Genesis (The Source)

Genesis is a Word that is used to define the Beginning...the Source...
the Origin. Genesis is that Time in the remote Past when the
material world, along with all its Truth and Wisdom, first appeared.
When we speak of Genesis, we are referring to some unknown Time
in the distant Past that Enchants us with its Mystery: a Time that is
now Hidden behind the Ancient Mists of Antiquity.

Historians, Theologians, and Seekers have been forever obsessed
with discovering, and understanding, that very First Time when
matter and Spirit first manifested themselves and began their
eternal journey into the future.

The ancient Alchemists were relentless in their pursuit of the
prima materia, that "first matter" from which all other matter
evolved. Alchemists beyond number invested their entire lives,
often depleting family fortunes, in their pursuit of the prima materia
...The Sorcerer's Stone; all to no avail. Perhaps it is because what
they thought to be First Matter (prima materia) was, in reality,
First Thought (Prisca Sapientia): A Divine Essence that can neither
be seen nor measured.

First Thought is that Initial Energy which originates from the
Mind of Divinity. First Thought is the Original Imagination
from which the Act of Creation begins: this is the nous, the Mind
of Divinity, referred to in Hermetic Teachings.

Once the Mind of Divinity begins the mental Act of Creation, It's
next step is to Manifest that Thought. To manifest a Thought means
to bring a Thought out of the mental realm in order for it to be
realized in the material realm.

Divinity manifests It's Original Thought by "breathing life into it".
Manifestation is the Breath (the Spirit) of Divinity. This Breath
(this Spirit) is the logos, or "Word", referred to in Hermetic teachings.
Divinity, through It's Breath...It's Word...It's Spirit, sends Thought
out of the Spiritual realm so that it can Become Form in the Material
Realm. This is Divinity's process of Creation.

By understanding this Spiritual Process of Creation we are able to
understand just how ancient the Eternal Teachings of Truth and
Wisdom really are. Truth and Wisdom originate with Divinity and
are "spirited" down to us, generation to generation, by way of
Ancient Sacred Teachings.

This is the reason why, no matter how far back we go in Time, the
Ancient Teachings we discover from all long-forgotten civilizations
were recognized as "ancient" even during those remote Times.
This is because Truth and Wisdom do not originate with any one
person or civilization. Truth and Wisdom are "breathed" into the
material world by Divinity, and it is Divinity that is the Genesis
(The Source) of these Eternal Doctrines: Eternal Doctrines that
were bestowed upon us to serve as our Personal Guides as we
Travel the Path of our Current Incarnation.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009, 2010

Instruction Of The Initiate

"Know thyself"
- Inscription above the entrance of
the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

(This article is Part 2 of: "The Ancient Initiate")

Upon being admitted into an Ancient Mystery School, the Initiate
was trained and Instructed in the Lessons and Disciplines that
govern our Physical and Spiritual Worlds. These Lessons and
Disciplines took the form of Spiritual and Physical Instruction
which took many years for the Initiate to Master.

Spiritual Instruction: These were the Lessons that helped to
develop the Initiate's Internal World: The World of Wisdom.

Through these Lessons the Initiate learned how to focus his,
or her, mind through the Disciplines of Silence and Meditation.

Silence taught the Initiate how to listen for, hear and communicate
with their God Within, their Atman. Through Silence the Initiate
mastered the power of Intuition which acted as the Initiate's Inner
Guide.

Spiritual Instruction also involved the Discipline of Meditation.
Meditation taught the Initiate how to focus on Symbols, Mantras
and Silence.

It was through Meditating on Symbols that the Initiate was able to
un-Veil their secret, esoteric meanings. It was through Meditating
on Mantras (sounds and phrases) that the Initiate was able to
understand the Hidden Meanings and Harmonies contained within
these Sacred Sounds and Phrases. It was through Meditating on
Silence that the Initiate learned the art of Calming and Grounding
oneself.

Physical Instruction: These were the lessons that helped to
develop the Initiate's External World: The World of Knowledge.

Although other Lessons were involved, the Initiate's Physical
Instruction mainly focused on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences,
which are: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music
and Astronomy.

Grammar taught the Initiate how to use Symbols and letters to
form Words.

Rhetoric taught the Initiate how to use Words to form
sentences which could be used in communicating with others.

Logic taught the Initiate how to use sentences in order to debate
and evaluate arguments and ideas.

Arithmetic taught the Initiate the use of numbers.

Geometry taught the Initiate how to use numbers to measure the
shapes and angles that prevail in the universe. These are the same
shapes and angles that are used in the science of engineering and
construction.

Music taught the Initiate how to recognize and appreciate Harmony.
For what better way is there to understand Harmony than by
hearing a well-composed piece of music?

Astronomy taught the Initiate how to understand, measure and
predict the movements of the heavens. This included the
movements and appearances of planets, comets, eclipses and
seasons; along with all the other celestial phenomena.

Once the Lessons of the Spiritual and Physical Disciplines were
completed, the Initiate was recognized as a Master of both their
Inner and Outer Domain. At this time the Initiate was Elevated to
the well-earned Title of Master Teacher. It was at this point that
this new Master Teacher was able to Instruct other Initiates in the
Secret and Sacred Mysteries of the Physical and Spiritual Universes.
This was how knowledge was passed down, from generation to
generation, since the earliest beginnings of Time.

The Ancient Mystery Schools, along with their method of teaching,
faded into history somewhere near the end of the Age of Ares and
the Beginning of the Age of Pisces (about 2,100 years ago).

However, although these Mystery Schools no longer exist, their
Knowledge and Wisdom can still be found in the Mythologies,
Symbols and Sacred Teachings found everywhere on our planet.
These Timeless Mysteries, that lie all around us, simply await
some modern-day Initiate (Seeker) to uncover and awaken their
Secrets.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009

The Ancient Initiate

"Know thyself"
- Inscription above the entrance of
the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

In the Remote Past, Sacred Schools were established by Master
Teachers. It was in these schools that Master Teachers provided
Instruction to well-qualified individuals, who were in search of
Enlightenment, about the Secret Mysteries of the Physical and
Spiritual Worlds. These schools have come to be known as the
Ancient Mystery Schools. The individuals who were granted
admittance into these Mystery Schools were referred to as
Initiates.

Although many men and women applied for admission into these
Mystery Schools, only a few were accepted. The Master Teachers
first weeded-out the applicants who were seeking admission simply
out of "curiosity". Next, they eliminated those applicants who were
considered to be either too lazy, or simply unable, to dedicate
themselves to understanding and mastering the Knowledge and
Wisdom that these Sacred Institutions had to offer.

The applicants who were accepted into the Mystery Schools were,
indeed, the well-qualified and dedicated few who would invest the
time and energy necessary to learn the Knowledge and Wisdom that
the Master Teachers were about to impart to them.

Two important facts must be remembered regarding these Ancient
Mystery Schools:

First: Admission into the Mystery Schools was open to both men
and women. The gender of the person was not important. What
was important was whether the applicant was well-qualified,
dedicated, and able to handle the years of Spiritual and Mental
disciplines that lay before them.

Second: application for admission into these Mystery Schools was
completely voluntary. In addition, the Initiate was free to leave the
School should he, or she, determine that the Way of the School was
not in Harmony with their Personal Path. Needless to say, very few
Initiates Chose to quit these Mystery Schools.

But who were these Initiates of the Remote Past? And why did
they voluntarily dedicate years of their lives in order to understand,
and master, Sacred and Secret Mysteries...Mysteries that were
considered Ancient even during their lifetimes?

These Ancient Initiates were Seekers of Truth and Wisdom.
It was their Divine Calling to seek out, understand, and master the
Knowledge and Wisdom that govern the the Eternal Cycles of
Man and Spirit. These Initiates, these Seekers, did not look upon
the Teachings of these Mystery Schools as an obligation they must
endure. Instead, they looked upon their Lessons and Disciplines as
an Adventure that was in Harmony with their Divine Nature. They
appreciatively, and enthusiastically, embraced the Knowledge and
Wisdom that the Master Teachers of these Mystery Schools were
pleased, and honored, to bestow upon them.
See also: "Instruction of the Initiate"

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009

Harmony

"To seek, beneath the universal strife,
the hidden harmony of things."
-Will Durant

Harmony is that Divine Principle which can be best described
as being in Alignment or Balance with one's Self and one's
Environment.

There are two types of Harmony: Spiritual Harmony and
Material Harmony.

Spiritual Harmony refers to being in Alignment, or Balance,
with our Internal Environment: our Personality, our Divine Nature.
When we are in Spiritual Harmony we experience feelings of
Peace and Contentment. These are the Times we are most relaxed.
These are the times we feel free of stress and anxiety. These are
the times when our Concentration and Awareness become
elevated to their highest states.

Material Harmony refers to being in Alignment, or Balance,
with our external environment: the outer physical world of our
Current Incarnation.

When we are in Alignment with our external environment our
personal Relationships, our careers, our tasks, and our Adventures,
flow smoothly. These are the times that we say that we are "in a
groove", "in sync", and "going with the flow".

It is only when we attempt to "buck the flow" of what is happening
in our external environment that we experience resistance,
frustration and dis-Harmony.

But, what can we do to maintain a state of both Spiritual and
Material Harmony? First of all, let's analyze this Divine Principle
of Harmony so we can better understand it.

Harmony is the opposite of Discord. Discord refers to chaos,
confusion, and Force. Therefore the Simplest way for us to achieve
a state of Harmony is to eliminate all things in our Thoughts,
personal life, and surroundings, that allow Discord to enter our lives.

We can accomplish this by way of a very simple Alchemical Process.
We first eliminate, then avoid, all Thoughts, persons, situations,
and Events, that create any kind of strife, confusion, and stress
for us.

We avoid forcing external issues to work out the way we "think"
they should be. We accept the forces of Nature, and of the
Universe, for what they are...the Natural Cycles of Eternity.
We accept, and work along with these Natural Cycles and Rhythms
in both our internal and external environments.

Once we eliminate all Thoughts, activities, and persons from our
lives that are impure, confusing, and uncertain, we are left only with
Thoughts, activities, and persons, that are pure, understandable,
clear, and Harmonious. Upon completing this Alchemical cleansing
process we can then experience Peace and Contentment in both our
internal and external environments. It is then that we can finally
experience Harmony!

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009

The Face Of A Child

When we look into the Face of a Child, what do we see?

The first thing we notice is a look of Peace and Contentment.
A Child's Face exhibits no worry or frustration. A Child's Face
displays no fear. A Child's Face is void of deception. We see no
"secretiveness" or "defensiveness" in the Face of a Child. To the
contrary, a Child's Face is full of Trust and the features on a
Child's Face display Peacefulness, Contentment, Openness,
Honesty, Curiosity, and Excitement.

A Child views everything, and everyone, in this world as a
New Experience: a New Adventure. And, this Child cannot get
enough of all the New Experiences, and New Adventures, that
surrounded it.

Although a Child may still be physically "clumsy" this Child
continually volunteers to help adults gather firewood, plant
flowers, sort laundry, bag groceries, and pay the cashier at the
checkout stand. A Child gets a thrill simply from the opportunity
of being able to assist an adult in all sorts of "ordinary tasks".
And, to top it off, a Child neither asks for, nor expects, anything
in return.

A Child simply enjoys participating in a New Adventure,
regardless of what that New Adventure is. The participation in
this New Adventure is the Child's reward. What "adults" might
consider as boring and mundane chores, a Child views as
Exciting New Experiences.

When we look into a Child's Face, or listen to a Child's Voice, we
are experiencing the living proof that the Qualities of Peacefulness,
Contentment, Excitement, and Honesty are still alive and well in
this world. These are the same Qualities that many of us have
abandoned in our mad rush to "grow up".

A Child's Face is a reminder from Divinity that these Higher
Qualities actually do exist, and are continually being re-born
into this world every single day!

This is why we worship and admire a Child as much as we do.
A Child's Face reminds us of who we were before we "grew up",
and who, deep down inside of us, we long to re-Become.

The Lessons and experiences of Peace, Contentment, Honesty,
and Curiosity are right before our eyes. These Lessons and
experiences are being re-born into our world each and every day.
These lessons and experiences are presented to us each and every
time we look into The Face Of A Child!

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009

Fog - As A Symbol

Whereas, Symbolically, the Veil symbolizes hidden Truths and
mysteries, and Mist symbolizes distorted vision and Perception,
Fog Symbolizes Confusion, Danger, and the Unseen. Fog is a thick
cloud that confounds us and causes us to lose our sense of direction.
These definitions of Fog pertain not only to the element of Fog in
the physical world, but also to the metaphor for Fog in our mental
world.

In the physical world, we have all heard stories of multiple-car
accidents that occur when motorists speed blindly into a thick
patch of Fog, unable to see the obstacles on the Road before them.

Likewise, we have also heard of pilots flying their planes into
mountains while attempting to blindly maneuver through a patch
of Fog that confronts them.

The danger and confusion that Fog can present us with in the
physical world is the same kind of danger and confusion that
Fog can present us with in our mental world.

When referring to the mental realm we have cliches that serve
as metaphors to describe the confusion and uncertainty that the
"cloud of Fog" represents. Metaphors such as "His judgement was
clouded", or, "Her mind was in a Fog", describe the confusion and
lack of clarity that baffle us when we try to make a Decision without
being able to "see" all the facts.

Fog is dangerous. Fog hides things from us...usually the Truth.

When we find our judgement "clouded", or our mind in a "Fog",
what we are really experiencing is the Universe telling us that
the Time is not yet right for us to make a Decision on whatever
it is that we are "Foggy" and confused about. It is telling us that
we should wait until all the facts become visible and clear. Any
Decisions we make with a Foggy mind will be fraught with disaster
and ruin.

In the physical world the Sun eventually burns away the Fog,
enabling us to see everything clearly. The same holds true, and
serves as a metaphor, for the mental realm. By exercising patience
and avoiding making Decisions with an unclear mind, we will find
that our mental Sun (Illumination) will eventually burn away our
mental Fog (confusion). This allows us to "see" everything clearly
and enables us to make our Decision with a clear, unclouded
mind.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009

Self Honesty

"To Thine Own Self Be True"
-Shakespeare

Self-Honesty is that Divine Quality which allows us to Seek out,
understand, and accept, who we truly are so that we can make
those Choices and Decisions which are in Harmony with our
Divine Nature. In other words, Self-Honesty is Self-Knowledge
at its deepest level.

But before we can Seek out, understand, and accept, who we
truly are, it is important that we first understand, and eliminate,
who we are not.

We are not what we "wish" we could be. We are not what others
"expect" us to be. And...we have nothing to "prove" to either
ourselves or to anyone else. In addition, we must also accept the
fact that anything we pursue that is in conflict with our Divine
Nature (our personality) can only be met with frustration,
resistance, and disappointment.

When we are not acting in Harmony with who we truly are,
we are unhappy because we are being dis-Honest with our
Divine Nature.

When we are acting in Harmony with who we truly are,
life flows easier for us because we are being Honest with our
Divine Nature.

Self-Honesty allows us to understand our True Self by helping us
to slowly un-Veil and discover our unique personality. It enables
us to concentrate on, and perfect, who we truly are.

We accomplish this act of Spiritual Perfection by way of a simple
Alchemical process whereby we eliminate all the impurities
(dis-Honesties) that have attached themselves to us during our
Current Incarnation. Once these impurities are eliminated, we
are left with only what is pure (Self-Honesty)...our True Nature.

When we are Honest with ourselves it Becomes natural for us to
be Honest with others. When we are Honest with others we begin
to allow only those persons and situations into our lives that are
Harmonious with our Divine Nature. It is at this point that our
lives start to become "easier".

Through Self-Honesty we begin to realize that we are who we are!
And who we are is a very special, unique creation that is perfectly
packaged, and fully prepared, to enjoy the Relationships and
Adventures awaiting us in our Current Incarnation...our special
time in history!

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2009