renunciation exists when we cease chasing after superfluous things, concentrating seriously on meditation each day, giving ourselves more time to practice, to deepen our awareness, to deepen our states. There is virtue even when we have abundance, but we can learn to even give what we have, to our degree, so that others can benefit. This is how we really refine our spiritual life, to sacrifice for others through compassion. Let us read some quotes in relation to the writings of Al-Qushayri, The Principles of Sufism, who explains these principles very beautifully about the virtue and obligation of renunciation: Other Sufis say that renunciation of the unlawful is an obligation, while renunciation of the lawful is a virtue. From this point of view, as long as the servant is patient with his state of little property, satisfied with what God Most High has apportioned for him, and content with what he has been given, he is more perfect than one who lives richly and comfortably in the world. God Most High has urged people to abstain from the world by His saying, "Say: The provision of this world is but small, while the next is better for whoever is God-wary" (4:77) and in many other verses that may be cited disparaging the world and recommending abstention from it. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So how is renunciation relevant to the study and practice of meditation?
There are many people who complain that they cannot meditate. Their environment is loud. They have a difficult economic situation. Some people complain that they live in a big city, are surrounded by noisy people, obnoxious neighbors, loud dogs, loud children, a small apartment, a difficult roommate, no physical teacher or school guru, missionary, group involved or nearby; one has a difficult spouse or feels they are having conflict in their marriage, their relationship, not having a separate meditation space. While having a separate meditation space is good, while it's good to have a clean home, while it is beneficial to have spiritual companions or a spouse that one can work with in life, a partner, people fail to recognize that if they want better circumstances, they must fundamentally change their level of being. There are many people who think that they can only advance in meditation if they are married, if they have a Gnostic spouse―and this is not true. What matters is our quality of being. We will receive what we need and accordance with the law, which is karma, the divine law شريعة Shari’ah. Now, having a home that is conducive for meditation, some people can do it, some people cannot. It is important that if this is your situation, that you have a space where you can find, whether at a temple or nature, some space where you can practice, is good. It is necessary, because if one's home life is very disorganized and difficult, it can become very challenging to really deepen one's meditative discipline. So, sometimes one's home life can be challenging because we have neighbors or people who are loud. The reality is that we can renounce our own attachments to a different situation. I believe Dion Fortune from the Western esoteric tradition stated that a person does not know how to meditate if they cannot meditate on a bus or a noisy train. We really learn to develop profound concentration when there are distractions, and obviously it is good to have a home that is silent and clean and pure in which one could really dedicate to these exercises. But if there are difficulties in relation to one's home environment, make the changes that you can and learn to renounce what you cannot change. The fact is whether there is 5G or not, whether the neighbors are loud, or one's economic situation is difficult, we can still meditate. It is about renouncing distractions in our psyche, not giving your body that itch or scratch, that pain, adjusting oneself all the time and moving and not really focusing within. Renounce many of the problems that really have no basis. Stop investing your energy into them. Simply be. Relax. It could be difficult, but the more you renounce negative thoughts, feelings, and instincts, we learn to change our quality of life, fundamentally. So learn to renounce discomfort, dissatisfaction, the internal dialogue of the ego that says, “I can only do this if I have A, B, and C.” We have to learn to renounce suffering, misery, envy, ego. In that way, by changing our psychology, we learn to receive from divinity. We learn to receive help at our level, at our degree. 
Renunciation of the Heart
Renunciation is really of the heart. These are some more verses that explain everything we have been stating so far, how it is a psychological attitude:
I heard Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami say... that Sufyan al-Thawri said, "Renunciation of the world means to give up placing your hope in it, not to eat coarse food or wear the robe of an ascetic.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, stop believing and chasing after dreams that one day we will be spiritual “when I get my own home, find a spiritual group, and marry a Gnostic partner.” We have to stop putting our hopes in external things, because if our psychology does not fundamentally change, then having all these beautiful things will not help. In fact, we will suffer and make a lot of problems for ourselves. What matters is our quality of being, our level of being,
I like to relate some quotes from Samael Aun Weor's book, Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, in which he really beautifully summarizes how renunciation is internal, psychological. He states the following in his chapter, “The Internal State”: …when people review their lives, unfortunately, they only think that their life is exclusively constituted by external events...
It is important that to really be effective with renunciation, we learn to combine internal states with external events. What this means is that in relation to the appropriate situations, we learn to enact intuitive will. Our conscience may push us to say something compassionately to a co-worker. Perhaps we are at our job and we see that our co-worker is suffering a lot. Part of us may feel shy and may not want to respond in the moment: to keep silent because we are at a work meeting. And yet, our intuition and heart tell us to respond and comfort this person. We learn to renounce or should learn to renounce our own insipid qualities: fear, anticipation, anxiety, in order to do what is helpful for that other person. This is an example of renouncing the ego and learning to enact virtuous qualities of the soul.
So, combine the appropriate state with the external event. Knowing what to do in the moment is the quality of intuition: knowing what to do without having to think about it. We simply comprehend beautiful action, compassionate action. But if we do not renounce our own ineptitudes, our ego, we create suffering in our situation, our circumstances. This is a moment to moment effort. Let us continue with a quote from Al-Qushayri's Principles of Sufism. And I heard him say... Sari al-Saqati said, "God strips the world from His Friends, denies it to His purified ones, and removes it from the hearts of those He loves because He is not satisfied with that for them.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Beautiful verses that relate different levels of being, as we have been going back to again and again in this course. Who are the friends of divinity, of God? These are the masters, saints, and initiates who renounce the world with the advent of resurrection. Meaning: they fully eliminated the ego and they are preparing to renounce everything below in order to return to the divine through the death of their body. Those who purify their psyches face hardships because of divinity, as a test. We may be denied certain blessings because of difficult situations. They force us to confront our psychology, our stubborn attachments, our own pain. Without challenges, we can't grow.
So, in those cases, we need to learn to renounce our own sorrows, to really develop peace of mind. When divinity really loves His disciples, He removes love of this world from their hearts. This is a very subtle reading. It does not mean that we become very dark, sour, masochistic people immersed in morbidity. Instead, we learn to be in life enjoying and experiencing the diverse situations of life but remembering their contexts. Remember that when we die physically, our bank accounts, our social security number, our cars, our home, our family, our beloved spouse, our children won't go with us. But, we can learn to love them. Be happy with them and for them, but remember in the context that life is fleeting. It is transient. What matters is our level of being, our internal state, not so much what is outside. We really demonstrate our intelligence when we learn to navigate life utilizing the right psychological state and correct response to the impressions of life. But for that, we have to renounce reactions, because the mind always wants to react to the impressions of life. Renunciation has to do with not letting the mind react mechanically, habitually. To do that is to repeat problems. Instead, one has to be conscious. This is why Samael Aun Weor states the following, again, from the same chapter from the Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology. Those who know how to consciously combine the external event with the appropriate interior state are very rare. Types of Renunciation
Let's explore different types of renunciation.
God, the Most High, says, ‘That which is left for you by God is best for you’ (11:86). Renunciation lies in three things: renouncing the world, renouncing people, and renouncing oneself. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path The Three Types of Ascetics
Let's examine what each type of renunciation involves because it is very in-depth, if we have been studying the sequence of lectures in this course. Abdullah Ansari of Herat states:
Whoever does not refuse the wealth of this world to his enemies is an ascetic vis-à-vis the world. ―Abdullah Ansari of Heart, Stations of the Sufi Path
We should give even unto our worst enemies. We do so by acting compassionately. When we give indiscriminately to others, in whatever capacity we have, we become ascetics: people who are disciplined in this path, the Gnostic work. Samael Aun Weor and the Fourth Way schools reject Fakirism, which is commonly associated with asceticism, such as people sleeping on a bed of nails, living out in the weather, the cold, performing acts of physical austerities, etc. We learn in the Gnostic path to develop our willpower and develop our spiritual life by fulfilling our obligations, our responsibilities in society, by doing what is best for others.
If you want your meditations to be profound, work compassionately and ethically for others. An unethical mind is agitated. It is not at peace. It is not serene. So, don't refuse your wealth even unto your enemies, meaning your spiritual wealth as well―not necessarily physical things, but your time, your energy, your conscious love: to learn how to give even to people whom you feel are every difficult, who challenge you, who create struggles and pains and difficulties for you. This is the meaning. The quote continues: Whoever does not allow his shame over what people may think about his piety coax him away [from worshipping God] is an ascetic vis-à-vis people. ―Abdullah Ansari of Heart, Stations of the Sufi Path
Some people get very embarrassed about being in Gnosis or a spiritual group, such as family members or people who criticize or gossip about us, friends who may misinterpret our actions or the teachings. However, to continue to do what we know is best for spiritual life, we become ascetics in relation to people. We are willing to renounce what other people think of us. We learn to practice alchemy, transmutation, chastity, regardless if all the doctors of the world, people who are very materialistic and conditioned, think that it is wrong. We do not feel shame about the teachings, about the practices, about the work.
Lastly: Whoever does not behold himself with self-congratulation nor look upon himself with approval, is an ascetic vis-à-vis himself. ―Abdullah Ansari of Heart, Stations of the Sufi Path
This is most important. We have to not have illusions about who we are, our quality of being in relation to divinity. We have to see ourselves and the practical facts. This is why we perform retrospection meditation.
We visualize the events of our day in which certain egos acted. We learn to go deep into our psychological states, reviewing the day, how we saw the world and what we think of ourselves, to renounce any Illusions about who we are or what we think about ourselves―to simply observe. Observe the facts. Self-observe. Gather data, and then in retrospection meditation, review your day and examine the different defects you saw. This is how we renounce the ego. This is how we become an ascetic of the Spirit: to not congratulate ourselves or think that we are worth anything, really. The only thing that is worthy of praise is our Being, which is why in Islam we say, ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ, al-Ḥamdu lillāh: “All praise is to God,” the Being. Our inner God is worthy of all praise, but we are just the servant. Therefore we should not accept any type of adulation for ourselves. The Signs of Renunciation
In this final slide, we will talk about the signs of renunciation.
Renouncing the world and remaining an ascetic in the world has three signs: remembering death, being content with one’s sustenance, and seeking the companionship of the dervishes. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
In many schools of meditation, we learn in the beginning to contemplate our own death. This does not mean that we are dark people, sick people, or we think it is cool, but because it provides seriousness in our work.
We really do not know when we will die. Therefore, should we waste our time, our lives with meaningless things, or should we develop our consciousness? Again, learn to give up activities that waste time, that do not really feed your spiritual life. If you know that going out to drink with friends is going to make you very pessimistic, very heavy, very sick, mentally, emotionally, then renounce that. Who cares what anyone thinks? In reality, when we renounce a lower level of being, we ascend to a higher one. We learn to associate with more spiritually like-minded people, such as the companions, the dervishes. This is a symbol of any spiritual group, really, who is practicing poverty, renunciation: giving up psychological attachments. Companionship with other Gnostics can be very helpful, very beneficial, being with people who are like-minded who study the same thing. This is why every spiritual community in the world is necessary. But, it is not definitive. We will not progress simply because we attend a group. It's good to associate with other initiates, and really the best way to associate with the initiates is in the internal planes, because when you awaken in the Tree of Life, you can learn to communicate with the gods, with the angels. Those really are the dervishes: people who have really mastered this work before, in whom many don't have physical bodies. You can meet them internally by renouncing negative behaviors. But also, we should learn to be content with our own sustenance, what we have. In the West, we really do not have many excuses to not really practice. If we are in a war zone, that is very different. Obviously, it is going to be very difficult if you have bombs going off in your neighborhood. But typically, in North America, the West, or Western civilized countries, we have a lot of privileges that the world around us envies, and it is really absurd to waste our leisure in stupidities. Let us continue with the quote: Renouncing people has three signs: understanding that the command of God precedes everything else, understanding that providence is firm and established, and seeing that people are helpless and vulnerable. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
God's command is right, even if it is against what everybody believes: what people cherish and hold dear, and what is the manner by which we understand God's will?
There are many millions of people who preach that they know God. If you seriously ask them and investigate to see whether they are awakened in the astral plane, the internal worlds, the reality is that they are asleep. They believe in divinity, but they do not know. As the Qur’an teaches, "For truly, they are a people who don't know," who do not experience, since “Are those who know equal to those who know not?" (Qur’an 39:9). God's commands are found through understanding the principles of ethics, conscious ethics, especially chastity. Humanity does not like chastity, purity, and sex. In fact, humanity fights very diligently to preserve lust and desire at the expense of other people's well-being. If you do not believe me, look at the pornography industry where people are exploited and violated. It is very serious. Desire does not produce a harmonious society. It creates chaos. Therefore, we should learn to understand divinity's commands, especially like in the example I gave you where Samael Aun Weor was showing me that to be effective in my work I had to work with the waters of renunciation. So this teaching is very practical for me. You can learn to have those experiences by working with the exercises in our tradition, especially, as we have been outlining in this course. Our path is firm and established when we work seriously and ask for help, inside. When we receive experiences, we have genuine faith. We learn to renounce again and again, continuously, different states that create problems. This is faith: knowledge born from experience. People, despite their best virtues, are not necessarily reliable. Only God is reliable, the Being. So, we are helpless before divinity, vulnerable, weak. It is impossible to change without the help of our own inner Being. Even masters who are preparing for resurrection are helpless before God. They are really striving and working hard to obtain those degrees, which are very elevated. But even they are helpless. Therefore, why should we be so arrogant to think that we can do this on our own? We need help from our inner divinity through experiences and through enacting ethical behavior. Lastly, the following quote: Renouncing the self has three signs: recognizing the deceit of the devil, realizing one’s weakness, and seeing the darkness of being lead on by the lure of passion (istidrāj). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So who is the devil? We can point our finger at witches and sorcerers or sorceresses in the astral plane and even physically, but really the devil is our own ego. As I had stated in the previous lecture, we should not be concerned with other people so much but rather our own interior states.
We are 97% ego. Therefore, we are weak. We gradually train ourselves to strengthen our Essence, but this is only achieved when we are honest. Temptations must be seen and overcome, seeing the darkness of our own egotistical states and really understanding them; meditating, reflecting at the end of your day, visualizing a certain event in which you perhaps acted wrongly and trying to understand it and ask for wisdom about what would have been the correct behavior, so that you can renounce whatever egos were manifesting in that part of your day. Temptations are necessary. This is how we define ourselves. Temptation is fire. Triumph over temptation is light. We overcome these problems when we remember the qualities of our own conscience, our heart. In synthesis, these are some principles relating to renunciation that can feed our meditation practice, because without giving up harmful ways of being, we cannot enact superior ways of being. So at this point in time, I'd like to open up the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Comment: It seems from your lecture that one way to understand renunciation is in the myth of Heracles and the Hydra, which dwells within the murky waters. It is not enough to implore God and cut off a head, but one must use the fire of transformation to keep the head from growing back. So take alcohol. If one has energy invested towards drinking and decides to renounce it, energy is released. But the reason for the drinking might not be comprehended so the negativity manifests elsewhere.
Instructor: So all the mythologies of the world correlate. The great war of the heroes, such as within the Roman and Greek myths, or any biblical cosmogony, even relates with the مجاهدين mujāhidīn, those who strive in the way of God within the Qur’an. All that teaches psychological truths about how we wage war against our own egos, our defects. 
In the myth of Heracles, who is the action of the soul, the beauty of the soul (תפארת Tiphereth), has to fight a many headed beast, the Hydra, which is a representation of our multiple defects. It is not enough to beg God to eliminate, but we have to comprehend with the fire of understanding, with intelligence. We only do that through meditation.
All of our habits and desires, in the beginning, we can learn to renounce what we see in the beginning. Renunciation is based off comprehension. If you just give up a certain way of being without understanding it, then the quality of your ethics is not going to be that deep. Really, if we give up mistaken ways of being, it is because we comprehend from experience how they create problems. So that Hydra, that beast, dwells in the waters of יסוד Yesod, because our own lust, anger, pride, hatred, vanity, lives within those energies, steals the energies of יסוד Yesod for their own purposes. In the beginning, you have to learn to renounce and not give your energy to the ego in the moment. Perhaps you are with friends and they want to go drinking. You are with them at a bar, but you make the conscious decision not to feed your own egos of drunkenness. So we are not investing our energy into that habit. Instead, we are saving energy that we would have otherwise spent through desire. But that is not enough. What is important and more necessary is to go home, close your eyes, relax. Retrospect that moment in which you were tested, tempted, to behave in a way that you knew was wrong. You have to visualize the scene as it happened: what egos came up, what you said, what you did, what you thought, what you felt, even how you behaved internally without showing anyone. Ask for comprehension for whatever egos you saw in that moment. Ask to go deeper. Work with the waters of renunciation. Work with your creative energy, through the powers of יסוד Yesod through pranayama, mantra, runes, sacred rites of rejuvenation, alchemy, and with that energy present, circulating in you, you can go deep with the fire of your energies, because the fire of creativity is in the waters of sex, the waters of Genesis. It is that water, the fiery waters, that can learn to disintegrate any ego you have comprehended. But first, you need to comprehend what happened. It is only in that way that you really can eliminate at all. Renouncing behaviors or repressing what we see without comprehending is going to create problems. Instead, be cognizant of yourself. Be aware. It is important to remember that in our daily experience, what wastes energy is ego, whether through the intellect, our emotions, our movements, our instincts, and our sexuality, which has to do with our thoughts, feelings, and will. We have to learn to study the mind: all the different egos that take the energies, the waters of sexuality, and waste them. Desire takes the energies of creativity and abuses them. Without that energy present, you cannot really renounce anything, comprehend anything. In our exercise of retrospection, we learn to first see the ego in action and then later, comprehend how the ego steals life and energy from our spirituality. I will give you a concrete example. I remember working at one job in which I was greatly criticized by certain clients of mine. I remember being criticized by a person, in which egos of anger, pride, and resentment emerged. I observed the different thoughts, different feelings, the different impulses to act, but first, rather than give in to that moment, to what my desires wanted, I renounced those mechanical, repetitious, reactionary behaviors, because I understood in the moment that if I did that, I would suffer and make other people suffer. Instead, I learned to transform the situation by being calm, present, and kind. Later, I went home, meditated on each defect, visualizing each aggregate I perceived, spending perhaps ten to fifteen minutes on each ego, asking my divine Being to show me the depth of each desire. When I found that I had comprehended my anger, what it wanted―my pride, my resentment, how they functioned, how they interrelated, how they fed themselves, where they came from, how they emerged, how they sustained, how they acted in my mind―I prayed for annihilation, asking for disintegration from the divine feminine, my Divine Mother Kundalini, or البقره Al-Baqarah within Islam, the sacred cow. Or الْبُرَاق Al-Buraq, the lightning of the divine feminine who annihilates any aggregate we have comprehended and removed. So, this is a synthesis we have kind of come back to again and again, but is an essential practice we need to understand. You can also look at a lecture we gave called Retrospection Meditation on our website and a course called Gnostic Meditation where we explain this in the seventh lecture at the end, in depth. Question: I have been struggling with learning to let go of personal success, growing a business. Is it bad to own a business? Instructor: No, not bad at all. Now, do we do our business with egotism or with ethics, with conscience? There are many wealthy people who learn to act ethically and there are many wealthy people who are completely unethical. Nothing wrong with the business. In fact, if we have a business that really helps people, then we could really do a lot of good for humanity. But the problem is that people are very materialistic-minded, and therefore, they let their ego run the show, and that is where suffering and problems exist. Any other questions? Question: I have noticed that as I deepen my practices in the three factors, I have experienced more dreams and the infradimensions, the hell realm, so to speak. This makes me feel sad as I am unconscious in them and cannot control my behaviors. These are actions that I would never perform in the physical dimension. Why would this happen to a devoted student? Instructor: Because there are levels of being, levels of renunciation. We can be very chaste, devout, pure renunciates in the physical world, very dedicated to Gnosis, and yet, if we examine our dreams and our ordeals in the astral plane, we will perceive egos and aggregates that are very deeply lodged within our unconsciousness, our subconsciousness, our infraconsciousness. There are 49 levels to the mind according to Samael Aun Weor. The physical body is merely one level. Or better said, there are seven levels within each of the lower seven סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. So there are seven in מלכות Malkuth, seven in יסוד Yesod, seven in הוד Hod, seven in נצח Netzach, seven in תפארת Tiphereth, seven in גבורה Geburah, and seven in חֶסֶד Chesed. We can understand certain egos in the physical world and be very serious in this path, and yet, in the more hidden layers of our own psyche, there are demons that really cause us pain, and this is a very necessary thing that happens to every student who is serious. We discover that we have a lot of iniquity, and it causes a lot of pain, and this is essential. Now, the next step is, once we have perceived this in ourselves, we have to learn to go deeper into our psyche in order to eliminate those hidden defects. The best way to do it is by, in meditation, renouncing our body, not identifying with the sensations of our physicality. Don't move. Breathe deeply. Relax. Work with energy, your vital depth, your vital forces, so that your heart, through prayer and concentration, can calm and be filled with positive emotion, superior emotion. Remember the qualities of your Being, retracting, withdrawing your attention from your thoughts, learning to renounce thinking―not thinking so much, not worrying about how bad we are or what a big demon we are. It is the reality, but it doesn't benefit us by stewing in the mud. Instead, it is better to relax and to remember that we have God within. No matter how impure our ego is, we have divinity inside who is pure and beautiful and divine. We have to reflect on the qualities of our Being. So if you feel very overwhelmed by how bad the mind is, by hidden dreams that are very disturbing, remember what your Divine Mother is like. Renounce your pain. It is very difficult because we feel that great remorse and sorrow for what we really are, and personally, I have had this many times where I've seen egos in myself that fill me with so much pain that I could not stop weeping. But, the reality is that we have to learn to renounce even our deepest pains, and in that way, withdrawing our senses, learning to concentrate within in a silent state of equanimity, we learn to await the answer from our consciousness, our Spirit. By achieving serenity and renouncing the lower סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth, we can learn to receive help, the guidance we need and the comprehension we need to eliminate those really deep egos. This is the method. This is the process so that we can enter the internal planes with clarity. Question: From our renunciations, do these teachings become more sacred to us? There is so much information, it is easy to treat the teachings like other information. Instructor: Yes, obviously if you have experienced this knowledge personally, you learn to have faith, which is knowledge from experience. It is what you know, not what you believe, not what you think, not what you hypothesize, but what you know from facts, and that gives you strength and courage to renounce things and information and activities that are really useless. Obviously, in this era of information, it's very easy to look at this type of knowledge and to disregard it like everything else because there are just so many teachings and instructions and schools and religions out there, that it becomes very confusing to discriminate what is of value. We invite you to study the practices of our tradition, especially, and learn to experiment. Do not anticipate what you might have, what you might experience, or to reject them completely, but really test them, so that you can learn to verify from your own knowledge and heart what is true. In that way, you gain confidence of what is real, not from adhering to a group or following anyone or any group or teacher, but really knowing from your awakened consciousness, your soul, and that is something that cannot be taken away from you no matter how much the mind fluctuates or vacillates or changes. The Essence or the soul stays the same. That wisdom is never lost. It belongs to the Being, to God. Question: Master Samael says that if we sacrifice every element of pain that we feel throughout our life, if we made this our work, whenever we experience even the most insignificant pain, we would die with a completely awakened consciousness and no karma. Can you talk about renunciation and separation? Instructor: Yes, oftentimes in the words of Kahlil Gibran, the great Sufi Christian poet, “much of our pain is self-chosen.” We choose to suffer because we feel that we were wronged. We were offended, slighted, betrayed, lied to, dishonored, singled out. We have many excuses why we should invest all our energy in singing our psychological song, where we are the great martyrs of humanity. We have been honest and truthful and kind and compassionate, and yet, everybody else is wrong and we have received the bad end of the stick. This is how many people think. We all sing our own internal psychological songs. Some of us, you know, sing the same songs again and again: the same tragedies, comedies, and stories in which we are the center of our own moral universe in which we are the righteous ones. This type of attitude does not benefit us, and moreover, it does not benefit anyone outside. 
We have to learn to separate and renounce from this type of thinking. The way that we do so is through self-observation. Learn to separate as a consciousness from your three brains. Learn to see within your three brains. Look at them, at the thoughts, feelings, and impulses that emerge within the moment. This is مراقبة muraqabah (vigilance) in Arabic, or محاسبة muhasabah, in Arabic signifying “inner accounting,” to take account of our defects, to see them for what they are and not give them our energy. If we were to sacrifice our pains in this way, and these psychological songs that waste so much energy and do not produce any benefit, we will radically transform our situation. We would learn to take on very difficult situations with grace and efficacy.
Most people, and even many of us in Gnosis, we have one slight difficulty and then we complain. We choose to be in suffering in many cases. The ego does not get what it wants and therefore we feel a great crisis in ourselves. Now, that type of conflict is necessary, to feel those egos emerge in us so that we can see them and work on them. But you cannot really renounce the ego if you don't see it for what it is. How can you give up that what you don't know? You have to see the ego in action. Observe it clearly without judging or labeling it right away, but simply look. Gather the data. Gather the facts, and then when you go home at night or you’re meditating on your day, reflect on what you saw, and be sincere. Be honest. You can't renounce negative ways of being if you don't understand what they are and how they are fed, how they are situated, how they cause problems, how you feed into them. You have to see it, and when you see it, you can learn to comprehend it. Remember that if you learn to overcome the most insignificant pain with awareness and attention, not investing yourself in it, you learn to overcome many situations and problems that would be very difficult to handle. This is what it means to become hermetically sealed within the alchemical western tradition. Do not give your energy to the mind. Be sealed. Do not let your energy out, but conserve it by not acting negatively, but learning to act ethically. This is really how we should proceed if we really want to die with a completely awakened consciousness and no karma. Question: When you say renounce the lowest סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth, do you mean מלכות Malkuth? Instructor: Yes, that's part of it. So in one meditation, you can basically observe the body, become aware of the body, relax deeply, and then renounce the physical body. Go deep into meditation, relaxed, in a state of concentration and clarity, equanimity, and you can learn to abandon your physicality as a consciousness. Likewise, you can abandon יסוד Yesod, the vital body; הוד Hod, the astral body; נצח Netzach, the mental body; תפארת Tiphereth, the causal body; גבורה Geburah, the divine soul, and reach חֶסֶד Chesed, the Spirit. And even you can abandon חֶסֶד Chesed to renounce the lower סְפִירוֹת Sephiroth in order to enter the higher spheres of the Tree of Life, and even the Absolute. It is a form of meditation we can perform, very difficult for beginners, but something that one can master through a lot of patience and experience, through practice. In synthesis, some books and texts that can help you in this process of renunciation include the book Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, especially the chapter called The Observer and The Observed, as well as Individuality. Practice with self-observation, learn to observe your quality of mind, thought, feeling, and action from moment to moment by learning to see our own defects in action. By separating from the mind, egotism, desires (nafs), we can gather data about our essential qualities of being, so that we can change and renounce behaviors that are negative, and learn to enact positive virtuous action. 
There is no greater confusion about Islam than the doctrine of Jihad. While Prophet Muhammed was authorized by the White Lodge to defend himself against the Quraysh―who were the Arabic black magicians who sought to physically kill him―many people today miss the point of what striving in the spiritual path really is. Sadly today, the doctrine of Jihad has degenerated because people fail to recognize the psychological work and the appropriate context of this knowledge.
The word جهاد jihad come from Arabic مُجَاهِدَة mujahidah, and, more strictly speaking, it means “to strive,” “to make effort” in the spiritual path. It is about the work against the ego. This is the esoteric significance of this knowledge. There are many nuances to this term “striving,” of which we are going to elaborate. What it means is to really work, effectively, upon our defects, upon our desires. We are going to relate some scriptural context, the original sources in which this wisdom is given, so that there is no confusion, so that there is no room for misinterpretation. We have to remember that إسلام Islam, in Arabic, is submission to divine will. How do we submit to divinity? We do so by working against our ego, our own errors, our defects, our نَفْس nafs. This is how we achieve سلام salam: “peace,” and if you’ve heard this term سلام salam, it is often recited in many common greetings: أس سلام عليكم As-salamu Alaykum, “peace unto you!” Or as we say in the Gnostic tradition: “Inverential peace”―peace unto your innermost Being. Through Islam, by practically working on ourselves, by submitting to divinity through our works, our meditations, we achieve serenity: سلام salam, peace. It is to the great credit of Sufism that the esoteric teachings of striving have been preserved, despite the fact that it is very much contested today. I would like to read a quote for you from Rumi about this: The time for the Greater Holy War has come!
Very clear. Holy war is against sensuality, how the egos of our psyche, our نَفْس nafs, constantly seek to gratify their desires through impressions, through different experiences. How do you enter holy war, striving against desire, according to Rumi? Fast to the ego. Stop feeding your desires. Stop giving your mind, your pride, your envy, your anger, your vanity, what it wants. It is a choice. It is a decision we make, moment by moment, instant by instant. If you do not believe that this path is really a path of warfare, simply try to stop giving a certain defect the object of its attractions, of its desires. Stop feeding your ego what it wants and examine your mind. Observe. Look.
Anyone who seriously approaches meditation realizes very quickly that, truly, it is a great effort to change, because when you stop giving anger, pride, fear, laziness, gluttony, and especially lust, what they want, those desires fight for their survival. They exert their pressure upon our consciousness, our Essence, in order to steal the energies of divinity, the beauty of our soul, through wrong action, through wrong feeling, through wrong thinking. Or sit to meditate. Concentrate your will upon an object of focus. What does your mind do? In reality, it wanders. It chases after distractions. So, striving, while it has to do with renouncing our egotism―no longer investing our actions, our energy, our will into the mind, into thoughts, into feelings, into cravings, into aversions, into sensations―striving really also has to do with concentrating our will, our efforts, our willpower, so that it is effective, profound, intentional. Examine your practice. Do you think of other things when you sit to meditate? If you do, if your mind is lost in reverie, in projections, in anticipations, in daydreams, in resentments of earlier moments in the day when we were gossiped about or lied to or criticized, if we are investing all of our energy into just a muddled state, a churning in the mud, a dullness of mind, it means that we are not really concentrated at all. So, we explained previously how concentration is intentional. Awareness, continuity of perception, is something that we direct at will. It is not passive. It is a profoundly active state, cognizant, marked by a vivid intensity, a clarified awareness, a sharp and pristine perception that is able to be directed at will, without wavering. Honestly, if we sit to meditate, we can find in the beginning that we try to focus on one thing, but the mind is scattered. It thinks of other things, conceptualizes, and gets lost in a chain of associative thinking. But how do we remedy this, is the question? Of course, we have concentration exercises, some of which we have mentioned before: by taking an object and focusing on it, and not letting the mind think or wander about other things. A basic one we explained was the breath―working with the energies of our vitality through our lungs, through our concentration, and through our prayer. More importantly, those exercises are only fruitful if we have ethics, control of mind and profound discipline of our three brains: our mind, our heart and our body, the different centers of our human machine, those parts of us that constantly react to life, to the impressions of existence in every single instant of our life. Concentration and willpower become very strong when we strive against the ego. If our mind starts to wander and think of something else while we are washing dishes, we gently bring our attention back to where we are at and what we are doing, what we are thinking, what we are feeling, and how we are behaving. We have to always bring ourselves back to the moment. This is presence. This is willfulness, to really see what is going on here and now, and if the mind continues to get distracted (and it will), we always return to this discipline―not in a rigid way where we are beating ourselves up for being distracted all day or feeling morbid. Instead, it is the conscious presence, the clarity of remembering, and thinking to ourselves, “I was distracted here! Let me be vigilant and remember who my Being is, where I am, what I am doing, at all times…” Concentration and willpower are strengthened when we do this, when we learn to pay attention all day and especially when we act ethically, when we stop feeding so much energy into desire. Stop feeding anger. Stop feeding lust. Stop feeding hatred and pride and vanity. It is inevitable that when you save energy, as you are not feeding the beast, so to speak, you have a lot more force by which to be. However, as you starve a wild animal, it fights, and this is precisely why we study this principle within meditation―striving―the work against ourselves, that precise conflict that any meditator faces as they are starving the “animal,” when they are no longer giving desire what it wants, the نَفْس nafs. However, as Rumi taught us, “Fret not over stew!” Do not worry that your mind is agitated, that it is fighting to get its desires, because this is precisely how egos win. We see that our mind is conflicted. Our desires are precisely fighting us to act. They want to feed, but rather than repressing what we see, pushing it away or hiding it, saying, “This is bad!” or feeding it and just giving in, we have to comprehend every single impulse within our interior. This is precisely what striving is. It is the path of serenity. 
It might sound counterintuitive. We think of holy war as something violent, exertive, and stressful, but in real meditation, the path of striving is the path of equanimity. Those of you who have studied Buddhism, especially, are very familiar with the nine stages of meditative concentration that can be found as murals on the walls of every single Tibetan Buddhist monastery. It is a map that we have explained in other courses.
Precisely, the path that leads to perfect equanimity and equipoise gradually takes less and less effort the higher you ascend. When you are concentrating upon your object, you gradually diminish the time in which you forget what you are doing and remember and gain greater clarity on what you are focusing upon. At the heights of concentration, there is no effort, and the Sufis elaborate this as well, especially within the writings of Al-Qushayri. So real striving―real concentration―has to be built. It takes a lot of energy in the beginning, because we invested so much in wrong ways of behaving, but if you are saving energy, you are going to have the strength you need to work. Many people see the mind is a beast, a monster, and rather than confronting it with serenity and calm, they end up being devoured by their own monster inside, because they are afraid to resist it, to comprehend it in its depth. We will explain all these nuances with striving. Here we are giving a brief overview in the beginning because real concentration, in the heights of its development, does not take effort when it is perfected. This is beautifully allegorized in many cultures, such as the samurai. I believe we have previously mentioned this example, how before the tradition of 武士道 Bushido had degenerated―“the way of the warrior” in Japan―these great fighters would meditate before battle, before they had to defend their home, their families, their loved ones, because they knew that any lack of attention or concentration could end their life, and so, they learned how to fight without effort within the consciousness. So, this is an allegory of something very profoundly spiritual and internal. Serenity is what works upon the mind, not repression, not exertion, not resistance, but merely perceiving and understanding, so that, internally, the dust settles. The waters settle. If you thrash against the waters in a lake as you are fighting to stay on the surface after being exhausted, then the waters will continue to churn. But if you merely lay back, breathing deeply, letting your body float upon the surface, the waters will calm, and the surface will begin to reflect images of the heavens. This is our situation. Strive by learning to be present. It is a very subtle thing, a very nuanced perception, but something that you can only learn through experience. Beautiful Action
Let us talk about what beautiful action is. Serenity does not exist in us when our psychology is chaotic. There is a type of effort involved in self-remembrance, inner accounting (in Arabic, محاسبة Muhasabah) or self-observation in our tradition. There is effort involved in order to calm the mind in the beginning, where we have to exert a lot of energy to pay attention, and as we said, when the lake (or surface of a lake) is serene, it can reflect the starry heavens, the dawn, the beauty of the skies.
Striving, to be very clear, is not repression or violence against the mind. It is not gagging the mind, distorting it, smothering it. Striving is the effort of the consciousness to remain awake, equanimous, serene, perceptive, clear, unconditioned, calm, amplified, and penetrative. We learn to develop conscious will―conscious efforts, concentration―throughout the entire day. The day is our gymnasium. This is where we learn to observe ourselves, to observe our actions from the perspective of a filmmaker watching an actor. The actor is the ego within our three brains. The filmmaker, or director, is our conscience, our consciousness. We observe. We gather data. Look at the facts. Do not distort any details that you see. Simply look. Of course, in the beginning, it is very frightening because we look at ourselves and we see so much madness inside. It is very overwhelming, and it should be, because this is the reality of our daily state. However, as you are learning to observe yourself and learning to fulfill that inquietude in your heart, the conscience in your heart, we learn to transform situations and enact beautiful actions, beautiful ways of behaving. This is something that Essence knows how to do with fidelity, with perfection. We follow our intuitions in the moment, but also we meditate on our actions throughout the day, so that we can gather insight and clarity about which behaviors were right and which behaviors were wrong. Let us talk about what this beautiful action is, because this is so essential to Sufism and Islam, and especially for our gnostic studies. תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth in Kabbalah is the Hebrew term for “beauty.” It is the human soul, where we get our fraction of consciousness known as the Essence―the real essence of who we are, which emanates from the divine. 
In Islam, in Arabic, beautiful action, relating to human willpower, is known as إحسان Ihsan, which is where you get names like Hassan, Hussein meaning “beautified will.” It is generosity. It is diligence, the ability to work hard and to endure. It is compassion, love for others, even when one is suffering intensely. It is inner strength, the ability to face hardships that seem insurmountable, to have the patience to endure great hardships, and it is inner peace, which is the ability to perceive, like in this image, the clarity of heavenly states, to which we direct ourselves in prayer.
Astrologically in the Kabbalah, the sun and Venus relate to תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth. Venus is the star of love, and it is the symbol of Islam. You have, the crescent moon and the star of Venus, the symbol of that religion, which is very compelling and beautiful, especially within the context of this lecture. יסוד Yesod, in Hebrew, the foundation of our spiritual work―for יסוד Yesod means “Foundation”―is symbolized by the moon, and within Islam, we know that we must transform the moon into a sun. We have to transform our lunar mechanicity into the creative genius of a sun, of the solar logos, of a god.
Why is the moon a symbol of the ego, our defects? The moon is mechanical. It basically governs many processes on our planet that belong to nature. It does not take any effort to do it. It simply is. The moon governs ocean tides, flux, plant and animal life, even menstruation within women.
The moon also represents our egotistical behaviors, precisely because it belongs to nature, or better said, animal nature. Animals obey the moon. You have seen nature shows or have walked in the woods at night. Many creatures exist because of the lunar influence. They obey it. Likewise, our ego obeys mechanical action. It is in itself mechanical ways of behaving. If somebody insults you, anger mechanically emerges. It wants to react. There is no consciousness there. It is simply an impulse, instinct, a desire. That has to be transformed, and also, basically the moon has no light of its own, if you really look at this allegory. The moon is a cadaver. It basically receives its illumination from the sun. In the same way, our ego has no life of its own, except through the Essence, because each defect, each ego like anger, pride, resentment, vanity, laziness, lust, traps the Essence. It is the Essence that is conditioned within that desire, that processes in accordance with its own function, its own mechanical conditioning. This is why we have to free the soul trapped within desire. This is the meaning of holy war, to cease being a mechanical puppet of nature, to stop reacting like an animal, to stop chasing after so many desires that get nowhere. But unfortunately, this is what humanity loves and worships, but here we are choosing to study something different, to be different. The Essence is the seed of a solar creativity, a profound spiritual genius in life that knows how to create beautiful situations and circumstances with grace, without effort. It is the mirror that reflects الله Allah when it is polished through ذِكرْ dhikr: remembrance of the divine. Real profound, beautiful action is solar. It is creative. It generates new circumstances. It does not repeat the same comedies, tragedies, and dramas of life that end up in pain. Instead, beautiful action, the Essence, the soul, is a brilliant, luminous, perceptive clarity, which understands people, problems, situations, and knows how to change them, knows how to solve issues so that everybody benefits. Unfortunately, our desires like to think that if we satisfy our pride and our hatred, our resentment, even at the cost of another person, it means that we are going to benefit, perhaps in the short term, but instead, that type of action creates problems within relationships and communities, which often surge and end up in violence, whether physically or mentally, emotionally. I would like to relate a quote from the Principles of Sufism by Al-Qushayri that elaborates these points. I heard Abu Ali al-Daqqaq say, “If someone beautifies his outer being by struggling against the passions of his ego, God will beautify his inner being with the vision of Him. God Most High said, “Those who struggle for Us We will certainly guide in Our ways” (29:69). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is why ethics are essential in meditation. They cannot be skipped.
What does it mean to beautify our outer being? It means to act appropriately within any circumstance of life, to know how to adapt, to know how to be in a certain situation in the same way that water, filling a jug, matches the contours of its container, its shape. The water is the same. It is the same principle, the same Essence, but when you put it in certain containers or jugs, it takes on different shapes and qualities. It appears different, but in reality, in its profound insights, it is the same. We have to beautify our inner being and beautify our outer being by learning to act in ways that are beneficial for humanity. This could be at our job, in our marriage, with our friends, with our students, with strangers. It depends. Wherever our karmic situation places us, wherever divinity has placed us, we must learn to beautify our behaviors, because as Prophet Muhammad taught in the Hadith: God is beautiful and loves beauty. ―Essential Sufism, Chapter 7: “Hadith: The Words of the Prophet”
So let us be ethical. When you correct mistaken psychological states by behaving correctly in life, by acting for the benefit of others, divinity will beautify our inner being with the vision of Him. This is astral experiences, visions, meditative wisdom, flashes of insight, comprehension, symbols within dreams, intuitions. These are the very things we long for so much with Gnosis, but we cannot have that if we are not working on changing our outer behavior, if we do not want to be good people, because there are many people who have studied gnosis, any religion and they love these ideas, and yet they continue to behave in ways that are very harmful, justifying themselves. So, we have to be very honest.
God Most High said, “Those who struggle for Us We will certainly guide in Our ways” (29:69), meaning in meditation. If we are working and renouncing our own desires, we will receive those flashes of intuition in our meditations and learn the way of meditation. There is a very beautiful teaching within the first Surah of the Qur’an I would like to sum up in relation to this. It is the first Surah of the Qur’an, the Most Recited. It is a prayer used within a canonical prayer within Islam, the public tradition. The fifth line says: You do we worship, and Thine aid do we seek. ―Al-Fatihah: The Opening, verse 5
This is very beautiful. How do we worship divinity? By beautifying our outer behavior against the passions of our ego. We worship divinity when we renounce our desires, when we want to follow divine will, to act beautifully even when it compromises our deepest pains, once we have been slandered or insulted or hurt or betrayed. We still act uprightly. That is beautiful action for the benefit of others, at the sacrifice of our own self-esteem, our vanities, our arrogance.
Also, how do we worship divinity? We learn to concentrate. We concentrate upon an object so that we stop being distracted. This is one essence of that line, but also “Thine aid do we seek.” So, there are two components here, “You do we worship” and “Thine aid do we seek.” This has to do with the Sufi principles of striving and witnessing, or concentration and visualization. As we say in the Gnostic tradition, this is willpower and imagination. We learn to concentrate our mind so that we can receive insights from divinity. “Thine aid do we seek.” How do we receive aid from God? It is when we are receiving images, perceptions, visions, experiences, within dreams or in our meditative practices. Those are types of wisdom and symbols and knowledge of the consciousness of God, that speaks to the very innermost depths of our own situation and life, a form of guidance, for “We will certainly guide you in Our ways,” says divinity here. This principle is divided into the different schools of Sufism or the levels of meditative knowledge, شريعة Shariah and حقيقة Haqiqah. شريعة Shariah is ethics. It is the law, how we beautify our outer being, but to receive inner experiences, visions from divinity is the truth, حقيقة Haqiqah, from الْحَقُّ Al-Haqq, the Truth. It is knowledge of divinity. It is Gnosis, معرفة Marifah. What is the way to reach that point, to bridge the two stages of the path, ethics and experience? It is طريفة Tariqah, which is meditation. طريفة Tariqah is the path. It is the way to divinity, and of course, a طريفة Tariqah is traditionally associated with any school of Sufism in the physical world. That is one meaning. But really, those schools will teach you―if you are really serious and if they are still effective―how to meditate in order to build upon ethics, so as to experience divinity. But of course, in the beginning, we struggle with the mind. This is شريعة Shariah ethics, the path of مُجَاهِدَة mujahidah: striving against the mind. The Greater and Lesser Holy Wars
So there is a scriptural basis for what we are teaching here. There is nothing new. جهاد Jihad, striving, has two distinct forms that we also study and learn in our tradition, although there are some differences from the mainstream, public teachings of Islam and Sufism. In order to understand what holy war is, it is important to remember what an unbeliever is. In Arabic the [plural] term is كافرين Kafirin, the singular كَفَرَ Kafir. It means to be a polytheist, an unbeliever, an infidel.
There is a Surah in the Qur’an called الكهف Al-Kahf, meaning “The Cave.” It is interesting that the term unbelievers sound like كَفَرَ Kafir, or الكافرين al-Kafirin. These esoterically are the ego, the defects that dwell within the caves of the infradimensions beneath the Tree of Life, known as hell, the infraconsciousness, the caves of the mind. So, when all religions teach that hell is underneath the Earth's crust, people believe that it is physical, but it is not. In the interior of the Earth within the inner dimensions of nature is where the egos belong. They gravitate within those realms within the darkness of the caves. An unbeliever is an ego, a defect.
So, in synthesis, there exists unbelievers or egos in our mind, for which we should show no mercy, and then there are black magicians, people outside of us, الكافرين al-Kafirin. We call them demons. They live in the inner dimensions of nature too, but though they are unbelievers, we should show them compassion. We should treat them with respect. So, some people get very confused. They read the Qur’an and it says, we must kill the unbelievers, and people interpret it to mean to kill people who are not following one's tradition, and this is wrong. This is a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of striving, that there are two forms, two kinds. In Gnosis, we have a lot of exercises, a lot of prayers that we use in order to counter and to nullify works of black magic that are cast upon us. There are many exercises we can use to defend ourselves, to protect ourselves spiritually. So, this is an internal battle. Many people who are studying Gnosis, who are beginning meditation, often have experiences of dreams in which they are being attacked by negative entities. In many cases, this is their own mind, but also there are beings who know, outside of us, that we are working effectively to change, and so they do not like this path, and they confront us and try to take us away from this work, to mislead us. For more information about this, you can study a lecture given on our website. It is called Basics of Spiritual Defense. There are two forms of holy war. There is the outer and the inner war. In Gnosis, we defend ourselves internally from attacks of black magic. It does not mean that we fight physically and harm people. That is not the meaning. Instead, it means to protect ourselves with prayer, conjurations, meditations, and many exercises, so that we have a space in our home and that we are safe internally, wherever we go. We are protected, protected by divinity. The inner war takes precedence, as most important, but of course there is a lot of misunderstanding about what this means: the inner war against the ego, the unbelievers in our own mind. In the Qur’an, Surah 9 is very controversial, as I said, because it has many references to killing unbelievers who persecute the Muslim initiates. Do not be confused by the language. We have to kill our own egos―without exception―not people who do not follow a particular tradition other than our own. There is a very subtle reading here that has led to a lot of problems in humanity, because people are not educated, and they are not initiates. They have misinterpretations that lead them into very grievous problems. Now in the life of the Prophet Muhammad, he was given permission to physically defend himself because there were many sorcerers who were trying to kill him, to destroy him. So, self-protection is important. We can defend ourselves if we need to, physically. This is why many monks within the Buddhist tradition, such as in the teachings of Bodhidharma, they learned Kung Fu. They learned to defend themselves from harm. But of course, they were very peaceful initiates. Whether or not those traditions have maintained their ethics is obviously the question today. But let us read the actual excerpts from certain Sufi writings that elaborate these points, so that we are very clear about what these terms mean. This is from Revelation of the Mystery by Al-Hujwiri, a great Persian master: The Prophet said: “The mujáhid (the striver) is he who struggles with all his might against himself (jáhada nafsahu) for God’s sake.” And he also said: “We have returned from the lesser war (al-jihád al-aṣghar) to the greater holy war (al-jihad al-akbar). On being asked, “What is the greater holy war?” he replied, “It is the struggle against one’s self” (mujáhadat al-nafs) (or as some other sources have stated, our lower animal desires). Thus, the Apostle adjuged the mortification of the lower soul to be superior to the Holy War against unbelievers (meaning people outside of oneself who are persecuting and trying to physically end one's life), because the former is more painful (meaning the inner work is a lot more painful than enduring physical hardships, without exception). You must know, then, that the way of mortification is plain and manifest, for it is approved by men of all religions and sects and is observed and practiced by the Sufis in particular; and the term mortification (mujáhadat) is current among Sufis of every class, and the Shaykhs (the teachers) have uttered many sayings on this topic. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
So sometimes مُجَاهِدَة mujahidah or mujáhadat (in the Persian context) sometimes translates as self-mortification. The word mort, as in mortality, relates to death. What is inner striving or mortification of the ego? It is the death of desire, the death of our defects.
To help clarify this and to not allow any people room for misinterpretation, I will relate to an experience I had in the astral plane many years ago. I was in a room somewhere, awake, observing my surroundings, remembering the presence of my Being, and I was praying to my Divine Mother because I was afraid at the moment that a certain group of people near me were black magicians trying to harm me. Suddenly my Divine Mother showed me on the wall, with many words, many sentences, many descriptions, certain teachings that were very insightful about these principles that we are explaining here. I saw my face as if on a projector portrayed before me, and the words “97% ego” next to it. Of course, I was very amazed by what I saw, in which my Divine Mother, my inner Being was showing me that “You are a demon. So why are you afraid of other demons?” Very interesting, isn't it? People become terrified when they learn about sorcerers, black magicians, demons, archdemons, etc. But my Divine Mother was showing me, “You really should not be so concerned with other people, but rather yourself.” She started to show me many verses from many scriptures, across the wall, like a collage. I saw teachings from the Christian Gospels, from Hinduism, from Buddhism, from Jainism. I also saw, more importantly, what struck my attention was a phrase, “You must follow the law of Muhammad.” It said, “Kill all the unbelievers,” and of course, She was showing me my own egos. So, I understood at that point that this teaching within Islam, which is so distorted today in its original sense, is about the work against the mind. So, no confusion there. I was very humbled by what my Being was showing me. It gave me a lot of confidence in this knowledge and the willfulness to investigate. Let us be concerned about our own defects, and if you are being attacked internally by extranormal or supernormal forces, from negative entities, black magicians, use the prayers and conjurations to defend yourself. This is a form of holy war too, where we have to protect ourselves in the astral plane, especially. We live in very different times than that of Prophet Muhammad. So, no comparison there.
The Foundation of Striving
Striving is related to willpower, to the sphere of תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth in Hebrew, which must control the lower סְפִירוֹת sephiroth or spheres relating to mind, heart, energy, and physicality, or in synthesis, נצח Netzach (the mind), הוד Hod (the emotions), יסוד Yesod (our vital energies), and מלכות Malkuth (our physical body).
The sphere of תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth is our human willpower. It is the heart of the Tree of Life because through it, we can either go up or down this diagram. It depends on how we use our will, whether we strive against the lower סְפִירוֹת sephiroth, our own egos, our defects, or learn to obey divinity above, through גְּבוּרָה Geburah: the justice of divinity, our conscience, our consciousness. חֶסֶד Chesed, the Merciful, ٱلرَّحِيمِ al-Rahim, חֶסֶד Chesed in Kabbalah, as well as בינה Binah, חכמה Chokmah, כתר Kether: Intelligence, Wisdom, and the Crown and supremacy of divinity inside. So, we can learn to practice striving in many ways. Let us examine some quotes that could open up this discussion, from Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism by Al-Qushayri: Know that the foundation and rationale of struggle or striving (mujahadah) is to wean the ego from what is familiar to it and to induce it to oppose its desires (passions) at all times. The ego (animal soul) has two traits that prevent it from good: total preoccupation with cravings (attraction to pleasure) and refusal of obedience (avoidance of pain/harm). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Some questions for us: Do you enjoy binge-watching television shows? Do we enjoy being passive in front of the TV? Do we lack the ability to focus on one thing at will, or is our attention spent in other activities?―such as sitting in front of a screen, in which we are passively focused on one thing, enmeshed in the story of a television show, and yet we have no cognizance even of our own body.
There are two types of attention here. We can pay attention to a movie for two hours, in which our emotions and thoughts and mind and perceptions are in the movie. We feel that we are the characters, the dramas, the story, the plot line, the special effects, and yet this does not take any effort at all―no willpower there. It means that our consciousness in that example is completely passive, inept, un-awake, asleep. The mind is like that with many types of activities, not just television, so I am not here just to pick on some people, although I know a lot of people love their television shows. But there are many impressions in life that we seek after, in which we enter a state of passivity, in which we are not attentive at all, and whatever that is for us, we have to discover it. We have to learn what activities in our daily experience cause us to go to sleep at the wheel of our car, because remember that the conscience, the consciousness is in the body. We are driving the car: our mind, our heart, our energies, which fuel everything, and our physical body is a vehicle in which we express ourselves, our psyche. But how are we doing it? Are we attentive at the wheel using our mind, our emotions, and our energies for the spirit, or are we invested in what we are seeing, being fascinated by illusions, and asleep and unaware of what is going on internally and externally? We have to learn and understand what impressions of life really fascinate us, keep us hypnotized. It could be for food. It could be for drugs, alcohol. For some people it is sex. For many it is money, shopping, praise, attention. For some it is adoration, praise. Whatever it is, we have to be like Jesus―deny ourselves, deny the ego. When we know an impulse or desire is wrong, do not feed it. Do not give into it. Follow your consciousness, your conscience. Let your will obey your heart. Let תִפאֶרֶת Tiphereth, our human willpower, obey the justice of God inside, גְּבוּרָה Geburah, الْدِّين al-Din in Arabic, the religion, the teaching, the Dharma, the law: شريعة Shariah, because when we disobey our own hearts, we betray our Being. With knowledge comes responsibility. When we know something is wrong, we should not do it, without exception. This is ethics. Follow your conscience. Obey your intuitions, and we will find happiness. If we disobey, we enter problems, complexities, conflicts. We do not obey our conscience when we do not renounce certain behaviors because we are ignorant. We do not realize how our own attachments and cravings, as well as our aversions to difficulties in life, keep us unconscious, unaware, asleep. Let us continue with this quote: When the ego is defiant in the pursuit of desire, it must be curbed with the reins of the awe of God. When it stubbornly refuses to conform to God’s will, it must be steered toward opposing its desires. When it rages in anger [at being opposed], its state should be controlled―no process has a better outcome than the breaking of the power of anger by developing good character traits and by extinguishing its fires by gentleness. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Do you feel hatred towards a person who condemns you? Do you feel anger from feeling betrayed? Do you feel resentment or envy for the wellbeing of others? Then rein in your desires by remembering the presence of God, your Being.
What is awe of divinity, awe of God? It is respect for the codes, the precepts, the conscious ethics of the initiates. This is גְּבוּרָה Geburah. This is the law. Remember we spoke about the Iron Surah, the Surah “Iron” in the Qur’an, and how iron metallurgically is a symbol of willpower within the alchemical science, which is a mixture or synthesis of Greek and Middle Eastern teachings, teachings that eventually entered Europe in the Middle Ages. גְּבוּרָה Geburah, Justice, the law, our conscience, is precisely that awe of divinity that the soul feels, that consciousness feels, in the presence of the spirit. It is respect for the codes and conduct of ethical knowledge, of precepts, of behaviors that enact the wellbeing of humanity and ourselves. Without this, there is no wisdom. Even Al-Jurayri stated the following in the same book, Principles of Sufism, a quote that I have related many times in other courses, but I want to reiterate here: Whoever does not establish awe of duty (which is consistency of spiritual practice and discipline) and vigilance in his relationship to God will not arrive at disclosure of the unseen (mukashafah) or contemplation (mushahadah) of the divine. ―Al-Jurayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism by Al-Qushayri
What is awe of duty? It means to practice every day, to have that respect for the exercises of our tradition that are going to liberate us, and to fulfill them with consciousness and fidelity. This is how we obtain vigilance, مراقبة muraqaba in Arabic. That term vigilance or مراقبة muraqaba also means “meditation.” So, by being consistent, by establishing awe of duty and vigilance, مراقبة muraqaba, in our relations to God, without that, we will not arrive at disclosure of the unseen―meaning to have experiences internally―nor witnessing or understanding of divine nature.
“Gentleness is a much more powerful force than anger,” we have related in our Eternal Tarot course on the Arcanum 11: Persuasion. Persuasion or gentleness is much more effective than coercion. It is interesting that anger is disempowered when we develop good character traits and by being gentle, being serene, being calm.
For as Prophet Muhammad taught: The strongest among you is he who controls his anger. ―Prophet Muhammad
So let us control our anger. Let us learn. We are not going to be perfect. We are not going to manage to do it every day, but if we can continue trying and are consistent, if we have that awe and reverence of our Being, in our work, then we will do it. We will learn. We have to use the reins. We are trying to tame an animal that has never been educated, but if you learn through discipline to tame the elephant of the mind, it will become our best friend rather than an adversary. Again, the following is from Principles of Sufism:
And if the soul finds sweetness in the wine of arrogance, it will have become incapable of anything but showing off its great deeds and preening itself before anyone who will look at it and notice it. It is necessary to break it of this habit, dissolving it with the punishment of humiliation by means of whatever will make the soul remember its paltry worth, its lowly origin, and its despicable acts. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is a very subtle teaching. This does not mean we go out and beat ourselves up―physically or mentally. The mind cannot reprimand itself. The intellect cannot resolve problems of a moral, conscious, ethical nature. “Consciousness must have remorse,” we have explained extensively in our previous lecture. It is one of the constituents of repentance, but it has to learn how to act ethically in a dignified way, in a compassionate way.
Perhaps we argued with someone and later we felt remorse, regret, even though we still feel too proud to want to ask forgiveness. Humiliation in this sense, according to the scripture, is that we go to the person that we wronged and ask for forgiveness in a gentle way, in a sincere way, even though it is painful for our pride. Our pride does not want to kneel before this person whom we think we are better than, and so, the mind fights and argues and spits and screams and yells. However, when we kneel internally in this regard, it is the most beautiful action, since our Essence, our conscience knows what is right. It is right behavior. We feel dignity and serenity in our soul, even though our desires fight to exert dominion over us and the other person. When we recognize that we are insignificant and worthless―not from morbidity or pessimism, feeling that we are really bad people and that we deserve to go to hell, really negative, really sour personality―we really recognize our insignificance through humility, but this does not mean self-flagellation, hating oneself, being abusive and violent towards one's own mental, physical, or emotional states. It is the dignity of the consciousness. Humility is the foundation of spiritual development. Humility is knowing what is right, doing what is right, and accepting that one is wrong. It is the doorway that opens up into the mysteries of initiation. So, remember that “All doors are closed to the unworthy except the door of repentance.” Really, one cannot enter that doorway if one is not humble. Humility is the entrance to paradise. Pride is the exit. Pride leads to hatred and many defects, many problems, and humility is not shame. It is dignity. It knows it has no reason to boast, no reason to think that it is great, to go before the whole world and say, “I am a great meditator, or I am a spiritual person!” Really, humility knows that there is nothing to brag about, but this does not mean that one is a shameful person, a negative person. In fact, it is the most positive, ennobling characteristic a person can have because it is the door that leads to many virtues. So humility knows how to adhere to a beautiful form of strength, nobility of character, brilliance of character, creativity in action. It is the power of the soul. 
The Signs of Striving
Speaking of the moon, meditators could have astral visions about the sun and the moon. So, we were talking a lot about struggling against the mind and the ego. Many times in our work, if we are really serious about meditation, we will have visions, and many times, this can appear in the form of astrological signs or celestial bodies within the astral horizon, within our visions, within our dreams, within our meditations.
The Qur’an references this many times, that these are signs of divinity. They are symbols in our work of striving against the ego. In synthesis, if you see a cloudy sky, it means that we are very asleep. You see nothing of the heavens. Our consciousness is obscured. The mind is active. Obviously, if the clouds are churning like a storm, very dark, very black, it means that we have a lot of ego to work on, to clear up. Clear skies, no clouds―if we see heavenly bodies like the stars, the heavens―that is a symbol of ascension, of clarity in your work, clarified perception. Sunrise is a symbol of birth. Something needs to be born in us. If the sun is setting, it means something is dying or something needs to die in us. The moon, as you see in this image, is a symbol of suffering, ordeals, the work against the ego. So again, the moon is mechanicity, and if you see the moon in your dreams, it is a symbol of working against the mind. It means that we are going to face a level of suffering. If the moon is very full, it means that we are going to have a lot of pain, unfortunately. If I am telling you this, it is because these are some symbols that I have experienced for many years. This is something that has been recurring for me and has been a signpost and guide in my work. So, I am relating it to you because it has been very helpful for me in my practice. These teachings are related in the Qur’an by the story of Abraham speaking with the unbelievers in Surah 6 verses 75 through 80. It is very rich with meaning, and I am going to relate to you these verses in depth. So traditionally in this excerpt, he is trying to convert the infidels to monotheism. However, many Muslims interpret these verses as Abraham seeing the stars, the sun, the moon, and literally thinking that these astronomical bodies are God. Exoteric Muslims reject pantheism in general, which is the belief that divinity is within nature, since they believe that God is omnipresent, omniscient and that he is not with natural, created things, and in an esoteric sense, this is true, primarily because الله Allah,—“The No,” in Arabic, the Nothing, the absolute abstract space—is beyond created phenomenon. It is the potentiality in an unmanifested state that is the matrix or seed plot from which all creation emerges. This is where we synthesize that knowledge or how we differentiate ourselves from some other interpretations. This story from the Qur’an is often very misinterpreted, that somehow Abraham, who is the founder of three world religions, was very confused, and thinking that God is literally the moon, the sun, and the stars. Instead, this verse or these verses are very beautiful for meditation. They are a symbol of striving in the work, in our inner practice, our inner meditations of themselves. I would like to relate them to you at length: And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith]. ―Qur’an 6:75
So, as I said, inner visions of the skies relate to certainty in meditation. Do you want to know where you are in your work? Internally, pray and ask as you fall asleep, what your level of being is, and when you wake up in the astral plane, you can leave your home and look up at the sky to see what the quality of the horizon is. That is the answer.
For me I have always awakened in the astral plane in my old home growing up, and I always am in the habit of leaving my house and going up to look at the sky, to see what the quality of my work is. That is what it means to be among those certain in faith, because we know that this is the message of divinity. So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "I like not those that disappear." ―Qur’an 6:76
As I said, stars are a sign of ascension, higher levels of being. If you see a sky full of stars, that is very beautiful, very wonderful, very high. It means that we are very connected in our work of self-remembrance because the Being, as Samael Aun Weor states, is the Milky Way, emanates from the heavens, from the stars. The Essence emerges from that, but obviously, if you are in the habit of having these states and experiences, like Abraham in this verse, we do not like it when the stars disappear, meaning there are no stars in our astral vision, meaning, there is just darkness.
So, Abraham said, at first, “This is my Lord,” because he sees the stars and he says, “This is my waking state,” and then when it sets and the stars are gone, he says, “I do not like those that disappear,” meaning it is not a good sign for one, that the connection with the Being is not there, not profound. We do not like it when the stars disappear from our astral visions, because it signifies obscuration of the truth within ourselves. And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray." ―Qur’an 6:77
The moon is incredible suffering, unfortunately. The phase of the moon shows us everything in relation to a situation in our daily life. A crescent moon can signify a little bit of suffering, but a full moon or full moons with a lot of luminosity and size signify a greater intensity of moral pain.
For example, I have had this vision many times in relation to old jobs that I had. I remember one in particular that was a very difficult experience, in which, before I had some work meetings, I remember seeing a huge, full moon and feeling a lot of sorrow, because I knew that when I got to work that day, there would be a situation that was very painful. In preparation from that vision, I was meditating and praying a lot and being very vigilant in my daily life to wait for the moment in which certain egos would arise in relation to an ordeal, because those symbols and visions are meant to guide us in our daily existence, in our daily life. And this is why Abraham said in the Qur’an, “Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray,” because unless divinity guides us in those difficult moments, in our physical life, through very painful ordeals, we could leave the path easily. We get that wisdom and guidance because we need it. We need that assurance and faith in our Being that we will be fine if we are remembering Him. And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah.” ―Qur’an 6:78
A sunrise means the birth of virtue. Something is being born inside. Remember that in Kabbalah, the East is תִפאֶרֶת Tiphereth. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. When the sun rises in the East in the astral horizon, it means that we are learning to enact beautiful action, virtuous action, as you remember from the previous slides. It is greater than the moon because it is happiness when we strive. We are seeing results from our work.
When the sun sets, this signifies the death of the ego. Something has to die. This is what separates us from, really, the black magicians. You know, we are really working in the death of the ego, we are walking away from the path of unbelief and walking into the path of faith. This is the essential tenet between the left- and right-hand paths of the Qur’an within Islam. “Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah." ―Qur’an 6:79
When we wake up in the astral plane, look up at the sky. I always “turn my face towards Him in the heavens,” to receive insight about my work. This is something we can do. This is what Abraham says: “I turn my face toward He who created the heavens,” meaning, you are literally in the astral plane looking up at the sky to get your answer to your problem. This is how we do not associate with others than God, not following our own desires, because we are looking up for guidance. “You do we worship and Thine aid do we seek."
And his people argued with him. He said, "Do you argue with me concerning Allah while He has guided me? And I fear not what you associate with Him [and will not be harmed] unless my Lord should will something. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge; then will you not remember? ―Qur’an 6:80
So, people love to argue about what they do not know, basically. Here, we're presenting some living astral experiences and the interpretation of the Qur’an, its symbols, for people who are really working seriously with meditation and the science of certainty.
The Focus of Struggle
Therefore, we have the quote from Al-Qushayri’s Principles of Sufism:
The struggle of the majority of people is to bring their works to full development (so many people want development in many movements, but they do not annihilate the ego). The struggle of the elite is to purify their states because the endurance of hunger and wakefulness is simple and easy. The cure of character and the cleansing of its impurities is extremely difficult. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
There are many Muslims, people who practice fasting, austerities, ascetism, and this can be very beautiful to a degree. However, to comprehend and annihilate our secret defects of character is very difficult and very painful. As I said, you have to face very horrible and difficult ordeals that really test our character. When the metal is hot from the fire of ordeals, we learn to hammer ourselves into what we must become. Divinity wields the hammer of the spirit, according to Nietzsche, in order to create the soul upon the anvil of hardship. But this is how you enter real qualities of strength. It is through struggle. Endure the heat of ordeals and the even the cold of solitude, like you take a burning hot iron and put it in cold water after you have tempered it. This is how you gain flexibility, sharpness, and strength.
Striving: The Basis of Union
The death of the ego produces illumination. Samael Aun Weor explained that “If the seed does not die, the plant is not born.” The ego must be annihilated to liberate the Essence and the liberated Essence awakens to reality.
You want light? Remove the clouds. Eliminate desire. Curb your appetites. Renounce bad behaviors and comprehend those egos at the end of your day or in the morning hours and pray for their annihilation. You cannot have inner experiences if you are not working to eliminate the conditions of the psyche. This is verified by the Sufis, from Al-Hujwiri’s Revelation of the Mystery: While all mystics have affirmed the need of mortification (meaning the death of the ego), and have declared it to be an indirect means (asbáb) of attaining contemplation (musháhadat), Sahl asserted that mortification is the direct cause (‘illat) of the latter, and he attributed the search (talab) a powerful effect on attainment (yáft), so that he even regarded the present life, spent in search (of the truth in meditation), as superior to the future life of fruition. “If,” he said, “you serve God in this world, you will attain proximity to Him in the next world: without that service there would not be this proximity: it follows that self-mortification, practiced with the aid of God (meaning our visions in meditation), is the direct cause of union with God.” ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
Or as the Sufis state, subsistence in divinity, بقاء baqā, union with God, is only achieved first through فناء fana, annihilation of desire.
The Causes of Contemplation
People want mystical experiences without fulfilling the necessary actions for their realization. If you are familiar with Buddhism, this is one of the stipulations of karma: “You cannot receive the corresponding results without fulfilling its corresponding action.” Meditation is based on laws, experiences, visions. Witnessing the truth in meditation and the internal worlds is impossible if you don't remove the conditions that obscure your vision.
Think of it this way: can a mirror reflect your actual image if it is full of rust? This is a beautiful allegory given in Sufism by Rumi and many other initiates, even Ibn ‘Arabi, who is considered the greatest of Sufi teachers within the Muslim tradition. The mirror is your soul. It cannot show the truth of your condition if it is rusty, if it is imperfect, if it is not polished, and the way that you enter purification is by striving against imperfection. Polish the mirror. You polish the mirror by rubbing against it with a cloth, and as Rumi said (paraphrased): “How can you perfectly reflect divinity if you resist every rub?” You want to have vision internally, clean your mirror. Clean your clairvoyance, your imagination, your perception, your vision, so that you can see. Superior worlds of nature vibrate at higher levels of being, less levels of density than our own. If your mind is dense with hatred, with anger, with ego, if it is heavy like lead, then you are going to sink. You are going to see within the infrared of nature, which is the hell realms. That is where we gravitate, or to use the Arabic Kabbalah, the tree of زقوم Zaqqum, which is the tree of death within Islamic mysticism. 
In this image, you see a man kneeling in prayer. He has the Arabic letters, inscribed upon his silhouette, “There is no God, but God.” It is the الشهادة Shahadah:
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
There is only the Being. This is the statement given by Muslims when they declare their faith, and for Gnostics, it has to do with the fact that when we really perceive God in meditation, we say at our level that “There is no God, but God.” There is only the Being. There is no ego obscuring my vision of the truth. But to do that, we have to really work in prayer, a lot of discipline, which is why, Hujwiri states the following in his book, Revelation of the Mystery:
“Those who strive to the utmost for Our sake, We will guide them into Our ways” (Qur’an 29:69). i.e. whoever mortifies himself will attain to contemplation (مشاهدة mushahadah, or the word for meditation also in Arabic). Furthermore, [Sahl] contends that inasmuch as the books revealed to the Prophets, and the Sacred Law (Shari’ah), and all the religious ordinances imposed on mankind involve mortification, they must all be false and vain if mortification were not the cause of contemplation (to experience the truth: حقيقة Haqiqah). Again, both in this world and the next, everything is connected with principles and causes. If it is maintained that principles have no causes, there is an end to all law and order: neither can religious obligations be justified nor will food be the cause of repletion and clothes the cause of warmth. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
Reflect upon this. What is your quality of mind when you are compassionate, when you are altruistic, when you are considerate, patient, kind?
Now compare that to being angry, wrathful, hateful, arrogant, deceptive, rude, lustful. How dense do you feel in comparison with these two types of behavior? Are you light and happy or weighed down and afflicted? The higher worlds vibrate with energy and spiritual force (جنّة Jannah in Arabic: the heavens, plural Jannat). They lack the heaviness of our conditioned psyche. Hell is where we gravitate because of our egotism, our egotistical qualities, which make us resonate with inferior laws of nature. If you want to vibrate at higher levels of reality, then remove that which conditions you, which prevents you from entering and subsiding there. Whereas one Sufi initiate [Abū Sa'īd in Ibn Munawwar] stated, “Hell is where you are. Heaven is where you are not.” It depends on our mental state. If we are here in our ego, we are in hell, but if the ego is renounced, if we strive against the ego, we abandon the ego, we can enter the heavenly worlds, enter and access qualities that are very heavenly, very pure. Training the Lower Soul
Training the mind to concentrate and enact divine precepts, noble virtues, and conscious ethics is a gradual process. However, it is the basis of spiritual life. People who study religion or Gnosticism, but indulge in pessimism, in violence, whether in words or physically, skepticism and pride, never experience the truths of religion because our vision directly correlates to the depth and level of our ethics, our level of being.
But we can learn. With time and practice, we learn to let the body rest, in which we do not let our physicality govern our actions when we sit to meditate. So in the beginning, people often struggle with the body. The body is agitated. We have a scratch. We have an itch. We have a pain in our neck. Our legs feel like they are falling off. We have all of these excuses and pains and internal clamor and chatter, which is very distracting. We sit to practice. We have the will, initially, not to move, because it is important that to really introspect profoundly, we have to train the body not to move at all. Swami Sivananda said that our posture for meditation must be firm like a mountain. We should not move because if you want the waters of internal spiritual vision to settle in yourself, to reflect heaven within, the body has to be abandoned completely. But unfortunately, in the beginning we struggle. We are agitated. We want to move. We need water. We are thirsty. We are hungry. We are exhausted. All of these things are distractions of the ego in order to impede us from entering really profoundly into ourselves. But of course, this is something that can be learned. In the beginning, relax your body. Do breathing exercises. Do a mantra. Do pranayama. You can enter into deep meditation after alchemy or even before. Work with your energies so that your body calms, but also you can only really relax deeply if you are ethical. This is why striving is so important, because if we have committed some type of wrong, we are going to be very tense, even if we do not acknowledge it or admit it to ourselves. So, it is important that if you really want to relax profoundly in meditation, you have to control and train the mind. Your body will obey you more and more, the more you obey your divinity. Does not training (riyadat) alter the animal qualities of a wild horse and substitute human qualities in their stead, so that he will pick up a whip from the ground and give it to his master, or will roll a ball with his foot? In the same way, a boy without sense and of foreign race is taught by training to speak Arabic, and take a new language in exchange for his mother tongue; and a savage beast is trained to go away when leave is given to it, and to come back when it is called, preferring captivity to freedom. Therefore, Sahl and his followers argue, mortification [striving, mujahadah] is just as necessary for the attainment of Union with God as diction and composition are necessary for the elucidation of ideas; and as one is led to knowledge of the Creator by assurance that the universe was created by Him, so one is led to union with God by knowledge and mortification of the lower soul. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
We are led to union by learning the techniques, learning what concentration is, learning how to deny ourselves, to mortify, within practice, because both knowledge and being must be balanced. We have to know the science, the traditions, and the wisdom intellectually, but that we also have to apply it if we want to really go deep into these experiences.
The mind is an animal. If you want to go beyond the level of an animal, then practice seriously. Stop acting like an animal. It could sound very offensive, but in reality, when we act with pride and anger and cruelty, sarcasm, competition, malevolence, etc., we are behaving as animals. But here we are trying to learn how to become a real human, spiritual being. We do that by training the lower animal soul, so that with humility, we can proclaim that, yes, we are a human being when we have entered initiation. Otherwise, if we do not really apply these things in practice, we are like a donkey with a load of holy books on our back. We can carry the knowledge around and use the terms very eloquently, but it does not mean that we are actually living it, and this is something that we have to really be serious and consider. That is what most religious and spiritual students and teachers are. We have a lot of memorizations of things, but it is important that we learn to practice this knowledge. 
The Three Ways to Strive
In synthesis, there are three ways to strive. I am going to elaborate some teachings from the Master Abdullah Ansari of Herat in his Persian text Stations of the Sufi Path, which are very profound and synthetic of everything that we have been talking about.
Striving is to fight against one’s ego (nafs), against evil (div), and against the enemy. God, the Most High, says, “Strive in God’s cause, as you ought to strive...” (22:78). The Three Categories of Strivers
Let us elaborate on what these synthetic principles are.
Those who strive (mujāhidān) with the sword are of three groups of people: one group are those who strive and are rewarded for their striving, the second group are those who are exhausted but are forgiven for their exhaustion, and the final group are those who die [are killed] and are considered martyrs (a شاهد Shahid, to witness the divine). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So what is that sword? Of course, people think it is physical. In reality, it is a reference to Kundalini, ז Zayin in Hebrew, the creative fires of the sun that rise in the spinal column through the work of initiation. This Kundalini in the internal planes is a flaming sword, which guards the initiates against negativities.
We use this force in order to reject sorcerers internally in the astral plane. Divinity rewards us by defending ourselves from witchcraft. For example, in the lecture Arcanum 7: Triumph, relating to the Hebrew letter ז Zayin, the power of the Kundalini, I had an experience in which I overcame an ordeal in the astral plane and was later confronted that night, or better said, early morning, 4:00 AM, by a group of sorcerers who were seeking to harm me. In that instance, I remembered to use the prayers of our tradition. I especially used the Conjuration of the Four. I covered my solar plexus with my left hand, and used my right hand extended outward in the form of the pentagram, which is the holy symbol of the Gnostics, representative of the true human being―إحسان Ihsan: beautiful action―that knows how to follow the conscience of God, الْدِّين al-Din: the religion of divinity. In that way, I was invoking my Being, praying to manifest through me, to reject these entities, and in that instance, there were explosions and bombs and gunfire in the astral plane from my Being, as a symbol of the type of force that my inner God was exerting upon these negative entities. I remember being very humbled by this. Obviously, I did not feel that I deserved for my Being to protect me, but because I overcame an ordeal, because I strived against myself and overcame and conquered in the astral plane, He was helping me. This is how we fight with the sword against the Black Lodge. It is with the fires of our creative energies, to reject those negative forces, and in that way, divinity honors us, crowns us. You can listen more to that lecture and that course on The Eternal Tarot to learn more about those principles. Even Samael Aun Weor fought many black magicians in the astral plane. This is something that should not surprise us. They are known as בְּעָלִֽים Baalim in Hebrew, الكافرين al-Kafirin in Arabic, the infidels, entities who intentionally awakened powers in the ego and work for selfishness in order to harm humanity. So, we have to protect ourselves internally from their attacks. There is even a story of Samael Aun Weor where near the end of his physical incarnation, he was in a temple of the Black Lodge where those entities or beings were robed and clothed in very elegant, beautiful attire and were filled with a lot of luminosity. But Samael Aun Weor felt cautious. He did not know whether or not they were positive or negative, and so, he confronted them and said, “Are you of the White Lodge or the Black Lodge?” and in the astral plane, they unveiled that “We are the Black Lodge,” and they fought him. Samael Aun Weor used the sword of his Kundalini to defend himself, so he rejected them and fought. He was even exhausted at the end because he had to really conjure with a lot of power these entities who sought to harm him, who sought to lead him into the black path. This is what it means, how one strives but is exhausted and is forgiven for their exhaustion, because sometimes, honestly, those battles can be very intense, very tiring, psychically, consciously, but something that we have to face in accordance with our own idiosyncrasies, our own karma, and our own path. Not everybody goes through such intense trials like that. It depends on really the specific karma of a person, but of course we have to learn to defend ourselves regardless, no matter what our situation is. Many masters even died for following their Being like Mansur Al-Hallaj. They are those who are died, who are killed and are considered martyrs like Mansur, who basically said: “Ana 'l-Ḥaqq: I am the Truth!” He was killed by the Orthodox Muslims because he basically said that “I am God,” الْحَقُّ Al-Haqq: The Truth. It is better if we realize that it was the truth speaking through Mansur, because there was no Mansur, no personality, no ego there, and so as a witness of divinity, he was executed. You can read about that at the end of a book called The Narrow Way by Samael Aun Weor, who dedicated an entire chapter to this great initiate, who is very controversial even in Sufi circles [see The Passion of Al-Hallaj]. When we die to the ego, we are martyrs. We witness divinity because when you give witness to the truth and really give it to people, obviously, humanity does not like the Gnostic teachings, does not like chastity, renouncing desire and ego. In a way we are waging a holy war in a sense, not with violence, not with physical weapons, but with intelligence and truth, with wisdom, with knowledge. That is really the best weapon against ignorance. Those who strive against the ego are of three groups: those who strive and are servants among the righteous servants (abrār) of God, then there are those who discover and are supporters (awtād), and finally, those who are free and liberated and are among the spiritually transformed apostles (abdāl) of God. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So, this has to do with three degrees of initiates. The servants of the righteous ones are in شريعة Shariah. They are learning basic ethics. This is pretty much all of us. We are learning how to serve divinity and to really know, right action, beautiful action, إحسان Ihsan. We serve God through our meditations, our prayers, our sincerity, our service to humanity, whatever that may be.
طريفة Tariqah relates to discoverers, those who discover and support, because this has to do with people who are having experiences in meditation, who are witnessing the truth, and therefore, they are discovering knowledge that is not readily understood in books. If we are able to relate some teachings relating to very obscure teachings in the Qur’an or in the Buddhist sutras or tantras, it is because we were practicing and having those inner experiences to help us understand, and that is something that anybody can do. It is not only an exceptional few who can do it. All of humanity can learn this if they really want to. It depends on the inner effort of the person. And then lastly, حقيقة Haqiqah / معرفة Marifah: truth and knowledge, relates to those who are free and liberated and are among the spiritually transformed apostles, the initiates. Those are people who are perfected in mastery, really high levels of meditators who can access samadhis at will, like Samael Aun Weor who would simply let his body go to rest and he would immediately leave his physicality and enter the internal worlds. We struggle even to be present physically, let alone enter the astral plane, but this is something that is accessible for people who have shifted their entire center of gravity within the Being. Lastly: Those who fight against the devil are of three groups of people: one group are those who continuously seek knowledge and are among those near to God (murqaribān), then those who are obedient and thus are considered sincere ones (sidiqun), and then there are those who are pious and are thus considered the friends of God (awliyā) (or better said: the saints, the initiates). ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So let us be clear. Many people in Gnosis get petrified and terrified of black magicians. Personally, since I have been in this knowledge, I have had a lot of experiences internally and even physically with people attending groups or even attending my group here locally who are sorcerers, who are awakened and developing powers in the ego. Despite the fact that these people are very confused and ignorant and are committing harm, demons and witches should not be approached with violence. We should not approach these people with any type of aggression, with anger, and of course, for some people it is very difficult, and many get sensitive and identified with their attackers. This is how many entities like demons or sorcerers, witches, or warlocks, are able to influence people because of fear and anger.
The way to confront these types of people is with compassion. They cannot harm you if you love them, but this does not mean that we ignore the problem. This is why we have prayers and conjurations to defend ourselves psychically. So, we can love a person, but they can still hurt us. This is why we learn prayers and conjurations and learn to distance ourselves when necessary. But we do not condemn anybody. We do not point our fingers at people and say, “So-and-so, is a witch,” therefore they are going to be ex-communicated. This is a very big problem in the Gnostic movement, which is infecting a lot of groups, unfortunately. In reality, if anyone needs this knowledge more, it is them. Therefore, we should have mercy by showing them the teaching, by explaining it to them, by explaining how their behaviors are causing harm for themselves and others and respect their will. As Prophet Mohamed taught in the Surah الكافرين Al-Kafirin: The Unbelievers: “Unto you your religion, and unto me, mine. I do not believe what you believe,” or “I do not follow what you follow, neither do you follow what I follow.” And let them be. Let them be. But learn prayers and rituals, protect yourself, defend your energy so that you are safe, but do not be paranoid. Do not be afraid, because that is how these types of people break through your barrier, so to speak. It is through fear and anger and pride. With شريعة Shariah, the law of ethical discipline, we seek knowledge and instruction for how to protect ourselves. This is the beginning of wisdom. We are brought near to divinity this way. For “those who are obedient and thus are considered sincere,” this has to do with people who are consistent in meditation, practicing each day, transmuting energy each day, sacrificing each day, annihilating the ego each day. The last level, حقيقة Haqiqah / معرفة Marifah: truth and knowledge, have to do with the saints, people who are very pious. Piety is something humble, deep, lasting, a sense of integrity which is unshaken. It is the inner character of great masters like Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Samael Aun Weor. They are the friends of God because they know the truth. They have experiences at will and therefore they are familiar with divinity. So there are levels amongst the strivers. Obviously, we are in the beginning. We learn to change what we can change here and now. In synthesis, I would like to relate how, if we are working effectively in our practices of renouncing the ego, we are learning to change each day, meaning: practice retrospection meditation as we explained previously, in the previous lecture on repentance. Learn to transmute your energies. Work effectively with mantra, prayer, pranayama, or sexual alchemy if you are married, and learn to serve others. This is how we really strive for divinity and for humanity. This is how we transform ourselves. At this point in time, I would like to open up the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Question: When doing runes, can you not move from your posture like meditation?
Instructor: That's a very good question. Now with certain runes, there are movements that one enacts like the Rune Olin, especially where you learn to transmute your energies through movement. Now, when you are performing the runes, obviously you have to move yourself into position, and like with the seven vowels, the seven runic letters, you learn to position your body in those different postures sequentially. When you make the rune, you have to hold your position while you are prolonging the vowels, such as I E O U A M S.
With that practice, you do have to move, but when you are in the position themselves―for each vowel, each letter, when you prolong them―do your best not to move, because the important thing is that while you are making the posture with your body, you are learning to focus on the vibration of energy in yourself and the circulation of those forces. The physicality or the physical posture is one thing. It is like an antenna that attracts cosmic energy. But when you are in the position, learn to focus on the force itself and the power of your prayer, your introspection.
So, these are exercises that are very useful in order to charge our body with very necessary vital forces, emotional forces, mental forces, spiritual forces. In that way, after you perform those runes or sacred vowels, you can sit and relax and enter meditation itself. The runes are very powerful for that. They give your consciousness a lot of energy so that your concentration and prayer can be very deep. When you enter those positions, do not move for each vowel, but make whatever movements you need to enter the different runic postures. This is very good for entering meditation, because as a preliminary for meditation―primarily because if your body is very agitated, if you are used to moving around a lot and you have a hard time sitting still―it is good to basically move around a little bit and perform mantras so that those energies help your body to rest, to circulate. It is a form of spiritual exercise for those who are not familiar. Question: It is so easy to give up because my monster ego seems impossible to manage. Why does everything seem so intense, every battle monumental? Instructor: It is difficult because unfortunately, statistically speaking, we are 97% ego. We have a lot of desire and as I related to that experience to you about my Divine Mother showing me my portrait and then those different verses from different scriptures, I was at first, very alarmed. I felt weak and sad and disappointed in myself and ashamed because I realized I am worrying about other people being demons and ignoring the fact that I am 97% ego. So, I felt overwhelmed too, and it is easy to want to give up. But the reality is that we have divinity inside. You have your Being, and there my Divine Mother was showing me, “You must follow the law of Muhammad”―meaning―kill your ego. It is really a battle. It is monumental because the results are incredible. If we succeed, we will become a divine angel, a being, a master, but to fail is to become a demon. There really is no other outcome in this science. This is something that Samael Aun Weor mentioned many times, and it frightens many people, but really, this is something that should give us encouragement, because the Qur’an teaches: Truly you fear the infidels? Really you should fear الله Allah, your Being, for He is more terrifying than any unbeliever. Really, in essence, your Being is more mighty than any archdemon, than any fallen initiate, than any evil creature that engages in witchcraft and manipulation and deception, and wicked things. This is not to inspire anger and hatred towards black magicians, but really to have compassion for them, because really, they only have power in hell, but really the Being has power in heaven, hell, the earth, and if we reach that point, the Absolute. Really, defeatism is a very big problem for people. We give up because we feel that we are not educated enough, or we are not capable enough. You can read about an entire chapter in The Revolution of the Dialectic by Samael Aun Weor, where he explains the ways to overcome Defeatism. The reality is that you can change and that if you have remorse and you want to change, then you can. The ego lies. That is why it is an unbeliever. Each ego commits شرك shirk in Arabic. It means to split, basically. It is to believe in many gods, many egos, many defects, many desires, but not divinity. Really, divinity is a power that is to be contended with, and when you are working in this knowledge, you will face hardship and challenges and difficulties. The solution is to meditate on the qualities of your Being, the virtues of your inner God and to remember His power, because when you see how your soul is capable of the most beautiful action, the most serene compassion, the most unfaltering courage in the face of hardship, then you will be willing to endure the worst. Obviously, it is not easy. This is why this path is taken by very few. Many Muslims pray the Fatihah, which is the most recited [Surah or] verses of the Qur’an and is the opening of that book. It is a very powerful prayer that you can recite and remember and visualize and meditate upon, because it is very inspiring. Especially if you are having challenges, you can reflect on those verses, especially. It begins with:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
…meaning, חכמה Chokmah: Christ in Kabbalah, in Christian, esoteric, Gnostic Kabbalah, and the Merciful (חֶסֶד Chesed) the spirit.
2 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds
…meaning בינה Binah: the intelligence of divinity that organizes and creates all things.
3 The Compassionate, the Merciful
…referring to again, חכמה Chokmah and חֶסֶד Chesed, but also الله Allah is כתר Kether: the supremacy of divinity, the power of divinity.
4 Master of the Day of Judgment.
…relating to גְּבוּרָה Geburah, the justice of divinity who is inside of you, your own conscience that knows right from wrong and has the power to change.
5 You do we worship and Thine aid do we seek.
…within תִּפְאֶרֶת Tiphereth, your human willpower. You concentrate within your meditations as worship, and you receive aid within your human soul through meditative experiences.
6 Guide us upon the straight path
…meaning: the middle pillar of the Tree of Life, your spinal column, أ Alif in Arabic, the straight path of the initiates, the bodhisattvas of compassionate hearts. The straight path, guide us to the straight path and guide us on the straight path…
7 the path of those whom Thou hast blessed, not of those who incur wrath, nor of those who are astray.
Meaning in נצח Netzach (mind), הוד Hod (emotions), [יסוד Yesod: sexuality] and מלכות Malkuth (the physical world).
That prayer is very powerful. It is a visualization of the entire Tree of Life, and you can remember those qualities in you, since really, divinity is in you. Therefore, what are we to fear? Divinity is more powerful than any demon. Rely on your Divine Mother. She is the one who can rectify any situation. Question: Would you be able to suggest somewhere that very clearly explains how to practice pranayama? Instructor: You can look at Kundalini Yoga by Samael Aun Weor, as well as The Yellow Book by Samael Aun Weor, especially. We gave a lecture called Breath in which we explained in this course how to practice a mantra called Ham-Sah, which is a form of pranayama as well. Any other questions? Question: Could you explain again the posture of the right hand and the use of our sword, the Kundalini? You said the left hand on the solar plexus, and I did not get how the right hand is placed. 
Instructor: When you conjure in the astral plane, you take your left hand and cover your solar plexus. This is because the left hand is receptive. We receive solar forces within our abdomen, in our left hand. The right hand projects solar energy.
If you are familiar with chains within our tradition, we receive with our left hand, by holding hands with a group of people, and our right hand is facing down, which transmits solar creative energy. The left hand is up. The right hand is down. In the same way, we protect our reservoir of solar force with our left hand over our solar plexus when we conjure, primarily because we want to rely on that storehouse of energy, because the solar plexus is a battery of psychic force. All the solar energies we accumulate from our prayers and transmutations is deposited there like a battery, as a storehouse. When you are conjuring, you are relying on that transmuted force to protect you. Your left hand on your solar plexus is utilizing and absorbing those forces so that they transmit through your left hand and arm, your shoulders, to your right arm, your right hand, and outward. The right hand has to be formed like the pentagram, the thumb, index, and middle fingers are extended. The pinky and ring finger are closed, so that those two little fingers are down, and your three primary fingers are up. In that way, you are conjuring and praying and imagining that your creative fire, your energy, is extending outward in order to defend you, to protect you. Now, there are some interesting correlations within the Muslim tradition about this. When Muslims pray in masjids, in mosques, they place their right hand over their left. They hold their wrist with their right hand, the left wrist with the right hand. That is a symbol of how the right solar forces must conquer the lunar animal mechanicity, and when we pray in that position, one is asking divinity to conquer the lower animal self. This is why in the Qur’an it is mentioned many times that the unbelievers of the left-hand path try to mislead the followers of the right-hand path, which is the initiate. For more information about that, you can study Arcanum 8: Justice in our Eternal Tarot course, the arcanum of justice. Question: When confronted with a black magician physically, how do we conjure and pray, especially when overwhelmed and forgetting ourselves? Instructor: The solution is to remember your Being. If you are overwhelmed, you are forgetting your Being. Do not identify with fear. Observe it. Look at it, and if some person is trying to steal your energy psychically, or even by touching you, personally, I keep a respectful distance from people. You know, with friends and family, I am close, but obviously with people who are practicing witchcraft, if I am aware, that I keep a safe distance, but also remember my Being, the presence of God, divinity, because if you forget that quality in yourself, you allow fear to enter. Then you can be manipulated. Therefore, the solution is to overcome fear. I recommend you study the lecture called Basics of Spiritual Defense, within the course Spiritual Self-Defense on our website. In synthesis, the best way to defend yourself against black magic is to comprehend and eliminate your ego. Strive against your defects. Do not let your ego get what it wants. Observe it. Transform it. When the impressions of life enters into you, such as a difficult situation where perhaps you are being criticized or condemned, do not let your anger dictate what you say, what you do. Transform the impression of that situation. Meaning, you see what is happening outside. You are observing the reactions internally, but you do not give your energy to your ego. You comprehend yourself in that moment [learn about the transformation of impressions in Transform Your Life in Beginning Self-Transformation]. The best weapon against any type of black magic is an awakened, clarified, intuitive state. A correct psychological state is able to unmask traitors and overcome any obstacle according to Samael Aun Weor Therefore, it is important to be balanced. You learn how to be balanced by meditating on those experiences in your day, in which you felt particularly weak. Imagine those situations. Visualize them. Remember them in sequence and reflect on those egos that you saw in yourself in those moments and how you were tested or tried. Ask for comprehension. Pray. “You do we worship”―concentrate on your Being and ask for insight― “and Thine aid do we seek,” meaning the intuition, the comprehension, the wisdom. Any other questions? I thank you all for coming! 
Anyone who approaches meditation or genuine religion feels deep unrest, inquietudes in the heart. This often emerges in the form of tremendous longings, even intense anxiety, profound remorse, dread, or a pervasive dissatisfaction with the daily state of life.
Many of us, when seeking Gnosis, have experienced incredible psychological suffering, moral pain, perhaps from a trauma, a grievous mistake, wrong behaviors from a wayward, earlier life. After we have suffered the maximum, we look for answers beyond the superficial conventionalities of modern science, politics, religion, education, etc., which, if we are honest, do absolutely nothing but offer blind panaceas to very specific psychological afflictions. To confront the source of our deepest sufferings―the conditioning of our minds that we have engendered through mistakes, through wrong action―usually this produces a cataclysm, a moral crisis. If we are honest, we realize that we are the progenitors of our own affliction. We are merely following the trajectory of our wrong behaviors. We ourselves, in our deepest root, have created the situations we are in now, without exception, even if we are not aware fully how. To recognize this fact, that our afflicted and conditioned mind, our states of suffering―whether it be through pride, anger, lust, greed, vengeance, vanity, arrogance, morbidity, pessimism, despair―these are self-created, and these are the source of profound spiritual pain, which is the remorse of our conscience, our consciousness in recognition of its own responsibility, its culpability. When we perceive that our hatred, our desires, the deceptions we weave for ourselves and for others, the way we manipulate situations, our defects, our vices, our ego, are completely antithetical to divine law, we suffer incredibly. When we see the path to heaven, we realize it is extremely difficult. It has nothing to do with what fanatic or dogmatic persons believe. Beliefs really have nothing to do with change. We can think and adhere to any theology, any scripture, any doctrine with our intellect, with our emotions, but if they are not fulfilled in action, if there is no practical basis by which to change, then really it is fruitless. In our studies, we have to renounce all types of superfluous activities, ideologies. Those who really perceive in themselves their own aggregates, their own nafs, their own defects, realize they have a tremendous work to do. We understand from experience how very few succeed in religion, in yoga, since it is “the straight and narrow gate that leads to life,” but which “few find” (Matthew 7:14). When the reality of our situation is examined carefully, when we really look, when we sincerely introspect into our own psyche and try not to blame our situation, our government, our teachers, our school systems, we witness a collapse in the foundations of a false identity within ourselves. Such an act is like a demolition. It is the destruction of a very much well-cherished building, one in which we spent our entire beloved childhood in existence. In this metaphor, we have worshiped our surroundings with fidelity, our beliefs about spirituality, about religion, about politics, about identity, about the world. When we see that our most venerated beliefs have nothing to do with reality, we naturally undergo a very necessary crisis. Samael Aun Weor stated that if the water does not boil at a hundred degrees celsius, then we cannot disintegrate what must be disintegrated. If we do not remove poor foundations, if we do not seek to comprehend ourselves through observable, repeatable, scientific facts, then in reality, we will live in a house of filth, a cage of perdition, smothered by a secret ugliness that we do not even want to recognize in ourselves, even when our exterior is ornamented with deceptive beauty. Our interior life is what matters, not our appearances. We can appear as gentlemen or ladies of distinction in society, yet if our mind is afflicted with wrath, with pessimism, filled with doubt, contorted with extortion, warped by lies, egotistical states, then we will be what we are. As Samael Aun Weor stated, so long as the ego exists in ourselves, we will be an abomination that should not exist, because in our depths, beneath the respectable persona, the flattering gestures, the words of light within our lumisials, our Gnostic schools, deep down we carry all the abominations of the wars, the tragedies of every conflict, in every conflagration, every Holocaust. We have to remove false foundations, beliefs without evidence, and many of the self-deceptions that we teach and propagate amongst our families and amongst ourselves are within, in relation to who we are. This is a form of a cataclysm, a revelation. That book in the New Testament, Revelations, is about apocalyptic crises, which are not only external, but internal, as we work to really take responsibility for our own faults and not to run away. 
It is only through this type of internal work that we can really build a foundation that is true, our real spiritual identity, which is symbolized by the Phoenix being consumed within its own flame, so that it rises with glory from its ashes.
This is why, according to the Sufis, repentance is the first state and station of the path. The present moment, breathing exercises, sexual transmutation, mantras, sacred rites of rejuvenation, contraction and expansion, presence and continuity of attention, awareness―all of this lead us towards the actualization of repentance. People look at this term repentance with a lot of disdain, as if it is a moral code, a subjective, imposing law that has nothing to do with the cultivation of one's happiness, because in our society we like to gratify our desires, to get what we want, to glorify the ego, failing to realize that it is this desire that is the origin of all pain. Repentance is not a belief. It is a psychological attitude of the consciousness. When we really recognize that we are at fault, that we have committed a wrong, we feel the pangs of conscience and we deeply yearn to turn to the Being, to receive help, because really, we are helpless if we do not have that connection with our inner God. Repentance is something very profound and beautiful. It is the acknowledgement of one's own culpability and responsibility. It is not a means of punishment. It is the means by which we really enter the Mysteries. Can somebody who is arrogant, proud, boastful, manipulative, haughty, deceptive, enter heaven? For as Jesus taught in the Gospels that: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. ―Matthew 19:24
It is a symbol. Humility is a virtue, to not take a self-aggrandizing position at anything, always promoting our own self above others, even if it means humiliating others, shaming others, so that we can feel exalted. This type of mentality is wrong. It produces a lot of problems. We need to recognize when we are at fault, and this is the basis of, really, every meditative tradition: to be sincere, to look at the facts, to take responsibility and to change our situation, to not repeat our own ideas about what the situation is like and that “Everybody else is guilty and that I am a saint,” we say.
People do not see us the way we see ourselves, and really we need to learn to see the viewpoints of others, because we are very subjective. If you have been studying the sequence of this course, the different dynamics of consciousness, you will realize through the practices, we have taught, that we are very asleep. We don't really see reality, and because we project our mind onto existence, we misinterpret situations and create problems. We live in lies. That identity we boast of as a kind, charitable, noble person, we really have to analyze this mental construct that we always present to others, even if secretly, and to be honest, to have truth in our interrelations in every aspect of life. What could be more horrible than to have cancer, and for the doctor to tell you that you are fine, to not tell you the truth? The reality is that we are afflicted with spiritual disease, and only divinity can heal us. This is reference in every single allegory or story within the Old Testament, the New Testament, and many of the Sufi stories, within the diverse religious traditions. The soul is sick with pain, with affliction, with conditions of mind. Divinity has always been terribly honest about the reality of our situation and humanity, but because people do not like to look at the truth of themselves, they adulterate their traditions. It is the invention of modern people to think that we will all go to heaven, so long as we attend a specific group and pay our fees. The reality is that people are not interested in real religion, only with wealth and power. If the teachings do not help the institution to get more followers, more money, more resources, then basically those teachings become inflated with theories: “the bread and leaven of the Pharisees” mentioned by Jesus (Matthew 16:6), who take the spiritual doctrine and change it because it is not palatable to the public. Real religion requires the renunciation and repentance of everything that is wrong. It means to recognize our own faults, to have the willingness to change them, and to enact the practical actions that remove those mistakes. If religion is missing any one of these dynamics, then it is deficient. It is not complete. Many religions dogmatically assert the need for repentance and the need for change, and this is very beautiful and necessary, but unfortunately many schools have lost the methods by which to do so. People don't know how to change. They are told you need to repent, be a good person, belong to this group, help humanity, perform services, and yet we continue to suffer. So we are going to explain some techniques in this lecture about how to really change, what repentance is, what does it practically look like, and how do we know that we are sincere. In reality, to learn this method, we have to be very willing to break, to shatter, to take all of those conceptions, those beloved cherished ideals about who we think we are, and put it aside. Anyone who enters the highest mysteries of religion, whether through meditative experiences, astral projections, jinn experiences, samadhis, ecstasies, entering the highest aspects of the Tree of Life, they do so because they have a radical honesty, and have really abandoned any belief about what they think they are, but simply to have the courage to look, to examine, to see what we have in abundance and to perceive what we lack. Rumi taught at best about what we need if we want to enter this meditative tradition: My heart had been torn to pieces looking for help. When I understood that helplessness is the only help, I repented helplessly. ―Rumi
Only divinity can heal us. But this is not through belief, through adopting an external behavior, a code of thinking, and of behaving in a social circumstance or environment. It has to do instead with our own psychological relationship to ourselves, to others, and to divinity.
The Door of Repentance
All traditions are unanimous on one point. To perfect the soul, to enter genuine experiences within all mystical traditions, we must have remorse for our errors.
Again, this is the term that people don't like. It is very difficult for the modern mind, our contemporary culture, to accept or understand, because we are a civilization that is based on the gratification of desires. We really live in an unprecedented time in which we have available to us the knowledge, the wisdom that can liberate consciousness. There is access to scriptures and teachings that have been closed for millennia. Humanity has a beautiful gift. We are in the age of information, but sadly we are also in an era of misinformation. Because people are so filled with desire, they merely want to get what they want because they want it and they will fight tooth and nail to gratify themselves, and this is why you have many teachings and books and lectures and scriptures or ideologies that interpret these scriptures in accordance with specific idiosyncrasies. But sadly the majority, the vast majority, is tainted with desire. People think that because we live only once, we should get as much of what we desire before we die, no matter if we walk upon and hurt, destroy others, because we think there is no point to existence. We live in an existential crisis, the absurdity of life, and because there is no moral compass, we think and feel and do what we want without caring for the harmony of our communities, of our relationships. We are in a world based on ignorance. Our governments, our laws, our entertainment industries, advertisements, education, and politics have absolutely no comprehension about how desire is the root of suffering. People simply want things, and because we want what we want, we fight, we lie, we cheat, we steal, and we kill. There is no integrity left. The fragrance or perfume of sincerity within modern man has been snuffed out. Simply look at humanity to verify what I am saying. We are not in a golden age. A golden age cannot emerge from people who do not have any humility or understanding, when our TV shows and our doctrines are based on violence, extortion, rape, murder, lies. This is all desire. This is ego, نَفْس nafs, nafas in Arabic. We have built entire societies on desire. Look at the Greeks, the Romans, many thriving empires which must eventually collapse because of the ego, because its people no longer enact or follow the laws of divinity, the laws of divine nature. If society is corrupt, it's because the individual is corrupt. The individual is an extension of society and vice versa. True change occurs when we confront, eliminate conditioning from our psyche. However, to do this the individual must want to change. If people don't feel desperate, remorseful, or long to really experience life in a new way, then they will never make the effort to look inside of themselves for the answers, to see themselves for who they truly are. So why explain repentance within this course? Meditation and transformation begin with sincerity. It is sustained by honesty and is perfected with integrity: how we relate to ourselves and to humanity, to honestly confront ourselves and to observe the causes of suffering from within. When we work with self-observation, we gather data. We observe the different selves, the egos, the desires, the nafs within our interior. We perceive that our consciousness, the majority of it, is trapped within ego, within conditions of mind. We perceive from experience that we are a multiplicity. We lack integrity. We are not a unity. We have to understand that we are a multiplicity of selves, which in many different traditions have different names: aggregates, kleshas, veils, observations, egos, nafs, fragments of our psychology, our I's, our defects. If we long to achieve integrity, we need to free the consciousness from conditions. We need to integrate the soul that is split in so many different identities and conflicting and competing desires. This is the real work of religion. It has nothing to do with attending a mosque, a church, a synagogue. It is about freeing our soul from the psychological states of affliction. To reunite with the Being, the consciousness must be liberated. It has to be free, and this is what every scripture and religion and mystical tradition and story and allegory teach. Those scriptures don't teach about a literal history, such as with the Qur’an. There are historical facts that correlate to the events in the life of the Prophet Muhammad, but the battles that he underwent to defend his life from the black magicians of Arabia are a representation of the war we go inside of ourselves to wage for the redemption of psyche, for the liberation of Israel: those parts of our soul that belong to God that are trapped here in Egypt, in suffering, in מצרים Mitzraim. So how do we liberate consciousness? We have to see each ego in action. We have to comprehend them, and then we must annihilate them through prayer. But this is a long process, a very difficult one, a very painful one. When we perceive that we created our defects, the monsters of envy, bloodshed, murder, lust, sadomasochism, desire, we feel profound spiritual pain. This type of pain is not the pain of the ego, and we wish to make a very clear distinction about this. The ego suffers because it doesn't get what it wants. It is a type of suffering in desire, but there is a type of conscience and remorse, a different type of pain in the heart that is experienced by the soul. It is a superior sentiment. It is a conscious expression of superior emotion. It is the repentance of the soul when it acknowledges its errors for the mistake of having created egos, I's, selves. When we perceive that we are the origin of anger, that we created this defect that makes our spouse suffer, our family suffer, our co-workers suffer, we feel pain. We don't want to continue making others suffer, if we are really seeking to change and to help humanity. So that type of conflict is necessary. Even Nietzsche said it in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, “For truly, how can one create something from within themselves if there was no chaos? Only those who have chaos in themselves shall give birth to a dancing star”―the divine. That chaos is when we are really sifting for the mind to examine the root origin of every defect that creates problems for us, and practically, daily, working on them. Without this radical zero basis, without seeing the ego in action and feeling remorse for having created it, we cannot enter the mysteries. For as Samael Aun Weor states in Igneous Rose: All the doors are closed to the unworthy, except the door of repentance. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
…which, is paralleled in Al-Baqarah Surah 2 verse 45:
Seek help in patience and prayer, and this is indeed difficult except for the humble. ―Al-Baqarah 45 
Qur’anic Verses on Repentance
I especially love the Qur’an, because it is a profound teaching. It expresses principles of meditation, but it takes an educated and experiential eye to really interpret what this doctrine unveils. This book is misunderstood, because like any religious scripture, people read literally, without knowing esoteric symbolism such as alchemy, kabbalah, and psychology.
Oftentimes the Qur’an is feared as a severe judgment of a tyrannical God, a foreign God that displeases people. Humanity does not want to recognize, however, that there exist immutable, divine laws. When we follow them, we experience joy, limitless happiness, contentment. When break them, when we break these laws, we transgress against the law of our own conscience, and therefore we suffer. This is the basis of the Qur’an. The beauty of Sufism and Islam is that no matter how degenerated we are and have become, divinity offers mercy and redemption: the transformation of our states and the elimination of the ego, when we have worked towards it and earned it. There really is no victory without divinity. Our spiritual work is achieved through the help of divinity inside, through experiences, through cognizance of His presence, through contraction and expansion, through continuity of attention, through awareness, through vigilance in daily life. Here are some verses that are related by a Sufi initiate, a female master by the name of Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah, from her book The Principles of Sufism, not to be confused with Al-Qushayri's text with the same title. God the Exalted has said, "Turn to God, together, O believers, that you might be successful." ―Aishah al-Ba’uniyyah, The Principles of Sufism
So when the Qur’an speaks of the believers, it is important to remember the term being used.
A believer is المؤمن al-Mu’min. Believers (plural) is المؤمنين al-Mu'minun. Mu’min in Arabic reminds us of “water” or مائي mayiy, “aqueous.” ماء Ma’an or מים Mayim, even in Hebrew you find the same etymology and meaning. We know in our studies of Gnosis that we work with the sexual creative waters, the energies of our body, in order to create the Spirit inside, to create a dynamic, Genesiatic, encompassing and empowering force that gives strength to virtue. That energy, which can create a physical child, is the same energy that can create the soul. Therefore, a real believer knows how “to be” through the power and science of “love,” (be-lieve and this love is sexual, without exception, the sexual energy―to take these waters of life, to conserve, and to elevate them through spiritual discipline. This is how we turn to God, and if you have studied the Qur’an or many other scriptures, they always state that chastity is the foundation of real growth. We'll explain what chastity is for those who are not familiar. But here, I like to relate and continue with these verses. The Exalted has said, "Seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance," and the Exalted has said, "O you who believe, turn to God with sincere repentance!" The Exalted has said, "And those who do not turn in repentance, they are the transgressors!" and the Exalted has said, "Truly God loves those who turn in repentance, and He loves those who purify themselves." There are similar sayings in the noble verses of the Qur’an. ―Aishah al-Ba’uniyyah, The Principles of Sufism
So repentance, توبة tawbah, has very profound meanings in Arabic. Al-Qushayri and Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah relate some very beautiful teachings about this, about what this term means, practically speaking. Aishah states the following:
According to the lexicons, tawbah means "to return." Taba, aba, and annaba all have one meaning, which is "return." Thaba is similar: people say, "The milk has returned (thaba) to the udder.” ―Aishah al-Ba’uniyyah, The Principles of Sufism
In Gnosis, we teach that the foundation of real repentance is sexual. You'll find that if you have studied the writings of Samael Aun Weor extensively, he elaborates the teachings of alchemy: of transforming the sexual act into a sacrament; of elevating creative energy, whether we are single or married, single or in a relationship, so that that conserved and sublimated force, that transmuted energy, creates something inside. He teaches that chastity is the foundation of real development, and that without it, there is no change. The Qur’an, as you'll see and many other Sufis, elaborate the same points. So this is not just one teaching from one man. It is a universal doctrine expressed within the secret code and the languages of the different traditions of the world. Here, we are explaining it in accordance with Sufism and Islam.
What does it mean that “the milk has returned to the udder?” If you look at the substance of milk, it is white and it is similar to semen. It is the sexual matter. Milk is from, obviously, a cow, and if you studied Islam, you find that they place special emphasis on the longest surah of the Qur’an known as البقرة al-Baqarah. It is “The Heifer,” “The Cow,” which is attributed to a specific verse in which the limb of a cow can be used to resurrect a person from the dead. Now, this is not a literal statement, which some people or actually many people believe, but instead refers to the power of the divine feminine.
The sacred cow is known amongst many religions as a symbol of the divine eternal feminine power known as Devi Kundalini. The Sufis refer it as al-Baqarah, but also الْبُرَاق al-Buraq, a mystical creature that helped Muhammad ascend the seven heavens, who has the face of a woman, the body of a mule or horse, the wings of an eagle, the tail of a peacock. Buraq means “lightning.” It is the creative energetic potential of our sexuality that can rise within our spinal column and open many abilities inside of ourselves.
It is the light, the vajra of the great Buddhist initiates, the teachings of Vajrayana, Tantrayana in Tibetan Buddhism, or Alchemy in the West, or better said the Middle East, but also the Western Esoteric Traditions as well. There are many interrelations here that are very beautiful to study, but here I like to synthesize just in relation to some verses from the Sufis. Milk is a substance that nourishes children, and we are children of the divine feminine. Now, in Islam, they, in the public exoteric doctrine, reject any femininity within divinity and this is something incongruent with the interpretations of that tradition, which we abandon in Gnosis. Instead, we look at the symbols that the ascension of the Prophet teach. Muhammed returned to God riding on Al-Buraq, a symbol of the divine feminine power known as amongst the Kabbalists as Shekhinah. 
He was meditating at the stone of Mecca, meditating profoundly and falling asleep, and that stone is a symbol, of again, Yesod, the vital energies as you see in this glyph of the Tree of Life on the left. Yesod is known as the stone of the Masons. It is the foundation of our spiritual temple. יסוד Yesod in Hebrew literally means “foundation.” It is the sexual energy. It is the basis upon which we experience all the heavens of the Tree of Life, as Muhammad did in his famous al-Miraj, the Ascension, where he was able to experience many beautiful things and receive teachings from the great masters of divinity: the angels, the prophets, the buddhas, whatever names you wish to give to those intelligences that know the Being, Allah.
So, notice that this Tree of Life has ten spheres. If you count from the top to the bottom, Yesod is the ninth―the ninth sephirah or sphere or emanation, from that gradual descent of forces from heaven, down to materiality, from the more subtle levels of nature, to the most dense. We are in מלכות Malkuth, which is the physical body, which is the storehouse of all the vital forces and spiritual forces that emanate from above, from the heavens, الجنة al-janna. It is interesting that there is a surah in the Qur’an called al-Tawbah, “The Return” or “Repentance.” It is the ninth surah of the Qur’an. It is a direct reference to how we work with sexual energy. It is a very controversial surah because, primarily, it is a disassociation from the unbelievers. And who are those unbelievers? It does not refer to people who do not follow Islam exoterically, publicly. The word for disbeliever or unbeliever, infidel, the unfaithful ones, is الكافرون Al-Kafirun. It is interesting that there is a surah in the Qur’an known as الكهف Al-Kahf, which is “The Cave.” What is a كافر kafir, an unbeliever? It is an ego, a defect, a desire, because our egos and desires do not want to follow God, to not want to change. They want to continue behaving in the ways that we have always fulfilled, without any type of remorse or sincerity. That holy war mentioned in the Qur’an is about fighting the ego, and there are many Hadith and different references within the tradition that explain that. But in synthesis, our defects relate, our egos relate to what are known as the inferior dimensions on this Tree of Life, which are beneath Malkuth. Notice that there is a shadow, again, nine spheres below beneath this physical world, Malkuth in Hebrew, the “Kingdom.” Those dimensions relate to the interior of the Earth and our egos belong there, to the hell realms, to the infra-consciousness of nature, to the inferior worlds. Now what are الكافرون Al-Kafirun? Literally, you have here كهف Kahf, cave―our egos and defects dwell on the caves of our mind, but also within those different dimensions that are not separate from us, but are here and now, because we have thoughts, we have feelings, and we have impulses. They are not physical. They are psychological, but they have a type of dimensionality and experience in reality that is not physical, but it is a form of matter and energy, nonetheless. We can experience those states more clearly through dream yoga, astral projection, awakening in dreams, which is very well documented within the Qur’an and many traditions. So it is interesting, even in myths like The Thousand and One Nights, the teachings of Aladdin, الله دين Allah-Din. دين Din in Arabic is “religion, judgment.” It has to do with our conscious discrimination and judgment of ourselves. It is the judgment of God, which is a psychological and spiritual state. It is repentance, and remember that in the myth of Ali Baba, we find that the great hero must stop the thieves from stealing the gold. Those are the parts of our soul that are trapped in suffering, in error, in conditions. We return to God by going against our ego, by turning away from our negative actions and mental states, and turning to God. This is tawbah. But also, we really return to divinity when we transmute our sexual energy, when we conserve the creative force and not waste it at all. “The milk never leaves the udder,” so to speak, because that energy is the source of real creative potential. It is Yesod. It is the foundation. It is the ninth sephirah and also the basis of the ninth surah of the Qur’an. So in the Qur’an is a great conflict that occurs between Muhammad and the unbelievers, a symbol of our psychological work: how we confront ourselves, how we repent. 
That surah does not begin with:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim “In the Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful.” That opening begins with every surah of the Qur’an except the ninth, because it is not guaranteed that we will be successful relating to the ninth sephirah, the work with sexuality, because it is very difficult. Anyone who has worked in this science, has studied Gnosis for some time, understands that it is very difficult to change, especially sexual behavior. But that is the basis of repentance. It is the foundation of change. Our sexual actions determine everything, because our behaviors of a sexual type have the most lasting impact, and if you don't believe me, simply ask or talk to a person who suffered childhood trauma. Speak to a person who has been raped, abused, violated. Or, on the other side, talk with people who are happily married, meaning: in a cooperative, fulfilling, deep, compassionate relationship, a conscious relationship. A wide spectrum―but we are being synthetic here just to reference how that energy is the source of repentance. It is the source of return. It is the first state and station of the path, and we have many teachings that explain how to work with creative energy. We will give you references if you ask. But in synthesis, according to Al-Qushayri, in his Principles of Sufism: Tawbah, repentance, is the first station for spiritual travelers and the first stage of development in seekers. The root meaning of tawbah in the Arabic language is "return"―its associated verb, taba, is used to mean "to come back." So repentance is the return from what is blameworthy in the divine law to what is praiseworthy in it. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
The most blameworthy quality is lust, without exception. It is the origin of many problems, of divorce rates, of marital conflict, and we know from Freud that sexuality is the basis, the machinery by which society operates. It is the most powerful energy in existence.
Even in the Qur’an, it gives two names to this force as representations of divinity, names of God: الخليق Al-Khaliq, “the Creator,” and الودود Al-Wadud, “the Loving.” Where else do we find the power to create through love than in sex? The Qur’an speaks many times about how “We created you from a sperm-drop.” Physically, yes, there is that relationship there, but psychologically and spiritually, the true human being is made from that very same force, but with different procedures. All traditions teach that desire is the origin of all pain, and that chastity, sexual purity, is the origin of all happiness. Chasity does not mean abstention from sex. It means purity in sex. The Qur’an always speaks about the need to be purified as an act of remembrance of God. That means that we learn to take that energy and redirect it from its casual, usual implementation, what people commonly believe in or think sex is. As the Qur’an teaches in surah 4 verse 27: Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. ―Qur’an 4:27
So, many people approach religion and want to repent, to receive God, to know divinity, and yet, they follow their passions, their desires, and this is the opposite of religion. What is the ultimate desire but sexuality, gratification of sexual sensations and pleasure? It is irrefutable. It is undeniable. We can say that lust is the greatest deviation. It is the culmination of the orgasm. All religions teach, the Qur’an teaches that, one must be chaste, and if you have studied Samael Aun Weor's writings, you know this is very obvious. Without chastity, there is no religion. This is how we return to divinity, and we are going to elaborate and explain how.
Three Constituents of Repentance
Of course, when people hear of repentance, we have to understand that there are levels. As Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah states:
Outward repentance is the return from blameworthy actions to praiseworthy ones and from foul words to righteous ones. ―Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah: The Principles of Sufism
At a basic level, some people really struggle with foul language―swearing, vulgarities, inappropriate behavior. Repentance in the beginning can relate to controlling our tongue from not saying those wrong things that create problems.
Likewise, we perform outward repentance when we practice chastity. It means to not engage in lust or sexual misconduct. If you have read the writings of the Sufis, especially Al-Hujwiri's Revelation of the Mystery and Al-Qushayri's writings from The Principles of Sufism, they explain very clearly that lust is the opposite of the Sufis’ intentions to return to divinity. It is repeatedly stated. Desire comes from nafs, egos, שטן Shaitan in Hebrew, or which is where we get the word Satan, the devil, desire, egos. So our repentance in the beginning of Gnosis and entering the spiritual teachings is that we learn the value of sexual energy, and how sexual misconduct is the origin of many problems, such a sleeping around, committing adultery, and very commonly, watching pornography, ingesting intoxicants, engaging in masturbation, and other behaviors that are stipulated against in pretty much every meditative tradition, because these behaviors condition consciousness. If we feed desire, we make it stronger. Desire in strict language is ego, without exception, although the Sufis do have a bit of range and interpretation of desire for God, longing for God. It is better if we say that, because what people think of desire really is conditions of mind, aggregates, faults. This is the basis of Sufism and Islam, Gnosis, every tradition. It is ethics. We know from traditions that there are behaviors to avoid and behaviors to enact. This is the foundation for entering meditation. So in the beginning, we learn to curtail these faults. But why? We avoid intoxicants and drugs because we don't want to condition the consciousness. Feeding desire through those elements stimulates desire and strengthens it. The natural state of meditation is a quality of free, liberated consciousness, and therefore, we do not need to engage in substances to experience the natural state of awakening. They are completely contrary, which is why we are very strict purists in this tradition regarding that. Likewise with any act of masturbation, or lust or desire. The more you feed lust, the more it grows. The stronger it becomes, and this is a primary fault that we work against, because expelling the creative energies depletes one of the capacity for awakening our spiritual potential, our divine intelligence. There are forces in that matter itself, as we said, that are very creative. It can empower our genius, and if it is wasted, it can deplete our psyche of vital forces that are very necessary. So this is the foundation. Outward repentance involves that: avoiding wrong behaviors, adopting praiseworthy behaviors, but more importantly, there is a deeper issue here, which Aishah al-Ba’uniyyah explains: Inner repentance with which the Sufi folk are concerned, is to turn away from all things and towards God, mighty and glorious. ―Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah: The Principles of Sufism
So there has been a lot of controversy regarding the Sufis, whether or not they obey the exoteric divine law within the Muslim tradition. The reality is that a sincere practitioner of any meditative tradition obeys both external codes and the inner reality, the inner work of those traditions.
So physically, we can turn away from pornography and lust, from drugs, from alcohol, from mistaken behaviors, but now the real work begins: perceiving and removing the desires for those behaviors, for those actions. Many people struggle. They abandon lust and temptations externally, but in their dreams, in their mind, in their daily life, they can see how lust permeates everything. The “I” touches the senses, everything. So the internal work is a long process, but it begins by first renouncing external problems, external behaviors that condition us. This master also relates how: Repentance is not valid without three things: remorse for sin, abstention from it, and the resolution not to return to it. When one of these conditions is not met, repentance is not valid. This is the rule for repentance for sin between the servant and his Lord. ―Aishah al-Ba'uniyyah: The Principles of Sufism
So in reality, we must feel remorse, but what is it? It is different from morbidity and shame, from feeling pessimistic and doubtful―flagellating ourselves that we are bad people. That is not remorse.
Shame is an ego, a defect, that we have to comprehend and eliminate. Shame is inverted pride: a sense of self that feels that it is not worthy and that is a sense of identity that is inferior, that must be seen, comprehended in its nuances, and eliminated. Remorse is different. It is the power of the soul that really ennobles our deepest sentiment for change. It is comprehension. It is the longing for acquiring wisdom in life. So many people and humanity really don't have that. They have no remorse. Simply look at the news. People are rarely feeling sorry for wrong behaviors anymore. People who do not feel sorry for their mistakes are very far from the law. 
Therefore, they must work, according to Samael Aun Weor, with the Rune Rita, and if you study the Nordic yoga, the Nordic runes, the practices of energy and mantra from the book The Magic of the Runes, one can work with the Rune Rita to empower judgment, internal conscience, so that one has a deeper connection with divine law. One can work more effectively.
Abstention means to no longer enact those behaviors rooted in desire, and this is often where people get stuck. We feel remorse, but do not act ethically in situations and temptations when desires emerge. For example, many people we have spoken with suffer with masturbation. People are really inspired by these teachings, by the concept of chastity, by the beauty of how these ideas add up, how sexual purity is the origin of the greatest virtues in humanity, in the human being, how meditation unfolds the strength of the soul, how self-realization is mapped in its very intricate explanations and diagrams of Kabbalah. All this is very beautiful and inspiring. However, when it comes to the facts of daily life, many people go back and forth, vacillating between lust and spirituality, and this is because they cannot renounce their desires. 
Some of you may be familiar with the myth of Sisyphus, about a man who carries a stone up a hill, a difficult precipice, and when he reaches the top, lets the stone drop against the bottom, only to repeat the same struggle again with more difficulty. Some people have interpreted that as a metaphor for the modern man, such as with Albert Camus and his existentialist philosophy.
In a psychological and sexual sense, this has to do with working with the stone of sexual energy, carrying Yesod up the mountain, the spinal column, but then when reaching the top after practicing chastity for a time, renouncing chastity and engaging in those sexual behaviors that result in the loss of that force, and so the stone drops in the mud again. There are many people who vacillate like that. They go back and forth. They practice sexual transmutation for a time. They renege. They go backwards, and then they try again and they fail. They try again and they fail, and of course, this type of behavior produces very sour people, a morbid atmosphere. 
This type of mentality is represented by Judas Iscariot. Judas is an apostle who betrays Christ, a spiritual fornicator. While loving Christ, he loves desire more, and this is the reality for many people, and we don't say this out of judgment for people who are struggling. In fact, we are relating these principles because we want to help. People who masturbate or engage in wrong behaviors should really contemplate the beauty of the soul. Lustful people should contemplate the beauty of chastity.
Take a flower, a rose, an orchid, and examine its petals. Meditate on that plant. Look at the beauty of its aura, its fragrance, its symmetry, its texture, its expansiveness, its purity. That is a representation of chastity―but at the level of a plant. It is very primordial, basic.
In a human being, chastity is much more. It is the virtues and qualities of beings like Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, the prophets, Samael Aun Weor. Those are powerful virtues, powerful beautiful elements that we have inside, and if we struggle with lust and temptations and desires, reflect on that beautiful nature that is in you. Contemplate: What is the beauty of chastity? What is the strength of it? What are its qualities? What are its principles? Examine how purity, sexually speaking, is the origin of everything else: the empowerment of the soul, the sword and shield of righteous action. Meditate on those qualities. Examine them. Look at the reality of it in yourself, how better you feel when following this law. It is a law of nature. There is animal nature and there is human nature, as we have been explaining. Animals follow mechanical law, and if we follow mechanicity, we suffer. The divine law, شريعة Shariah, is precisely sexual purity. It is how worlds, how galaxies, how stars are organized. It is the force of love that originates gravity, chemistry, heat. Everything in the universe is the result of that creative potential at the level of divinity. We have that potential inside, but it is a spark that needs to be developed, and so, we have to realize that it is not necessary to suffer anymore. The reality is that if people engage in lustful behaviors, it is because they choose to do so. They don't really comprehend in the moment how it will bring them pain. Suffering is really a choice, in many cases. Liberation is a choice. So we have to really evaluate what it is that we want. If we really comprehend how lust is harmful, then we will develop the resolution not to go back to it, and this is not a matter of following other people's rules, that it is something that is stated in Gnosis or in Islam or Sufism, in Buddhism and Jainism, in Judaism. We don't do this because other people say it's good, but because it has a practical result upon our psyche. It is a lifestyle. It is a conscious way of living with more health or happiness, more integrity, more compassion. We do it because it makes us happy, not because it is repressive or stale or boring. We have to really evaluate what we want. There is a scientific basis to chastity, and really there have been some studies, scientifically speaking, that are just now promoting and explaining the power of this energy: of how purity is the origin of genius. But we have to really evaluate, again, what we want most of all for ourselves, because everything is a choice. Just as we examine the virtues of the soul in relation to chastity, in relation to lust, you follow the same procedure for every vice. If there is a problem with anger, we have to contemplate serenity. A problem with greed, visualize and imagine the power of altruism and philanthropy. If we suffer with laziness, examine what diligence is. Look at the opposite. Don't just contemplate the negative, because if you do so at the exclusion of anything positive or real in yourself, you will become very sour, as I said. Learn to contemplate virtues and their practical application to your life. That is how we really build confidence, and this is the essence of sincerity. 
Sincerity of the Heart
As we stated, there are laws within meditation. To experience the state of meditation, it is necessary to have remorse for mistakes and to recognize our conditioned states.
Evaluation comes first. We have to see it in action and have the intention to want to change, to even want to look. The psychological work cannot begin if we don't learn to observe ourselves, if we don't recognize wrong psychological states, and if we don't work to eliminate them. Al-Qushayri states: From an analytical perspective, repentance has causes, degrees, and parts. First comes the heart’s awakening from the sleep of heedlessness and the servant’s recognizing his negative condition. He will attain to this if he manages to pay attention to the reprimands of God, the Truth within him, by listening to his heart. This is found in the hadith, "God’s counselor is in the heart of every Muslim," and in the hadith, "There is a piece of flesh in the body: if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. It is the heart.” ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
People often complain that they don't know God, that they don't have experiences, that they don't know the Being, the will of divinity, and this is somewhat mistaken. The reality is: what does our heart tell us in relation to a problem, a relationship, a conflict? What does intuition say? That knowledge in the heart that does not have any intellectual basis, except knowing that one knows, and if we follow our heart, our inner judgment about a situation, the more we feed that discriminative analysis, our conscience, we deepen our connection.
Divinity speaks through the heart, not the head. There are some powers and siddhis mentioned by the yogis that one can develop in the mind as a result of this science, but really, everything is gravitating around the heart. The heart is the solar system of one's very being. If we want to know the health of our heart, our level of being, we begin with sincerity―really examining a mathematical point in our interior. It is not found in the past, reminiscing, not found in day dreaming about the future, but being here and now. 
Self-reflection and Resolution
Recognition of our errors is the beginning of meditation, comprehending ourselves. Meditation has very distinct phases and there are three which we study in books like Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology by Samael Aun Weor:
Self-observation
Self-observation we have explained abundantly. We gather data by looking at ourselves, looking at the facts. What are the different thoughts, the different feelings, the different impulses in our daily states, moment by moment?
This is vigilance. This is awareness. This is mindfulness, presence. We learn not to be absent. We have to look at ourselves as if we have never seen ourselves before. We may know that we are angry, but the fact is: are we observing that anger? Where did it come from? What are its thoughts? How does it feed? What does it relate to? What are the different selves or egos that accompany it? Because no deep defect or ego emerges on its own. We can have a difficult situation at work: someone criticizes us, and then if we are observing ourselves, we can see distinct feelings of hurt self-esteem, followed by pride, and the anger of retaliation. In a moment, we can catch, through alert novelty, the different interchanges and exchanges of those defects, how they connect, the thread of comprehension that helps us understand the relationship between them. We have to learn and see this in ourselves. Analyze the three brains: the intellect, the emotions, and our actions―our movements, our instincts, our sexual drives. Self-observation in Sufism is muhasabah, inner accounting. Gather information. If you want to go to war against a spy or an enemy, you have to observe the spy in action. Look at it. See it. Get data, so that when you go home to meditate, you can judge it effectively. So, based on your data that you have received in your observation throughout the day, you learn to close your eyes. Withdraw the senses. Go within yourself. Ignore the body. You can work with breath or energy work, mantras, to help calm the mind and the heart, as well as your physicality. Concentrate and imagine the scenes of your day. Review them. Remember them. Pick an event in which you saw different egos emerge. Look at the facts. See it for what it is, and in the silence of your contemplation, study each ego. Study what you observed. Look at it clearly, and if you feel remorse and repentance while you are observing it, that is a good sign, because you are deepening your prayer and your supplication for help. Judgment
Judgment occurs once you have looked at the facts. Do not think about what you saw. Simply observe. Comprehension unfolds as you direct your concentration and your visualization upon the scene.
Look at it. Look at the data. This is not an intellectual process. It is a discrimination of the heart. This is something that you learn only through experience, through practice. When you have truly judged an ego, when you really understood how it emerged, what it fed upon, what it relates to, how it wasted your energy, how it creates problems, where it came from, etc., you can proceed to judge that ego. It is like judging a spy in court. You go to court. You present the facts, and the law or the judge sentences that spy to death for its crimes. This is execution, the final stage. Execution
Execution has to do with when you pray to your divinity, “Please remove this ego from me! Annihilate it, for I have understood it. I do not want to act upon it again!”
Comprehension unfolds in successive meditations. It is not like in one meditation, we are going to eliminate many egos. In fact, it takes time to process. It is gradual. Nature does not take leaps. The birth of the soul does not occur spontaneously. Repentance has to be deepened, and is successive and progressive. Some days you may go deeper into an ego. There are levels amongst defects, certain depths that are more profound and others more superficial. Work on what you see and what you can change. This is how we reflect upon ourselves, and this is how we are resolved not to go back to what we were. When you have really worked upon egos and have prayed for their elimination to the divine feminine, the Divine Mother, al-Baqarah, al-Buraq, the lightning―then, you develop the resolution not to return to mistakes, and you really are dedicated because you are seeing changes. You don't behave the same way you did in certain situations. The actors that perform those tragedies, dramas, and comedies are no longer there. We don't react at all. Only the Essence is pure, there, present. This is why Al-Qushayri states the following: When the servant has reflected in his heart on the evil of what he is doing and has seen the ugliness of his actions, the wish for repentance and for leaving his negative behavior will form in his heart. God will help him by confirming his resolution, his starting to return to good deeds, and his readiness for the steps of repentance. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, this is the meditation: retrospection meditation. We see how ugly the mind is. We are evaluating the data, and we wish to annihilate them [our egos], to repent. If we are really annihilating egos, we are developing more light, extracting the soul that is trapped in those nafs, those faults. This is how we gradually return to good deeds.
The ego of hatred is replaced by serenity. The ego of lust is replaced by chastity. Selfishness, with altruism and faith. Doubt with knowledge. Our Being can even give us experiences internally about our work. This helps to deepen our resolve. They deepen our readiness for these steps of repentance. How to Strengthen Repentance
Oftentimes, our depth of repentance depends on our environment. It can be difficult to change certain behaviors when we choose to associate with people and environments that are contrary to our spirituality. Many friends or people can influence us towards certain actions. People are attracted to friendships, relationships, and environments based on their level of being.
Therefore, our level of being attracts our life, and many times when we want to raise our level of being, we face the difficulty of our relationships―loved ones or close associates who do not want us to change. Oftentimes, it can be good to disassociate from certain people when we know they will suffocate or snuff out the flame of our efforts for spiritual change. This is could be a good thing. There is some credence to this, so that we can develop an internal space, a psychological, spiritual atmosphere by which we can develop our deepest longings. If such people are really our friends, they will respect our choice not to go to the bar. They will affirm our free will. If they don't want to be friends with us because we don't party, smoke, drink, have sex, or do drugs anymore, then they probably weren't our friends in the first place. The reality is that our environment affects us a lot. If we invest our energy in relationships and behaviors that condition our consciousness, then it is going to be very difficult to transform that. You can spend one hour in meditation, but if for 12 to 23 hours, you are engaging in behaviors that are contrary to your spirituality, then your spirituality is probably not sincere. It's not going to have much depth or force. It's a law of nature. Is it easier for a rock to go up into the sky or down towards the Earth? Our level of being rises the more we change negative behaviors and adopt positive behaviors. Just as we follow the trajectory of negative actions, likewise, we follow the trajectory of superior actions. This is how naturally, in accordance with the law of affinities, we can learn to associate with more spiritual people, elevated people, more like-minded individuals. If we are really sincere in our efforts, we will awaken in the internal worlds, in the superior regions of the Tree of Life where we will meet beings who are superior to us, who vibrate at that level of nature. In synthesis, the reality of the ego is that it weakens the more we stop feeding it, but it's always going to fight us in our best intentions. So, repentance is valid when we not only feel remorse, but abstain from ego, abstain from desire, and we continually apply effort towards our endeavor. We have to do it 24 hours a day. There is no exception. It has to be a lifestyle. Meditation is a lifestyle. It is not a belief system. Of course, in the process of change, we make mistakes. We go back and forth. We are struggling. We are beginners. We extend beyond our own reach. We fall down. We fall off the bike, so to speak, but if we are continually and sincerely evaluating our work, investing more and more energy into virtue than into desire, then we will radically shift our direction.
This is symbolized by the Qibla, which is a niche within a temple, a mosque towards the east, towards the stone of Mecca. It is a symbol of praying towards that sacred stone and, symbolically speaking, Qibla has to do with our intentionality.
Where do we pray? What do we direct our attention and energy into? The Qibla represents this. I like the saying from the Sufi Master Bayazid al-Bastami. He states the following: When you are separate from the Kaaba [Yesod], it is all right to turn toward it, but those who are in it can turn toward any direction they wish. ―Bayazid Bastami
So, work with sexual energy. Wherever you direct your attention, you spend creative energy. If you direct it towards virtue, you empower your consciousness. If you direct it towards desire, you disempower your consciousness and suffer the consequences.
Therefore, what is our direction? What is our Qibla? For that determines what we receive related to the Hebrew קבל kabbel, Kabbalah. It is the same etymology there, قِبْلَة Qibla. To receive, spiritually speaking, we have to direct our concentration towards our spiritual efforts. I will relate at length a quote from Al-Qushayri that explains all this: These steps begin with his leaving bad company―that is, people who would entice him to turn back from his purpose and confuse him about the rightness of his decision. Perfection at this level only comes with the diligent practice of witnessing that increases the servant’s longing for repentance and with the dedication of his efforts to accomplish his resolve through the strengthening of his fear and hope of God. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, witnessing has to do with perceiving directly the results of our work, practically, through facts.
Then the knot of his persistence in negative actions will be loosened from his heart. He will stop running after dangerous things. He will rein in his ego from pursuing passions or desires of the flesh. Then he will immediately abandon his sin and confirm his resolution never to return to the like of it in the future. If he proceeds according to his intention and acts in conformity with his will, he has been granted true sincerity in his repentance. But even if his repentance has weakened once or many times and only his force of will induces him to renew it―and the sort of thing occurs very frequently―he must not give up hope of repentance on account of such incidents because, "Surely to each period is a decree established" (13:38). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism 
The Blessings of Repentance
So repentance is a profound state and station that initiates the path, as Abdullah Ansari of Herat states in his Stations of the Sufi Path:
Repentance is turning to God. God Most High says, ‘Turn to God with sincere repentance’ (66:8).
When we have direct knowledge from experience, we have spiritual life, reality, happiness. Wisdom is from the word vis-dom: “the power to see” through vision. This is the Sufi witnessing of the divine, where we experience the states of our Being, which is happiness and altruism, compassion, sacrifice, inner strength.
This happens in our interrelations. This is the power of perceiving our relationships to humanity and the wisdom of knowing how to relate effectively for the betterment of society. Wisdom, in synthesis, is knowing how to relate to the Being, to ourselves, and the world. It is self-reflection. Contentment protects us from many things like a wall. Contentment is a shield. It is comfort from poverty, from starvation, from affliction, from sickness, from wars. If we are really working effectively in this teaching, we are given protection. This is something I have validated many times. So despite facing certain hardships and struggles, divinity provides blessings for those who are really sincere in their work. People often suffer because they always desire more, even if they have more than enough. Meditation can unfold for us when we stop grasping or craving for different experiences or circumstances, but acknowledging that we have everything we need to change. If we have a mind and a heart, the consciousness, and a body, more or less healthy or fit, we can do this work. If we have the sexual energy, we can work. So, hope mediates many things for us. Hope is the joy we feel because we know divinity is helping us. This is real faith. We know from our life and our daily experiences and our meditations that we are getting insight and direction. This is gradual. It is built. If we suffer from a state of despair and hopelessness, obviously, that is a very deep depression to emerge from, but there are ways to escape it: to comprehend virtue, the happiness of the soul, hope in divine things. Remembrance helps us in times of danger, to remember right action in moments of crisis, and repentance cures us because we eliminate the causes of affliction and never go back, when we are sincere. Abudallah Ansari of Herat continues: Repentance is the signpost on the path, the leader of the kingdom, the key to the treasure, the intermediary that assists you to become united with God, the condition for being accepted to the divine presence, and the secret of all happiness. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This key is alchemy: the work with the creative energies. It is the secret knowledge that opens the door of the mysteries.
The pillars of repentance are threefold: remorse within the heart, apology upon the tongue, and severing one’s attachments with evil and wicked people. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So there are degrees of repentance and we will explain them.
There are three types of repentance: the repentance of the obedient devotee, the repentance of the sinner (‘asi), and the repentance of the gnostic (‘arif). The repentance of the obedient devotee comes from reliance in his own obedience and considering his acts of devotion to be of great import. The repentance of the sinner comes from seeing his sins and acts of transgression as insignificant. The repentance of the gnostic is from ingratitude vis-à-vis God’s conferral of favors upon him. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
There are levels of being and stages of the path. Sinners see that they have made mistakes, but don't comprehend the depth of their transgressions. We can know that we committed a wrong, but we don't really comprehend the depth of it. We don't feel sorry for it. We have knowledge, but we don't have understanding. We can know that we really hurt a person or a friend, but not feel or comprehend the remorse related to that, because we can justify ourselves, etc.
Obedient devotees who practice meditation can perform many practices but still feel mystical pride and vanity for their achievements, so to speak, and lastly, gnostics have deep ecstasies or samadhis, but don't appreciate the value of them because they continue to persist in very subtle conditions of mind that obscure our full embracement in relationship with the truth. Let's elaborate finally in this last slide about the signs of the devotee in the center and the Gnostic, the degrees of the initiates and practitioners in meditation. Setting great stock and reliance in one’s own obedience has three signs. The first is seeing one’s own obedient devotion as constituting one’s savior and protector. The second is regarding with contempt those who neglect their devotions. The third is not investigating the defects in one’s own actions. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So many people, they may practice meditation and they apply too much worth to their own exercises. They feel very proud that they can meditate for certain hours in the day, that they do certain exercises. These are known as Pharisees within the Gnostic tradition, and then the Christian tradition as well―to feel proud and that we are better because of our spirituality.
We have to be humble. We have to practice, but without attachment to the fruits of those exercises, because the reality is that only divinity can provide progress. We can feel mystical pride for people who don't practice Gnosis. This is very common, a very subtle ego that everybody develops in this teaching, and also, this type of pride is not recognizing how we are at fault when we are. So this is something that happens among the devotees, especially beginners, which is all of us. Now the signs of the sinner is different, worse, we could say. These are the signs of what one must do to repent of those errors: Beholding one’s own sins and acts of transgression as insignificant also has three signs. The first is considering oneself as deserving of forgiveness by God, the second in remaining at peace while still persisting [in sin], and the third is having intimate friendship with wicked people. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
In reality, this is most of us. We commit crimes against divinity and believe that we will be forgiven. This is a very common trope within Christianity that you can just go through life as the prodigal son, and then on your deathbed you can beg for forgiveness and God will absolve you. This is wrong. Real forgiveness occurs when we are no longer capable of committing those crimes, because the egos responsible for them are dead.
Many people even feel satisfaction in their defects and don't even suspect that they are guilty of mistakes. These are your common lay people who may think that they are very ethical or upright, but still engage in behaviors that are problematic. Also, being friends with people who inspire us towards lust, towards alcohol, drugs, sex, addiction, can often be more harmful than helpful, regardless of how we feel about our attachments. Lastly we have the following: Likewise, there are three signs indicative of ingratitude for God’s conferral of favors upon one. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
This is the level of the Gnostic, how the Gnostic must repent. So again, if you are looking at these three degrees, we are looking at the levels of beginners, intermediaries, and advanced practitioners: شريعة Shariah, طريفة Tariqah, حقيقة Haqiqah / معرفة Marifah.
The first is ceasing to regard oneself as contemptible, the second is considering one’s spiritual condition as of great value, and the third is stepping back from the joy of intimacy with God. ―Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Stations of the Sufi Path
So repentance has levels, degrees. The repentance of a sinner is different from that of a devotee, and especially distinct from that of a Gnostic, a master.
Samael Aun Weor explained in many books that we are miserable slugs in the mud of the earth and that we must never forget that only the Being, Allah, is worthy of praise. Many so-called masters of this tradition place too much emphasis on their mastery. So, considering one's spiritual condition is of great value is something that is very applicable today in the Gnostic Movement. There are many people in Gnosis who go around proclaiming that they are initiates, saints, masters. Sufism teaches that a saint who proclaims their sainthood to the world is in danger of losing their sainthood. As stated by Al-Hujwiri in Revelation the Mystery: My Shaykh used to say that if a saint reveals his saintship and claims to be a saint, the soundness of his spiritual state is not impaired thereby, but if he takes pains to obtain publicity he is led astray by self-conceit. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation the Mystery
And Samael Aun Weor also said that one should not accept masters in the physical world, but learn to travel in the internal planes, specifically.
When the disciple is ready, the master appears.
Lastly, Gnostics who approach the joy of intimacy with divinity, yet identify with their mind again, they lose their ecstasy, the samadhi and then they sin against reality. So levels of repentance.
This is just a little outline of where we might be and what we aspire to and what we seek to change. Obviously, the most profound act of repentance is to comprehend the ego daily, to self observe daily, and to eliminate our mistaken aggregates daily, with as much depth and frequency as we can, and I recommend that if you are meditating profoundly with retrospection, that you also reflect on the virtues of your Being, your soul, because that is your true nature. That is how you know what you are fighting for in yourself. I would like to open up the floor to questions. Questions and Answers
Question: How do you know when you are fully in touch with your soul?
Instructor: There are levels to this. One basic example is when you are in a difficult situation. This is something that I have reflected on in my own life. Sometimes internal experiences or astral projections don't come readily. We go through periods of absence, so to speak, rather than presence in our internal life, and in the physical world, we might have a difficult circumstance in which somebody confronts us, comes at us with a lot of anger, with a lot of resentment, a lot of hurt self-esteem, and is attacking us with their energy. Now, we know that we are more in touch with our soul, our conscience, when we act ethically to those problems. So instead of retaliating with hatred or self-justification, or pride, we learn to respond with humility and compassion. That is one level. I think that is the most concrete example I can think of, because I know sometimes we like to think that to really be in touch with your soul, you need to be out of your body in the astral plane, the higher dimensions. There is that reality to that, but more importantly for us, we know that we are really deepening our connection with our divinity and our Being, our soul, when we act uprightly: upright thought, upright feeling, upright action. Question: What do you mean by going deeper in an ego? Is that having a new point of view in on a situation? Instructor: Yes, that is one component. To really go deeper into an ego, we may have some understanding at our level about how anger works in a particular situation. We can understand its thoughts and feelings and impulses to act, but on a deeper level, we may not be seeing everything. We can have a different point of view in our meditation whereby we perceive directly how our perspective was originally skewed, such as, we have an argument with a friend. We feel justified. We feel vindicated and therefore we argue back and forth in a heated debate. Now if we are meditating and going deeper on a defect, we might have observed in that moment when we were angry, we can perceive through a vision or our imagination, a comprehension, how we perhaps were mistaken, and that the other person could have been seeing something differently from us. You can actually have that vision where you see from another person's point of view, because the consciousness is dynamic. It is expansive. It is multi-dimensional. It is not limited to one point of view, but is universal, and therefore you can have actual visions where you perceive states of consciousness, and from that point of view, you can see third person, or literally look at yourself in a new way. So yes, that is possible. Comprehension unfolds magically. It is always alert and new. There are distinct qualities and flavors to it that only you will apprehend through your own practice. So it's always good, as one of our students had mentioned in our private messaging, to have a set time in which to practice. Personally, I like to retrospect at night, review my day, and all the moments that led up to when I have gone to my meditation chair, when I am going to introspect and before I go to bed. Usually if we discover really strong egos, it's good to meditate there and then if you can, if you have the time and space and ability to do so. But it is always important to have a set discipline by which we are meditating and practically implementing these tools. Some people like to get up early in the morning, 4:00 or 5:00 a.m in order to retrospect and to meditate deeply at that hour. It is always very good to awaken at that hour to practice, but if you find that it is easier to stay awake in the night time before you go to sleep, before you dream, you can retrospect at that time too. Question: Can you explain which sephirah of the Tree of Life the Rune Rita involves to help us visualize them during the practice? Instructor: The Rune Rita relates to the sphere of גְּבוּרָה Geburah: Justice, or in Arabic, دين Din. Geburah is الله دين Allah-Din, الدين Aladdin, the judgment and justice of God, the discrimination, the intuition, the perception of divinity that knows how to discriminate with effectiveness and clarity. It is our consciousness, our ability to visualize and imagine, to perceive. So when you are doing the Rune Rita, you pray and you ask to work with that part of your Being known as the Kaom. So internally, in the astral plane, part of our Being related to the sephirah Geburah is known as the Kaom. They are the police of the law, and literally, in an astral experience, you can meet them. Your own divinity, your own conscience that appears in the form of police officers, either to hold you responsible to the law or to arrest you for a mistake, for a crime, is the voice of ethics in your heart. Personally, I have worked with my inner Kaom many times in the astral plane, where I have had negotiations with them in accordance to the law of karma. The voice of conscience speaks abundantly through the heart of the mysticism of Geburah, the judgment of divinity. It is how we judge ourselves. It is the strength of God, and it relates astrologically to Mars, to iron, such as with the Iron Surah as we mentioned previously. So when you work with the Rune Rita, imagine that sephirah, the strength of divinity in you, helping you to judge your faults or mistakes, and asking the inner Kaom to help you be more accountable to the law of divinity, to Shariah. Question: I struggle with remembering past sins before remorse sets in. There is a bit of satisfaction and I am horrified by this. I feel great remorse. How can both exist and how to combat this? Instructor: Both exist because we are not one way or the other, but we are mixed. We have a little bit of consciousness that is free, about 3 percent, statistically speaking, according to Samael Aun Weor, and we have 97 percent conditioned psyche or ego. So therefore, our center of gravity is going to be towards our faults. It is going to be very difficult to transform that, and of course there is a lot of suffering involved, because as much as we want to follow divine law, chastity, pure things, pure principles, we have a lot of perdition inside, and this is a source of great moral pain. The way that you combat it is not through repression, not by pushing it away, not hiding from it, not justifying or feeding it either, but comprehending it with serenity. I know some people like to think of this term Jihad in Islam as something as a holy war, in which we exert a lot of effort and fight against demonic creatures, with demonic beings who are oppressing us. The word جهاد Jihad comes from the Arabic mujahadah, which means “to strive,” to work against, to perform effort. But this effort has nothing to do with the mind. It has to do with comprehending the mind. Real effort of the consciousness, of the conscience, is a serene state. You cannot combat chaos with chaos, with repression or justification. You have to look at it serenely. Let the mind settle by not identifying with it. You can deepen your serenity through exercises in this tradition. We have many practices that can help you give strength and stability to your concentration as well as your serenity, such as the mantras of this tradition. Sacred Rites of Rejuvenation, the runes, especially, are important. The more energy you empower your consciousness with, the more stable, flexible, strong, and serene it will be. In reality, the best spiritual warriors are serene at all times. This is very well known amongst the samurai, before that tradition had degenerated, where these warriors would defend their homes and their families, their loved ones, their Lords, by meditating before battle. They knew that if they give into agitation, they would be lost. They would make mistakes. In the same sense spiritually, this doctrine of Bushido in Japanese, the way of the warrior, is found within the Muslim doctrine of Jihad: holy war or striving against the ego, internally. So don't beat yourself up on the fact that we have errors and egos and defects. You could spend a lot of time being pessimistic or morbid about it, or you can work effectively on your defects, what you can see, and develop serenity, because after repentance and really working not to feed those egos, we develop serenity of mind, calmness of thought, equanimity, and stabilization of the Essence. The best weapon is serenity, without exception. Question: Does shame come from identifying with one of the three parts of repentance? Instructor: Shame is an ego, is a result of not having resolution to change. It is also the result of not abstaining from desire. To feel shame as an ego, as a defect, is to feel bad about having committed an error, but is an egotistical quality. There is a very distinct difference between remorse and shame. Remorse is conscience. It is when the soul recognizes its faults, and this is something that only you can recognize through persistent efforts. Shame, if you observe yourself diligently and discriminate in your soul in your observations, is a defect. So learn to discriminate between the two, because shame is inverted pride: a sense of self that feels an identity in being morbid about oneself or self-denigrating. Instead, remorse is liberating. It is conscience. Question: When one feels remorse or and repents for a wrong action, what part of the Being feels that pain? Does one still have to pay karma if one repents genuinely? Instructor: This is an interesting question, because in the ultimate synthesis, the Being is happiness. There is no pain in divinity. In the absolute heights of our most profound synthesis, the Being is liberated joy, ecstasy, divine qualities of compassion and liberation and expansiveness. The one who feels that pain is the Essence. The Essence is the one that feels remorse, because there is a pressure from within, from the Being, that is exerting its influence in our heart, that is telling us that what we did was wrong or that we failed to enact a virtuous action. Now what is interesting is that we pay karma not only for the wrong that we commit, but for the good that we omit. But if we repent genuinely, meaning: the ego is dead, then there is no karma to pay. Real repentance is when that ego is fully dead. Nothing left. So if you had an ego of anger that was really karmic and repetitive and cyclical, that kept permeating certain aspects of your life that were problematic and then you removed it, then the karma that would have afflicted you regarding that aggregate, for having that ego, is annulled. It ceases. So karma is paid when the ego is dead completely. Question: With respect to retrospection, I struggle with continuity of thought. Do you have any recommendations on where to start? Instructor: Continuity of presence is best implemented when we have energy to do so. It takes a lot of energy to awaken consciousness. This is why we have so many practices of breath, pranayama, mantras, runes, sacred rites of rejuvenation, sexual alchemy, because the sexual energy that is manifested and directed to those exercises, helps to give strength to the Essence. If you want to have greater continuity of attention and awareness, to pay attention, spend some time, some significant amount of time working with your energy. With energy you have more light, more force by which to work. If the battery is not charged, the flashlight is not going to work. If the light keeps turning off here and there, it means that you need more force. So I remember one experience, to kind of help relating to this, where I was in the astral plane around 4 am in the morning, where my Being showed me an oil lamp and the light went off. It was illuminating a very beautiful room, and then it ran out of oil and ceased. When I woke up, I realized my mind and intellect were tired. I was having difficulty with my practices of self-observation and remembrance. But fortunately, knowing the science and being married as well, I learned to work with the sexual energy, and therefore work with the oil to enlighten the lamp of consciousness. That oil is the semen. In Hebrew the word for oil is שֶׁמֶן shemen: the oil of anointment. The oil of purification is the sexual energy which we conserve and elevate to our mind, so that symbolically we anoint our heads. We illuminate the intellect. If you want more power to your retrospections, give yourself good energy. Transmute. Spend more time with that type of exercise. Question: Also, do we rewind, playing events backwards from the current moment or press play from the first moment we can remember that day, or could both strategies be useful in different circumstances? Instructor: Yes, whatever is easiest for you, if you find it easier to review from the moment you sat down to back in the morning, if you are meditating at night. Or you can meditate from the morning up to the moment you entered your meditation space. Either way is effective. What is important is that you do what's easier for you, whatever is more natural. Question: Can you negotiate karma before facing the Guardian of the Threshold? Instructor: Yes, you can. Obviously there are degrees of work and development that you can do, but it is not necessary that you have had to face the guardian in order to be able to work out certain situations in your life. Question: Is it possible to eradicate an aggregate through relationships with family? I have seen an ego that is distasteful. I pray to the Divine Mother and felt that I'd overcome it, but I find that certain situations trigger the ego to come up again. How do I rid myself of it for good? Instructor: Keep meditating. Keep reflecting. Be patient. We need to be very strict with ourselves. But also, we have to be very understanding as well. Repentance does not mean we beat ourselves with a rod of iron, but instead we learn to be flexible, intuitive, enduring, diligent, patient. You'll understand that ego the more you observe it and the more you reflect on it. There are levels of understanding. There are depths that unfold as a result of our successive meditations and practices. We go deeper each time. So don't weary or cease to persist in your practice, because the more you comprehend, the more you remove until finally after comprehending deeper and deeper, you reach the roots. So there are levels of the consciousness and subconsciousness and infra-consciousness as well, the unconsciousness, etc., 49 levels. We can understand egos in certain degrees, but it gets deeper the more we work. So have faith in your comprehension and your Being, because it is a very long work and it's very difficult to eradicate certain egos that are very deep. The more repentance we show successively in our exercises, the greater freedom we will experience until, finally, one day, we realize we are liberated from that fault. Trust in your Being, your Divine Mother, because She knows exactly the process that you need to go through to be liberated. Question: When we recite the Rune Rita: RA, RE, RI, RO, RU. Are the r's rolled? Do we open and close the feet and arms in between each mantra? Instructor: Yes, the letter R or the consonant R is rolled like this:
When you do the mantras, you don't have to open and close the feet and arms in between each mantra. You simply keep the position with your left hand over your left hip, left leg out, right hand at your right side.
Again, I thank you for attending and thank you for your questions. Remember that this is a process. Repentance occurs in degrees. As the first state and station of the path, it is also something that we perfect gradually in relation to the other stations and states of the spiritual path of initiation. So I thank you for coming. 
We spoke previously about contraction and expansion of consciousness. In simple terms, this refers to attention and awareness. We explained that if consciousness is light, that attention is focused like a flashlight. We use attention to concentrate upon different things, such as a progression of ideas in a lecture or in a conversation with a person.
We explained that awareness is different. It is expansive, like a diffused light, the amplification of cognizance. Awareness spreads out towards different phenomena outside. We spent a lot of time discussing these principles so as to aid our meditation practice, and building off that understanding from the previous lectures, we are going to talk about a very essential discipline that is practiced within every major world religion, every meditative science. This has to do with the continuity of consciousness. So while contraction and expansion, attention and awareness are important, it is now even more crucial if we wish to really understand this science of meditation, whether from Sufism or any faith, we have to study the continuum, the maintenance, the constant and consistent implementation of the consciousness in the present moment. We can be attentive in a given instant, in a specific moment. Perhaps at work, we have a challenging circumstance, a trying situation, a life-threatening ordeal. Some people in the midst of a crisis, such as with 9/11, in which the destruction of the Twin Towers shocked the consciousness of everyone present, not only in the United States, but even people viewing the news across the world. Sometimes those instances can produce a very quick awakening, a spontaneous, constant shock that awakens us for a moment, if but briefly. Many people approach religion, spirituality, meditation, because they want experience. They may have had a taste of that initial flavor of awakening of consciousness, of profound attention, of expansive awareness, but the problem becomes, can we sustain that state? Can we will it? Can we make it consistent in each moment of our life? Can we be cognizant like that, in a state of alert novelty, throughout an entire day? Continuity of consciousness, in esoteric Buddhism, is known by the term tantra. It is the continuum, the flow, the constant manifestation of the energy of the consciousness within the meditator. Continuity of attention, of awareness, all day, is known as mindfulness in Eastern traditions. It could be called remembrance, presence, vigilance. The Sufis have many beautiful terms that relate to this essential point. One of the many wonderful Arabic terms that explain the nature of this perception, this continuity, is known as مراقبة muraqaba, which translates as vigilance and also meditation. What is a vigil? People who commemorate the life of someone who is deceased often perform vigils outside their casket, with family and friends, many times enmeshed and concentrated within deep prayer. They don't sleep physically. Many other traditions, such as the Aztecs, the great warrior dancers, the Jaguar Knights of ancient Mexico, would perform beautiful vigils as a ceremony in remembrance of divinity. And likewise, the Sufis, many masters of that tradition would often fast, but also not sleep for prolonged periods of time. I believe Prophet Muhammad was well-known for this. He often stated and many times, referenced in the Qur’an, "It is best to lose sleep over prayer." More importantly for us, we have to learn to be awake all the time as a consciousness, as an Essence, as a soul. It means that we have to be attentive and aware at all times. But of course, in the beginning this is very difficult. For those of you who have perhaps practiced a physical vigil, it can be very difficult. Personally, I have done this in the past and often have spent nights deep in prayer, meditating, seeking illumination, especially in the morning hours, waking up early, but also waking up throughout the night to perform vigil, introspecting, meditating, asking for guidance. Because if we are attentive in our consciousness, not only just one moment, but throughout our entire existence, we deepen our state. We deepen our connection. We augment our remembrance with the divine. It is even stated in one of the surahs of the Qur’an, "the recitation at dawn,” how great it is, for it “is ever witnessed” by the angels, by the divine. For how do you not know that “your Lord shall resurrect you in a praiseworthy station?" (Qur’an 17:78-79) This has to do with really deepening our practice, because it is not enough to be attentive just for one instant in our life. We have to learn to develop consciousness, its attention and its awareness, but all the time. Otherwise, we are not going to have much depth. People who learn to have insight for a moment, who state that they have a spiritual awakening, but who do not sustain those states, eventually become swallowed by life. They are not practical. There are many philosophies and groups that teach you that awakening is just momentary. But in reality, there are levels and levels upon awakening, of presence with the Being, heights upon heights. So we have to be intentional. It is not enough just to have one moment of clarity. We need clarity in every instant of our existence. We have to sustain our attention and awareness with intention, with will. So people often talk about feeling a presence, an awakening, but they describe it as something fleeting. It means that they are not awakened, but they are asleep. They had a shock, perhaps a divine moment, but then the mind intervened, and now they are back again in a state of slumber, psychologically speaking. So while we can have a profound moment of wisdom, it does not mean that the entirety and totality of our life is that. Where is our center of gravity? Where does our attention, our awareness go? And more importantly: for how long? All religions teach the need to awaken, yet, they were never explicit in their methods. So they gave clues, but not all of the techniques that lead to that state and its diverse qualities. Every religion has a kindergarten, an exoteric doctrine, a public school, a beginning level. In Sufism, this is Shariah. It is ethics. We learn to be ethical when we are awake. If we are asleep at the wheel of our car, psychologically speaking, we cannot in any way protect our spirituality, because if we are unconscious, we make mistakes. We act upon nafs, egos, desires. We have to learn to observe ourselves, to do that all day, to be awake, to see what is new inside. But at the same time, we need to be aware of our surroundings. So one of the points we wished to have left you with in our former lecture is that external events and our understanding of their relationship to internal states is how we arrive at comprehension of ourselves, comprehension of the ego, so that we are no longer asleep, so that we are not dozing off, not paying attention to where we are at and what we are doing―thinking of other things, of our fiancé, our friend, our wife, our partner, our family, and not knowing where we are at or what we are doing. So this is vigilance―to not sleep. When we lose our attention, we don't really have consciousness of the causes of our own psychological states. We can be angry at a person and not know why. This is fundamentally wrong. We need to know everything: the reasons why we exist and why we act the way we do. This is why in the beginning levels of religion, of Sufism, we work with ethics. We learn to curtail negative thinking, negative feeling, and negative actions within ourselves and in our daily life, all the time. It is not enough to be chaste for a day and to be impure the rest of our existence. Meditation does not work that way. It requires a complete introversion of our consciousness―to not blame the external world, but to look inside, to have presence within the body, to know that we are here, to know what is happening, to know why we are irritated or upset, depressed, morbid, doubtful, lustful. We have to understand our relationship to the world and vice versa, and so we have to ask ourselves, are we really here, and how do we know? Here is a test for you. When you go to sleep at night, are you awake in your dreams, or do you see nothing? If eight hours pass and you don't know anything, it means that we are profoundly unconscious in our physical life, as we have explained in the lecture The Present Moment, because conscious awakening, if it is continuous, it manifests in our sleep, physically, so that the consciousness, which is trained, which is active, is aware and awake and intelligent and profoundly luminous in the dream world. We stop dreaming. We see those dimensions for what they are, and we can gain even more knowledge about how to change. And so there are very distinct levels of presence, that flavor of remembrance. I am sure all of us had had a moment in which we forgot something very important, perhaps related with work, and suddenly we have the insight. We remember. We have a shock in our attention. We see something new. We have a clarity and a crispness that is distinct. It is pristine. That is a simple allegory for presence of being, remembrance of our state. It is the absence of distraction. It is the absence of the ego, but a profound presence in our own awareness, which is maintained. 
These levels of presence and even absence are mapped in different ways by different traditions. In Buddhism, you have nine stages of meditative concentration or calm abiding. If you want to know more about that very famous glyph within every Tibetan Buddhist monastery, you can study Meditation Essentials on Glorian.org, or our lecture on Calm Abiding: The Stages of Serenity and our course on Gnostic Meditation.
In Judeo-Christianity, you have the Tree of Life, which documents different levels of presence, of understanding, of consciousness. Within Sufism, this marvelous tree of being correlates directly with the states and stations of the esoteric path. All of these are tools. They can help us understand where we are at in our development.
So, how present are we throughout the day, or even when we sit to practice meditation? On a simple level, we can be present for a few moments, remembering our objective during a certain session. We are concentrating on a stone, simply viewing it and not thinking of other things. We are observing the fact of that rock in front of us, and if our mind starts to think or get distracted, we don't repress. We don't justify. We don't get carried along with that associative chain of thought. We simply return to observation. But if we do forget, we get distracted. We start thinking and daydreaming of other things. It means that we are absent. We are physically in front of this rock, seated in an asana, a posture, but our mind is traveling very far away. This has to change. We forget ourselves more often than we remember ourselves in the beginning. This change is through discipline: remembering the Being, alert novelty, remembering the presence of the Self, the Innermost, observing our defects. So beginners struggle often to remember their Being, the focus of their practice. Their center of gravity is in the ego, not the consciousness. Masters of meditation are different. Their center of gravity is in the consciousness. It is in the Being even, but this is a gradual development. They have presence or continuity of attention and awareness at all times, even when the physical body is asleep. They are awakened citizens in the internal planes. We get to that point through consistency in our practices, which is why Abu-I Husayn al-Nuri stated: For twenty years I have been finding and losing―when I have found my Lord, I have lost my heart, and when I have found my heart, I have lost my Lord. ―Abu-l Husayn al-Nuri
If we remember the Being, we forget that we are the ego. Our consciousness shifts. There is a division of attention there. We are the Essence that is free. But if we invest our energy into desire, info nafs, into ego, we forget our Being. We lose our Lord, because we are concentrated on our own egotistical heart.
The Definition of Absence
"Each moment is a golden child of Gnosis" says Samael Aun Weor. "Nothing in life is ever static or dull." However, if we are not vigilant, continuously applying effort to be here and now, we do not recognize the novelty of each instant, each moment.
This is the qualifying characteristic of whether or not we are doing this right. We have to see life in a new way, all the time. If it is repetitive and dull, if we are lax in our attention, if we are ambiguous, vaporous in our awareness, misty, clouded, it means that we are asleep. We need clarity. We need crispness, but this is only refined through application, and when we forget to do the work, we have to remember, bring ourselves back. Part of that is because of our Being pushing us inside, but oftentimes we don't know what is going on around us or even within us. This is a profound absence of consciousness. Al-Qushayri, the writer of Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism, stated something very interesting: Absence is the heart’s absence from knowledge of what is going on in ordinary human affairs, due to the absorption of the senses in something else that is influencing them. The heart may be made absent from its sense of itself and others by the influence of remembering eternal reward or of thinking about eternal punishment. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Too often people project their mind on to life. We don't really see the reality of things, if we are honest, if we are really analyzing ourselves and being critical, not from a sense of morbidity or doubt, but from seeking to know the truth of our life. So this is our psychological state. We often project our fears, our hatred, our preoccupations, our ideologies, our politics, upon the world, upon others. We often identify with externals, but really don't see any internal cause for anything that happens in the world. Many times people think that presence has to do with perceiving correspondences within our surroundings. Sometimes people look to find numbers that repeat, coincidences, things that seem rather supernormal, but I like to relate to you a statement by Samael Aun Weor in his Revolution of the Dialectic about the need to have a receptive mind, to not project our beliefs unto what we see, to be present.
If you are eating, eat; if you are getting dressed, get dressed, and if you are walking on the street, walk, walk, walk, but do not think about anything else. Do only what you are doing. Do not run away from the facts; do not fill them with so many meanings, symbols, sermons and warnings. Live them without allegories. Live them with a receptive mind from moment to moment. ―Samael Aun Weor, The Revolution of the Dialectic
We have to be present. That continuity must be maintained always.
So the term absence is very dynamic within Arabic and Sufi mysticism. For most people, absence is our daily state. We are inattentive or unaware of our psychological states and the external environment in which we are. However, there is a type of spiritual absence, but I invite you to reflect deeply on this and not get caught up in the terminology. It is something different than what we commonly associate with absence, as if no one is home. You know, we say that a person is not attentive or is kind of lost, that “There is no lights on at home.” There is no one there. There is no one conscious or present in front of us. There is a type of spiritual absence. It can refer to a type of profound absorption, internally concentrated and connected with divinity, so much that the initiate seems unaware of what is happening outside of oneself. This type of spiritual absence is an advanced state amongst masters like Samael Aun Weor. I'll give you an example. He knew how to leave his body at will. He could be talking to a person physically, and yet he could close his eyes and leave his physicality behind and enter the internal dimensions, intentionally, at any time. Other people could be talking to him, but he would be in samadhi. His consciousness was so focused on the internal worlds, his center of gravity was in the internal worlds, and that it was difficult for him to be present in the body. Now, most of us we struggle to be aware of our physical body in the first place and even our environment. Meanwhile, we lack cognizance of pretty much anything. Beginners also do not know. We do not know how to enter the astral world, the internal worlds, the heavens of the Tree of Life, at will. Meanwhile Samael Aun Weor and many prophets like Muhammed, Krishna, Moses, Buddha etc., are awakened internally. Samael Aun Weor had to exert effort to be in the physical body, because his intelligence was focused, his center of gravity was focused in the heights of the Tree of Life, so otherwise he was absent here, physically, due to his absorption. We can relate a few more excerpts about this from The Principles of Sufism. For instance, it is said that Rabi bin Khaytham was going to visit Ibn Masud when he passed by the shop of a blacksmith and saw hot iron in the forge. He lost consciousness and did not come to himself until the next day. Having awakened, he was asked about what happened, and said, "Through that fire, the existence of the People of the Fire came to my mind." This is an absence that exceeded its bounds and became a faint. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So these are stories. These are principles the Sufis spoke in a very allegorical way, which people read literally. If they want to, that is fine, but more profoundly in relation to the states and stations of the esoteric path, this has to do with an absence of the body and presence in the internal planes.
This presence is when we have experiences about the realities of heaven and hell, the Tree of Life, and its shadow, the Tree of زقوم Zaqqum, the hell realms, the infra-dimensions, and when we learn to really walk this path, we have to face many entities that belong to what the Qur’an refers to as the left-hand, the path of demons, sorcerers, black magicians, unbelievers. The term unbeliever in Arabic is كافر Al-Kafir or the الكافرون Al-Kafirun, the unbelievers (plural). So what does this term mean? There is a surah in the Qur’an called الكهف Al-Kahf, which is the Cave, كهف Kahf, where the unbelievers, الكافرون al-Kafirun, dwell within the caves of the Earth, in the infra-conscious dimensions, which we access in dreams or in meditation―if we are pulled in that direction based on our level of being. Because some people have nightmares, very disturbing dreams, and that is a reality. That is hell. It is not a made-up illusion. It has a real existence, but of course, it is inferior in relation to the multi-dimensionality of existence. The people of the fire are those كافرون kafirun, unbelievers, who are not only outside, but inside. Our own egos do not believe in divinity. They fight against us when we want to be chaste, when we want to meditate, to concentrate. So that war against the unbelievers is inside our own defects. So that is an example of a type of absorption in which something physical reminds one of a profound principle, internally. Through that fire, the existence of the People of the Fire came to my mind. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
For those of us who have had experiences of these infra-conscious realms, we can speak with clarity that these are really profound states of suffering, and that we seek to avoid in our work―to confront and to change, so that we don't go to those states permanently. But things can remind us, give us remembrance, give us a shock, so that we forget even what is around us―even introspect inside. In a sense, that is a type of absence, physically, but a presence within our consciousness, a remembrance.
There is also a statement in this quote that is interesting to analyze: It is also told that a fire broke out in the house of Ali ibn Husayn while he was in prostration, but he did not turn away from his prayer. When asked about what had happened, he said, “The remembrance of hellfire protected me from that fire." ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So again, these are psychological truths. They are not necessarily literal stories where, because he was praying, his house didn't catch fire, because he was remembering hellfire. That metaphor, that symbol, that allegory, for our purposes, has to do with the fact that if we are remembering our Being, we will not get hurt physically. We will face dangers, but we will be protected. This is something we verify through presence, through awakening, through faith, through knowing. It is not a belief. We know the source of our protection from experience. Divinity is the Mighty, the Wise, says the Qur’an, but of course, we have to remember who He is, what the Innermost is.
The Causes of Absence
Absence and presence have different causes that we have to become attuned to, to understand, and even to manipulate at will. Al-Qushayri states:
Sometimes absence from one’s senses may be brought on by the Truth’s disclosure of an inner meaning. Those who experience this are differentiated according to their states. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Sometimes we can receive profound insight into a problem, an experience of a dream we had in the morning, or a realization that emerges seemingly from nowhere, whereby we feel a shock of conscious understanding. We become internally absorbed, in that our external circumstances do not really influence our attention or awareness. We are present within, but absent from the cares of the world.
While Sufism might seem to present these terms, absence and presence, as opposites, they in truth represent dynamic qualities, principles with multiple layers of meaning. So what are these degrees or differentiations of states according to Al-Qushayri? We have to remember that there are three levels of meditative science: introductory, intermediate, and advanced, or in Arabic: شريعة Shariah, طريفة Tariqah, حقيقة Haqiqah / معرفة Marifah. Or: ethics, the law, Shariah; the path of meditation daily, which is Tariqah; and the truth and knowledge we gain from experience of reality is Haqiqah (the truth) and Marifah (knowledge, or in Greek, γνῶσις Gnosis, or in Hebrew, דעת Da’ath). They all reference the same thing. So we have to learn where our center of gravity is in our states of presence. In the beginning levels, it is sporadic. We forget ourselves more than we remember ourselves. In the intermediate paths, we are learning to remember ourselves more, and in the highest stages of wisdom, one does not forget the Being at all. We can fluctuate in our meditation practice in a given session through all of these states, from one moment to the next, but a master has their full development in the knowledge and truth of their Being. We have to begin where we are, and many people have experiences, even though they are temporary, that are so profound, that they place them on a spiritual path. For example, you have many initiates of the White Lodge who were once very rich people, had negative character, and were suffering a lot. Because they had a transformative experience, they left behind a life of materialism and entered a life of spirituality. This is allegorized in every tradition, whether from Milarepa in Buddhism, St. Paul of Tarsus in Christianity, and in this example in Sufism, we have the Master Al-Haddad. Let us read an excerpt about him: It is well known that the state of Abu Hafs al-Nishapuri al-Haddad (the Blacksmith) began with his leaving his trade. He was in his shop when a reciter of the Qur’an chanted a verse, and an influence came over his heart that made Abu Hafs lose awareness of his senses. He put his hand into the fire and drew out the hot iron. One of his students saw this and exclaimed, "Master, what is this?" Abu Hafs looked at what had manifested through him, abandoned his trade, and left his shop. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is allegorical wisdom. The Sufi language is kabbalistic. Many people are like this blacksmith. Many of us identify with materialism. But it is a recitation of the Qur’an that opened Al-Haddad's eyes. It is interesting that even names in Arabic have a lot of meaning. Haddad resembles Al-Haddid, which is a surah in the Qur’an known as “The Iron.” Interesting that a blacksmith has the name iron, or a name resembling that word.
Let us read a verse from the Qur’an that relates to this principle. It is from Surah Al-Hadid, The Iron, verse 25: We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. ―Qur’an 57:25
The language of the Qur’an is kabbalah and alchemy. It is symbolism. There are verses of literal meaning and there are verses of symbolic, allegorical, metaphorical, conscious, symbolic meaning.
A balance represents equanimity, serenity, tranquility, the scales of inner peace. Iron is a symbol of willpower, spiritual force, concentration. Haddad, the blacksmith, was so absorbed by the mysticism of the Qur’an that he put his hand on a hot iron and didn't realize it. This is implying that, as with many of the Sufi stories, that he was in this case physically not hurt, but this is a symbol how the fire and heat of lust cannot harm us if we are present with the Being. Lust, ego, nafs, desires, cannot affect the person who is present with God. So in this example, Al-Haddad left his shop. He left behind a life of materialism and became an initiate of esoteric Islam. So with training we can learn to be absent from lust and present with chastity. These are psychological states, and in the beginning we are often filled and afflicted with desires, and many students write to us complaining and suffering a lot: how do I overcome my egos, my defects, my desires, because we have so much of it? We have to learn to be like Al-Haddad. Remember your Being. Remember the message of divinity, such as through the Qur’an, the Bhagavad-Gita, the sutras, the tantras, the writings of Samael Aun Weor. Remember those teachings and practice them to the best of your ability, so that with presence of Being, you learn to even approach the sexual act, your marriage if you are married, the creative energy, and not to be burned by that force, to not be hurt by it. Instead, we transform it and we create the soul. The Definition of Presence
So let us talk about the definition of presence. This is awareness. The Arabic word for awareness is muhadarah, which is where you get words like presence, حضور hudur. When we say that someone is present, it implies that we are attentive, listening, apprehending the nature or meaning of phenomena.
So the mind needs to be in a state of receptivity, passivity, and the consciousness needs to be active, intentionally looking. If you are not intentionally perceiving your existence, if we are not providing effort in that regard, if we are not consistently manifesting our cognizance in accordance with the needs of each circumstance of life, it means that we are not awake. 
We are in the physical world―in Kabbalah, Malkuth, the physical body―and usually we are not even aware of our physical body itself. As we stated previously, we often forget our breathing. Sometimes we get into an argument or we are angry. We are panicking. We are breathing really fast. We are not even aware of this process. If you control your breath, you control your mind. You control your body. This is a basic fundamental practice within Sufism: to control the breath, to be grounded in where you are at. So if you forget what is happening to you, just breathe, relax, become concentrated in yourself. This is a kindergarten practice, but it is the foundation of everything else.
So let us remember ourselves and our body. Wherever we go and whatever we do, let us not be distracted to the reality of our daily life. As Al-Qushayri states: As for presence, it means that one is present with the Real, because if one is absent from creation one is present with the Real. [The term] implies that [the state] resembles being [physically] present: the remembrance of the Real captures one’s heart, and one is present within one’s heart before the Lord Most High. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
What does it mean to be absent from creation but present with the real? Many students often ask what it means to have presence, to be in remembrance of the presence of divinity.
Examine your conduct. Examine your behaviors. Examine your mental states. Do you act out of benefit for others, with compassion, with equanimity, even when you are being insulted? Do you respond with kindness to the person who has betrayed you? Do you have patience for those who afflict you and hurt your pride? Do you give to your neighbor even though it hurts? Do you forgive the person who betrays you, who has walked away from your most generous actions, who doesn't appreciate your best efforts? Our behavior shows us our level of being. Are we acting with divine principles, or are we reacting to life out of pain in order to produce more pain? We have to be in the world, but not of it. Be present. Respond to life, but don't react. What does this mean? In a moment, we are afflicted with rage. We are angry. Someone betrayed us, did something very hurtful. Our pride is seeking to express in our words: sarcasm, hatred, wrath. We have to learn how to respond to a situation, but not with desire. So while we previously stated it is important and even necessary to be patient in those circumstances, in challenging ordeals, we always have to respond in some way, with presence of some kind. Life always demands a response. We cannot live in a bubble and think that we can avoid the problems of existence. The reality is that we need to intelligently deal with everything, with cognizance. You have to do it by being present and aware of your behavior, first, physically, and then internally. What does your mind want to do in this situation, even if you don't voice what you are really feeling? Our invisible behaviors show us our level of being. What do we secretly want to do? Do we want revenge? Do we want vindication? Do we want the world to embrace us as a hero, even when we are not, when we are wrong? We have to examine our internal qualities, and when you follow your conscience, knowing the right thing and actually doing it, we learn to end problems. They cease. They evaporate. The real problem is our attitude, our mind, our identification with life, that feeling of “This person really harmed me and I need to get revenge.” We are identifying in those instances. Our sense of self is invested in the problem and it is the problem. So, don't invest your energy in that, because that energy needs to be conserved and used for the Being. Without energy, we cannot be present. We cannot be awake, even physically. If you don't sleep enough, if you don't have enough vital energy, you can't pay attention. You will nod off. The same with our spirituality. Examine your behavior: how we behave, and think, and act, and feel, and how we exert energy. Where we direct our attention, we spend energy. So, don't invest it in external things. To know divine qualities, we have to really renounce egotistical qualities in ourselves. These profound states of being that everybody wants are found here and now. They are not in some far distant future. The presence of God is found by doing what is right in your heart―not out of vindication or shame or pride or malice, but for the benefit of the other person, even when they are wrong… especially so. This is Shariah, the basics, the foundation of religion. If we don't do this, we cannot meditate. In fact, we will be wasting our time. This is why Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī stated the following: The key to success in worship lies in meditative reflection (fikrat)…whoever persists in such reflection in the heart will behold the invisible realm in the spirit. Whoever contemplates God through keeping watch over the thoughts which pass through his heart will be exalted by God in all of his outward deeds. ―Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī in ‘Aṭṭār: Tadhkirat, 154-155
Therefore contemplate yourself, for as the Sufis state, "He who knows himself knows his Lord."
Presence with God
The presence of God, the Being, has degrees. This is why we study the Tree of Life. It is a map of levels of being. Let us read the wisdom of Al-Qushayri:
Presence with God, is to the degree of absence from oneself and the world. When it is said that so-and-so is “present,” it means that he is present in his heart with his Lord, not unconscious of Him and not distracted, in continuous recollection of Him. In that state, and according to his degree, the Truth reveals to him the spiritual meanings and secrets for which he has been chosen. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Let's examine this glyph of the Tree of Life and this statement by Al-Qushayri by asking a few questions. How present are we in the body? Are we aware of energy circulating and flowing in us? Do we sense our emotions? Do we have control over what we feel, our mood, our sentiments? Is our mind calm, or is it racing with thoughts, associations, ideas, projects, plans, daydreams, fantasies, commentaries, internal chatter? This is mapped out on the Tree of Life, this dynamic. The lower four סְפִירוֹת sephiroth or spheres of this glyph on the right represent:
Most people who approach meditation don't even get past the body. We are usually so unaware of our body throughout the day that if one sits to practice, even if very sincere, to go inside, to introspect―the body is agitated. We have an itch. The arm wants to move. There is no control. It is impossible to relax. Ethics are so important because the physical body must be at peace, and if we are engaging in negative behaviors all day, we are agitating our body. It becomes tense. If we are angry, we clench our fists and our teeth (some people, perhaps). We all have our tendencies, and if we don't know how to relax the body, we cannot do anything. So this is the beginning. After adopting a posture, we relax. We let the body sit. We don't move. L |
