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We have previously studied the Desire World, which is everywhere about us and whose substance interpenetrates everything. The animals and man have drawn to themselves a portion of this desire substance to form a desire body, and it gives them incentive for action and enables them to feel desire, emotion, and passion. The minerals and plants do not have an individual desire body; hence they are not capable of feeling, desire, or emotion.
(You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and Independent Study Module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below. You will find the answers to the questions below in the next Core Concepts Independent Study Module.)
What is the function of the desire body? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
There are no organs in the desire body as in the dense and vital bodies. In the distant future man's desire body will become as definitely organized as are the physical and vital bodies. When that stage is reached we shall have the power to function in the desire body as we now do in the dense.
Describe man's desire body. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
While the animal kingdom has not acquired the faculty of thought, some of the higher domestic animals do think by induction on the same principle that a highly charged wire will induce a weak current in another wire brought close to it. Animals are not individualized but are divided into species and all members of the same animal tribe act alike under similar conditions. Man is individualized, and each individual is a law unto himself, separate and apart from any other individual and as different from his fellow man as one species of the animal kingdom is from another. Before reaching individualization he was under a Group Spirit. Later he was placed under the guidance of a Race Spirit (Archangel), from which he is gradually freeing himself as he becomes more and more capable of self-government.
What makes man an individual? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
While man is an individual and is guided by his own indwelling spirit which dictates his thoughts and actions, the three lower kingdoms have group spirits which are variously located in the Higher Worlds.
What is a group-spirit? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
Each species of the animal kingdom is ruled by a group spirit. This is a Being belonging to the Archangelic life wave that works from the outside, directing the animal's actions by means of the silver cord of the animal, which is attached to the group spirit.
Explain the fact that the animal often seems to display more wisdom than man. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
The relation of plant, animal, and man to the life currents in the earth's atmosphere are symbolically represented by the Cross. The mineral kingdom is not represented because it does not possess a vital body.
Explain the symbology of the Cross in relation to the three higher kingdoms. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
No animal can be made to remain constantly upright, because in that case the currents of the group spirit could not guide it, and if it were not sufficiently individualized to endure the spiritual currents which enter the vertical human spine, it would die.
What are the three requisites for the expression of an individual ego? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)
Complete Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception Study Guide, Section 2
1. The desire body enables animal and man to fell desire, emotion and passion.
2. Man's desire body is a luminous ovoid, extending from 12 to 16 inches beyond the dense body. In it are 7 sense centers which in the majority of people are mere eddies. In the negatively developed person they turn from right to left, or counter-clockwise. In the properly trained voluntary clair-voyant these centers turn from left to right, or clockwise.
3. Man becomes an individual when his own Spirit, freed from the Group Spirit, enters his body and begins to assume command of his thoughts and actions.
4. A Group Spirit is a Being of a higher life wave than man which guides the evolution of members of the lower kingdoms, thereby also furthering its own evolution.
5. The animal Group Spirit belongs to a higher life wave (the Archengelic) than man, and is therefore in closer touch with cosmic wisdom. It is not so enmeshed in the material world as man and is consequently capable of displaying greater wisdom than he. This animal Group Spirit guides the activities of the animal, the latter apparently showing a greater wisdom than man.
6. The lower limb of the cross indicates the plant with its roots in chemical mineral soil. The animal is symbolized by the horizontal limb. Man is represented by the upper limb.
7. An upright walk, an upright larynx, and warm blood are the requisites for the expression of an individual ego.
The scientist seeks to obtain knowledge through making objective observations and using logical thinking to draw conclusions from the observations. Does it matter what a scientist thinks about God? Does it matter what the purpose of a scientific investigation is — whether it be selfish or unselfish? Does it matter whether the scientist loves that which he is investigating? This chapter will seek answers to these questions.
In Proverbs 8:22, wisdom is represented as saying,"The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago, I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth...When he established the heavens I was there...when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him." God created wisdom; that is, he created the plan according to which the universe according to this plan. God is all-wise. He knows the plan and how he created things. He also knows all that is currently going on in His creation because He is omnipresent. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
If God is all-wise, then those who commune with God will learn wisdom. Many centuries ago, King Solomon wrote in The Wisdom of Solomon 7:17-20, "It is (God) who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements;...the cycles of the year and the constellations of the stars, the natures of animals and the tempers of wild beasts, the powers of spirits and the reasoning of men, the varieties of plants and the virtues of roots." In more recent times, Thomas Edison is quoted as having said that he believed his inventions came to him through the infinite forces of the universe. Dr. George Washington Carver rose early every morning and prayed to God before he went to his laboratory, and then went to the laboratory to carry out the direction he had received during his prayer. "Prayer," he said, "is an inner contact" (The Man Who Talks with the Flowers, by Glenn Clark).
If one is to receive wisdom from God through prayer, one's motives must be pure. Christ stated (Matt. 5:8), "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." King Solomon further stated Wisdom of Solomon 7:25-27, "(Wisdom is) a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness....In every generation she passes into holy souls, and makes them friends of God, and prophets."
Love of God can lead to communion with Him and partaking of His wisdom. On a smaller scale, also, if anything is to be understood, it must be loved. It is love that brings about the sympathetic uniting of one's consciousness with some being outside of oneself, which leads to the understanding of that other being. George Washington Carver loved the plants that he studied. he said, "No books are ever brought in here (to the laboratory)....Here I talk to the little peanut and it reveals its secrets to me....Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough." In this manner, Dr. Carver discovered three hundred new uses for the peanut, including face powder, axle grease, printer's ink, shampoos, soaps, woodstains, oil dyes, and rubberoid compounds. If the chemist would understand the mysteries of molecules, he must love the molecules. If the electrical engineer would understand the mysteries of electrical circuits, he must love the electrical circuits. If the medical doctor would learn how to heal his patients, he must love the patients.
As scientists increase their love of God and the various parts of His creation, as this love grows in breadth and strength, as it acts as a force drawing the scientist ever closer to the source of wisdom, there will come a time when it will have the power to project him into the invisible worlds where he can see first-hand the forces that form and control all earthly manifestations, where he can perceive the inner aspirations and hopes and fears of all living beings. (See Max Heindel, "Ancient and Modern Initiation.") Then he will have reached the source of wisdom. From that point on, he will have the power to control the forces of nature so that he can do such things as create bread out of stones, calm the winds, levitate, and heal the sick.
Christ stated that the greatest commandments in the law were, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,....and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." These commandments are just as important for the scientist as they are for the priest; they are just as important for obtaining understanding of the world as they are for obtaining favor with God. May the Light of Love bring illumination to those who walk in darkness.
— Clark, Glenn. The Man Who Talks with the Flowers. Saint Paul, Minn.: Macalester Park Publishing Company, 1939
— Heindel, Max. Ancient and Modern Initiation.
The sociologist Pitirim A. Sorokin has made an extensive study of what various peoples throughout history have considered to be of value. He divided human value systems into two main classes, which he named sensate and ideational. The sensate value system places value on that which can be externally perceived with the physical senses. The ideational value system places value on intellectual and spiritual things. Sorokin found that what people consider to be of value influences their beliefs, their social and political structures, and their art and music.
The peoples who hold the sensate view obtain truth from physical observation, and believe that the relation between cause and effect is invariant or determined by pure chance. The peoples who hold the ideational point of view obtain truth from inspiration or revelation from God, and believe that true causes lie in a world beyond the world of the senses. The peoples who hold the sensate view equate good with happiness; the peoples who hold the ideational view believe that good is determined by principles. The peoples who hold the sensate view believe that the individual is of prime concern, and that society is only of value as it helps the individual achieve a fuller realization of his self-seeking impulses. The rich or the military or those who physically dominate are the rulers in the sensate society. The peoples who hold the ideational view believe that the good of the whole is of prime consideration and individual "rights" may be abrogated for the good of the whole. The priest or religious leaders rule in the ideational society.
Sensate art and literature tend to be realistic, and based on familiar objects or persons. Ideational art and literature are symbolic, impressionistic, and allegorical. Sensate music is made to be interesting, enjoyable, entertaining, and spectacular. It may be accompanied by dancing, elaborate scenery, and food. Ideational music is meant to convey a hidden meaning, something that is beyond the sounds and for which the sounds are mere signs and symbols.
Throughout history, at some times the sensate view has been predominant, and at other times the ideational view has predominated. Often there have been conflicts between the proponents of the two views. Which view is best? What view should we adopt? To answer this question, we need to view the overall evolutionary scheme (as seen by clairvoyants). At the beginning of the evolutionary scheme, we were united in consciousness with God. We then had the ideational viewpoint in its purest form. In this state we had All-consciousness, but no self-consciousness, and so we could not exercise initiative or act creatively. In order to gain self-consciousness, we were helped to build bodies. These bodies acted as walls around the self, so that we lost the All-consciousness but gained self-consciousness and the ability to act as an independent, creative entity. This state of self-consciousness is the sensate view in its purest form. In the self-conscious state, conflicts arise between individuals and there are fights and wars and much suffering.
The ultimate aim of evolution is to regain the all-pervading harmony of the All-consciousness, but to maintain the individual initiative and creativity associated with self-consciousness. Thus our aim should be to blend the sensate and ideational points of view, to unite the secular and the religious, the head and the heart, and the good of the individual with the good of the whole. Causes must be sought in both the supersensory and in the domain of the senses. Evidence of both the senses and the intuition must be allowed, and fit into our world view. Through love, we must unite societal interests and individual interests. If all, through sympathy, feel the hurts and joys of any one, then the good of the one becomes the good of the all. Political leaders must be both statesmen and religious leaders. Art, literature, and music need to blend outer beauty with inner meaning.
When unification has been achieved, then the "mystic marriage" will occur, and we will be able to enter the Holy City (state of being) in which there will be no more death or pain, where the water of life flows, and where the glory of God is the source of light (as described in Revelation 19:7-9 and Revelation chapters 21-22). This is the Kingdom of Christ, and well may we pray, "Thy Kingdom Come."
— Cowell, F.R. Values in Human Society — The Contributions of Pitirim A. Sorokin to Sociology. Boston, Massachusetts: P. Sargent, 1970
Material science has found that every object in the universe may be assigned a number (called the mass of the object) in such a manner that the gravitational force of any object on any other object is proportional to the product of the masses of the objects and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects. This relation is written in terms of algebraic symbols as —
— where "G" is a constant, "M1" is the mass of object one, "M2" is the mass of object two, "R" is the distance between the centers of the objects, and "F" is the force of either object on the other. Equation (1) is called Newton's Law of Gravitation.
Near the surface of the earth, Newton's Law of Gravitation correctly describes the pull of the earth on objects (which pull makes released objects fall, and which makes objects that are thrown horizontally follow a path that curves toward the earth). When man sends rockets into orbit around the earth, using this Law, he can accurately predict what forces the fuel must exert on the rocket in order to get the rocket into a certain orbit. When Newton's Law of Gravitation is applied to planetary motions, the theoretically predicted motions agree with the observed motions to within seconds of arc per century.
Einstein developed a new theory for describing gravity, which is called the "General Theory of Relativity," which brings predictions even closer to observations than Newton's Law did. There are, however, still some slight, unaccounted for, deviations between theoretical predictions and observations.
Clairvoyants are able to give some added information on the subject of gravity. The clairvoyant, Max Heindel, tells us (see The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception.) that "When laggards inhabiting a Moon have retrieved their position and returned to the parent planet; or, when continued retrogression has caused complete disintegration of their vehicles, the abandoned Moon also commences to dissolve....As time goes on, the power of attraction exercised by the parent planet diminishes, its orbit widens, until it reaches the limit of our solar system. It is then expelled into interstellar space; and dissolved in Chaos."
Scientists have not noticed any substantial decline in the gravitational force of a planet on its moon, but this may be because they have not studied in detail any moon in the process of being released, or because the effect was too small or spread over too long a time to be noticeable.
In Psalms 75:3, Jehovah is quoted as saying, "When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars." Max Heindel further states (see "Questions and Answers," Vol. 2) that "Up to 2,000 years ago Jehovah had charge and guided our earth from without....Thus the Earth was held in orbit by His power. However at the change made on Golgotha the Christ Spirit drew into our earth in order that He might aid us....The Christ is now guiding the earth in its orbit from within, and will continue until we have learned to vibrate to that attribute, love, whereby we shall be able to apply the power to our own planet and thus guide it in its orbit from within."
Scientists have noticed small deviations from the Laws of Gravitation of Newton and Einstein. It is possible that the steadying influence of Christ has been responsible for these small deviations. It is also possible that the influence of Christ is needed in order for the Earth simply to obey the Laws. The Laws were formulated during his "reign," and we don't know what the Laws would be if Christ were not guiding the Earth and other planets. Without Christ, materialistic attitudes and thoughts perhaps could increase the mass of the Earth, which could make the Earth slow down in its orbit (in order to conserve angular momentum), which could cause the earth to go into a smaller orbit. It may be Christ's influence that helps hold the mass of the Earth constant, and thence keeps the Earth from moving toward the Sun.
— Heindel, Max. Questions and Answers, Vol. 2.
— Heindel, Max. The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception.
— Supplementary Student Material: Science and Religion, Elsa M. Glover, PhD
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