READYING THE SELF

(Essay 6 in the Perennial Psychology Series)

‘Higher knowledge, higher meaning, if it falls on the ordinary level of understanding, will either seem nonsense, or it will be wrongly understood...’

Aldous Huxley

‘What is brought to you depends on the reception you give to it.’

Rudolph Steiner

‘Knowledge gives nothing to a man until he gives everything to it.’

Ancient proverb

It can be said that, within the grander scheme, a person lives for a relatively short span of time. The things which happen to a person often offer far more potential than the things a person causes to happen. In order to be more effective, a person is called upon to dominate their inner environment. By developing inner faculties, an individual has the capacity to ‘act’ with intention. Intention is a form of deliberate creation. Such an individual then can live as a guiding force for others. Yet the way of the perennial tradition is not an easy one for the very reason that it is subtle. The contemporary person, especially in western cultures, is accustomed to receiving what may be termed as more brutal impacts. The patience and understanding required for a genuine perennial teaching path lay beyond the impacts of modern stimuli. The developmental path is not the quick fix. Neither is it replete with readily identifiable results. It belongs to the individual who feels or senses a different type of need within them. For want of a better word, it can be referred to as a ‘calling.’ The perennial tradition has always existed in order to respond to a particular calling within humanity.

People can be quick to declare their interest in such a path, yet in many cases they lack essential motivation. It is a recognized feature of human psychology that things which glitter attracts the false personality. As the well-known phrase goes – ‘all that glitters is not gold.’ Contemporary society is full of sparkling attractions that whilst they may entertain, they also serve to distract. What a person wants is often not the same as what they need. Many wants are based on inventions, fantasies, or even delusions. An individual’s desires are a labyrinth that requires careful navigation. Also, each person usually has a preconceived idea of how they want to receive something; not knowing that the transmission of knowledge cannot be dictated. When an impact, experience or a learning, arrives contrary to expectations it is likely to be ignored or even rejected. Human assumptions have stood in the way of the developmental path since the beginning.

As the previous essay indicated, the path to a first beginning is strewn with conditioned thinking. The first step that is required, therefore, is for a person to become aware of their conditioned patterns of thinking. It is a common trait that most people, regardless of status, start out with an ingrained, conditioned vanity towards inner development. This is expressed in the following tale: 

There is an eastern story about a sage who asked his disciples to recount what their vanities had been before they had come to study with him.

The first said – ‘I imagined myself to be a beautiful person who was admired by many.’

The second said – ‘I believed myself to be superior to others because I was seeking a greater truth.’

The third said – ‘I believed I had the capacity to become a teacher.’

And the fourth said – ‘My vanity was greater than all these, for I believed that I could learn!’

The sage replied – ‘And the fourth disciple’s vanity remains the greatest, for his vanity is to show that he once had the greatest vanity.’

The path of the perennial tradition requires that an individual first must be capable of detaching from conditioned programming, including assumptions, opinions, and biased judgements. A person must also be aware of their social and emotional needs, which previously exerted an influence upon them and the choices they made. The developmental path is aligned with that of conscious evolution. It can be said that the past ten thousand years of human history has provided for the possibility for conscious evolution. In other words, the human species has been afforded the possibility to develop through deliberate and directed effort, rather than through random impacts. This understanding, and what it signifies, is crucial for the future.

The path forward begins first with oneself. There is no other way. The human individual is the beginning and end of the journey – the alpha and the omega. To arrive at the Source is the same as to arrive at Oneself.

            Jewish philosophy recognizes the notion of teshuvah, which implies a returning inwardly to the divine Source. This inward turning is a part of daily practice to retain the connection, and which assists personal transformation upon psychological and social levels. This inward returning is an aspect of the perennial path. It is constant movement. It does not stop for lunch time, or when we go to sleep. This is the subtle connection that corresponds with the eternal movement of the seeker-of-truth.

            People who believe themselves in need of a ‘spiritual’ path may instead be seeking some form of relief from tension, stress, or similar issues in daily life. The caveat here is that by embarking upon a developmental path, it may instead cause personal issues to be amplified rather than diminished. As already noted, it is an unhealthy mistake, although a common one, to mix inner development with therapy. It is important not to confuse these two distinct needs.

The first step in preparing for a developmental path is honesty with oneself. The journey cannot truly begin without one’s honesty and sincerity. As one commentator put it – ‘Responsibility, sincerity, humility, patience, and generosity - these are not ends in themselves but are tools that must be acquired before a person can proceed further.’¹ These core values, as well as ordinary forms of knowledge – gained through observation and reasoning – are necessary for our lives. However, their presence does not deny that a higher knowledge is also available; and awaits those who are prepared to work to receive it. Ordinary states of consciousness are considered the norm because they are the dominant experience. Yet this does not invalidate other states of consciousness and perception. The initial steps toward this more rarefied experience begin within ordinary life. The following quote recognizes this, and is given in length:

‘Esoteric knowledge can be given only to those who seek, only to those who have been seeking it with a certain amount of consciousness, that is, with an understanding of how it differs from ordinary knowledge and how it can be found . . . This preliminary knowledge can be gained by ordinary means, from existing and known literature, easily accessible to all. And the acquisition of this preliminary knowledge may be regarded as the first test. Only those who pass this first test, those, that is, who acquire the necessary knowledge from the material accessible to all, may hope to take the next step, at which point direct individual help will be accorded them. A man may hope to approach esotericism if he has acquired a right understanding from ordinary knowledge, that is, if he can find his way through the labyrinth of contradictory systems, theories and hypotheses, and understanding their general meaning and general significance. This test is something like a competitive examination open to the whole human race, and the idea of a competitive examination alone explains why the esoteric circle appears reluctant to help humanity. It is not reluctant. All that is possible is done to help men, but men will not or cannot make the necessary efforts themselves. And they cannot be helped by force.’²

The perennial psychology recognizes that there needs to be a corresponding level of development within the person for them to be able to receive the initial transmission of knowledge. In contemporary cultures especially, a person may be deemed as clever (they may know a great deal) yet their understanding is lacking because of their state of being. That is why it is often said in perennial literature that ‘the secret protects itself.’

Perennial wisdom is a highly developed science (an inner technology) that reveals its meaning in accordance to the capacity of the person who approaches it. Such a path, and its adherents, attempts neither to missionize nor convince people of either its presence or its truth. It does not need to. Often it is the contrary, in that the responsibility lies with the person to convince those of the perennial path of their sincerity. Despite what people may think (which is usually based on faulty, conditioned patterns), access to the perennial wisdom is not an automatic right but a privilege to be earned by correct efforts.  As Rudolf Steiner alludes to in the opening quote to this essay, the type of knowledge that comes to a person depends on that person’s ability, or capacity, to receive it.

As mentioned at the outset, people are often quick to declare their interest yet soon lose it when confronted by alternatives which may be more attractive or externally convincing. Here is a well-known ancient tale given in contemporary form:

There was once a well-known television stage magician and hypnotist who amassed a great wealth from his regular appearances in the media. Soon he decided to build for himself a large house near a well-to-do and prosperous village. When the house was finished, he invited all the people of the village to dinner. The locals were all very excited and were much looking forward to meeting their famous host. They all arrived in their best clothes and jewellery hanging from their arms.

The famous television host appeared and said - ‘Before we eat, we have some entertainments.’

Everyone was thrilled and pleased, and the magician host provided a first-class conjuring show, with rabbits coming out of hats, flags appearing from nowhere, and one thing turning into another. The people were delighted. Then their host asked: ‘Would you like dinner now, or more entertainments?’

Everyone called for more entertainments, for they had never seen anything like it before; at home there was food, but never such excitement as this. So the famous hypnotist changed himself into a pigeon, then into a hawk, and finally into a phoenix that rose from the ashes. The people went wild with excitement.

He asked them again, and they wanted more. And so, they got more entertainment. Finally, he asked them if they wanted to eat, and they said that they did. So, their hypnotist host made them feel that they were eating, diverting their attention with a number of tricks, through his deceptive powers.

The imaginary eating and entertainments went on all night. When it was dawn, some of the people said, ‘We must go to work.’ So, the host made those people imagine that they went home, got ready for work, and actually did a day’s work.

In short, whenever anyone said that they had to do something, the host made them think first that they were going to do it, then, that they had done it and finally that they had come back to the stage magician’s house.

Finally, the host had woven such spells over the people of the village that they worked only for him while they thought that they were carrying on with their ordinary lives. Whenever they felt a little restless, he made them think that they were back at dinner at his house, and this gave them pleasure and made them forget.

And what happened to the magician and the people, in the end? Do you know, I cannot tell you, because he is still busily doing it, and the people are still largely under his spell.

The perennial path is a body of knowledge – or body of technique - that has existed for the purpose of stimulating people into higher levels of perception and cognition. The first stage occurs through the activation of preparatory states. Initiatory stimuli that act on a person’s psychic being may include books and stories that, because of their construction, allow for cultural longevity. Into this transmission also falls many fairy tales, fables, myths, and parables. Without it being known, human cultures are in fact participating with what may loosely be called the metaphysical realm. That is, the realm of higher knowledge is constantly meshing with the ordinary world. If this was not the case, it is likely that human civilization would have perished before now. This confluence of the higher and lower worlds is part of the matrix that sustains life within current modes of reality. Access to these perceptive realms has often been activated through the power of creative imagination.

            Within perennial literature there has always been a distinction between what is ‘true imagination’ and what is fantastical imagination. In the ordinary sense, the power of the imagination has been degraded to things of fantasy, wishful thinking, and the like. It is said that someone has an active imagination if they are something of a dreamer. It is used as both a positive as well as derogative term. We may tell our children to stop daydreaming. Or a friend may say ‘get real’ or ‘get in the real world’ if they feel you are using too much of the imagination. Yet the occult use of the imagination is much more focused, specific, and is itself a science. With a trained use of the imagination comes techniques of visualization, concentrated will, and projection of psychic force. Imagination used with intention is a fundamental energy known as deliberate creation. There are sources where the reader can turn to if they wish to learn more about the history and uses of active imagination. Here, I make only a suggestive reference for the attentive reader. 

            The process of ‘true imagination’ can activate certain psychic energies within a person, which then stimulates a heightened range of perceptions not generally offered in ordinary life. The stimulation of true imagination has a transformative power that acts on the external world and shifts how the world is viewed. In one context, there is a correspondence to what has been known as the ‘imaginal world.’ Aspects of this can be found in the lineage of Persian theosophy, oriental Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, Cabbalism, Hermeticism, Sufic material, Romantic poetry, and more. More recently, this theme has been intellectually explored in the research work of Henry Corbin. The ‘imaginal world’ both exists beyond the everyday, mundane reality, as well as participating with it. This may sound contradictory, yet it makes sense when understood. The everyday, fantastical imagination is often regarded as the lower, wasteful use of the human being’s imaginative faculty.

What often begins in dreams may end up as part of known reality. That is why it is said that ‘in dreams begin responsibilities.’ The Neo-Platonic philosopher Plotinus said that we perceive things in correspondence with our soul. The beauty we perceive, he said, is a reflection of the soul’s state. Similarly, the Romantic poet William Blake wrote the line - ‘The Suns Light when he unfolds it/Depends on the Organ that beholds it.’ More recently, the famous physicist Albert Einstein was asked in an interview whether he trusted his imagination more than his knowledge. He replied – ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’

            The forms of collective imagination expressed in any given epoch influences the manifestation and unfolding of events in the external world. On the whole, however, the average person is unaware of how the external ‘objectified’ world responds to the inner psyche of the human being. Advanced perception understands that the dominant view of life is sterile. The perennial path requires that a person frees themselves from this ‘sleeping’ relation to phenomena, and enters into a live, waking relationship. Perennial psychology teaches that what we take to be the external world is not independent of us. Furthermore, that base reality is inseparable from the inner world of human thought. The inner state of the human being has a role to play in determining what type of future world will emerge. It is that real – both a frightening yet also a wondrous possibility. For this reason, careful steps are required.

            In the perennial tradition, knowledge cannot be withheld from a person who is qualified to receive it. Likewise, it cannot be given to a person unprepared for its reception. The ability to receive knowledge is a functional matter and is not a question of personal opinion or emotional judgement. Upon a genuine path, a person does not earn knowledge as a form of reward. Rather, they work to make themselves capable of receiving it. An ancient proverb says: ‘Nobody and nothing can stand between you and knowledge if you are fit for it; but anybody and anything can stand between you and knowledge if you are not fit for it.’ There are no shortcuts upon the way, no matter how much people demand it. A cleansing process must first take place as part of the preparation. This is a beginning and not an end goal, as many may think. The process of deconditioning is at the early stage of the path and is not the end result. It can take years for a person to detach from mental and emotional conditioned patterns. Yet it is a fundamental necessity. A person is simply unable to perceive a greater understanding of Reality if they are attached to a lesser reality that is constructed from an artificial mix of beliefs, opinions, and cultural myths. No matter how deeply interested a person is in a developmental path, they are required to receive a minimum level of genuine experiences. Intellectual understanding is no substitute for actual experience. In the words of one commentator:

‘Words alone do not communicate; there must be something prepared, of which the words are a hint. Practice alone does not perfect humanity. Man needs the contact of the truth, initially in a form which will help him.’ (Nazir el Kazwini)

            The perennial psychology operates through a correspondence between the creative ‘true imagination’ and a disciplined mental concentration. The preparation concerns developing the capacity to receive knowledge. This sometimes corresponds to what is recognized as receiving inspiration. The perennial path serves to both develop the individual internally as well as developing socio-cultural conditions externally. As mentioned, perennial wisdom works through human communities as an integral presence; it operates in part as a civilizing impulse upon the planet. The true path is one of service, beyond the self, toward fellow humanity, and for the greater Truth.

Humanity reflects a psychological state that is under continual development. Under the correct conditions a person may be ‘awakened’ to perceiving this process and allowed to participate in its advancement. A genuine tradition understands that once a person has perceived the greater Reality, then they are to proceed on their own. A defining aspect of the perennial tradition is that the function of the teacher is to make themselves redundant. That is, their role is to work themselves out of a job. The aspirant, having achieved their goal, then works through their own connection and contact.

The direct intuition of the greater reality signifies an evolutionary stage of human evolution and which is the destiny of the human race. Any aspiring seeker is expected to ready themselves for understanding these vital truths and to know how to apply it to their time. This is part of the genuine evolutionary work. As it is said:

‘Seek wisdom while you have the strength, or you may lose strength without gaining wisdom.’

Taken from ‘THE MODERN SEEKER: A Perennial Psychology for Contemporary Times’ (Beautiful Traitor Books, 2020). Available online as print & ebook.

References

¹ Deikman, Arthur. ‘Sufism and Psychiatry’ in Shah, Idries, ed. 1979. The World of the Sufi. London: Octagon Press, p195

² Ouspensky, PD. 1969. A New Model of the Universe. New York: Knopf.