We're continuing our discussion on meditation, particularly after having established serenity of mind and concentration in our psyche. Today, we're going to talk about the need to develop imagination, insight, otherwise known as clairvoyance.
It is important that we genuinely establish the preliminaries―as we were discussing―in terms of what we need to really meditate. Previously, we discussed the nine stages of concentration leading to calm abiding, a serene mind. However, serenity, by itself, is not enough. Instead, what we need is to develop spiritual perception into our inner psyche, understanding, through perfect visualization within our mind, within the subconscious, unconscious and infraconscious depths of our psyche. As we were discussing in lieu of Buddhism, the Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings, today we are talking about insight, the capacity to perceive inside, in relation to Sufism and Islam, the Middle Eastern occultism, esotericism. Today, we're going to elaborate on the need for imagination. All of us here deeply need the capacity to genuinely understand the sources of our conflicts, our problems of a psychological nature. As Buddha taught, mind precedes phenomena: we become what we think. However, having a stability of awareness is not enough; we also need the capacity to perceive in the internal worlds, which is known as firasah in Arabic and Sufism; or, as we denominate, spiritual insight. So, we are going to explain what is spiritual insight, imagination, clairvoyance, and how we develop that. And, particularly, we're going to explain what is known as the three stages of initiation: imagination, inspiration and intuition―not only as taught by our Sheikh and Guru, Samael Aun Weor, but also by the Sufis―to really pinpoint and explain that this teaching has not been taught by one man alone. However, as Samael Aun Weor explained, in a very explicit manner, we're now going to unveil the teachings given within Sufi scripture, that support and validate his explanations. As we've mentioned, by developing serenity, in combination with insight, we develop comprehension. It is this comprehension that we really need to develop on a moment to moment basis. Comprehension is not when we sit to meditate or to relax the body. Comprehension is a moment to moment awareness within our psyche, here and now. Particularly, through self-observation, remembering our Being, the presence of our Inner Lord―which in Arabic is الله Allah, "the God." We find that the word for awareness, in Arabic, is muhadarah, from the Arabic, "Hudur" which means presence. As the Master Samael explains, many times, we need to not only develop self-observation of our psyche, observing our intellectual, emotional and motor-instinctual-sexual centers; we also really need to be aware of that presence of our Lord, inside. That is how we effectively develop serenity, calm abiding, but also insight. For, when the lake of the mind is completely serene and stable, having achieved calm abiding itself, the ninth degree of concentration, in Tibetan Buddhism, likewise can we perfectly reflect the imagery of the superior worlds, inside. Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī, one of my favorite Sufi masters, explains 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. ―Dhū’l-Nūn Miṣrī in ‘Aṭṭār: Tadhkirat, 154
If we want to experience the internal planes―the astral world, mental world, causal plane―it begins here. We often get letters from students who complain about not being able to astral travel, who do not see the internal planes when they physically sleep, or have not conversed face to face with the Being. The solution to this is very simple: develop meditative reflection, or as Master Samael Aun Weor explains, serene reflection. The Chinese for this is Mo Chao, "serene reflection." Serenity pertains to a mind that has developed a degree of concentration and stabilization, as we discussed. Reflection is the capacity to perceive, to visualize, to actually receive the images from the higher dimensions, in meditation.
As we explained previously, if we attain the ninth degree of concentration, known as calm abiding, shamatha, serenity of mind, we can perfectly reflect internal images and experience our Being, face to face. Those who want to be successful in worship must develop this reflection, in the moment. If we sit to meditate, and we find that our mind is unclear, we don't perceive where our thoughts come from, what is our psyche in a given instant, if there is a lot of murkiness, we need to develop sharper insight, imagination, clairvoyance. This is a reflection of the consciousness inside. 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, 155
If we want our actions and our meditative practice to really bear fruit, we have to remember that hudur, that presence, to have that intimacy and awe of divinity, moment by moment. The Sufis often talk about haybah, the awe of the presence of divinity. We have to really be aware of that force, every moment. As the Sufis say, and I believe it is taught in the Qur'an: if you do not see your Lord, your Lord sees you. He knows all of our thoughts, our emotions and our instinctual impulses, our will. Every action that we take, has to be in remembrance of that force, that presence, so that when we feel tempted to do actions that we know are wrong, we retract and we develop our discipline in our mind. That is how we develop meditative reflection, or as Samael Aun Weor states, serene reflection, Mo Chao, in his book Magic of the Runes. I am going to explain a quote that he gives, that coincides with the Sufi doctrine, that we're going to elaborate upon:
The Chinese word “Mo” signifies silence or serenity, and the word “Chao” signifies to reflect or to observe.
He is really talking about the ninth degree of concentration, in which we have perfect equipoise.
So, to review, we have the first degree, which is called "mental placement." In this level, we sit to practice, and we realize that we forget the object of our concentration; we do not have any memory. We sit for twenty minutes, then we realize that we have not focused on the object. That is the first degree. The second degree is "continual placement." By continuously placing our focus on the object of our concentration, we have some moments of focus and remembrance of the purpose of our practice. But, there is many periods of forgetfulness. The third degree, "patch-like placement," we remember the object of concentration more than we forget it. It is patch-like, because, like placing patches on a cloth, it is sporadic; it is not perfectly continuous. The fourth degree, "close placement," or "good fixation," is that we never forget that we are concentrating. This is necessary to really effectively meditate on the ego, to never forget what we're doing. The fifth degree is "subduing the mind." Here, we are dealing with more subtle forms of excitement or agitation in the psyche, or forms of the lethargy in the mind. The sixth degree, in which we go deeper, we are pacifying the mind itself. There are more subtle forms of distraction which we need to observe as they arise. The seventh degree is fully pacifying the mind, which is very important to establish. At this point, we see distractions before they even arise in the psyche, thoughts before they even emerge. This is a very profound state, which is deepened by vigilance, introspection, muraqabah in Arabic. The eighth degree, "one-pointed concentration" is when there are no distractions; the mind is serene. However, at this level, it takes effort to maintain that state, so it is not perfect. The ninth degree is calm abiding itself: there is no effort needed to maintain a perfectly serene mind. The lake of the mind has reached complete stillness. We find that there is no disturbance, and it takes no effort to maintain that state. In fact, to exert any effort in that type of consciousness is to lose the experience. Instead, we want to simply to be, to become familiar with that state. When Samael Aun Weor says this is state beyond mundane noise, he is really talking about the eighth and ninth degrees of concentration, where there is no thought, and in which we have perfect silence. He continues, in discussing insight: The sense of reflection in itself is beyond what is always understood as contemplation of a problem or idea. Here this word does not imply mental activity or contemplative thought, but rather a type of objective consciousness, clear and reflective, always illuminated within its own experience.
This is highly emphasized by the Sufi masters; specifically, Al-Qushayri in his Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism, wherein he describes the necessity to establish the capacity to not think:
It is said, “Silence for the common people is with their tongues (meaning, vulgar people who do not practice esoteric discipline). 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
As we're going to explain, this faculty or capacity to strive against one’s thoughts, to overcome them in the moment, to see where they originate from and to transcend that state is known as "striving," in Arabic, mujahadah, which is where we get the word Jihad. People translate this mistakenly as "Holy War." In Arabic, there is many words for holy war, and Jihad does not mean that, originally; it means striving. We need to strive against our thoughts, precisely in order to develop that silence, that serenity. Once we have perfect serenity, then illumination comes; when the Being can express in us and teach us within the internal worlds, and in meditation. Question: When you get to that silence, you said that the reflections come. But, you're not concentrating on anything like a candle flame at that point, right? Instructor: In that state, you want to be. We want to be familiar with the presence of your Being, but, also, to be open. A simple practice is, when you reach serenity, you open your mind, and wait for the illumination. And, when we least expect it, that insight comes in a flash. We are going to explain more about that. 
We have included an image of a Sufi in prayer, who has got japa beads. Japa is mantra recitation. To help us develop serenity, the practitioners of Islam, the Sufis, as well the Buddhist and Hindus would use prayer beads. For every bead, they would pronounce a mantra in the mind, to develop that serenity. Counting bead to bead, reciting a mantra, repeatedly. All throughout the day, so that the mind stabilizes.
It is with prayer, in this moment, that we are connecting with our inner God. If we are not aware of Him, and that psychological flavor, in our states, we are asleep. States, Stations, and the Two Types of Initiates in Sufi Kabbalah
We're going to elaborate on insight, perception, imagination or clairvoyance. In order to explain insight, as taught within Sufism, it is necessary to explain some Sufi terms, which are technical, and relate to the path of meditation itself.
We have, what are known as "states," aḥwāl in Arabic, and "stations," maqāmāt. A state is something, as the Sufis explain, given to us by God; it is an insight, an inspiration or state of Being, given to us by divinity, in the moment. Stations are different: stations are qualities or virtues in our consciousness that we develop by our work, through striving, Jihad, mujahadah. It is important to remember this distinction. Maqāmāt, stations, are sometimes translated as "initiations." So, initiation is gained by striving, through work, but insight, experiences of the Being, samadhi, out of body experiences, comprehension, aḥwāl, are states given to us by the Being, by Allah, may He be praised and exalted―our Innermost. To explain this topic even further, how insight pertains to states, aḥwāl, given to us by divinity, we find two types of men or women, human beings, mentioned in a Sufi scripture, called Kashf al-Mahjub, Revelation of the Mystery, a Persian text. It is important to understand that, as Samael Aun Weor explained, the best of Sufism came from Persia. So, this is a seminal Persian text, which explains that there is these two men, the man of striving, Al-Ihsan Al-Mujahadah, the man of Jihad―then there is the man of contemplation, Al-Ihsan Al-Mushahadah. The word mushahadah, contemplation, means "witnessing, to perceive, to experience." This is where we get the Muslim declaration of faith, the Shahada, which many in the public, exoteric Muslims pronounce: لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
What does it really mean to bear witness? Literally millions of Muslims believe that by pronouncing this prayer, one has entered into the faith. But, that is not the meaning. The real meaning is that, to bear witness of divinity, is to experience divinity, in meditation, through contemplation, to have insight, to have clairvoyance, very awakened―to the point where, as a soul, the spark of the consciousness is absorbed within Allah, the Being, who is glorified by our cooperation, through Him. The man of striving is something that we are trying to develop in this moment. To strive, we need effort, in order to develop concentration, as we were explaining before. To develop concentration is the path of striving. But, when you get to the highest peaks of concentration, the ninth degree, establishing calm abiding, you do not need effort. That is when effort ends. We state that, that natural state of mind, in which the lake of consciousness is serene, is the state of Tiphereth in Kabbalah, the human soul. Purest effort is no effort. At that point, we do not need striving; we no longer need Jihad at that point, to control the mind. The mind is already serene. Now, you need to enter into contemplation, imagination, mushahadah. These two types of men also relate to Kabbalah. We find that the man of striving is precisely the Bodhisattva, the human soul, who is really working in the path of spiritual warfare, against animal desire, Al-Nafs in Arabic, the negative selves. Tiphereth, dressed with the lower bodies―Netzach, the mind; Hod, the emotional body; Yesod, the vital body; Malkuth, the physical body; and the solar garment of the initiates, the masters, the Causal body―have been built in Alchemy. Alchemy itself is a path of striving, but also contemplation, mushahadah, witnessing, to experience the divine. It is important to remember that, what is interesting in Sufism, particularly in the text that I mentioned, the Sufis would often wear wool garments. The word Sufi is even believed to come from the word suf, meaning "wool, pure garments." We know that wool comes from the lamb, and the lamb is the symbol of Christ, divinity. So, what are these wool garments that we need to wear, through Jihad, striving in meditation? The solar bodies, which we have to create in a matrimony. The man of striving is dressed with these garments, by working in the perfect matrimony. But, the man of contemplation is the Being, we could say, in a manner of speaking―the man of witnessing, because the one who really witnesses is divinity, as we will explain more about. Divinity in Kabbalah is composed of Kether-Chokmah-Binah, which are translated as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Christian terms. This is not three separate persons, as the Christians mistakenly believe, but three forces in one. This is perfectly in line with the Muslim doctrine of Tawhid, the unity of Allah. Allah is that light of the Christ, which is three forces in one, but also the Spirit, the Innermost, the Being, Chesed in Kabbalah, is part of divinity, dressed with his Divine Soul, Geburah. That is the Being, those five Sephiroth above; that is the man of witnessing, the one who really experiences. The Being needs to know Himself, as we teach, through His soul. There is a famous mantra in Sufism, "Allah Hu Allah" which they recite many times. Allah, we say, is the triunity, the three primary forces―Kether-Chokmah-Binah―and Hu is the Spirit. In Sanskrit, we find the word Hum, meaning the Innermost. In the mantra Allah Hu, we refer to the Trinity and the Spirit, which are not separate forces, but one integral entity, aligning with Tawhid. Not entering into blasphemy, as many Muslims would argue, calling it shirk: to say that the unity of God can be broken. But, we are not speaking about a multiplicity, but one light. 
In this image, we see Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a great master, who is illuminated by fire. Surrounded by his disciples, and the Angel Gibril, or Gabriel. This Angel is holding in his hands, the celestial Jerusalem, or Darusalam in Arabic, the city of peace. The Prophet Muhammad perfectly demonstrated the path of striving, in himself. He is a great master who here is demonstrating with his actions his perfect clairvoyance, his perfect perception, his perfect witnessing of divinity. Notice, his disciples, who are not surrounded by halos of flame, only look at Prophet Muhammad, but only Muhammad can see Gibril above. Muhammad, in the terms of Samael Aun Weor, and in Sanskrit, is a Turiya, a being that has perfect clairvoyance, perfect vision, insight. He sees both the superior worlds and the inferior worlds, the physical plane, at the same time with no confusion.
Question: Is in Daath, where you can see both worlds? That is the link between the superior and inferior worlds? Instructor: Yes, because in Daath is precisely how the man of striving, in Alchemy, becomes a man of contemplation, a perfected being. That is how we cross the abyss. Muhammad, as Turiya, perfectly enlightened one, is the only one who sees Gabriel there, with the Holy City. This explains how, in Buddhist doctrine, the fact that a perfectly awakened Buddha, a master, sees both the alternate truths of existence: the absolute nature of all things, the void or space, Allah, and the physical world, the conventional truth, phenomenal existence. Such a person sees both the noumena and phenomena, at the same time. Audience: Is there a relationship to that with Janus, the Roman God who saw both ways? Instructor: That relates, because Janus has two heads, and sees the superior and the inferior at the same time. In Buddhist terms, we could say that Prophet Muhammad, as the man of striving, is a manifestation Buddha, as Samael Aun Weor explains in his books; the Bodhisattva, the terrestrial person. Then, the Being, represented by the Holy City, and even Gibril, the Holy Ghost, as is mentioned in the Qur'an, is the superior, the man of contemplation. What is important to know, is that he is giving his insight to his disciples; he sees the Being in all things, the heavenly city, Darusalam, the heavenly Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation, is the superior worlds. At our level, it can refer to the psychological country, that we have to navigate. But, in the superior worlds, we have the perfectly developed master, represented by this city. So, the nature of insight is the substance of this truth. 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. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is a very elevated state of clairvoyance, which we are going to explain as supra-consciousness.
If we look in our mind, if we perceive internally, we often find that we may have periods of forgetfulness or negligence in our concentration. So, it is not perfected yet. The fact that, the type of clairvoyance, "clear vision" in French, insight, perception is unmixed with either negligence or forgetfulness, is the clairvoyance of masters, perfectly developed. Audience: How does that relate to intuition then? Instructor: We are going to explain that. Intuition, we say, is the capacity to know something immediately. That relates to imagination. We are going to talk about that in detail. Indeed, it is a judgment of Truth flowing from the tongue of a servant. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is a type of perception into the nature of mind; not only in himself, but, Muhammad sees the minds of his disciples, and is able to speak the truth. So, our clairvoyance is developed precisely by how we control our tongue: what we speak, what we say, what we produce in life. If we speak truthfully, and we are honest, our Satyam in Sanskrit, is the ethical discipline that trains the mind, so that, when the mind is serene, when we don't pronounce lies, or evil things, we have more serenity in our consciousness, so that imagery, that insight, comes more directly.
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
This is aḥwāl, states. We strive to concentrate, and then, when we reach the peak, no effort is needed. Then, insight comes to us, as a grace. Samael Aun Weor explained that: that insight, intuition, understanding, comes immediately when we are not seeking it, but when we are just open, when we are no longer striving. At that point, we have reached the threshold of entering into the states of being of a man of contemplation, of witnessing, mushahadah.
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. Thus the possessor of insight witnesses things in the way that the Truth brings him to witness them (meaning, that state is given to us, directly, without our effort. The insight comes from the Being. All we need to do is receive that) and he speaks what is in people’s minds. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Now, one thing I want to mention is that, states are given to us by divinity. But, not only by our own divinity, but also other divinities. This is known in Sufism as Barakah, blessings. We call this in Gnosticism, borrowed light. So, by invoking a master, who is really developed, self-realized, that individual Monad or Being can give us experiences that are beyond our normal capacity of consciousness; things that we cannot experience on our own. Sometimes, the masters, especially in the beginning of our studies, give us light, experiences in the internal planes, that we could not have developed on our own. They are given to us as a grace, so that, as a witness, Shahid, we see the truth of divinity.
It comes into my mind, an experience that I had in the astral plane, where I invoked Master Samael. He explains in his book Igneous Rose the following: Every Master expresses himself through his disciples. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
Personally, my affinity with Master Samael... I really love my Guru. I invoke him whenever I need him. I remember in the astral plane, I was becoming conscious, and I realized that I was being attacked. Someone was trying to knock me asleep, hitting me, punching me, pushing my consciousness... it was a type of psychological pressure that was pushing me into oblivion. So, I invoked Samael Aun Weor, in the name of Christ, by the power of Christ, by the majesty of Christ. And, instead of appearing, to stop the fight―there was a black magician who was attacking me―I suddenly had a perception that was expansive, where my awareness was illuminated, and I was seeing myself from the third person perspective. I was confronted by an Asian man in a black tunic, who was a sorcerer of the left hand path, and he was attacking me. Astrally, we were fighting, punching and kicking. Meanwhile, the presence of Samael was in my mind, in my heart, and I saw myself as if I was watching a video game. What is interesting, is that he did not stop the fight; he showed me what I needed to do to defend myself.
A good teacher does not give everything, but forces you to really develop yourself. Samael is very demanding in that way. So, I was fighting, third person, and I was having a lot of awareness in that state. Sadly, I got so identified with the experiences, while kicking, I kicked so hard that I physically acted that way, and I woke myself up―my leg flew up in the air, and I woke up; I lost the experience. But, the thing is, that was a form of barakah―that was a state I could not have achieved on my own. But, Samael, being the God of war, wanted to train me: this is what we need to do. So, he gave me that light, to see what was happening, and to learn to defend myself. We also talk about borrowed states or borrowed light, aḥwāl, in relation to Vajrayana Buddhism. In Vajrayana teachings, the teachings of the diamond vehicle or indestructible vehicle of Tantra, we find that certain practitioners of sexual Alchemy envision themselves as a deity, or meditate through devotion on a Buddha. The most powerful form of prayer that we know is a matrimony, when sexually united. This is because, man is El in Hebrew, God; woman is Goddess Eloah. Man and woman united in Alchemy is Elohim, a unity, Tawhid in Arabic, the unity of Allah. When a man and woman are practicing Alchemy, the best thing is to invoke a master, but especially Samael, who governs the sexual force, in order to raise that energy inward and upward, and to visualize oneself as him, as that Martian force that is in sex, to raise it to the mind. We know that Samael, as the Angel of War, governs two astrological signs: Aries in the brain, the mind, and Scorpio in sex. So, he is the power of the serpent, that we can train in a matrimony, to perform real Deity Yoga. So, he can really help us in that way. The important thing is that aḥwāl is given to us, as a grace. Stations, then, we have to develop, on our own. That is why certain masters make us struggle, to strive and fail many times, in order to learn from our mistakes, so that, really, our comprehension is solid. Audience: What you're saying is, you really have to strive to become religious? Instructor: Exactly. As the Sufis teach, you cannot have contemplation, witnessing, without having striven in meditation to concentrate. Then, when you have achieved perfect concentration, then, witnessing comes naturally. Master Samael emphasizes this point in Igneous Rose: Those who want to enter into the wisdom of the fire must overcome the process of reasoning and cultivate the ardent faculties of the mind.
We do this moment by moment. We have to comprehend the mind instant by instant; that is how we develop our capacities, fully.
The golden fruit of reasoning is comprehension.
What is this comprehension? It is the result of having stable mind, serene mind. Then, imagination comes to us as a result of developing our perceptive faculties, our fikrat, meditative reflection.
Imagination and comprehension are the foundation of the superior faculties of the understanding.
We talked about this concentration and imagination, and how they produce in us genuine knowledge of the superior worlds. We gain comprehension as a result of stabilizing our mind, but, that comprehension is only really fulfilled more directly when we have insight, in combination with that. Stability and insight is what is necessary. We achieve that by working with the fire.
Here, we see the Sanskrit letters for Aum, for God, on this Buddha. It is important to remember that a Buddha, or an Angel, has attained complete cognizance by working with INRI, the sexual fire, or Allah, which is the same fire, the light of the Lord.
We're going to talk about the different qualities of insight, imagination. What is interesting for me, is that we have we have an image of the Buddha, with a hand up and hand down. This signifies a perfectly awakened Master; one who has a fully developed budh, cognizance inside, who sees both the superior and the inferior. The hand that sees the higher dimensions and the lower dimensions, at the same time. 
What is also interesting, is that we have a swastika on the chest of this Buddha, which is a symbol of Tantra. The Nordic Rune Gibur is the sexual cross of man and woman, the vertical phallus, the horizontal uterus, and the energies in motion. It also signifies the chakras that are fully illuminated, especially the chakra Ajna, the third eye of clairvoyance, that is fully strengthened, awakened, when we work with sexual magic.
Now, the thing is, this is the very same image as the image of the Prophet Muhammad, because this Buddha represents جِبْرِيل Jibril, Gibor-Ra-El: the Rune Gibor of אל El, the Buddha. אל El is the Spirit. Audience: You said Jibril is Gabriel? Instructor: Yes. جِبْرِيل Jibril in Arabic, גַבְרִיאֵל Gabriel in Hebrew, and Gibor-Ra-El: the cross of Ra, the Solar God, the Christ, that inoculates the Spirit, El. Like we say in the prayer to the Solar Logos: Come unto us and penetrate us, enlighten us, go through us, and awake within our Being (El, the Buddha) all of those marvelous substances, that are as much a part of thee, as a part of me. ―Gnostic Prayer
So, this is Gabriel, as represented in Buddhism, the Angel or Buddha of the cross. Through that power, we see both heaven and hell, simultaneously, if we work with that perception in us.
Positive and Negative Clairvoyance
There are two forms of clairvoyance. It is important to note that clairvoyance is a term given by French initiates, in order to confuse people. The term clairvoyance was misappropriated to make people think that only a select few people had this faculty. Meanwhile, clairvoyance as a technical term, meaning "clear vision," simply is imagination, the capacity to visualize in the mind. That is clairvoyance, but people think that this is some type of supra-normal thing, that only a handful of people have. Really, everyone has that capacity inside.
We talk about this in terms of imagination; the capacity to perceive imagery. The thing is, there are two kinds of imagination: objective and subjective. Objective imagination is liberated, free of obscuration, of ego, of defect, of blemish, of filter. It is to see the reality in itself, reflected by conscious and, more importantly, supra-conscious clairvoyance. Subjective clairvoyance or imagination is perceptions that are filtered through the ego. This is very common in most of humanity. We were discussing earlier about the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, who was very clairvoyant; he saw demons in people and was writing about it, because he was morbidly fascinated. He was an alcoholic, and alcohol stimulates the negative perceptions of the psyche, as well as other, certain drugs, psychedelics, LSD, marijuana especially too. Now, those types of perception are in the mind, in the ego, defects. So, subjective clairvoyance is like being an animal, seeing in the dark; it is perception, but within the mind. This is something that we all can verify through our own experience, and we will give some examples. Subconsciousness, unconsciousness and infraconsciousness pertain to filtered perception; meaning, subjective states, which have no reality. This is different from aḥwāl in Sufism. Aḥwāl, as superior states, really come to us as a result of consciousness, and more importantly, supra-consciousness. We will explain each in depth. 
Conscious Clairvoyance
Conscious clairvoyance is, as Samael Aun Weor explains, only developed in those who awaken in the internal planes; he is clear about this in The Major Mysteries. Now, conscious clairvoyance is the capacity to see the mind as it is. In our beginning state, when we are becoming athletes in meditation and self-observation, we see egos and our perception becomes more clarified, as a result of strengthening that skill. We see egos take on shapes, qualities; we sense the mind as it is, and begin to see the mind, in the beginning state, as it is. Even deeper, if we go into the astral plane, you see your egos as very crazy creatures that are impossible to describe. Unless you look at a painting by Hieronymus Bosch... He was a great gnostic master, with supra-consciousness, who was illustrating the mind. You see a landscape with all these animal figures, in the Temptation of St. Anthony specifically, where St. Anthony is praying towards Christ in the temple, and there are all these defects surrounding him. I suggest you look at this image.
That happens to anyone that begins this path, to develop conscious clairvoyance. We begin to see the mind for what it is. This is the state of Dianoia, in Greek. Dianoia means "revision of beliefs, cultural, intellectual synthesis, awakened consciousness, spiritual culture, insight." When we begin to separate from the mind itself, we are developing conscious clairvoyance; we see the mind for what it is, in degrees. There are levels of light that we need to develop. In order to develop conscious clairvoyance, as Samael Aun Weor explains, we need logical thoughts and exact concept. Specifically, this means that, when we are studying our mind in meditation, but also, more importantly, out of the body, we need to be very analytical about what we see. We need to be scientific, because the images that we perceive in the internal planes are symbolic. It is important to have a very good knowledge of scripture, and a lot of intuition to interpret what we see. Otherwise, we make mistakes, judgements about ourselves or other people, which we are going to talk about. Logical thought is when we have an experience in the internal places; it has to coincide with physical facts, as the Master Samael explains in Sexology, the Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology: the superior has to agree with the inferior. So, if we have a dream or vision out of the body, that tells us about something in relation to our physical experience in life, that is when we know that it is authentic. Experiences in the internal planes given to us by our Being, or by the masters, signifies that there is a relationship there; there is no difference. This morning, I had an experience that was very strange. I found myself in my garage, having a garage sale. And, there were people who were just taking things, taking my money, or paying me with nickels and dimes and not giving me everything I needed. They were laughing at me, and mocking me. And I was thinking, this is very strange; I didn’t know where this experience was coming from. I woke, and I thought, this is probably just my mind tricking me. But, I reflected and I realize, there were certain at my last job, recently, who were very manipulative, who were trying to take advantage of me. And, I realized, "Ah, my Being is showing me how people are trying to manipulate me, and were abusing me even." The physical experience has to coincide the internal facts, and the internal experience has to verify with the physical facts. There can't be a separation: if we experience something internally, but the physical circumstances don't really explain the vision, then, we have to discard it as subjective. But, if it tells us something about what is going on in our life, it is very applicable, then that gives us faith. So, this is conscious; this means that we're analyzing logically, but we see in the internal worlds, and also in meditation, and also in our daily experiences. It is integral―there is nothing separate. Subconscious Clairvoyance
On the other hand, subconscious clairvoyance relates to memory. This is "sub," beneath our awareness. We have a lot of experiences in our mind, in our memories, that are particularly subjective; such as traumas, difficult experiences in life. For instance, a woman who is betrayed by her father, or her father committed adultery, and later that daughter, having had this experience, gets involved with a man, in a relationship, then projects her visions of her father onto that man, and has a lot of fear and jealousy, or difficulties in relating to her future husband, as an example. This creates all sorts of problems, because that man may be very virtuous and honest, but, this woman believes her partner to be possibly an adulterer or cheating on her. So, this is subconscious. People like this are not even aware, but they are projecting their memories onto the screen of life, their traumas and past experiences.
We say that subconscious clairvoyance relates to three factors: genotype, phenotype and paratype. These are technical terms that Samael explains in Sexology, the Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology. I really recommend that you read that book and memorize it: it is very important. Genotype relates to our genes, our karma, our inheritance; such as, our language, our culture, the things that we absorb from our environment. These are things that are in our blood: habits, tendencies, illnesses that we may have, things that are genetic. These things reflect a type of psychology that institutes such results in our current existence. So, the body that we have is born from our previous actions. But, also, subconsciousness relates to many genotypic factors, such as, people’s attachment to culture, believing that their religion is better than others, their language is better than others, only liking certain foods and rejecting other cultural dishes, things like that. Things that seem simple like that, that is subconscious, because it is beneath one’s awareness, and these are things that relate a lot to our inheritance in life. Likewise, we have phenotype, which is our education, what we learn in school. Oftentimes, this shapes the ways that we see the world; our high school, middle-school, preschool, these experiences shape our personality and how we are going to go through life, the kind of attitudes that we have. These are subconscious, because they are absorbed from others. Lastly, we have paratype; meaning, circumstances. So, even though we have our genes and our education, certain circumstances in our life can really shape who we are and strengthen subconscious perceptions in us, very much; such as traumas, as I mentioned. This is very well known in psychology, where individuals who were abused sexually may not even remember what happened. But, later, when they talk with a psychologist, and they go through memory recall, then they remember those experiences, because they had blocked them out of their awareness. That is subconscious clairvoyance. And, the fact that it is re-surging means that they're becoming more aware of that state. Unconscious Clairvoyance
Now, unconsciousness is different; it is more profound, more submerged within what we could call animality, egotistical desires in the mind. Samael Aun Weor explains that 100% of homicides are a result of unconscious clairvoyance. To be in a state in which one lacks sympathy for another human being is very unconscious. To lack that connection with others, compassion with others, is to be in a very profound state even beneath subconsciousness. Also, many times we watch television or even being at a grocery store, there are magazine trays or counters with all sorts of paraphernalia, such as showing very lustful images of men and women, celebrities, and those images, if we're not careful about what we see, and how we transform the images as they enter into our mind, many times continue to exist as entities, egos that we create, as a result of our unconsciousness.
Samael explains that unconscious clairvoyance is a result of lustful dreams. So, if one is in the astral plane, and one is fornicating with an entity―a man or a woman―then, that is really unconscious clairvoyance. That is the cause of nocturnal pollutions, seminal emissions. As we're going to explain, that is remedied through being aware of what we eat, psychologically speaking, what impressions we take in. It comes to my mind, the experience that one missionary had, who was walking in a grocery store, alluding to where he saw an image of a woman in a magazine that was very provocative. He immediately turned away. That night, he was fighting with this lustful succubi, this demon he created in his mind, that he saw in just one instant. Not even a fraction of a second. So, we are constantly receiving impressions from the world, but transforming them unconsciously, and then they become desires in the mind, the mental plane, which the devotees fornicate with. So, murder and fornication really are two aspects of that. Infraconscious Clairvoyance
Infraconsciousness is the most submerged level of the psyche. It pertains to experiences such as nightmares, experiences of horror; like visions that Edgar Allen Poe had, describing murder, demons and all sorts of vile things, these pertain to his infraconscious which was very awakened. This is not to say that the nightmares, entities, demons and experiences that one has in dreams are not real. In fact, they have reality in our mind. In that state, one is aware of what is going on the very lower depths of the psyche.
Infraconsciousness has two polarities: prostitution and thievery. The two most infraconscious type individuals are those who are prostitutes, and also those who steal. Stealing creates a lot of disorder in communities; they think that no harm will come from stealing from someone who is rich, but that has consequences, not only in the community, but also in the mind. But, there are two polarities there, thievery and prostitution, in which the mind, the infraconsciousness relates to very sadistic sexual states, not just homosexuality and lesbianism, but extreme forms of sexual perversion, pertaining to those types of perceptions, or nightmares. We want to become conscious of these elements in us, and, as we learn to become conscious of these subjective states and eliminate them, we really march on the path towards supra-consciousness. Audience: These are what in psychopathology they talk about. And the techniques to get rid of them, or at least do something about them relate to spirituality. And that, once you realize these things exist, to do something about it; meditation techniques, etc. I just thought I'd mentioned that. Instructor: To really know this in depth, study Sexology, the Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology by Samael Aun Weor. He talks about how the criminal justice system is a result of failing to really develop conscious clairvoyant psychiatrists, and also teaching delinquents how to remove these subjective forms of perception inside, by teaching them the best of yoga, Rosicrucianism, meditation, Gnosticism―teaching them the best of religion. Now, Samael explains that the penal justice system goes hand in hand with clairvoyance, because, as the Sufis said, it is a word of justice that flows from the tongue of the servant. So, by developing clairvoyance, we become just people, and in that way, we can help individuals who killed, murdered, stole, because they felt they had to, as a result of their subjective impetus, that they're not even aware of. Audience: These are all forms of clairvoyance though? Instructor: Yes. We're talking about these lower three―filtered, conditioned by ego. These are forms of perception in the mind, the ego. Conscious clairvoyance, and super conscious clairvoyance pertain to states without ego, which are more purified. Supraconscious Clairvoyance
Now, in relation to supra-consciousness, we find that this pertains to the level of prophets who have no ego, Turiya; Buddhas or prophets like Muhammad, who could see both the superior and inferior worlds at the same time.
The best way to explain supra-consciousness, for me, is to talk about a teaching in Advaita or Vedanta in Hinduism, the doctrine of oneness. There was a teaching given by Sivananda called Satcitananda, or "truth, knowledge and bliss absolute." Sat is truth. So, when we do the rune Man, invoking the Lord Christ, by saying “Ommmm Tat Sat,” we are invoking the truth, the Absolute, which in Arabic is Allah, may He be exalted. We perform this by doing runes, circulating those forces to return back to Him. Tat relates to the Hebrew word ת Tav, which is the middle letter that you find in the word כֶּתֶר Kether, which is the truth. So, we say that the Father, the Lord who is in secret, is the truth, Allah is the truth, حقّ Haqq in Arabic which is one of the beautiful names in Arabic of Allah. Sat also means truth in Sanskrit, in Hinduism. Audience: You mentioned Tav, isn't that the material plane, that has to do with the oracle of the world, Tau? Instructor: ת Tav is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet; it is the seal, the covenant, the truth, the perfection which we seek, after we have passed beyond the man of striving, when we become a man of contemplation, which is perfection in those degrees. This is pertaining to the Three Mountains, as we will explain at another time. But, ת Tav relates with Satcitananda, which again is truth, knowledge and bliss; or, you could say, "the one who knows," and the act of knowledge. Or, to put it into Samael Aun Weor's terms, we have Chesed-Geburah-Tiphereth, Sat-cit-ananda. Sat is the Innermost, the truth, the Being, Hu, the Spirit of Rūḥ in Arabic. Cit is the one who cognizes or knows; this is the Divine Soul, Geburah. Then, bliss, when the human soul, Tiphereth is united with that the Monad―the Spirit and the Divine Soul―then you have happiness. That is one form of Satcitananda, at a certain level. You also find Satcitananda in the higher Trinity: Kether-Chokmah-Binah. Kether is also Sat, the truth; Cit, the one who develops knowledge, the one who sees or perceives, is Chokmah, Christ, because wisdom means "the power to perceive," it is the one who gains knowledge' then, we find bliss absolute is the Holy Ghost, Binah, because, when man and woman are sexually united, they're working with the Holy Ghost, and that is bliss. The way that we attain to supra-consciousness, as Samael explained, is through Alchemy and meditation. Audience: Binah is feminine right? Instructor: It is actually masculine and feminine. Audience: What about the Kundalini? Instructor: We say that the Kundalini is a feminine force. But, it also relates to Chokmah, the Son of Man, within the initiate. But also with the Holy Ghost, as Shiva-Shakti, in Hinduism. Shiva is the masculine aspect of the Holy Ghost; Shakti is the feminine aspect. So, it is dual, as represented in Hebrew as Jehovah-Elohim, Iod-Havah, man-woman, God and Goddess. Audience: So, in our society, I feel like we use the word imagination in a different way, and it is always really confused me. Basically, the way our psyche uses imagination, is not imagination at all, right? Instructor: Right. Audience: Because, when I think of imagination, I think of, picture yourself walking across a bridge; and I've always really been confused with imagination and intuition being used together, but really that would be visualization, not imagination, right? Instructor: People think that imagination is fantasy. But, in Gnostic terms, fantasy is subconsciousness, unconsciousness, infraconsciousness. The objective form of perception, to really know something, is conscious clairvoyance; even more, supra-consciousness. Supra-consciousness is a state of consciousness in which the soul is absorbed by the Being, in which the one who knows is the Being, through you, when there is no you. Audience: What about laying in bed at night, and picturing the Egyptian pyramids, while vocalizing? Is that imagination? Instructor: Conscious clairvoyance is when you willingly imagine something such as the pyramids or an object of concentration; you are visualizing something concretely. Conscious clairvoyance is something you distinguish through practice, and you may find that you have certain degrees of clarity and insight, but really, any dream in the internal planes is conscious clairvoyance: when you awake, and you realize that you're in the astral plane―that is being conscious. That is the genuine type of conscious clairvoyance that we need. That develops in us, the more that we eliminate ego, through meditation. Audience: And that is on another plane, you said? Instructor: And that is really the only place that we can verify that we're developing consciousness, because that demonstrates that physically we are working and internally we are seeing on another level: we're unveiling the mind. Audience: So, is that subjective, even when you're aware? Instructor: It can be, because conscious clairvoyance is not perfected yet. Conscious clairvoyance has many degrees. Sometimes, we find that we may have an experience where the mind takes over, and that subconscious clairvoyance absorbs our attention, and we get lost in dreams. Conscious clairvoyance is between the heights of heaven and really on the threshold above hell. And, depending on what we do with our perception, being mindful of our Being, we can either ascend higher or many times we identify with the mind, and we start projecting dreams. Dreams pertain to the subconsciousness, unconsciousness and the infraconsciousness. We find that, you may be awake in the astral plane, but suddenly, you start thinking about other things, seeing other things, and begin to project. Audience: So, subjective clairvoyance has to do with projections of the ego? Instructor: Yes. Whereas, conscious clairvoyance is when you receive impressions objectively; there is no interference. Audience: So, your Being gives you the conscious and supra-conscious... Instructor: Supra-consciousness? Yes. Conscious clairvoyance, we have to learn to develop on our own. This is the path of striving to perfect our conscious clairvoyance. But also, to develop that perfect witnessing, we could say, we need to really rely on the Being. Now, aḥwāl, superior states that I have been mentioning to you, really pertains to supra-consciousness, in which there is no ego present: the soul is united with the Being, and there is only God. So, the one who knows is God; the one who is knowing himself is the Lord; and the one who acts as cognizance at the same time is the Being. We are also part of that, we are witnessing the Lord, through the Lord. The Sufis say, "I know my Lord through my Lord." It is really only the Being that can know himself; this is a very distinct, theological teaching given by Al-Sheikh Al-Akbar, the greatest Sufi Master, Ibn Arabi. He taught in his book, Treatise on the One Alone, Kitab Al-Ahadiyyah, that the only one that can know himself is the Lord. This is an important distinction, because the ego cannot enter there. However, the soul united, is one with the Lord, and the Being is reflected like a mirror of the soul, perfectly reflecting His image, so He contemplates His beauty. It comes to my mind, the highest form of Satcitananda. We talk about Chesed-Geburah-Tiphereth, one trinity of the Being, truth, knowledge and bliss. Also, Kether-Chokmah-Binah, Father-Son-Holy Ghost, but, there is also Satcitananda in the Ain Soph, within the origin of who we are. The Ain Soph is that supra-atomic star mentioned by Samael Aun Weor, that is a primordial atom from the Absolute, which is pure light, and always has been, and is inside of us. Sat is that Ain Soph, that truth. Cit is when Ain Soph has acquired cognizance of Himself. Bliss is Him contemplating Himself, through the soul. He needs the soul to be united with Him, because the soul is one with the Being. But, the problem is that we have ego. But, we can temporarily experience supra-consciousness in the Ain Soph if the Lord really wants that for the soul, if we deserve it. You can have a samadhi, where if you meditate on the chakra Sahasrara, the crown chakra, you can project yourself in your church of Laodicea, the crown of omniscience, which is the halo of the saints, that unites with That, if that is what He wills. Then, He knows Himself, because only the Lord can know Himself. So, when you are united with the Being, who is left? That is a philosophic question that many people have discussed for a long time, but the one who understands Himself is God, through His soul. This is known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the highest Samadhi. That is a form of Satcitananda; in Sufism, we call that Madhkur, Dhakir, and Dhikr: the Invoked, the Invoker and the Invocation. Dhikr, remembrance of God can mean an invocation, to really remember that presence, through a mantra, through meditation specifically. 
Insight, Certainty, and Comprehension in Meditation
We included an image of a minaret, because this is what is used in mosques throughout the world to announce call to prayer, known as Adhan. They pray five times a day. We need to pray every moment. But, the meaning of the Muslim praying five times, is to maintain continual remembrance of the Being; this is the esoteric explanation of the custom. But, a minaret is a tower, meaning our brain, our pineal gland and pituitary gland, which relate to clairvoyance and omniscience. The chakra Ajna relates to the pituitary gland, the third eye, which is represented by the minaret. The Muslims cry, sing in Arabic, "Allāhu ʾakbar"; they mantralize, as a representation of remembering divinity, through mantra, sacred sounds.
We're going to explain a couple of quotes from Al-Qur'an, which teaches something about the nature of insight: God Most High has said, “In that are signs for those who read the signs” (15:75). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is an exegesis from Al-Qushayri, his Principles of Sufism:
"By those who read the signs” means “for those who can see the inward state of things” or “those who have insight. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
I am going to elaborate a couple of quotes from the Qur'an, which are very misunderstood in these times. But, are understood precisely through this doctrine of insight. And, the explanation of the meaning of Muslim scriptures.
This is from Al-Imran, Surah 3:7: It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise―they are the foundation of the Book―and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge (Ilm, Marifah, Gnosis―real witnessing of divinity) say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding. ―Qur'an 3:7
The thing is, those who seek what is metaphorical in the Qur'an, and do not know Kabbalah and Alchemy, these are the people of subconsciousness, unconsciousness and infraconsciousness. These are people who don't know how to see the signs in meditation. Signs are experiences one has, out of the body, or in contemplation (mushahadah), meditation.
It further states in Al-Baqarah, Surah 2:118: And those who have no knowledge say: "Why does not Allah speak to us (face to face) or why does not a sign come to us?" So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty (Yuqinun, or Yaqin). ―Qur'an 2:118
The Qur'an often talks about the "abundant signs of Allah (may He be exalted),” in which are references to the date palm, the trees, the rivers, the waters, the mountains―and Muslims literally interpret this, thinking that there is God because of we have these physical things, which is true to a degree. But, these signs have symbolic meanings. For example, the date palm, the fruit of the date tree, is the Muslim equivalent of the Fig tree, the sexual power. The rivers of milk and honey, paradise, refer to the transmutation of the waters, Al-Tasnim in Arabic.
The just shall be guests of the Mansions of Delights. The Three Forms of Certainty
Those who have no knowledge, who really don't meditate, say, "Why does not Allah come to us with signs?" But, signs come to those who have certainty. Sufis talk about three forms of certainty, in relation to insight. You have ilm al-yaqin, meaning the knowledge of certainty; yaqin means certainty. The science of certainty is sometimes referred to as Ilm.
Then, we have "the seeing of certainty," ayn al-yaqin. Ayn in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew, means perception, eyes, sight. Then, we have haqq al-yaqin, “the truth of certainty." The distinction between these three is that, in the knowledge of certainty, one has certainty of the teachings after hearing it. So, there is a Sufi master who gave an explanation about this term. His name was Abū Bakr Sirāj ad-Dīn, and he gave this explanation in the book, The Book of Certainty. He describes ilm al-yaqin, as if hearing about a description of fire; receiving knowledge, hearing about it. Then, judging by the lecture or book, what is true, what is effective, and having certainty about the teaching based on having heard it. But, ayn al-yaqin is really conscious clairvoyance; meaning, to see the truth, to really experience what this lecture or what the books and Master Samael are talking about. Then, haqq al-yaqin is like being burned by fire; meaning, the truth of certainty is the soul is united in the Being and the soul is obliterated, and there is only consciousness in God. That is to be burning with certainty. That flame, as we saw in the image of the Buddha before, is Gibor-Ra-El, Gabriel, the Holy Ghost, or we could say, the Ain Soph, that star from which we originated. For me, when I am lecturing, I am giving you ilm al-yaqin. You have to meditate to really perceive, and hopefully go at the heat of what we're trying to convey. But, I am also explaining haqq al-yaqin, because I had the experience in which my soul was united with the Lord, with no ego, because He wanted it; not because I deserved it, but because He wanted to show me. So, giving witness as a Muslim... I really am Muslim, because I submit to Allah, and I have born witness of my Lord, having united with that truth, and that Lord was in me. But, there was no me, there was only Him. That is haqq al-yaqin, "the truth of certainty." So, I am talking about the fire that I have experienced, and the need to really meditate, to really bear certainty of your clairvoyance. Abu-l-Hasan al-Nuri, who we're going to quote more of, the Sufi master, said: Certainty is contemplation (mushahadah.) ―Abu-l-Hasan al-Nuri
So, real certainty is when you, the soul, are absent from the ego, and unite back with your Being. That is genuine certainty of truth, Satcitananda.
Abu abd al-Rahman al-Sulami reported… from Abu Said al-Khudri that the Messenger of God (Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fear the spiritual insight of the believer, for he sees by the light of God." ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism 
That is supra-consciousness. That is a Turiya, one who really has no ego, is a real believer we could say. Real faith is born by what we see, directly, not what we believe. Belief has been misconstrued. Belief in the Qur'an, to be-lieve, to be through the power of love, through Alchemy. The symbol of Islam is the Moon, as you might see in this image; the crescent moon with the star of Venus. This is the Moon of Yesod of Alchemy, guided by the star of love, the Divine Mother; that is Angel Gibril, represented there, the Angel of the Moon.
Firasah, the precise insight of people, comes suddenly upon the heart and negates whatever might contradict it. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is because real insight, conscious clairvoyance and even supra-conscious clairvoyance, is very direct. It cannot be contradicted: you know it directly. There is no doubt. You have an experience, you know it comes from divinity, and the mind is not divided by the battle of the opposites, trying to debate, whether it is from your Lord or not... you know it, directly.
So, the mind may try to contradict, but, especially when the experience coincides with physical facts, it is irrefutable; you cannot deny it. It (spiritual insight) has a kind of jurisdiction over the heart. The term is derived from “prey (farisa) of a lion." ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Who is this lion? Our Inner Christ, the light of Allah, the light of unity, the light of Judah of יהוה Jehovah. Christ (Chokmah, Wisdom, the Savior: יהשוה Yeshua) is the capacity to perceive, wisdom, vis-dom, the kingdom of perception.
The ego cannot oppose the spiritual insight of that which is usually regarded as correct and possible. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
As Samael Aun Weor states, we must know ourselves without the depressing processes of options. Insight comes in a flash, and you know something directly: it coincides with facts, physically, and it is irrefutable, you cannot deny it, even if the mind may try.
It comes to my mind, a certain experience that I had. And I'll give an example, but there were things that I experienced internally, before I physically learned about it, and then finding the physical facts. I am going to give some examples about that, later on. It exists to the same degree as one’s strength of faith: whoever has stronger faith has sharper insight. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
We have to examine, what is our level of Being, what is our level of faith, what have we verified, and what do we need to verify, so that we can work diligently, and strengthen our soul, so that we're not tempted by the devil in our mind. We have to resist ego.
Clairvoyance, Slander, and Ethical Discipline
In this next section that I am going to explain, coincides with what Samael Aun Weor wrote about in Sexology, the Basis of Endocrinology and Criminology; specifically, about the need to develop spiritual-intellectual culture, when developing clairvoyance. Because, the worst form of people are those who have developed clairvoyance without becoming good citizens. So, as we mentioned, the justice and truth of the servant must flow from his tongue, in a manner of speaking.
Really, the development of genuine insight has to coincide with ethical discipline. Really, being good citizens: not gossiping―not talking about other people―because, what has been destroying and affecting the Gnostic movement, are people who have been developing clairvoyance, and these people who have visions, and then judge other people. They have visions of other people, and then make criticisms of them, saying, "So and so is a black magician, a witch, is fallen, etc., etc." You can read about this in The Perfect Matrimony, extensively. The problem with these types of people is that they lack decency. They may have an experience about the ego of another person, but that is no reason to judge somebody. To have experiences about another person, we should be silent about that. Perhaps we were seeing the ego of that person, as a source in a past life... It doesn't mean they are practicing witchcraft now. But, you have many people who call themselves Gnostics who are condemning other people, because they don't really follow what we call the Sunnah. The Sunnah in Islam is the life example of Prophet Muhammad: being a good person, being kind and merciful, and not judging others. The problem is that people have experiences they don’t know how to interpret; they may have insight, but they make judgements; they may not see the whole picture, they don't understand what they see. So, they may have conscious clairvoyance, but, without a strong intellectual culture, understanding the teaching and the fact that, really our perceptions may be limited. We won't fall into mistakes if we do... Audience: What about, when you hear from others about someone who purports to be a spiritual teacher, and you know that they’re the left hand path, because it has been proven from what you've heard about them, their practices, and you warn someone about them? Is that a criticism, when you're sure that they're wrong? Instructor: I just point to the teachings, and say, this is what the teachings say about being chaste, being holy. For instance, there was a Sufi Master that was confronted by someone, who said, "So and so can fly in the air, has power." And, the Sufi Master said, "So what? Birds can fly. But, does he follow the Qur'an?" And the answer was no. “Shun him,” said the Master. And, if you want to correct people, correct by teaching the truth, not by pointing out people. If someone is causing harm, explain the teaching, "This is what is right." And let that person be the judge whether or not that instructor or missionary is really doing a good job. To confront people and say, "This person is a black magician," even if he is, is wrong. We shouldn't necessarily confront people. But, speak the truth, talk about what you need to do to practice. And, if you suspect somebody is doing evil, tell the students, and explain to them what the path is, and let them judge. If they choose it, good; if they do not, that is their choice. You have to let people decide. And, the problem with people is they have insight, but, other people make judgements. It comes to my mind Ibn Arabi, the greatest of Sufi masters, said, "Even if you have a genuine spiritual insight about another person, you should not talk about it to other people. That is satanic." To gossip is really a problem. Personally, I have been a victim of much gossip. "So and so is a black magician," well... The thing is, that is in the past. Not anymore. We all have that past, most of us. So, we cannot judge anybody. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone... This explains that, in order to develop insight, real clairvoyance, we have to follow the penal code, to be a good person. In the Muslim way, we talk about the Sunnah, which is the oral tradition of Islam, talking about the life of Prophet Muhammad, and the life that he lived, the example that he showed, which is very pure: I heard Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami say that his grandfather, Abu Amr bin Nujayd, said that Shah al-Kirmani had keen spiritual insight. He did not err. He would say, “Whoever casts down his eyes before forbidden things, restrains his ego from lusts (attraction to pleasure), fills his inner being with continuous attentiveness and his outer being with adherence to the Sunnah (scriptures about the life of the Prophet Muhammad), and accustoms himself to eating what is lawful, will make no mistakes with his insight. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Again, we already explained about being good citizens, not commenting or gossiping about the life of others, if we have had experiences about others. I have had internal experiences about individuals, but I never went out of my way to confront them on the issue; let them do their thing. But, if you have insight, keep it to yourself.
Adhere to the Sunnah: be a moral person. Also, one must accustom themselves to eating what is lawful: this means to eat good impressions. So, watching a lot of television, playing video games, distractions, seeing lustful images on television or magazines, even at a glance, that is eating what is unlawful. We eat impressions; the mind eats what it sees. So, we have to transform what we receive in our mind. You can read more about that, about the mental stomach, in The Revolution of the Dialectic. Samael Aun Weor explains in Igneous Rose, that serenity is the most powerful key to the development of clairvoyance. We are not serene if we gossip, or if we talk about our experiences about other people and that causes conflict or division. It is a serious crime, and it has happened in many spiritual groups, where individuals have experiences and then talk about it, to the point of creating conflict. So, serenity develops clairvoyance. We also have to be aware of transforming our mind; anger destroys clairvoyance. A moment of rage poisons our perception. In that sense, we are eating what is unlawful, eating anger. We eat anger. There is a line from one of Shakespeare's plays, Coriolanus, where his mother says after his exile from the city of Rome, "Anger is my meat, and I will starve with feeding,” talking about the mentality of someone who is filled with wrath. Audience: Steiner said the same thing. He said that it destroys the student who is on the path, the chakras specifically. He said the organs won't develop unless you control your emotions. Instructor: Samael explained it. Anger creates a poison called "imperil," which destroys the lotus flower of the chakra Ajna. You see through anger, but that is subconscious, infraconscious, unconscious. Anger only sees what it wants to hurt, and gets pleasure from that. That is a form of seeing, but in hell, and that destroys the objective perception. Muhammad taught, the strongest among you is the one who controls his anger. 
How to Develop Spiritual Insight
We have an image of the Sistine Chapel, the Creation of Adam. Jehovah, Allah, the Being is on the right. We're going to explain what you need to do to develop insight. We have a Sufi quote from Abu-l-Hasan al-Nuri. He was asked:
What is the origin of spiritual insight in the one who has it?” He answered, “It comes from the saying of the Most High, ‘And I breathed into him (Adam) of My Spirit'" (15:29). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This is very telling, because even the Sufi names and scriptures have symbolic meaning. Hasan means “beauty.” Nuri means “light.” So, Al-Hasan al-Nuri is “the beauty of the light.” It is interesting that this Master had that name. Hasan is precisely Tiphereth, beauty, the human soul. The light is Allah, as we see in this image; Jehovah on the right, Adam on the left: beauty and light.
This image depicts how one develops insight. Notice how Adam, the man of striving, the Bodhisattva, receives from the Being. He does not extend his hand out, reach out; he receives. That is ninth state of calm abiding emphasized here. It is to be in a state of active reception; no effort needed. Instead, the Being gives, as we see actively in this image of Jehovah reaching towards the human soul. So, the man of striving, mujahadah, on the left, Adam; the man of contemplation, mushahadah, the Being, on the right. What is interesting about the name نور Nur, the Arabic word from light (אוֺר Aur in Hebrew); We find that Muhammad received the Qur'an on جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر Jabal an-Nur, “the mountain of light.” So, by raising the fire of sexual magic to the mind, the mountain of initiation, he developed light and received Al-Qur'an from Gabriel, Jibril, the Angel of the cross. That Qur'an is our inner teaching, the law inside of us, the Being we could say. This is symbol as represented by Jesus receiving the Holy Ghost and being baptized in the river Jordan; it is the same meaning, but in the Muslim way. There is also a Surah in the Qur'an called, النور An-Nur, “The Light,” which contains one of the most important verses in Muslim doctrine. It describes how the light shines from an alabaster or clear vase. This is representing the Innermost, Sat, and the glass, the Divine Soul, Chit. So, there is Kabbalistic meaning here. But, notice how, to develop insight, one must receive from the Being. Aḥwāl, the divine states, are given to us by divinity. It is when we are really working in ourselves that we find that it is the Being who seeks us. Bayazid al-Bastami, a Sufi master, stated: For thirty years I had sought Allah, until I realized that Allah was the seeker, and I was the sought. ―Bayazid al-Bastami
We need to strive to a degree to concentrate. But, the insight comes from the Lord. He is the one who seeks us.
I remember once being in the astral plane, and I invoked my Divine Mother. She came in the form of a bear. A bear is a symbol of the ego, of occult enemies, waiting to fight. She showed me a radar, one of those screens where you see a radius turning, with a green light, followed by blips if there is something on the radar. And, she said, "Where are you? I don't see you here. You're telling me you keep forgetting me; I am looking for you." Pointing at the radar. And, I realized that I hadn't been remembering as I needed to. The Divine Mother seeks us; the Being is seeking us. We have to be receptive to that, to receive the light. What is interesting is that, there are other, deeper meanings to the development of insight here. We find the Arabic word, Adam, from the Hebrew Adam. In Arabic, آدم Adam means "not being, non-being." We talk about the Being, and then we talk about not- being, the Absolute. The Absolute, for our common perception, if we have had the experience of the illuminating void, the perception is emptiness, not-being, but the genuine Being. So, it says here: I breath into Adam (the not-being) with (of) my Spirit. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
It is important to explain what this not-being is.
In the Kashf Al-Mahjub, Revelation of the Mystery, it states: And the expression of not-being and annihilation (فناء fana) as they're used by Sufis, denote the disappearance of a blame-worthy instrument and disappearing attribute in the course of seeking a praise-worthy attribute. ―Al-Hujwiri, Revelation of the Mystery
So, as I was explaining, real Samadhi in the Being, the Absolute, the not-being, the primordial space in our star, means that you have to be annihilated, no ego, in order for that subsistence, بقاء baqa in Arabic, to be developed in us, to be in the Being. That is بقاء baqa.
The fact that the Lord breathes, in a cosmological scale, within the space, as the book of Genesis teaches: the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters of the deep, and breathed His Spirit into that emptiness. So, on a cosmological scale, we have the creation of any cosmos, the Tree of Life of any world. But, also, inside of us―how we develop insight is precisely when we cease to be egotistical; we are empty; we annihilate ourselves in the Being. We are empty. Samael explains in The Aquarian Message that God searches the nothingness in order to fill it. So, by working with the breath, the prana, transmutation, we develop light inside. That is how God breathes within the emptiness of the Divine Mother space to create any world, but also inside of us, our own darkness, to create light. That is when we develop beauty, Hasan Al-Nuri; the man of striving uniting with the man of contemplation. Audience: The intermediary would be Tiphereth, the solar forces there, right? Prana comes from there? It ties in that way too, right? Instructor: Prana comes from the Absolute. But, it is fully expressed within in the Bodhisattva, the human soul, the man of striving, when he works. We find that primordial light is within our semen, those waters of Genesis, which can create light within us. So, we have to work on transmuting, always, every day. There are more quotations here, in relation to Al-Risalah, discussing the nature of developing the soul and insight. If someone’s share of this light is more perfect, his vision is wiser and his judgment based on his insight is more truer. Do you not see how the breathing of the Spirit into Adam made it necessary for the angels to prostrate before him? For the Most High said, "I formed him and I breathed into him of My Spirit, so fall down before him in prostration" (15:29). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
When we're developing ourselves, insight, we are greeted in the internal planes by many Masters, who help us. They respect us. In a manner of speaking, they prostrate before us, because we are becoming a new God, a new Buddha, a new master. So, by developing that light and forming that Spirit inside, through transmutation, the Angels help us, in the internal planes.
This statement by Abu-l-Hasan al-Nuri is somewhat difficult, so be careful with it. In this mentioning of the breath of the Spirit, he was aiming to direct those who say that souls are uncreated. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, Jesus said, "with patience possess ye your souls." Really, we develop the soul through insight. When we are comprehending ourselves every day, every moment, we are developing life inside of us, we're creating the soul. But, if we're asleep, we're not creating; we're unconscious, walking negligence.
The quote continues: The situation is not as it might occur to hearts of the weak (Meaning, those who do not meditate). That to which this breathing and union and separation are properly attributed is liable to influence an alteration, which are signs of the transience or transitoriness of creative things. Yet, God, Glorious and Exalted, has chosen the believers, (the meditators, who transmute), for perceptions and lights through which they come to possess insight. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, experiences and the flashes of insight in the mind when we're meditating: that is how we really believe the truth of these things.
In essence, these are the forms of the knowledge of God. This is the import of the prophets saying, "the believer sees by the light of God." It is by knowledge and an inner vision for which God Most High has especially chosen him, and by means of which he has distinguished him from others like him. To call these kinds of knowledge and perceptions, lights, is not an innovation. And, to describe this process as breathing is not reaching far afield. What is intended is one created nature. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, we create the soul through developing comprehension. This relates to the Tree of Life, as we explained.
Wherever the delusion of your selfhood appears―there’s hell. Wherever “you” aren’t―that’s heaven. ―Abū Sa’īd in Ibn Munawwar: Asrār attawḥīd, ed. Shafī‘ī-Kadkanī, 299
So, we need to remove ourselves, and let our Being express and guide us, to give us insight.
The Tree of Life is a symbol that we can meditate on, to really comprehend and develop our concentration. But, also to visualize, so that we can experience in the internal planes and what the Tree of Life signifies.
Now, all the references to the subconsciousness, unconsciousness, infraconsciousness, pertain to us. The Being is supra-consciousness, and the road as represented in the allegory of the cave, is the path of conscious clairvoyance. Audience: The Sephirah Daath has the hexagram on it, there must be a reason why it is projected in a different way? Instructor: Because Daath is precisely the work of transmutation, that is going to develop insight. Audience: It makes it stands out, on the Tree, because of the color. Instructor: And we use that color to represent how Daath is that secret sphere, that was not taught for millennia. It is that knowledge of developing the beauty of lights, Hasan Al-Nuri, insight. Audience: Does Daath relate with mantras? Instructor: Yes. With how we gestate, perform Dhikr, invocation, mantra, remembrance. So, as I mentioned to you, we know we're developing insight, when we're doing it moment by moment. If we are not clear about what we are seeing in our psyche, it means that we are not working with our clairvoyance, but being negligent. Every moment, we need to have that vigilance, to strive, so that, through our striving, when we have serenity of mind, we see things in our psyche that are new. Audience: Moment to moment, you said, right? Instructor: Yes. Audience: So, driving a car, working, what ever it is you're doing, it is taking your attention, your concentration. How do you reconcile that with being aware spiritually, moment to moment? Instructor: Remember, your hudur, your Presence, your Being is always in you, with you. So, whatever you're doing, even though we don't see Allah, know that Allah sees you. We have to remember that fact, repeatedly, so that our daily activities are a reflection of our spiritual life, inside. To emphasize the fact that, we're only alive when we're awake, when we're observing, when we remember. 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
We go through our day, we don't sense our Being: we are dead. It is terrible to say but, as Samael Aun Weor explains in The Revolution of the Dialectic, the one who is not transforming impressions―being awake moment by moment―is devolving, degenerating.
So, when we're unconscious we are not alive. But, if we are paying attention, that is when we have life. When we see something in a way that is new, regarding our daily job or experience, working with another person, our mind, when we have that flash of understanding, you see something in a completely brilliant, clear, cognitive way. We are alive in those instants. Some people experience this rarely in their life, maybe as a result of an accident. A car accident that produces such a moment of shock, that that person awoke in their consciousness, and was seeing every detail of the accident, before it ended. We need to develop that type of awareness, no matter what happens. That is mind training, Lojong in Buddhism, striving in Jihad. It is said that when insight becomes sound, its possessor progresses to the level of contemplation (mushahadah, supra-consciousness). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition
Now, we're going to talk about imagination, inspiration and intuition, according to Sufism.
This is probably one of the most important quotes from this text, Al-Risalah: [Al-Jurayri] said, "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-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Everything that we're talking about here, awe of duty―we have to really feel that reverence and awe to practice, every day, to feel that reverence for the Being in every moment.
Awe of duty is to know that it is our duty to work for our Lord, no matter how difficult it is. That will lead us to disclosure of the unseen, mukashafah, and contemplation, mushahadah, of the divine. We're going to explain each of these stages. In Sufism, the three stages that we talked about previously are known as awareness, unveiling or disclosure and contemplation. In Gnosticism, we call it, imagination, inspiration, intuition. I am going to parallel these scriptures for you, so that you see the unity of thought. Awareness (muhadarah) is the beginning; then follows disclosure (mukashafah), then contemplation (mushahadah). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Previously, we discussed concentration. What we are emphasizing here, is how to meditate, to receive new information. To meditate is to receive information. Everything that we have done previously about concentration is to prepare for that. Then, Samadhi is that state of witnessing, ecstasy. The word ecstasy, in Latin, is ex-statuo, "to stand outside of oneself." So, as the Sufi's say, "where you aren't, that is heaven." When you are outside of your subjective, subconscious, unconscious, infraconsciousness, you are entering witnessing, a Samadhi, contemplation of the divine.
Whosoever has reached these ineffable heights of intuition has converted himself into a Master of Samadhi. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
We're going to talk about the Sufi terms, but also what Samael Aun Weor explains.
Imagination is the ability to perceive images, to see, have insight of a conscious and supra-conscious nature. Inspiration is when we see an image and we feel a reaction, a response in our heart, in our soul, about a given symbol or experience in the internal planes. Intuition is when we directly know the meaning of that symbol, to have real cognizance or contemplation of what it means. In the beginning [of meditation], the disciple perceives fleeting images. Later, the disciple totally perceives all the images of the supra-sensible worlds.
The Sufis refer to it as awareness. So, I invite you to really reflect on the parallels here.
This first stage of knowledge belongs to "imaginative" knowledge. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
Meaning, visions, lights, perceptions, imagination.
It is still behind the veil, even if the heart is present with the overwhelming power of the practice of remembering God (dhkir). ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, we see images, and we start to have flashes of insight. When we're meditating, we see people, places, things, hear sounds, even smells, visions; we're not entirely responsive in our heart, but we have these images and flashes that suddenly come to us, and we realize, we either wake up or return to our body, in meditation, after having seen those flashes. These are proofs, signs that we're developing our clairvoyance. This is a necessary and very good step; the fact that we see images means that we're stabilizing our mind, and that we're developing imaginative knowledge.
However, it is still behind the veil, because we have not really developed that real interpersonal connection to that symbol or to the visions that we're seeing. The next stage, as cited in Igneous Rose: The disciple contemplates many images that are mysteries for him because he does not understand them. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
This is when we see symbols, and we have an emotional response. We realize, this is a teaching, perhaps from our Being, that is really insightful and meaningful to us. We feel inspired, we may feel happiness or pain, pleasure, but we don't really know the meaning of what it entails. It is enigmatic to us. The solution is to meditate further.
Yet as long as he perseveres with his practices of internal meditation, he will then feel that the supra-sensible images produce certain feelings of happiness or pain.
And, the Sufis teach the same thing:
After this comes disclosure (unveiling, mukashafah) which is presence which has the quality of proof itself. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Meaning, we know that this is evidence from God, from our Lord.
In the condition the heart has no need of pondering indications or searching for the road, nor seeking protection from occasions of uncertainty (the opposite of yaqin, the knowledge of certainty, or ayn al-yaqin, the seeing of certainty, or haqq al-yaqin, that truth of certainty), and it is not screened from the nature of the Unseen. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
At this point, we are no longer searching for other things. We receive a symbol, and we really reflect on what this symbol means; what is it teaching us. We no longer have other options, "I received this symbol, now I have to go deeper and understand what my Being is teaching me." That is when we're inspired, and have reached ayn al-yaqin, the perception of truth
Later, when he sees an internal image, instantaneously he knows its significance and the reason for many things. This is the third stage of knowledge, known as intuitive knowledge. ―Samael Aun Weor, Igneous Rose
Samael describes the Being as the Sun of Truth, the light of truth in Aztec Christic Magic. That is why we chose this image of Allah, the Sun of Truth, the Being, which the Sufis elaborate: that intuition is when you know something without any diversion, you know the meaning of the experience immediately.
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 (the Being, the Sun of Truth) 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
Meaning, no ego.
Audience: This is even above, the next stage after intuition? Instructor: No, this is intuition. There are degrees of intuition, we could say, intuitional knowledge. Intuition is the level of the Being, the world of Geburah we say. But, you can have intuition, experiences in the whole Tree of Life, that pertain to imagination, inspiration, intuition. It is important to remember that these are not plateaus; you conquer one then go to the next... you can have an experience within a millisecond, where you have the vision, you know it is a symbol, and you know what it means immediately. Other times, we just see images, we don't really feel inspired; other times, we don't see anything at all. So, if we're not seeing anything, we need to develop imaginative knowledge. But, if you have some capacity for clairvoyance, you can work with the heart, listening to classical compositions to develop inspirational knowledge. And, to develop intuition, meditate on the Being itself. Audience: What about the practice with the aloe vera plant? Instructor: So, the practice of imaging a plant to develop clairvoyance pertains to imaginative knowledge. Whereas, if you want to develop inspiration, meditate on music; such as Beethoven's Ninth symphony. And, if you really are meditating profoundly, you can experience what he was teaching in that piece, and that is intuition. Intuition is the world of mathematics: to know the Being, directly. And, there are levels to this, as represented by the Tree of Life. Sometimes, when we're imagining, we're inspired by a symbol, and we don't really know the meaning. Other times, we need to meditate further, to get that meaning, that intuition. So, as I mentioned, these are not plateaus but, it can happen in one moment; it can happen over a course of many years. Spiritual Facts
I want to emphasize for you the importance of relating internal experience with physical facts, as emphasized by the following teachings of the Sufis:
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
So, in the beginning, we have a hunch, a thought about the meaning of a scripture or teaching. Then, later, as we meditate, we go out of our body and investigate; then we verify what we had the hunch about, the intuition about, in relation to physical evidence.
But, then we have Gnostics, people who are really developing; people who have the experience, and then look for physical facts to verify what they experienced. Samael Aun Weor was like that for many years. He was having Samadhis and astral travels, and was trying to convey his experiences in physical terms to people. So, he had to investigate many scriptures, literature and books, to explain and verify the things that he experienced, in order to show people the real depth of the esotericism in religion. I had an experience about the Tree of Life, before I knew Kabbalah. So, I had an experience where I saw the Tree of Life, the ten Sephiroth, before I knew anything about that diagram. Then, I asked an instructor, "I saw this image; what does it mean?" "Oh, that is the Tree of Life," I was instructed. Then I studied the books, then had that verification. So, I had that experience before I verified it physically. Another time, I was in a fight with a black magician who did some form of martial arts on me, twisted my arm when I was trying to fight him and defend myself. This black magician told me, "I did Aikido on you." Which was the martial arts I was training with at the time. That day, when I woke up, I went to my Aikido instructor and said, "Someone I saw did a move on me, did this," and I showed him the move that this black magician did on me in the astral plane. "Oh, that is nikyo." He told me the technique. So, I had the experience before I physically learned the technique. You can have the internal experience, and then verify it physically. That gives us more faith, because you see what you experience before you even read or learn about it physically. In terms of Master Samael, he had many experiences that, when you read his books, he is using many terms in different languages to explain his teaching, because he had an experience that demanded verification. The rest of this quote talks about how these Masters are very observant of us. And, the need for us to really be aware of them, because if we don't see God, God sees us. Ahmad bin Asim al-Antaki said, “When you sit with the people of truthfulness (Turiyas, prophets in the internal worlds), 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
I remember being with Master Samael, and he was teaching me something specifically, but I was starting to lose my concentration and remembrance of him, and my ego was trying to hide something from him. And he said, "No, you can't do that." He was showing me that he knew exactly what was going on in my mind. So, when you're with the Masters of truthfulness, be truthful, because they see through everything. You can't hide from a God of the heavens.
I heard Muhammad ibn al-Husayn say… that Abu Jafar al-Haddad said, “Spiritual insight appears as a spontaneous intuition that nothing can challenge." ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Real insight, when you have it, your mind can't argue about it: you simply know it. Especially when it verifies with facts, physically. Then, there is no argument. The mind may try to doubt, but it is irrefutable.
Audience: Just what you said now about, you don't have any doubts when you experience something. Then you have the people like bible thumpers, who say, all you have to do is have faith; that is their philosophy, without experience. But, what you're talking about here is having experience, and then you really have faith based on that experience; it seems like those other people come up short, or can only go so far... Instructor: That is because those people don't even enter into the path of striving, mujahadah. As the Apostle James said, "Faith without works is dead." So, faith, as Samael explains, is direct perception of the truth, to know something without conceptualization. But, faith without works is dead. Meaning, if you don't strive, you don't work, you cannot have faith. So, you need both. Apostle James was really Muslim, if you break it down. What doth it profit, my brethren, if someone sayeth he hath faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother and sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace and be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself if it does not have works is dead. ―James 2:14-17
So, the mind is churning and chaotic, and working through the process of mechanical associations is subjective. But, insight is lightning, it strikes the mind. You can have a vision, an experience, an insight, an understanding that comes very sporadically, out of nowhere, when we least expect it. And, there is no contradictions. But, if the mind is churning and you have that quality of cloudy, disorganized churning, impassive or indifferent mind, it means that we need more insight. That insight is a shock that gives us life. And, as Samael Aun Weor explains in Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, we receive a form of shock to our physical selves even, our body, when we self-observe and remember our Being, the body receives nourishment; it is an energy from the Lord.
One thing I want to emphasize, is in relation to the need to coincide physical facts with spiritual experience. I will quote for you a teaching from Al-Risalah, where they talk about the need to combine study of the scriptures with practical experience. They call this in Muslim terms, Shariah and Haqiqah. Shariah is the law, which people in the Middle East interpret to be the law from Muslims in Arabia, the physical customs of their civilization. But, really, Shariah is the spiritual ethical discipline that we work with and develop, in order to develop our psyche. This is the path of striving: to be good persons, not to lie, not to steal, not to fornicate. This is Shariah, the law, the foundation. Haqiqah is the truth, Haq is truth that we experience in meditation. So, in the Sufi martyr, Al-Hallaj, said, "An Al-Haqq!” or “I am the truth!”―he wasn’t lying: he was expressing his Inner Being within him. There was no Hallaj there; there was only the Lord. He really reached Haqiqah, the truth. But, of course, the orthodox Muslims had him executed, because they considered it blasphemy, because Haqq is one of the names of God. So, he was saying, "I am God." But, it wasn't the man of striving saying that: it was the Being, the man of contemplation. We need to follow Shariah, the divine law, to develop inner experience. We need both. So, it says here in the scripture: The divine law (Shariah) commands one to the duty of servanthood. The way the inner reality, Haqiqah, is the contemplation of the divine Lordship, mushahadah, to witness. Outward religious practice not confirmed by inner reality is not acceptable. Inner reality not anchored by outward religious practice is not acceptable. Divine Law brings obligation upon the creation, while the Way is founded upon the free action of the Real. The divine Law is that you serve Him. The Way is that you see Him. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
So, for us, in the beginning, we serve God, but we don't see Him yet. But, by experiencing, then we see Him, and we need to do both. We need to practice, to strive to the point of witnessing, then we know and have that insight.
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.
So, how do we worship? By striving, by working, by meditating.
Audience: Jihad? Instructor: Through performing Jihad in ourselves, the internal war against the psychological "I." And then, "To you we turn for help," meaning, once we've reached concentration of the ninth degree, we receive the help, "Then we turn to you," we receive that help from the Being, that is aḥwāl, states, insight, lights, perceptions, the inner reality, Haqiqah, the truth. Know that religious obligation is a spiritual reality in that it was made necessary by His command. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
It makes me sad that I know people who have been in this teaching for thirty years, twenty years, who have done practices for so long and, speaking with them one on one, they tell me of their desperation that they haven't experienced what that they've read about. This is terrible, because the truth is, if we are really practicing well, then we will have that experience. We need both. Our discipline has to coincide with what we learn internally. Likewise, what we learn internally strengthens our physical daily life, our ethical discipline, our conduct. Both are fundamental.
In this quote we have Mansur Al-Hallaj, who I mentioned briefly that said, "An Al-Haq (I am the truth)" states: The man of spiritual insight hits his target with the first shot. He does not turn to interpretation or opinion or calculation. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
This means that insight or intuition, when we know something directly, there is no doubt in the mind; it is very crisp. We distinguish it be the clarity of the experience, and the state beyond our normal perception.
Lastly, we will conclude with the necessity to develop continuous consciousness, or the permanent center of gravity, as Samael Aun Weor explains in his books. In the beginning, we have sparks. Then, we develop flashes. And, as a result of our discipline, we develop more light, day by day in our practice daily, until finally, when reaching the goal, there is only the Sun of Being, continuous insight, understanding of reality, here and now. Al-Qushayri states: No one has improved upon the explanation of the achievement of contemplation (mushahadah) given by Amr bin Uthman al-Makki. The gist of what he said is that the light of God’s manifestation falling upon the heart one after another without a break, with no veil or disruption (meaning, there is unveiling here, mukashafah, and real contemplation, mushahadah) intervening among them, resemble flashes of lightning seemingly linked together continuously. For just as the darkest night, through the repetition and persistence of lightning-flashes in it, would take on the brilliance of day, when continual divine manifestation (continuous consciousness, here and now and in the internal planes) takes place in the heart, the heart is full of daylight, and not night. ―Al-Qushayri, Al-Risalah: Principles of Sufism
Read The Perfect Matrimony, where the Master Samael explains that in the beginning we realize that we're dreaming. Then, we realize we're awake in the astral plane. And the later, we're flying, and other times we're in the Jinn state. So, finally, through our progressive work, we are finally awakened: no ignorance.
Audience: There is a Tarot card called the Tower, which I believe is Mars, with the human beings falling down from the tower, which is an awakening or revelation, I believe. How does that fit in with all of this? Instructor: The 16th card of the Tarot we call Fragility. It relates to the Hebrew letter ע Ayin. The reason why it is Ayin, the Arabic and Hebrew word means eyes, vision. The middle letter of the Hebrew word דעת Daath is ע Ayin, and Daath is dual: it can take one to heaven or it can take one to hell. The problem with the card of Fragility is that the couple fornicates. Audience: The other interpretation they have is that they use the letter פ Peh, and they say it is like a revelation, where you see the truth, like the lightning bolt hitting the tower. Instructor: That thing is, with the Tarot especially, those cards were never meant for the public. What happened was that, what few teachings were given about the Tarot were stolen, and were given to the public in a very adulterated form. So, the cards that we use in this tradition... Audience: They have to be esoteric then? And the others are the exoteric? Instructor: A lot of the cards that are in game tables, and fortune teller type places, are adulterated. The cards that I personally have worked with in the internal planes have that intuitional knowledge and come from the cards that I verified in the literature that we have, and the diagrams that we use. But, we say that Ayin relates to the sixteenth card, because ע Ayin is the sixteenth Hebrew letter; ע Ayin is eyes, and it is the middle letter of דַעַת Daath, the work of perception is how one either rises or falls. But, in Fragility, the couple fornicates, and the tower of Babel is destroyed, they are punished by divinity. So, those people who fornicate abuse their Ayin, their eyes, their perception, because we eat through our eyes. But also, those who fornicate lose all certainty, ayn al-yaqin, the knowledge of the truth, because they take away their energy or capacity to have that experience. That is my understanding. But, the Tarot cards were heavily adulterated. And, when I have receive tarot card readings internally, it is always from the literature that we have been using, and so I have faith in that deck. Audience: And this deck is in the works? Instructor: Yes, it is being published [Editor's Note: The Eternal Tarot is presently available through Glorian Publishing]. So, develop certainty, first strive, then strive to contemplate. Audience: If I was to give my opinion, one of the most important things is really moment to moment awareness, that is really the goal; moment to moment during the day. Instructor: And we will conclude with, "He who remembers God, in his inward states will be exalted by God in all his outward deeds."
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