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| Simplified Scientific Christianity |
Each earth life is a day in God's great school. As it requires many days to complete a college course and reach the glad day of graduation, so it requires many earth lives in which to learn all the lessons this planet has to teach the evolving ego. It is only when all earth lessons have been learned that the ego, or human spirit, attains liberation from the wheel of birth and death.
There are, however, some few advanced souls who have forged ahead far beyond their fellow-men and, having attained liberation from this earth sphere, they return as great Master Teachers when mankind, by reason of the blindness of ignorance, creates some great crisis requiring special assistance. These advanced beings are known as the Compassionate Ones, and it is of these that King Arthur is the perfect type-pattern.
Such high souls have always responded to humanity's urgent plea for help since the earliest dawn of civilization. When their mission is ended their departure has always been characterized by the promise with which King Arthur concluded his life work: "I go, but I will come again." This promise has been given to mankind by all World Teachers, even including the most sublime of Masters when, as the disciples stood looking up into heaven after the Ascension, the angels said: "As ye have seen Him go, so He shall return."
The esotericist knows that history cannot be truly written without an understanding of the Intelligences working behind the scenes of human evolution, who see many centuries in advance when a crisis in the life of the human race approaches, and long before the hour strikes, the mighty forces of spiritual hosts are drawn up to do battle with evil, and powerful, spiritually-minded Leaders are awaiting their call to rebirth. The paths of history are touched to gold where these Great Ones have passed, and when in later times their deeds are reduced to writing, something of magic still lingers, even upon the dullest of pages. But mystics and poets are not deceived by the uninspired phrases of materialistic historians, and in legend and art the spiritual truth sings again.
Initiated troubadours have told the poetic truth about Arthur and his Table Round. They say that Arthur came from the fairy island of Avalon, the land of the "Little People." This is a reference to the inner or etheric realm, for it is here that the nature spirits — the "little gods" — make their home. Arthur was brought to the earth plane by "Three Beautiful Queens" who bore the names of Faith, Hope and Love. These are the qualities which always mark the life of a World Teacher when he comes to earth on a mission of mercy.
The poet tells us that one night there appeared before Merlin, the wise, in the midst of a great storm at sea, "a ship, the shape thereof a dragon winged, and all from stem to stern bright with shining people on the decks, gone as soon as seen. Then mighty waves came in, each mightier than the last — a ninth one, gathering half the deep, and full of voices, slowly rose, plunged roaring in, with all the wave aflame. And down the wave and in the flame was borne a naked babe that rode to Merlin's feet. He stopped and caught the babe and cried, 'The King!' Then round him rose the sea so that he and the child were clothed in fire."
On every holy night thereafter, in a strange heavenly light, there appeared a wonderful ship, shaped like a dragon, filled with a celestial people.
A more vivid, poetic account of the birth of a hold child would be difficult to find in the whole range of literature. The wise physician in attendance upon the holy mother, the three wise women bearing the symbolic titles of fundamental virtue, the ship, or brightly gleaming aureole in which the spirit of the babe rode slowly into its earthly incarnation, the glad cry of recognition when the infant is safely delivered — all this the poet conveys in the most exquisite of spiritual symbolism, touched with the fire of the divinely illumined imagination.
In the glory which surrounded the babe the wondrous story of the master-life shone revealed to the vision of Merlin; he knew this babe from lives lived on earth before when, as now, they labored together in the Cause of Light. Nine waves brought the babe to the earth; nine Initiations through which that ego had passed in former times, and which now he came to reestablish in this new outpost of advancing life.
So also we read that Merlin on a certain occasion went out to sea in a ship of glass with nine Lords.
The Church Fathers who wrote and taught during the first three centuries after Christ referred frequently to the work of the Mysteries and the important part which they occupied in the teachings of the early Christian community.
The work of the Essenes was also centered in these Mysteries. The Essenes were a holy sect whose work in Palestine was an endeavor to prepare mankind for the First Coming of the greatest of all World Teachers. The work of the modern "Grail Knight" is again centered in the Mysteries, as his most important task is to assist in preparing humanity for the Second Coming of the Supreme World Master.
When Arthur reached young manhood he possessed a rare beauty of countenance and supernatural spiritual powers un equalled in his time. One night, in a dream-vision, he was taken into the holy Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea, at Carbonek. There he saw the Grail ever guarded by a circle of virgins. There he took part in the Midnight Holy Communion and saw the wondrous spiritual powers of the holy vessel, and there received into his life-long keeping a pure white crystal cross, while a Voice said: "Under this sign will you serve and by this sign you will conquer." Thus he came forth with life pledged to the service of the Grail.
In medieval accounts of the Castle of the Holy Grail we read that it was a Gothic structure topped by a spire, and that on the spire was a great ruby, and upon the ruby a crystal cross such as we first meet here in the story of Arthur.
No doubt historians would say that the story of Arthur's vision of the cross is a retroversion by medieval writers to the story of Constantine's vision; but there can be no proof either way. Both are legends. fr is possible that Constantine's vision was suggested by an earlier tradition from Glastonbury, as we have said in another place.
Another famous incident in the Arthurian cycle is that in which Arthur proves his right to the throne. He was shown a great white stone in the center of which a sword had been thrust up to its hilt, and he heard the words spoken: "Only he is worthy to be king who can draw this sword from this stone." He saw many knights attempt the feat — but always the sword remained immovable. At last Arthur laid his hand upon it, and it came forth readily. Even so do spiritual powers remain embedded in "Stone" until the time is ripe for their use, when they come forth easily, as the sword came to the hand of Arthur.
There is a very beautiful symbolism in this incident of the sword, and it is found many times throughout the various medieval legends, always holding the same mystery. We shall meet with it again in the Idyll of Sir Galahad, who draws his sword from a red stone floating in a river. There is a suggestion here that Galahad is in fact the one destined to succeed Arthur, supplanting Modred, the failed Prince who, through Arthur's son, was not in line to inherit.
Esoterically the stone typified that which is crystallized and unchangeable. In other words, it typifies the Old Order of the Ages. The sword is the Spirit of Truth which the worthy pioneer must always be able to extricate from the Old and to use in cutting his way through the obstacles that would hinder his progress as he passes into the New.
— Corinne Heline
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Contemporary Mystic Christianity |
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