Let us now study Arcanum 22 of the Kabalah. This arcanum is the CROWN OF LIFE, Revelations 2:10 states: “BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE THE CROWN OF LIFE”.
To find faithful people in these studies is difficult.
All those who enter into Gnosis want to develop occult powers immediately and this is serious. People believe that the path of realization is like playing football or like playing Tennis. People have still not learned how to be serious.
Commonly, people enter into these studies with the longing to acquire powers within a few months, and when they realize that they need patience and hard work, they then desperately leave in search of another school. This is how they waste their life away, fleeing from School to School, from Lodge to Lodge, from Institution to Institution until they get old and die without ever having achieved absolutely anything. This is Humanity. One can count those who are truly serious and truly prepared for practical adepthood on the fingers of the hands.
BELOVED DISCIPLES: You need to develop each one of the TWENTY-TWO MAJOR ARCANA OF THE TAROT within yourselves. You are IMITATUS, or rather, one whom others have put on the PATH OF THE RAZOR’S EDGE. Exert yourself to become ADEPTUS, one who is the product of their own deeds, one who conquers the Science by themselves, the Child of their own Work.
GNOSIS teaches three steps that anyone who works in the Flaming Forge of Vulcan has to pass through, these are: PURIFICATION, ILLUMINATION, AND PERFECTION.
It so happens that curious people who enter into our Gnostic studies want illumination, astral projections, faculties of Clairvoyance, practical Magic, etc., and when they do not achieve this immediately, they withdraw.
No one can achieve illumination without having previously purified themselves, only those who have achieved Purification and Sanctity can enter into the hall of Illumination. There are also many curious students (they enter into our studies purely out of curiosity) who want to immediately be wise.
Paul of Tarsus stated:
“WE SPEAK WISDOM AMONG THOSE THAT ARE PERFECT”
[1st Corinthians 2:6]
Only those who achieve the third step are Perfect, and only among them can Divine Wisdom be spoken of.
In the old Egypt of the Pharaohs, they knew these steps of the Path; within Occult Masonry they are called: APPRENTICES, COMPANIONS, AND MASTERS. Candidates remained in the degree of Apprentice for seven years and sometimes longer; only when the HIEROPHANTS were completely sure of the Purification and Sanctity of the Candidates were they then able to pass them to the second stage.
The first faculty that the Candidate develops is the one related with the degree of listener or ‘auditor’, the faculty of Clairaudience and occult hearing.
Really, Illumination begins only after seven years of Apprenticeship; nonetheless, Students believe that spiritual faculties are going to be immediately developed and when they realize that this subject matter is serious, then they flee; this is the sad reality, it is very rare to find someone who is prepared for Adepthood.
THE CROWN OF LIFE
The Intimus is not the CROWN OF LIFE. It has three profundities, and these are beyond the Intimus. The crown of Life is our Resplendent Dragon of Wisdom, our Internal Christ.
THE THREE PROFUNDITIES
The first profundity is the origin of life, the second is the origin of the word, and the third is the origin of the sexual force. These three profundities of the resplendent Dragon of wisdom, are beyond the Intimus. The latter must be sought within the unknowable profundities of oneself.
THE NUMBER TWENTY-TWO
The three profundities of the RESPLENDENT DRAGON of Wisdom Emanated from a mathematical point, this is the Ain Soph, the Interior Atomic Star that has always smiled upon us; the Holy Trinity emanated from this interior star; the three profundities will return and fuse with this Interior Star. The number 22 is Kabalistically added as follows: 2 plus 2 equals: 4 [2 + 2 = 4]. The Holy three emanates from the Interior Star, the three plus its interior star is the Holy Four, the Mysterious TETRAGRAMMATON, the YOD HEH VAU HEH [ יהוה ].
Now we comprehend why the twenty-second Arcanum is the crown of life.
“BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE THE CROWN OF LIFE”. [Revelation 2:10]
Blessed be the one who incarnates the Spirit of Wisdom. The Buddhas who do not renounce Nirvana can never Incarnate the COSMIC CHRIST. The Cosmic Christ is beyond the Inner Buddha. Our Inner Buddha has to seek the Cosmic Christ within its own unknowable profundities. He [the Cosmic Christ] is the Glorian, the incessant eternal breath profoundly unknowable to itself, the Ray that joins us to the Abstract Absolute Space.
HIEROGLYPH
The Hieroglyphic of Arcanum twenty-two is the Crown of Life between the four mysterious animals of Sexual Alchemy, in the middle of the Crown, truth is seen represented as a naked Woman who has a wand in each hand (THE PRIEST AND THE PRIESTESS).
We can INCARNATE THE TRUTH only by working in the Flaming Forge of Vulcan, Sexual Alchemy.
THE ARK OF ALLIANCE
The ARK had four cherubim who touched each other with their wings and were in the attitude of the Man and the Woman during the Sexual act. Found inside the Ark were the blossoming Rod of Aaron, the cup of Gomor containing the manna and the two tablets of the Law, and the Manna contained in the cup of Gomor was the number 4 resulting from the inward addition of the 22 [2+2=4].
THE INTERIOR LODGE
The first duty of any Gnostic is to be sure that the LODGE is protected. During the degree of Apprentice, the attention is focused especially on the Astral Plane. The INTERNAL LODGE must be protected, the Astral body must be cleaned of animal passions and of all types of desires.
In the second Degree the mental Lodge must be protected, worldly thoughts must be cast out of the Temple. It is necessary to protect the INTERIOR LODGE very well, so that Doctrines, persons, Demons, and things do not penetrate inside the Internal Sanctuary to sabotage the GREAT WORK.
In practical life, we may see that students (apparently very serious) when they became careless, when they could not protect their own Interior Lodge, were invaded by people and strange Doctrines; often times they continue working in the FLAMING FORGE OF VULCAN, but they mixed many different methods and systems; the result of all of this was a true Tower of Babel, a barbaric confusion whose only purpose was to bring disorder into the INTERIOR LODGE OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS. Therefore, it is necessary to have the interior Lodge, the authentic School of Intimate Self Education, in perfect order.
We are absolutely sure that only one door and only one way exists: Sex, everything that is not through this way is just a miserable waste of time. We are not against any Religion, School, Sect, Order, etc., nonetheless, we firmly know that inside our Individual Interior Lodge we must have order, so that we avoid confusion and error.
We have accomplished this endeavor and we feel satisfaction, since we have served humanity and ourselves. To present a work of such magnitude, encourages us and prepares us for new endeavors. Humanity has never liked the doctrine of the Gnostics.
Hence, the substantial content of this work is for a more advanced humanity, because the people of this barbaric epoch are not capable of understanding these things. We hope that you, friend, as a good reader, know how to find in this treasure that now is in your hands, the happiness, the joy and the Peace that we all want for all beings. However, if you despise it by not finding in it something that entices you within: do not be selfish, think about the one next to you who might need it.
MAY YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN SECRET AND MAY DIVINE MOTHER KUNDALINI BLESS YOU.
Samael Aun Weor
