| The Nature of the Flame within your Heart | | | | through the mineral, plant, animal, or human kingdoms, |
| Let us explore the nature of the flame within your | | | | and even the celestial life-waves and such levels |
| heart. If you ever feel a warmth in your heart, a feeling | | | | many people do not see or comprehend yet. Hence, in |
| of peace, love, joy, or elation, then you are being | | | | like manner, each human being is a unique facet and |
| touched by the indwelling Spirit, the Presence of Divine | | | | expression from the one Creator, and yet all human |
| Beingness, the very Sacred Flame which has been | | | | beings together are one mankind. We are like the |
| enkindled within your heart. | | | | infinitesimal rays that emanate from the one Sun. Or |
| You may feel this upwelling Spirit while you are in | | | | we are like snowflakes; no two are identical. |
| prayer or worship, or while quietly meditating, or other | | | | Only the Creator of all could ingeniously create such |
| devotional activities. You may feel it while walking | | | | unfathomable creatures as human beings.Within us is |
| down the sidewalk or strolling through a park, simply | | | | diversity and unity simultaneously, two poles of a vast |
| enjoying nature's beauty. You may be doing household | | | | spectrum. Although we are born into the world of |
| chores, or you may feel it for no logical reason | | | | diversity, it is unity each soul must learn to realize. You |
| whatsoever, which may be quite often. You cannot | | | | can observe the vast variety and uniqueness in all |
| limit how or when it will come. The burning flame is | | | | species of living creatures and all life-forms on Earth, |
| always present, but you do not feel it always. | | | | for the Creator desires to express the multitudinous |
| However, through various disciplines and meditative | | | | aspects of Infinity through the physical realm, as well |
| practices, it may become more regular, because this | | | | as all level of existence. This manifestation of |
| way you are becoming more receptive and awake to | | | | diversification is not merely found on Earth, but |
| its reality. The yearning heart through such devotional | | | | throughout the whole universe. As much as there is |
| practices will readily increase by its own nature of | | | | uniformity and symmetry in Creation, there also exists |
| unfoldment. After such regular practices and centering | | | | diversity. Hence we see this paradox of diversity in |
| into God's Presence, experiencing the Sacred Flame in | | | | contrast to unity, a necessary reality in existence. |
| the heart will become a common occurrence. Soon | | | | Otherwise, this Creation would be monotonous and |
| you will have only to think about the Sacred Flame | | | | stagnant and inflexible. |
| burning within in order to feel its warmth, its bright glow | | | | We began discussing the reality of human uniqueness |
| deep inside your soul. | | | | to express that spiritual experiences for each person |
| Normally, it is after countless times of practicing | | | | are different because each individual is different and |
| meditation and certain spiritual exercises that will | | | | unique. Each one expresses, observes, perceives, and |
| prepare the unfolding soul and allow for such | | | | experiences life differently. Each person's personality is |
| automatic responses. However, when it comes up | | | | different. When an unfolding soul is receiving and |
| unexpectedly and spontaneously, such times would be | | | | experiencing a deeper reality of the Divine Creator, it |
| opportune for you to enter meditation and focus on | | | | will experience and perceive it somewhat differently |
| the upwelling flame within, to go more deeply into the | | | | than other souls, although there will be common |
| blossoming experience. Also realize that your efforts | | | | similarities, or typical characteristics, much like the |
| are essentially putting you in the right place at the right | | | | common likeness in snowflakes, yet no two are |
| time, because these experiences always come due to | | | | identical. Incidentally, this vast diversity of mankind has |
| God's grace. Your efforts may demonstrate faith in | | | | manifested in the many religions and a spiritual |
| God and a particular process, which opens the door | | | | traditions across the world, because each person |
| so that divine grace will do the rest. To illustrate, if you | | | | seeks God in a different way, and God allows this |
| are a sun-bather, you can't do this indoors. You have | | | | because of each person's uniqueness. There are |
| to take the effort to leave your house, drive to the | | | | many paths that lead to God. |
| beach, and then you relax and lay out in the sun; | | | | The student on the spiritual path will begin to have |
| because the sunlight does the rest of the work. You | | | | various spiritual experiences, and as wonderful as they |
| brought yourself to the right place, and the right time, | | | | may be, he will not understand them at first, so he |
| during the daytime, beneath the bright sun. This gives | | | | needs proper guidance and direction. For this reason |
| you an idea how most meditative practices operate, | | | | he goes to his spiritual teacher, because this advanced |
| and then you patiently await the results. | | | | soul can recognize key signs in the student's spiritual |
| If you're spiritual sight has been opening, you may even | | | | experiences and discern their exact nature. He may |
| see the Sacred Flame from time to time, often | | | | give the student definitions and labels which only |
| unexpectedly. When this occurs as an illuminatory | | | | satisfy the intellect, but a wise teacher will tell him that |
| experience, of which you may encounter several | | | | such labels are meaningless to the heart, for the heart |
| times on your path, you are beholding the indwelling | | | | goes beyond words and enters mystical experience |
| Light of Christ. This is experienced not only in the heart | | | | itself. The teacher may tell the student that he is simply |
| but on many levels of your being. Let it be known here | | | | growing closer to the God within, that his own divine |
| that this is a genuine visual experience, a gift of Light, | | | | nature is expressing through him now, and that he is |
| but explaining the details of exactly what this looks like | | | | awakening toward Divine Beingness. The student |
| would be erroneous. For one reason, these mystical | | | | should be told that there will be many such profound |
| experiences are usually different for each person, for it | | | | experiences, and that he must not have high |
| is a spiritual fact that everyone experiences life | | | | expectations toward them, for some may be very |
| differently; likewise, every aspirant experiences | | | | subtle, and others may be more pronounced. The |
| spirituality somewhat differently. Another reason is that | | | | teacher may give the student a more advanced |
| giving explicit details as to what a particular spiritual | | | | exercise or meditation now, which will assist him to |
| experience should look like would only plant premature | | | | unfold further from the point of his most recent spiritual |
| seeds into your subconscious, and this will only create | | | | experience. Although the student does exert some |
| false experiences. This is why many mystical schools | | | | effort, it is always God's grace that opens the door for |
| hold certain spiritual secrets from its beginning students, | | | | him for further spiritual growth; once again, very much |
| until they are ready for the next level. This may seem | | | | like the sunbather's analogy. |
| like a paradox, because it is true that the truth must be | | | | If you have had any kind of mystical experience, do |
| revealed to all, although this process is an eventuality, | | | | not try to mentally interpret it for yourself or determine |
| for not all are ready. | | | | what your experience means. Discuss it with your |
| Only the pure of heart and mind and soul can begin | | | | spiritual teacher. If you do not have one, seek one out. |
| receiving the sublime Truth of God, and on this path | | | | However, you can meditate upon this spiritual |
| that begins with the Purgative Way. However, your | | | | experience, to ascertain deeper insight involving its |
| journey through all levels of the threefold Mystical Path | | | | reality, tuning into your God-being within for further |
| will eventually bring you to this Truth, which shall set | | | | understanding. You don't want to intellectualize it, but |
| you free. Once you have gone through the purging | | | | use your intuition to discern, through meditation. |
| and purify process, this prepares you for the next | | | | Each seeker will search various spiritual traditions or |
| level, the Illuminative Way, and as you continue | | | | specific methods of unfoldment until he finds the one |
| unfolding spiritually, the next level should be retroactive, | | | | that matches his soul's needs. While he seeks for a |
| the Unitive Way, the realization and experience of the | | | | particular mystical school or tradition, he will find the |
| God-being within. The early contemplative mystics | | | | teacher that will guide him further. The God-being within |
| have walked this particular journey, for it is in reality the | | | | will guide him to the proper path that is appropriate for |
| path of Initiation, found in many of the ancient and | | | | him at the time, and likewise to the particular teacher |
| modern Mystery Schools alike. Aligned with these | | | | who is suitable for him. Yet, each being is a path unto |
| three "ways" or levels of Mysticism are the spiritual | | | | himself. |
| initiations of Baptism, Illumination, and Self-Realization. | | | | Sometimes you find yourself going through several |
| You may have experienced the Sacred Heart of the | | | | different traditions or churches or groups, and the |
| Master Jesus Christ, and countless aspirants on this | | | | same goes for teachers, but this is just part of your |
| path have indeed witnessed this. This is an initiation of | | | | journey. Searching to fit into a particular outer religious |
| the most profound nature, in which one can | | | | framework is not the real quest, but finding the |
| experience the Sacred Flame in one form or another. | | | | God-being within is. Once you have found and |
| Once again, each individual experiences such sacred | | | | experienced the God within, the Divine Beingness that |
| occurrences somewhat differently, for each one is | | | | you really are, you have found what you have been |
| unique, and yet all people are born from the One Spirit | | | | looking for, and your quest for the special group or |
| of God. This is a paradox we will attempt to explain. | | | | church or religious expression that you once sought will |
| To use a common example, there is one light, yet | | | | become obsolete. Although it is important to be a part |
| when placing a prism before it, the light refracts into | | | | of a gathering of this spiritually-minded people to serve |
| seven main colors. Of course there are innumerable | | | | alongside, you will do so as an Illumined or |
| sub-colors, hues and shades throughout Creation that | | | | Self-Realized being now, which means the real work |
| we can observe. Likewise, the Universal Divine | | | | has just begun. But it all starts with a serious devotion |
| Beingness of God manifests in an infinite myriad of | | | | and yearning heart for the Divine. |
| ways throughout the whole Creation, whether this is | | | | |