The Hermetic Logos (The Master's Lost Word)

"In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God."
- John 1.1

"Nothing happens until something moves."
- Albert Einstein

In the beginning all was still. Nothing existed but unmoving and
eternal Divinity. Everything that ever would be, and could be, was
asleep within Divinity. Then something happened: The Mind of
Divinity (the Hermetic Nous) "spoke The Word". And, in that
instant, Time, matter, the cosmos, and Duality sprang forth.

Nothing happens until something moves: Creation myths from all
parts of the world tell of a Breath, a Spirit, or a Bird (which is the
Symbol for Spirit) passing over the dark, still, and deep Primal
Waters of Chaos which represent the Great Subconscious. This
caused the Primal Waters to "stir"; to move; to vibrate. This stirring
process activated the interaction and Blending of all that was still.
This initial Blending and stirring was the First Cause in the Act of
Creation.

At that moment a mountain rose from the Chaos and above this
mountain the sky was formed. The sky then separated itself from
both the mountain (matter, earth) and the Chaos (the Waters). This
was the moment of physical creation; the moment of prima materia;
the moment of First Matter.

Next, everything that exists within Water and Air, and upon the
Earth, was created to occupy these domains.

The Breath, Spirit, or Bird which passed over the still Primal Waters,
in the initial Act of Creation, Symbolizes the "Word" of Divinity. This
"Word" is what ancient Hermetic teachings refer to as "Logos".

Logos is not actually a Word as we understand Words to be. Logos
is the Initial Thought of Divinity. It is the Genesis, or Source, of
Creation. It is the Divine Initiation of movement or stirring. It is the
Masculine Spiritual Seed which impregnates the Feminine Spiritual
Womb, or Waters. It is the Prisca Sapientia, or Pristine Wisdom. It
is also what is referred to, Esoterically, as the "Master's Lost Word".

But what do these creation myths mean? And, what hidden Lesson
do they impart upon us?

Creation myths consist of Three essences, or Gunas: The Mind of
Divinity (Nous); The Word, or Breath, of Divinity (Logos); and the
Primal Waters of the Great Subconscious (Chaos).

The number Three is the number which represents Creation. And
the Three Essences of Creation compare to the Three Gunas in the
following manner:

Sattwa is the Mind of Divinity. It is the Nous.
Tamas is the Primal Waters. It is the Great Subconscious. It is
that which must be acted upon. It is the Chaos.
Rajas is the Word, or Thought, of Divinity. it is the invisible force,
or Action, which causes Mind (Nous) and matter (Chaos) to Blend
together in the Act of Creation. It is the Logos.

The Lesson we can learn from creation myths is this: Thought
creates matter; the unseen creates the seen; what can be imagined
can be manifested.

All great inventions, innovations, and ideas were first a Thought
within someone's Mind. This Thought was then Acted upon. This
Action resulted in Creation.

We are all children of Divinity. Therefore, we have the "spark" of
Divinity within us. This "spark" enables us to also create whatever
we Choose to create by simply using our imaginative minds.

Our Imagination is what enables us to delve into the deep, dark
Waters of the Great Subconscious where everything that is, and
ever will be, already exists in un-manifested form. All it takes is
for us to find whatever it is that interests us and then take the
necessary Actions (the Logos, or Rajas) to pull the un-manifested
out of the Great Subconscious and bring it into the world of matter,
and into Creation.

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 2011

The Three Gunas - Trinity (Sattwa, Tamas, Rajas)

What is The Trinity, and what do the Three
essences which compose The Trinity truly represent?

Depending on the Ancient scripture we are referring to, The Trinity
can be presented to us in several different ways. In some Spiritual
texts it is explained to us as The Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit.
However, when we consider that Spirit by its very nature is "Holy",
we are left with the much simpler Principles of Father, Son, and
Spirit.

In other teachings, Trinity is described as Mind, Body, and Spirit.

And in Hermetic Instruction Trinity is presented to us as Nous,
Chaos, and Logos. Wherein Nous is the Divine Mind; Chaos is
the Infinite Subconscious, or the Eternal Womb; and Logos is the
Spirit, Breath, or Word of Divinity - the unseen creative energy of
The Absolute All. In some Esoteric and Sacred Lessons Logos is
referred to as the Master's "Lost Word".

Ancient doctrines all refer to The Trinity and to the sacred number
Three of which Trinity is composed. However, these same doctrines
often fail to fully explain the Shrouded mystery of The Trinity and
its deep and hidden Truth and Wisdom.

Symbolically, the number Three (Trinity) represents the Divine
Principle of Creation.

A very clear, and rather Simple, explanation of The Trinity comes
to us by way of Vedic and Yogic Instructions which refer to this
triangle of forces, or energies, as The Three Gunas. The Three
Gunas are called Sattwa, Tamas and Rajas.

Sattwa is the initial Thought; the mental Seed; the Creative
Principle. Sattwa also represents imagination, inspiration,
meditation, and the unmanifested idea. Therefore, Sattwa
represents the Father, the Mind, and Nous.

Tamas is that which is intended to be created or manifested; it is
the idea, creation, or desire which attracts our attention.
Additionally, Tamas can represent a resistance, an obstacle, inertia,
or laziness. Furthermore, Tamas can also be the doubts and fears
which stagnate us and prevent us from taking the Actions necessary
to realize our dreams and ambitions. Therefore, Tamas represents
the Son, the Body, and Chaos.

Rajas is the unseen Spiritual Energy which overcomes resistance,
obstacles, and stagnation so that Creative Thought can manifest
itself. It is also the physical effort required to complete a task.
Rajas is the energy and Action necessary for creative (or destructive)
manifestation. Therefore, Rajas represents the (Holy) Spirit, spirit
and Logos.

Consider the artist who wishes to create a statue of a Greek goddess
from a block of granite. In this instance the artist is Sattwa (the
creative principle; imagination) and the block of granite is Tamas
(that which is to be brought into creation; the obstacle). Without
the unseen Creative and Motivating Principle of Rajas providing
energy to the artist, the statue of the Greek goddess could never
be chiseled from the stone.

As a further example of the Gunas in action, let us reflect upon
something which all of us have probably experienced. A man
develops a keen interest in a woman he has recently noticed
(or a woman develops a strong interest in a man she has recently
noticed). In this example the man is Sattwa and the woman
is Tamas. Until Rajas helps the man overcome the obstacle between
himself and the woman, they will never formally meet.

To take this example one step further, let's consider the possibility
that the man and the woman have both noticed each other and both
have developed a strong interest in the other person. Until Rajas
helps either one of them overcome the obstacle, or resistance,
between them they will not become introduced to each other.

Now let us carry this same example even one more step forward.
Let us again presume that both individuals have a strong interest
in each other. However, both have fears or doubts that the other
person may not be interested in them. Now, because fear, doubt,
and interest reside within both the man and the woman, the man
and woman are both Sattwa and Tamas at the same time. And
until Rajas enables at least one of them to overcome their own
personal internal mental obstacle, the two of them will not become
acquainted.

As we can see, the creative process (Sattwa, Tamas, and Rajas) can
become quite complicated. However the important Lesson these
examples Teach us is that all Three of these spiritual forces are
necessary for creation to manifest itself.

Without Sattwa we have no imagination, inspiration, or Star to guide
us. Without Tamas we lack the object, or condition, of our desire.
Without Rajas there is no creative energy. All Three Gunas are
necessary for creation to occur. They are The Trinity; they are the
sacred number Three; They are the Secret of Creation.

So the next time we experience fear, doubt, laziness, or confusion
in any of our endeavors let us simply recognize these forces for what
they are. They are Tamas; they are one-third of a Divine creative
process. And because they are Divine Principles we should not
shun them. We should embrace these resistances, for without them
we could not create whatever it is that we wish to bring into
existence. We are our very own creative energy (Sattwa) and once
we recognize the Tamas which confronts and excites us we simply
need to invoke the active spiritual energy of Rajas to help bring our
dreams, Hopes, and desires into our lives.

See also: "Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh and The Three Wise Men"

Further suggested reading:
"How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms Of Patanjali"
by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood

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 Dot Within A Circle - As A Symbol

As an astrological Symbol, the Dot within a Circle represents the Sun.
As an alchemy symbol, the Dot within a Circle represents Gold.
However, as an esoteric Symbol, The Dot within a Circle embodies
much deeper Lessons and Principles.

The Circle represents The Infinite; Eternity. It also represents the
flow of Time and the ever repeating Cycles of Eternity which have no
beginning and no end; Cycles which, when complete, flow back into
themselves and repeat anew. We find this cyclical Truth also
represented, Symbolically, by the Ouroboros: the serpent swallowing
its own tail.

Cycles can be Infinitely long or Infinitesimally short. There are
quantum cycles, daily cycles, monthly cycles, annual cycles,
generational cycles and cataclysmic cycles. Cataclysmic Cycles occur
when the earth, and the universe, destroy and re-cycle themselves
in order to be re-born into a new Cycle. But however long or short
a Cycle may be, a Cycle consists of the following: birth, life, death
(or transformation) followed by re-birth. And so it goes, on and on,
throughout Eternity; endless repeating Cycles followed by endless
repeating Cycles.

And because Cycles are endless and self-repeating it also means
that everything that ever will be created has already been created.
It re-enforces the proverb, "What has been will be again, what has
been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun"
(Esslesiastes 1:9).

Everything that is yet currently un-created in our physical realm
already exists, in its entirety, in the cosmic and Spiritual realm.
These un-manifested creations are simply waiting for our minds
and senses to reach the proper stage of development where we can
recognize them, understand them and re-manifest them in our
physical dimension.

History and past Cycles teach us that manifestation typically occurs
in one of three ways:

1. by way of the natural re-creative and re-generative cycles of
Nature.
2. by way of an increased ability of an individual's imagination,
insight or other senses.
3. by way of "an idea whose time has come": whereby a number of
people throughout the world experience the same idea at the same
time.

Such is the nature of Cycles, and the manifestations which occur
within these Cycles, as symbolized by the Circle.

The Dot represents the Seed, the Spark, the Focused Thought
which gives birth to creation in the physical and mental realms.

On a much deeper level, however, The Dot symbolizes the one
eternal and unmoving Source from which All of creation emanates.
It is the One Creative Principle which establishes and governs the
Cycles of Eternity. At this level The Dot symbolizes Deity, Divinity,
and the Divine Mind; It is the Hermetic Nous; it is the center point
around which the Wheel of Eternity revolves.

Without first having a Dot we could not draw a line, a circle or a
picture.  We would be unable to express a mathematical formula
or create our daily "to do" list which are all manifested by moving
a Dot from a pen, or pencil, along a piece of paper.  Therefore,
we could not physically or artistically express or create anything
without first beginning with a Dot.  The written word, or idea, already
exists within The Dot and simply awaits manifestation.

We see this Divine Principle in evidence throughout Nature.
The tallest oak grows from a single acorn; a stalk of corn towers
from a small Seed; historic ideas and inventions are the result of
a single, focused Thought; a human adult evolves from a lone and
imperceptible sperm.  Therefore, as the oak already exists within
the acorn, the cornstalk within the Seed, the invention within the
focused Thought, the adult within the sperm, so too does the
un-manifested concept already exist within The Dot.

As Divinity resides within us as our Atman, our God Within, we
too possess the Divine Seed: the Divine Spark of creation. All of
the latent skills, talents, concepts and ideas necessary for us to
create whatever it is that we Choose to create already exist within
us. They are merely waiting for us to awaken them.

And as this Divine Ability to create already exists within each one
of us, it simply depends upon whether or not we Choose to take
advantage of our Divine Gift.

We can Become anyone we Choose to become. We can accomplish
anything we Choose to accomplish. We can create anything we
Choose to create. We can experience anything we Choose to
experience. We are The Dot Within The Circle!

IMAGE VIA WIKIPEDIA

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

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