Essence And Possibilities
Of The Teachings Of The Order

The present circular has a double purpose: 

a)         to explain to a new member the Essence of the teaching of the Order and the Possibilities it offers and

b)         to assist all old members, as well as the Initiators, in their exposition of the nature and aims of the Order.

The nature of the Order is universal; it appeals to both the researcher and the ordinary person, exciting the imagination of the former and giving rise to a great variety of thoughts and queries to the latter.

It is therefore natural that each one - depending on his/her particular way of thinking - finds some of the teachings more appealing and shows preference to certain of the subjects treated, pursuing them with greater interest.

When, however, presenting the Order to the public or explaining it to any other person, we should not and may not put forth our preferences or express our personal inclinations and interests, for in so doing- we are liable to give a biased or incomplete impression of the Order and thus be misleading for our listener and injurious to the Order.

This is why particular care should be taken when explaining what the Order is and what can be expected from it. And, although every member will present the Order in his/her own particular manner, he/she must never fail to mention the following basic points.

On the Essence of the Teachings

The word Essence is here used to indicate the structure, the “texture” of the teachings. This texture reveals the meaning and importance of the knowledge itself, but it reveals something else as well: since this is not knowledge that can be passed on as so much data or interesting information, since it is in fact a modus vivendi which has to be assimilated by steps and stages, the very texture of the teaching reveals the utmost significance that lies in the manner of transmitting this “knowledge”. Thus, the six characteristics of this “Essence” which are stated below will ensure a smooth yet certain change. of- life for any person of goodwill.

The teaching of the Order is exempt of all dogmatism, passion, intolerance and fanaticism. It is a teaching that is free, systematic, methodical, dialectical, applicable and tested.

It is free because it respects difference of opinion, it encourages expression of thought, it accepts objections and is open to any argumentative discussion. It never compels; it never imposes.

It is systematic because it is not a haphazard accumulation of themes and lessons, growing in dimension to grandiose and awe-inspiring syntheses. It proceeds by steps that are simple and slow, it observes a series of activities with regularity, with progressively increasing application, with order and with evenness of use and function. It does not astound, it does not dazzle. It does not stun.

It is methodical because it proceeds at a steady and orderly pace with absolute clarity at every step and makes an appropriate use of time, rendering this invaluable gift a positive and effective contribution in restoring order out of chaos, in untangling vagueness, dispelling darkness and confusion, sorting out ideas, adjusting thoughts and finally obtaining the desired assimilation. It grows “in depth” rather than “in extent”. It proceeds by analysis and synthesis and vice-versa and makes use of analogy. It does not scatter about a medley of principles, discoursed upon at length in obscure studies and essays that are a jumble of aimless, pointless and irrelevant store of knowledge, dazing, be-fuddling and loading the centre of memory with a useless and often noxious deadweight. It studies man in relation to society, to nature, to creation and the universe, and lastly in relation to the spiritual world. It proceeds by stages, by alternating phases, by steady progress, at a pace that may seem slow to the hasty yet is the most appropriate.

It is dialectical because it encourages dialogue, conversation and co-research. Above all, it seeks communication.

It is applicable because it is so presented as to be applied and realized in everyday life, with every breath we take. Besides, the very basis of its aims and pursuit is application, realization, practice. For, what can the use of knowledge be if it does not become practice? What is the point of learning about personality if we are not going to try to acquire one of our own? Why bother to learn what love and goodness are if we are not to practise them? What good is the detailed study of our triple nature as individuals if we are to nourish, cherish and tend to only one of these natures? In what way are we any better by making a thorough study of the law of dissimilarity if we violate it in our every step and have no tolerance, no leniency towards others? Why go into the trouble of laborious and protracted study to learn how the law of destiny acts, when we do not weigh our own actions?

Lastly, the teachings of the Order have been tested because no man or woman, regardless education, religion, upbringing, status or nationality, no person in fact who voluntarily, sincerely and consciously WILLED to adopt the teachings and put them to the test by practising them can honestly say that he/she has not advanced a few paces ahead. No one has ever admitted to having wasted his time, no one has ever repented for what he did, no one has ever rued the day that he received and practised the teachings. It goes without saying that not all of those who crossed the threshold of the Order have found “the Path”. Some found the teachings too difficult to follow, others too easy; some found them inadequate or too much like the teachings of similar organizations. Many are the reasons why not all of those persons who passed through the Order found their Path in it. Yet, not one can ever truly say that he or she did not advance a few -steps, did not manage to climb up another, rung.

Possibilities Offered by the Teachings

The teachings of the Order evoke certain states in man which he can raise to a higher level. The teachings of the Order aim at improving the individual physically, morally and mentally, and provide every person with the opportunity, the possibility as well as the appropriate conditions and circumstances to:

1) Extend his spiritual horizon

The teaching indicates the means and transmits the knowledge that will allow the disciple to get to know himself better, to perceive his abilities as well as his potentialities, to study nature, to penetrate deep into the laws of creation, to develop experiences as well as judgment, to think and feel freely and independently, in order to be able to face life in general and the problems of his immediate surroundings in particular.

2) To improve, refine and ennoble his soul.

Besides providing the disciple with the possibility of extending his spiritual horizon - a possibility that pertains to the spirit, the mind, and the brain - the teachings urge the disciple toward the improvement and the refinement of the soul, the emotions, the heart.

The teachings rouse the soul, forming those conditions and circumstances that are most suitable to induce him to cultivate the garden of his soul, improve it and prepare it so that goodness, leniency, tolerance, brotherhood, altruism, reciprocity, charity and other flowers of love may bloom and thrive in it, rendering his feelings more “human”.

3) To master his sensuality.

The teachings help the disciple decrease the sensuality in his nature as far as possible to him, restrict his numerous incontinent desires, curb the voluptuous urges and unbridled instincts for food, sex, sleep, estheticism, possession, greed and covetousness, restrain the egoistic proneness to conceit, pride and arrogance, overcome his weaknesses and defects on all three planes and match his external with his internal life.

4) To awaken activate and bring to the fore those latent cowers that are inherent in every man.

This possibility is accessible and attainable only if the previous three have been practised to an advanced degree. If the realization of this possibility is attempted before the others, it may prove harmful and even dangerous.

5) To widen the scope of conscience.

Conscience in man ranges from an elementary, preparatory and infantile state to indefinable and inconceivable extents. It has ever been the subject of quest and concern for thinkers in all ages. Each of them has expressed only what he was able to grasp of this insoluble problem. The teachings of the Order, however, enlighten the spirit, create new circuits and cause new connections in the cerebral cortex of the brain, open up new avenues and provide man with a possibility to enlarge the field and the extent of his conscience and raise it to a higher state. The teaching supplies man with assistance to study and research on his own and subsequently, through his personal experiences and his own judgment, be able to raise and expand conscience of self.

6) To acquire a personality.

The teachings provide the disciple with the possibility to forge and master his own true and unique personality on the exclusive basis of personal experience. It is only too often that we suppose - and even believe - that we have a Personality of our own because of particular expressions, talents and traits of character that we observe in ourselves. This is a misunderstanding indeed, for it mistakes individuality for personality, two not only different, but contrary aggregates. Assuming that we do have some sort of personality, it can neither be a true one because deep personal experience is lacking, nor a developed one because egoism presides over almost all our expressions, egoism, that “sombre”, dark, inferior and corruptible self, that sole defect which sires all impediments, all evils.

The study of personality, its examination, acquisition, independence and perfectioning is the task of the individual, the Herculean feat that man can accomplish and it constitutes the foundation as well as the corner stone of the teachings.

7): To indicate the path to initiation

Words such as initiation, initiate, mystic, have been so badly abused and mistreated as to lose their original identity. Thus today, we hear of many who are masters and mystics and more who are initiates.

This presumptuous concept of things, so wholly incompatible with Initiation, has become so deeply rooted in certain arrogant theoreticians, certain sophists, this conviction has so eroded their mental, ability that a very long time will have to elapse before the scales drop and their eyes open to the truth. A tremendous struggle will be required of them so as to rid themselves of those imprudent convictions, this irrationality and superficial, unscrutinized amount of knowledge which they have retained within them so inconsiderately and which - like an overgrown parasite - bleed them dry of all hope for a life of Initiation.

The teachings of the Order introduce and indicate the path to initiation which is a state of being- rather than an accumulation of knowledge. it is absolutely necessary for a man to express method, coherence, consistency and harmony -in all his actions, both in his field of activity and in the scope of his influence. Only then can he aspire to a higher vision of Truth.

These 7 possibilities may be taken in progression or may not, the point is not of present interest.

We should, however, not be so utterly naive and foolishly credulous as to presume to be initiates while still retaining all the weaknesses and faults of character, all the pettiness and spitefulness that abounds in all those around us as well as in ourselves. Nevertheless, if we are true aspirants for the path of initiation, we should not stop after the realization of the first possibility offered by the teachings and assume that since we have extended our spiritual horizon we can have some claim or hold over Initiation.

It is the unwise and those of ‘little learning’ that are most likely to suppose that they can acquire a personality of their own simply by reading books and teachings on the subject and that liken initiation to a wild flower, theirs for the picking and wearing.

The essence of the teaching and the possibilities it offers discourage such presumptions and check all exaltation of egoism, pride, arrogance, self-advertisement and sham chivalry. They should be deeply engraved in our mind so that we may avoid perpetuating an erroneous, obscure and partial way of presentation of our Order.

The above exposition will greatly help in predisposing the disciple from all misunderstanding, impatience, haste and untimely discontent.