The son of man, the creature of flesh we think of as highest in God's creation, must become changed, transmuted and regenerated before he can become Illuminated and the Son of God.

Men fail to comprehend that the mystery of the resurrection in whomsoever it develops, whether in the Carpenter of Nazareth or the humblest aspirant of the present day, always takes place at the exact moment of the awakening of the mind and Soul into a new life and activity on the spiritual plane of being.

Not until men are able to free themselves of the habit of thinking only fearful, doubtful, carnal, malicious and other destructive thoughts, and instead begin to aspire for an ideal and constructive life, can the Soul be aroused and begin to build toward this end, the attainment of Soul Illumination.

It is written that when the Nazarene's disciples turned their gaze away from earth and toward heaven they were able to see the Divine vision and hear a voice proclaiming: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

We must "look upward," that is, we must raise or elevate our thoughts and desires. In this way we will lift up ourselves; that is, we will thereby regenerate our entire being. Then will the savior (the saving power) and the Holy Ghost (the spiritual Light) come upon us; for is it not written: "For unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin [free from all that is debased] unto salvation."

Salvation (to be saved or become free - both from others and, more especially, our own lower self) can result only through a process of Regeneration and this work is "the labor of the Christ." It is the one and only door that will admit us into the sheepfold, it being written: "He that entereth by any other way, the same is a thief and a robber," because he takes unto himself that which he has not earned, for which he is unready and which does not belong to him.

The children of men, surrounded as they are by illusion and living in delusion, believe that another than themselves is capable of taking upon himself their sins and degradation and make them "as white as snow" and, as a result, they be saved. They forget that any who attempt to enter the "Kingdom of Heaven," the peace that is within their own Soul, other than by way of the door - their own efforts - are thieves and robbers and were so designated by the Master-Teacher.

If we seek for Illumination, the knowledge of God and daily companionship with the Father through our own Soul, then in Biblical language, "we be looking for the Christ," and He will in due time appear; the Fire, potent to burn out all dross, will descend upon us in clouds of glory, and then will salvation - freedom from unworthiness - be ours.

After we attain Christhood, that which is Soul Consciousness, we will be unable to continue to commit those deeds (sins) that have the power to destroy, and being free from sin, we will have gained salvation.

It is written: "We have [also] a more sure word of prophecy; whereuonto ye do well that ye take heed [trust the witness], as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."

In this one short sentence is stated most clearly one of the greatest Occult truths, especially in the last two words. In it is indicated that the star, that is to say, the Light of Consciousness must arise within yourself and that it cannot be attained from any outward source.

He who is able to read this passage understandingly and to fully comprehend its meaning has solved for himself the mystery of the ages and if he will live according to his understanding, Soul Consciousness and his Illumination are assured. During past ages the work of a great Fraternity now known as the AEth Priesthood has been just this. Its purpose was to help acolytes to unveil this mystery and to behold the Light. Having attained the "arising of the star in the heart" the aspirant is on the way toward that Mastership that was the reward of the Nazarene for His effort.

It is written that Paul said: "Ye do well that ye take heed." Take heed of what? It is the Light that shineth in dark places, and where is there greater darkness than in the worldly, sense-worshipping man? It becomes the "Light that lightest every man that cometh into the world," provided man succeeds in cleansing the vessel in which the Light is to burn, consuming all the dross and giving forth the Light that will penetrate the darkness.

Within each man there is a light burning, but the body is so dense, so completely filled with the "soot of evil," that the Light cannot penetrate through it. There is no virtue in making the Light brighter; the secret will be in cleansing the vessel (body and mind) through which the Light must penetrate in order to become visible. This is the process of transmuting the gross self into refined material. Then there can be no interference with the light and the light shall so shine that it will even draw other men to it.

Illumination follows the awakening of the mind and preparing, building for, the resurrection of the Soul. The Soul's birth, its ascension, and its sonship, or At-One-ment with the Father is analogous with the birth, training and final ascension of the Nazarene. This is true whether or not we believe that such a personality as the Nazarene ever existed. It is a Law; someone must have given utterance to that Law, and it is equally true that someone must have demonstrated the applicability of that Law.

The Soul awakened and finally brought into Illumination is the Light that will lead and guide the possessor in the Pathway of truth and righteousness. In this modern age so very few look for either truth or right, but seek only for possessions and pleasures, wholly unaware that the only certainty is in attaining Soul Consciousness and that, in doing this, man will draw to himself all and everything, material and spiritual, that is worthwhile and to his greatest benefit.

It is necessary to know that man possesses a Soul, then to awaken and manifest it; to stand face to face with the Soul and hear its voice even as did Moses in the wilderness when standing before the "burning bush," before he has truly attained Illumination and gained the light of understanding.

To the enlightened man - the Illuminated - there is but one Lawgiver, it is the Word of the Soul that has attained Consciousness; for this Soul is then at-one, and in close touch with the Creator who is all.

In the beginning the Soul is but the tiniest Spark, but this Spark may be developed into a Flame; and then there will be the aura of a great glory in the image and likeness of the Son of God. For this one purpose did the Nazarene give His time, His efforts and His life; that He might actually demonstrate for Himself and to others Sonship with the Father, and be a Light-bearer to all the world.

For this did He labor, that He might be "lifted up" and as a result, draw others unto Him. Thus He came unto the hour of His trial and passed through the tests, that He might Himself attain to the final Illumination and thereby illustrate the means and method to others.

Illumination (Wisdom) is the Light in the dark places (ignorance) expelling the darkness.

It leads the Soul of man away from the earthly illusions and opens the way to Wisdom and understanding.

The desires and passions of the carnal self do not possess the power to confer lasting pleasures. All such satisfaction is fleeting and for the moment only. The Soul on the Path toward Illumination finally recognizes this fact and commences to transmute these desires into constructive ideals. For this reason does Illumination bring with it the power to create real success for all who faithfully listen to the voice and obey the Law.

Illumination is as a light in a dark room. With it we are able to see things as they are and we are thereby enabled to know what life is about. Without it we stumble and grope in the darkness and there is no darkness so dense as that of the self.

Every man has the opportunity and is at liberty to forsake those desires of the flesh that are destructive in their nature. He has been given free Will and free choice. He alone can choose. This will create war - war in "heaven and on earth"; it is the war of mind and body, of desire and Soul. It is the best in us fighting the worst in us; well will it be if the best in us wins.

Lofty, holy and ennobling thoughts quickly come in conflict with evil, destructive, lustful thoughts. The Will of the awakened mind is desirous of doing right; but the flesh also has strong desires, and these have been in control for a long time; the struggle is severe, but the victory of truth is certain if the desires of the Soul are sufficiently strong.

All men must ultimately pass through this conflict even though they may desire neither salvation nor Illumination. It is the battle between the mortal and the Immortal. How often do we desire to do one thing while a sense of duty indicates we should do just the opposite? How often have we literally walked the floor for hours, fighting, continuously fighting until wearied by the fray, until finally desire or duty emerge the victor? This is symbolic of the conflict taking place in the seeking Soul. There is "war within"; it is war to the death of one or the other. There can be no compromise and, irrespective of the opinion of men, every one must at some time or another pass through this war of right or wrong. It is the true Armageddon and will not end until the Soul has finally attained its Godhood - or all is lost.

As soon as the aspirant begins his development, when the tiny Soul Spark within starts to awaken and attempts to penetrate the darkness that surrounds it, temptations may come thick and fast. The conflict is in progress. Who can foresee the outcome? Is there not a weeping, a wailing and a gnashing of teeth? Will it be Conscious Individuality - Illumination - or death and the grave?

"Ye lust and yet have not."

What do we fail to have? As a matter of fact, the carnal and material things we value so highly, things we possess and which give us pleasure and contentment, happiness or joy, are often mere illusions, because in a moment they may be swept away. We "lust" for them. We desire them above all else, yet we have them not because there is no assurance that we can keep them. If we sought for the real, then it would be a possession of the Soul, and come what may, no one, no power, nothing in heaven or hell could take it from us. It is ours because we have earned it and made it a part of ourselves. It is real, it is lasting, it is the ultimate because it is a part of God.

"Ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, yet have not because ye ask not."

Men think that by the use of force they will be able to obtain that which they seek. They forget that "he who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword," meaning that those who take by force will have taken from them by force, and that nothing is truly ours or may be held by us except that which we have earned by effort.

Men kill and destroy and think they may obtain. They who destroy, except in self-protection, a crumb of bread or a penny's worth, will be held accountable therefor. Nothing is made to destroy, everything is created for use. Seek not to obtain by force but, as the Bible has it: "By the sweat of thy brow"; that is to say, by effort.

"Because ye ask not." The wise man understands the working of the Law. He understands that to ask is to desire; to desire is inducive to effort, and that he who makes the necessary effort will obtain. Any possession honestly earned under the Law will be truly his own and it cannot be taken from him except that it be returned to him many fold.

Men fight each other for the things they want. They are willing to destroy in order to obtain the things they desire, forgetful of the fact that whatever we dishonestly take, whether by force or by destruction (destroying is taking to ourselves), we must pay for and will be that much poorer or have that much less. This is an important lesson all men must learn before there can be even a semblance of true freedom.

To be able to "ask" wisely, to be able to think righteously (correctly), we may continue to "fight and war," but we fail to reach Illumination because we have not learned to desire constructively.

Our thoughts lead to desire and desire leads to construction or destruction, to conservation or waste.

As the Soul seeks, the mind indicates or creates.

The mind builds and the Soul receives.

The Soul cannot receive if the mind fails to act in accordance with the Law. The mind must become a positive, active, directive force, otherwise the Soul will not have at its command the "substance" with which to build itself and attain Consciousness.

If the mind lacks the strength and incentive to be successful in its wars and contentions with the lustful desires, then it will be unable to build the Soul so that Illumination will become possible.

"Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

This "asking amiss" is asking for the wrong thing. The requests come from the selfish self, or, as the Bible has it, from our "lusts." Even in spiritual things, whosoever seeks Illumination for a purely selfish purpose "lusts" therefor and cannot receive. He is asking "amiss." The selfish self is the creator of all sinfulness (wrongdoing) and wickedness (maliciousness and destructiveness). None may attain Soul Consciousness or Illumination of Soul so long as they are held in the throes of the selfish self and follow in evil ways.

When we gaze into a mirror we see a reflection of our material self. It is our features and form; we recognize it as ours whether it be pleasing or otherwise.

The Soul in like manner reflects itself through our outer form, through our eyes, our smile, our every action. It discloses all its most carefully guarded secrets, though we foolishly believe that we have kept "the skeleton in the closet," carefully hidden from all eyes.

The Soul is much like a garden. A beautiful, elevating, sublime thought is a seed from which will spring a beautiful "flower." This may be a rose, a lily, a violet or even a rare orchid. Whatever the seed is, it is capable of reproducing that which produced it, and it in turn will create seeds that, if planted, will soon fill the whole garden with a beauty that can be rare and entrancing.

The one thing to remember is that the soil must have been previously carefully prepared, lest the good seed fall upon "stony ground" and be unable to even germinate, much less produce the beauty of its own nature. This is to say that the Soul must be prepared to receive; the mind awakened so as to be able to wisely choose the right seed, possess the desire and energy to "plant" the seeds; then take the proper care of them during their period of germination and until they attain to the growth and strength giving them self-protection; that is, Consciousness of existence.

If but one evil thought be among the good and constructive thoughts, it will be much as if the seed of a weed had been mixed with the seeds of beautiful flowers, and this one seed may grow into such a power that it will destroy all the flowers in the garden. Weeds take care of themselves and multiply. This is not true of flowers. These must have the utmost care in order to develop the highest types.

Have you ever paid any attention to the strength and vitality possessed by the roots of a weed? How difficult it is to really destroy it! It requires much care and great and constant watchfulness to keep the weeds out of the most carefully cultivated garden; and, likewise the thoughts of evil that possess the garden of the mind are as subtle and determined to find and hold root in the mind and Soul as are the weeds in the garden. The parallel is perfect. The mystery of it is that, while the seeds of desirable plants require the utmost care to get them to germinate and take root, weeds may be strewn broadcast in almost any soil and will readily take root and grow under the most adverse conditions.

One by one we can pluck from the mind and Soul the weeds that are evil thoughts and desires, and substitute in their place the tender plants that blossom into flowers of great beauty - those of Love and Light; this belongs to the Conception. With a little care these seedlings will grow and mature in good time and the entire world will feel the glow and beauty of their presence.

Selfishness is one of our most prolific "weeds" and from it spring almost all the other "weeds" or evils. It is also the most difficult to eradicate from mind and desire.

Selfishness is the most subtle and illusory of all the evils man is heir to, because it holds dangling before the self the benefits that may accrue to it for profit, for pleasure and for possessions.

It will lead us astray whenever we listen to its promptings. Its voice is ever-present, indicating to us "thus wilt thou benefit if thou but do as I tell thee," but it never so much as mentions the penalty to be paid, the retribution to be made. We must learn to render to the self its due, but cast out the selfish part of self.

Our bodies are as tombs wherein are laid precious things. Over this tomb we must watch carefully for the coming of the day when the Light shall come forth and light the day as it Illuminates the Soul. It is the Light of the world; without it man sickens, dies and passes on to be no more.

As is the sun of the universe to all living creatures, so is the Soul to man. Seek the Soul, watch for its awakening, help it come to Consciousness by your thoughts, desires and acts, so that it may attain Illumination.

"God is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not know the truth."

God being Light and there being no darkness in Him is to say that wherever there is darkness there God is not. Darkness is a synonym for evil. Light and darkness cannot exist together at the same time, nor can goodness and evil. If we would have Light, the Light that is God or our own Conscious Soul, we must first eliminate the darkness by cultivating Light; that is, eliminate all evil by replacing it with the virtues and emotions that belong to Light, such as love, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, generosity, tenderness and other emotions of like nature. These cannot exist where there is evil; and, let us be thankful to know that evil cannot exist in their presence; as these enter the mind, heart and Soul, evil is automatically forced to leave.

What is God? This we have been told in the one short sentence: "GOD is LIGHT. That should be sufficient and it gives us the key to the great Mystery, that as Illumination is Light, it is GOD ENTERING THE SOUL.

"But if we walk in the Light, as he is the Light, we have fellowship with one another."

If we walk in the Light, then we act in the Light, walking being synonymous with acting or doing. If we "walk" in the Light then we do those things that will help us to become akin to God, that is, like Him; this He plainly tells us we may do. "If we walk in the Light we have fellowship with one another." To have fellowship with anyone we must be much like them.

This does not in any sense indicate that we shall be entirely free from the struggles with the sins and evils that beset the world, but it does assure us that if we continue to faithfully live in the Light, that is, in those desires and acts that are of God, we will come into possession of the wisdom that will lead us more and more to the Light, enabling us to understand and be at peace irrespective of what may happen.

Man may attain that perfection that is not of the material world and its delusions, providing his desires are strong enough and providing he will build according to the ideals that have been given birth in his heart. As are his ideals and as are his efforts to bring them into manifestation, so will he become, and no power or person in the universe can say him nay.

As long as man lives according to the destructive impulses of his nature he will be incapable of giving birth to lofty ideals. He will remain steeped in selfishness. To such, the welfare of others means little or nothing. Selfishness does not include within its category either pity or compassion for suffering humanity. All the selfish man can see or recognize is pleasure and sense satisfaction on the one hand, and profit and possessions on the other.

As man awakens he will begin to strive for harmony with the cravings of his Soul. He will endeavor to free himself from the darkness that enshrouds the Soul and to replace this darkness with the Light that will bring Illumination. He will make every effort to free himself from all of those evils that are a part of the darkness which holds mankind in bondage. He comprehends that just as no man can hate another and attain Soul Illumination, so is it impossible for any man to give domicile to evils and yet be filled with, surrounded by or protected by the Light.

Those governed by evil desires are in darkness; they cannot comprehend the Light, for "he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother [any man], is in darkness even until now."

Hate is man's greatest destroyer. To the one who hates, all things appear as evil. Hatred is not only evil in itself, but it is the creator of evil. It produces forces or vibrations that shatter the orderly cells of the body and cause disease. The dark forces are capable of enshrouding the Soul with even greater darkness than that now existing, and can even destroy it. Until this most evil of all passions is eliminated from mind and heart Illumination is impossible. Malice, jealousy, revenge and others of the darker passions are akin to hatred; they belong to the one family whose mission it is to destroy.

"He that loveth his brother abideth in the Light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him."

Analyze this Law, for such it is, and what do you find? He that loveth his brother, i.e., any man, all men, abideth in the Light. Why? Because he that loveth is free from hate. The two are opposites. Where there is hate, love cannot exist. Where there is love there can be no place for hate. He that hates will find his path filled with stumbling blocks. Why? Because he walks in darkness; he has eyes that cannot see. But he that is filled with love, compassion, affection, forgiveness, is filled with Light and his Path is clear before him.

Love is the Light. Love is Light. Love is God, for has He not plainly indicated this through the teachings of all those who were His representatives on earth? Love is the only builder of the Soul, because Love is an Ideal; Love is the father-mother through which ideals are given birth. Love is the Soul, is Light in the Soul, and where there is Light there is Illumination. Love is a vibratory force of life, of a greater, fuller life. Hate is a vibration of low density and therefore a destroyer of Light.

"He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

Hatred is born in the darkness of the Soul, its father is selfishness, envy and jealousy. Hatred blinds the eyes and those who hate cannot comprehend the Light. He that hates is unaware of where he is going because he cannot know how far astray that hatred will lead him. Hatred is the destroyer of all good. It is the weed in the garden of the Soul. Beauty and goodness cannot exist in close proximity of hatred. Before the Light can break upon the darkened eyes, hatred must be eliminated, transmuted by the power of kindliness, which is akin to love.

Hate is blind because it is unable to comprehend the relationship which naturally and Divinely exists between man and man. Under the Divine Law all men are, in essence, brethren. All spring from the Light and the Love of the Father. If there be hatred in the heart of man this hatred blinds him to his relationship with humanity. Instead of trying to help his fellow man he will do just the contrary; do everything in his power to defraud, debase and destroy those whom he should willingly help and guide to greater life and freedom from the many evils that beset men and prove a curse and burden.

One and all among us manifests that which is within us. There is no need for anyone to betray us. We do that effectively by every word we speak, by every act we do. In like manner, all the Light we possess shines forth with every thought, word and all our actions. Lacking the Light we cannot do other than manifest darkness.

We will be unable to reflect the Light until we first learn to love. We must demonstrate this ability by casting out all that is a part of hate. As we do this we are overcoming the world and become born again, or anew. We become as new men. There always will be struggles. Were this not true we would soon weaken and die. Man becomes strong and remains strong by constant effort. With struggles and effort we attain to a manhood otherwise impossible. We gain strength by fighting our mental battles successfully, and as we wrestle with darkness the Light is born.

"All that is in the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the age, as the pride of life - it is not of the Father, but is of the world.

"All the world passeth away and the lusts thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

The world is in transition. He who identifies himself with the world (the material) and its lusts, will become part of the world and its lusts (lusts including all evils) and will pass on with the world and be known no more. We become the things we desire. That is the Law, just as it is the Law that we will obtain or attain that for which we make a constant effort. In giving way to lustful pleasures, that is, such pleasures as have no other purpose than carnal satisfaction, we become lust incarnate. Lusts are darkness and darkness cannot know, or become conscious of God. The evil thoughts we harbor form a nucleus and become a mass force for evil and destruction. As these things are temporal and we become composed of them, we die the moment our creative power ceases to function.

The mind that awakens and makes effort to regenerate itself will begin by thinking ennobling thoughts, holding exalted ideals and working toward the reconstruction of the entire being. An actively directed mind is capable of arousing the tiny Spark we call the Soul and beginning to impress these arousing and ennobling thoughts upon it. These desires will start the transmutation of the evil that exists within us and as this process of effort and transmutation continues, the Christ will make His second return to that Soul, and Soul Consciousness is born.

"The commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." Through death we come to actual life. The transmutation or change of evil is the death of that evil; but as a result new life is born. As the carnal dies or is transmuted, the spiritual comes to life. This is the actual resurrection through which all men must pass if they would live.

The grave or tomb of the dead - the death of evil - is the womb from which the newly arisen, the Illuminated Soul, must come forth. It is the only way; there is no other.

The Soul is all that truly is, because it is all that lives here and now, hereafter and beyond.

The Soul: The garden wherein thought and desire are concentrated. It is the place where the seed is received; where the conception takes place.

The Soul: The storehouse of the mind's thoughts and desires and of the experiences that are a part of life.

The Soul: The sphere of all the accumulated experiences and knowledge gained through all lives.

The Soul: The House or Temple built by the mind and wherein is the Holy of Holies; the Light which is on neither land nor sea.

The Soul: The Lamb's Book of Life; the record of all deeds, whether good or evil. It is also the Recording Angel, and finally, the Judge who cannot be swayed from just punishment.

The Soul: The Sun of the body; in Illumination ascending to Consciousness with "healing in its wings."

The Soul: The womb wherein the Christos ever was, is now, and ever will be, and the tomb from which He must come forth in shining Light.

The Soul: The grave wherein undesirable thoughts and desires must be buried (transmuted) in order that they may arise in the Light of the Love which is God.

Oh, grave! Where is thy victory?
Oh, death! Where is thy sting?
For thou must give up the dead unto life.
Thus is the Soul, my Soul, thy Soul.
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