Mysteries and Hymns of God, Cosmos, Humanity
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mysteries and hymns of god, cosmos, humanity Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 1 14-07-2021 15:49 2 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 2 14-07-2021 15:49 mysteries and hymns of god, cosmos, humanity Realizing the Plan of God’ André de Boer Rozekruis Pers www.rozekruispers.com Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 3 14-07-2021 15:49 colophon Book development Lectorium Rosicrucianum Illustrations page 2-3, 21, 189 Truus Waszink (2009) Graphic design Rozekruis Pers, Haarlem Letter Adobe Chaparral Pro Paper 90 grams BioTop ISBN 978 90 6732 4946 © Rozekruis Pers – Haarlem, 2021 Rozekruis Pers Bakenessergracht 5 2011 JS Haarlem The Netherlands [email protected] www.rozekruispers.com Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 4 14-07-2021 15:49 CONTENTS preface 7 introduction – the way of the stars 12 PART I MYSTERIES OF GOD, COSMOS, HUMANITY 1 experiencing the divine 23 2 distinguishing dimensions 41 3 consciously perceiving, thinking and acting 57 4 receiving esoteric teachings 75 5 realizing purification 95 6 praising God 115 7 assimilating spiritual powers 131 8 going the path of godliness 151 9 proclaiming the gnosis 169 PART II HYMNS OF GOD, COSMOS, HUMANITY 1 Hymn to the Sun (Akhenaton) 191 2 The Emerald Tablet (Hermes Trismegistus) 192 3 No one has authority over the One (The Secret Book of John) 194 4 Prayer of thanksgiving (Nag Hammadi) 196 5 Hymns of repentance (Gospel of the Pistis Sophia) 197 6 Ode to Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon) 199 7 Universal Confession of Faith (Karl von Eckartshausen) 201 8 Hymn to Ahura Mazda (Henry van Dyke) 202 9 Testimonies by Mani (Mani) 203 10 O fire of the Spirit (Hildegard von Bingen) 205 11 The love song of the nymphs (The Alchemical Wedding) 207 12 Life is love (Mikhail Naimy) 209 13 The song of the reed flute (Rumi) 211 14 Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore) 213 15 Salat (Inayat Khan) 215 16 The Lord’s prayer (Matthew) 217 17 The high priestly prayer (John) 218 18 Psalms (Bible) 221 19 Prayer of Paul the Apostle (Nag Hammadi) 223 20 Hymn of praise at an initiation ritual (Nag Hammadi) 225 21 The Nuctemeron (Apollonius of Tyana) 227 22 Rich perspectives (Zarathustra) 229 Literature references 232 5 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 5 14-07-2021 15:49 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 6 14-07-2021 15:49 preface e think about the future almost every day. Our own Wfuture, or that of our loved ones and sometimes we also think about the prospects for society and for our planet earth. We allow the choices that we make in our lives to be determined largely by our ideas and insights about what is good for the future. We choose a profession, we connect with certain people and groups, and we have an affinity with ethical and moral principles that we try to observe. In doing so, we are guided by the image we have of humanity, of the world and perhaps also of God, or the divinity. In our life we come into contact with all kinds of visions and methods to personally control the direction of our life. Almost each one them is derived from three major currents that have existed for millennia: the materialistic way (the way of the body), the mystical way (the way of the heart) and the occult way (the way of the head). The solutions that we realize based on these three approaches have direct consequences for our state of being, for our life and for our environment. Many religions, philosophies of life and spiritual movements speak of an ideal, material or spiritual reality that exists or that can be realized. We can be inspired by such ideas, but they do not at all change the fact that we are mortal. Countless methods have been developed that are said to enable us to break through the veils that are enveloping our existence, so that we can penetrate into a more profound 7 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 7 14-07-2021 15:49 understanding and thus take control of our destiny. Consider, for example, astrology, magic, alchemy and also the natural sciences and neurosciences. They indeed offer us opportunities to become a more powerful person in the three-dimensional reality. However, they are unsuitable for liberating us from ourselves. The gnostic path, which is a central issue in this book, points in a different direction, where it is no longer primarily about me, but is about the Other in me who can go the way of the mysteries. The Other – that is the immortal and divine man hidden within me – can awaken and grow within me, so that I can gradually place my life at the service of that divine aspect within me. This reversal of roles takes place in a process called trans- figuration. That renewal process starts with a deep inner desire and cannot be forced in any way. Yet a correct understanding is necessary to be able to walk the path of transfiguration. This book, Mysteries‘ and Hymns of God, Cosmos, Humanity’, is part of the book series of the Spiritual Texts Library. The publications are guidelines for people of the 21st century who want to go a path of spiritual awareness and renewal in their daily lives. They are based on carefully selected classical spiritual texts with clear reflections about these passages that have been taken from the more than four-centuries-old living tradition of the Rosicrucians. All books of the Spiritual Texts Library are spiritually inspired, broadly oriented and deeply rooted. They are ideal as a starting point for philosophical reading groups, as they are available as free online programs on the website spiritualtexts.academy, where it’s possible to listen to all the texts and to read them. ‘Mysteries and Hymns of God, Cosmos, Humanity’ is the third and final part of a trilogy about the gnostic mysteries relating 8 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 8 14-07-2021 15:49 to the path of transfiguration. These three books can be recognized by the image of a sun on the cover. The mysteries are of a universal nature and are therefore not linked exclusively to a particular religion, philosophy or spiritual movement. The universal wisdom doctrine is expressed in many different, sometimes divergent, traditions, but unfortunately we often find superficialities, crystallizations and degenerations therein, so that our mind tends to withdraw from it. The first book in the trilogy, ‘Mysteries and Symbols of the Soul’ 1, is based primarily on classical spiritual texts from various authentic spiritual traditions. The second book, ‘Mysteries and Challenges of Birth, Life and Death’2, is based on the Jewish- Christian tradition, particularly Bible texts that can be a true inspiration for us. This third book, ‘Mysteries and Hymns of God, Cosmos, Humanity’, is based on texts from the hermetic tradition, allegedly derived from the legendary Egyptian initiate, Hermes Trismegistus. The texts of the three-times-great Hermes are still largely unknown to the general public and also to professionals such as theologians, psychologists, pastors and spiritual caregivers. Yet they can be an important help for people looking for life renewal and life fulfillment. Over the centuries they have remained virtually undamaged and have not lost any of their power of expression. They make clear how humanity is part of a divine creation plan, providing directions on how mankind can become able to participate in its implementation. J. van Rijckenborgh (1896-1968), one of the founders of the International School of the Golden Rosycross, became acquainted with the hermetic heritage in the 1950’s, discovering the great value they can offer for the development of humanity. He published a new Dutch translation and provided extensive 9 Mysterien en lofzangen ENG.indd 9 14-07-2021 15:49 commentaries, as published in the four-part book series ‘The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis’. The hermetic quotes in this book stem from that book series and also from the booklet ‘De Castigatione Animae’ (The Admonition of the Soul), translated in English by Walter Scott.3 Each chapter is preceded by a short section from the explanations by J. van Rijckenborgh. In the first volume of ‘The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis’4, J. van Rijckenborgh describes the situation of a person bound to the temporal world, while his destiny is eternity. The second volume5 describes in detail how you can be liberated from the temporal world. As a starting point he uses the insight that humans in their present existence do not know God. Remove yourself, he says, let go of the bond with the forces of nature. In volume three6, the author describes the difficulties that you, as an aspiring person, may encounter in this process. Those difficulties consist of, among other things, the confusion about good and evil, the activity of the mind, and finally our tendency to use everything for ‘our own maintenance’. In the fourth volume7, the author reaches a culmination when he penetrates into the purification of the heart and the thinking, by means of allowing access to truth as a purifying vibration. People and society are constantly changing. That is why it is important that the gnosis is continuously being communicated in such a way that the people of today can be reached, addressed and also touched inwardly. The three volumes of the aforementioned trilogy together give a good impression of the philosophy of the Rosycross. This is not a clearly defined doctrine, but a garment in which the universal doctrine of wisdom, which cannot actually be expressed in words, can temporarily be clothed. Differently formulated on the basis of a metaphor from chapter 7: these three books are the barrels that allow the wine to be received.