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Preface
5 Planes of Existence
Introduction
Five Planes of Manifestation
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DISCIPLES, THE TWELVE, OF JESUS
These signify twelve disciplined qualities and
faculties of various kinds, which are able to receive higher
teaching and profit by it. They have determined to adhere to the
instruction and admonition of the Higher Self as the Master within
the soul.
“Jesus chose the twelve before he came into the world. He chose
twelve powers, receiving them from the twelve saviours of the
Light-treasure. When He descended into the world, He cast them as
sparks into the wombs of their mothers, that the whole world might
be saved." - Pistis Sophia.
The Higher Self prior to his birth within the lower nature (EPH. i.
4) chooses the means by which he is to accomplish his purpose; and
these are agencies from the "saviours," i.e., the ideal qualities
above, which have to be actualised below. The “Light-treasure" is
the perfect nature within, which shall attain to the 'Light-realm."
When the Self descends into the lower soul, the spiritual germs
enter the qualities attached to the forms (mothers) and become the
means by which the qualities are to attain liberation, through
triumphing over the limitations of the lower planes.
"The Father sends then the Messenger who shall bring about the
salvation of the world. The Divine Benefactor has his abode in the
sun, together with twelve virtues, his daughters; 'tis he who
launches into space the Lightships of Heaven." - F. CUMONT,
Manichean Researches.
The "Divine Messenger and Benefactor" is the Christ whose abode is
in the individuality (sun) centralizing the buddhic qualities as
"twelve virtues." It is the Christ who draws forth the higher nature
of the striving souls.
"By the twelve disciples or apostles of the Lord are understood all
who are of the church in truth from good; and in an abstract sense,
all things of the church; and by Peter, all who are in faith; and
abstractedly, faith itself; by James, they who are in charity, and
abstractedly, charity itself; and by John, they who are in the good
of life from charity and its faith, and abstractedly, good of life
itself derived from thence." - SWEDENBORG, Apocalypse Revealed, n.
7.
“Jesus spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto
me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of
all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost." - MATTHEW xxviii. 18, 19.
Christ, the Higher Self within, is intuitively regarded by the
disciplined qualities as the supreme ruler within the soul,-higher
and lower. The Ideal within them, therefore, impels them to take
their part in the work of raising the less advanced qualities (the
nations), for the command is full of the spirit of the Christ. They
serve their Lord in bringing the lower nature into subjection to the
higher. They act as a magnet to draw forth and transmute the germ of
like properties within the qualities less evolved than themselves.
The three-fold constitution of the baptismal ceremony refers to the
attuning of the nature upon the three lower planes in relation to
the higher and perfect nature on the upper planes, of which the
lower is an incomplete and defective representation. This is
expressed in the prayer of the disciples,—" Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." The ideal above is to be
realised below.
"Jesus called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
disease and all manner of sickness. Now the names of the twelve are
these: etc." - MATTHEW x. 1-5.
The Christ within called through the love nature to his disciplined
qualities and instructed them for their work in the soul. Through
the Truth and Righteousness within them they were possessed of power
to dispel the illusions of the lower mind, and rectify the
unbalanced emotions and misdirected affections of the lower nature.
The following are the twelve disciplined qualities:-
The analytical lower mind (Peter)
Faith and inquiry (Andrew)
Hope and progressiveness (James)
Love and philosophy (John)
Courage and forcefulness (Philip)
Perseverance (Bartholomew)
Intellectual truth-seeking (Thomas)
Modesty and receptiveness (James Alpheus)
Gentleness and attentiveness (Simon Zelotes)
Broadmindedness (Judas bro.of Jas.)
Critical deliberation (Mathew)
Prudence (Judas)
These qualities are not to attempt to assist those states which are
too backward to be affected, but rather to minister to those which
are more developed and capable of assimilating truth.
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