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A Special
Message From
From the Great White Lodge Monasteries Come Some Rare Gifts by theVenerable and Illustrious Frater Nicholas de Roerich, Legate of the Great White Brotherhood [From The Rosicrucian Digest July 1933] * * * "ESTEEMED friend and Frater: Your valuable letter of March 24 gave me much joy both because of its deeply significant contents, and because of the date on which it was written. It was dated the 24th of March, which is not only the time of the annual Rosicrucian New Year Celebration, but is our annual memorable day in "In these days of Armageddon all servitors of Light should be closely united spreading widely beneficial sparks of the Brotherhood. "Complying with your request it gives me great pleasure to send to you for your museum in "I am also enclosing another article for your Rosicrucian Digest entitled Rigor Mortis. Verily it is time to warn the Western world against the fears and so-called dangers of attempts to practice Black Magic. Truly the most ancient of all organizations of Light must be vigilant at their watchtowers. Please convey to all the Brothers and Sisters of the North American jurisdiction my hearty greetings, and accept for yourself my sincerest fraternal wishes. In spirit with you, Nicholas
de Roerich. * * * Rigor Mortis
By Fra.
Nicholas de RoerichTHE Rigor Mortis of the corpse has aroused considerable discussion. The ancient Rosicrucians speak very definitely about this strange phenomenon, from the point of view of matter. It is described how gradually the deplorable process of rigor mortis sets in not only corporeally with transition but, still worse, during life, injuring the organs of thinking. "Seemingly soulless people are being created under our eyes," we are told. One should recognize this process, not as an abstract symbol, but as evidence of psycho-physical involution. Much is given to man; vaster therefore is the breadth of his wavering. But there exist sticky regions to which the pendulum of spirit may cling for a long time, if not forever. Much, much effort is needed in order to escape from this rigor mortis of thought, in order to enter again upon a broad plane of conscious thought-creativeness. A known British engineer--an inventor--states in the press that humanity is not ready morally to accept all the new inventions and discoveries. This affirmation from a scientist is timely and characteristic. It coincided with the ancient as well as most recent teachings of the East. In addition to the daily newspaper communications about all manner of anti-cultural terrors, one may find in the columns of the press, extraordinary indications in a quiet tone, as though they quite correspond to the twentieth century of our era and to our incalculable age dating from the beginning of our planetary life. There are announcements about the attempts of some organizations at Broeken to revive an interest in "black magic". And a beautiful young girl and a goat and other attributes of the "black Sabbath" are prepared. In Around It was announced that recently a crowd in In In In our twentieth century, the hearts of enemies are still torn out for bloody sacrifices. Verily, humanity is not ready to accept the latest discoveries. On one side, almost the revelation of the almighty atomic energy,--on the other side, the black mass, the cult of Satan, Bophamet and the bloody terraphim. The human consciousness has become divided. In the general dis-solution of the world the tops and bottoms have separated so widely, that an advancing movement is hardly conceivable. A certain periodical contains the following communication: "We are glad to learn that recently there has been organized a society with the aim of protecting and helping all victims of 'black magic'. If somewhere, someone is the victim of an 'occult' persecution he may communicate with the editor and all will be done to help the sufferer." We admit that one rarely reads such a communication. Something must have occurred in order to permit such a reality to enter life. After the bloody hecatombs of the unprecedented wars, all foundations were shattered. Instead of the awaited prosperity the finances of all countries broke down. The countries denied all the obligations which they had solemnly announced and had guaranteed. Their billions of dollars worth of budgets were imperiled, an army of millions of unemployed was formed. There occurred failures of banks on such a scale as would have been inconceivable in former times. The world was set trembling with great shocks such as those of Kreuger and Insull. Thus, suddenly, like an inexorable Karma for the mass murder, there was created a rift of life, a rift of the world. The world divided sharply along the lines of culture. How much then of conscious good must be poured out in order to wash away the coagulated blood? And yet, entire organizations go to Broeken for the witch's Sabbath. "The Times" printed a photograph of the goat and the girl as if it were a vaudeville sketch. But, at the same time, under the pretext of the crisis, the activities of various cultural institutions are being curtailed. The servitors of darkness scream: "To hell with culture!" And this is not fiction. It should be a great happiness to be able to acknowledge that all these ominous threats and actions did not exist. And the workers of culture weaken on seeing how their best tasks are being covered with the ashes of darkness. And they seek vainly for something to which to turn and a place in which to gather. And at the same time some go to Broeken and some dream of drinking a cup of blood.... Nor is it in "occult" novels, where one may expect fiction, that these horrors take place, but in life, among starched collars. Jesting, ribaldry, derision, blasphemy have reached their limits. Those that say that evil is equivalent to good must not forget that evil should be regarded as imperfection. Behind good there always stands the origin of creativeness, but now, instead of the invincibly guiding source, verily, the guiding Good retreats to a defensive position, thus losing the initial command and advance. Out of shameful physical self-defense, people avoid coming close to Truth, even at the price of spiritual disgrace, but unwilling to lose their conventional standing. One may hear the killing whispers: Preferable is fossilization, preferable rigor mortis, rather than to dare to attack ignorance. So far, irresponsible consciousnesses calm themselves and succumb to the darkness of rigor mortis, but decay does not slumber. It realizes that now because of human cowardice, it possesses the possibility of initiative. And, verily, the initiative of darkness becomes apparent in the great as in the small. And darkness uses its usual tactics; it creeps in and crawls about unnoticeably. The servitors of darkness penetrate under various guises; and having once penetrated into the fortress, they scoff in self-content. The book "FIERY WORLD" says: "Soulless beings are known to all. This is not a symbol, but a chemical reality. One may be asked whether these incarnate in this deplorable state. This question discloses the ignorance of the foundations. No one can incarnate without a store of fiery energy and soul. No one can enter the dense world without the torch of Agni. The dissipation of Agni takes place here among all the wonders of Nature. It is not at all necessary while scattering Agni to commit some beastly crimes. From various Teachings we know sufficiently about the successes even of robbers. Usually the dissipation of Agni is committed in daily life and in the dusk of the spirit. The growth accumulation of Agni is arrested by smallest actions. One must understand that the bliss of Agni grows naturally but when darkness encases the process towards perfection the fire departs from the unfit depositors unnoticeably, although chemically proven." "Beautiful is the law of eternal motion whether of evolution or involution. Beautiful is the law which bestows on every incarnated being the eternal Agni like the Light in the Darkness. Beautiful is the law which even contrary to Karma endows every traveler with Light. Beautiful is the law which does not arrest the growth of the fiery garden, even from the age of seven. Let those first flowers be small; even though they bloom upon tiny thoughts, yet they are a true inception of the future thinking. What a multitude of beautiful thoughts are generated in the heart of a seven-year-old child, when the dim images of the Subtle World have not as yet left the brain and the heart. Dissipation may also begin then, if the soil of the plant be rotten. In the case of such depletion, one may help or, as was long ago said, lend the Fire. This borrowing occurs also in tiny actions. Thus thrice already I remind you about crumbs. Out of these sparks grow tremendous Fires. "Do not think of 'soulless people' as monsters. In various fields we find those who attain some mechanical advantages, even when the Fire has left them and their works have grown pale and they appear to be 'soulless'. "Every one is free to choose his own destiny, even to his physical dissolution. But 'soulless beings' constitute a very infectious and harmful realization." Following the catch in tiny nets, come the "civilized savages," a manifestation most dangerous for culture. Then, in order to purify the home from these enemies, tireless in meanness and vulgarity, one will have to apply and waste the most precious energies. For else there will sneak in the same rigor mortis which will result in the horrible "death" of all benevolent accumulations. The crumbs of meanness can creep into the tiniest crevice. This shows how impenetrable must be the armour of spirit! The servitors of darkness can explain each one of their actions, even the journey to Broeken. And they also envelop necromancy with pseudo scientific explanations. First, pseudo-civilization, then pseudo-science, pseudo-friendliness, pseudo-dignity, and then already in the full ugliness of rigor mortis, the pseudo-man. All this is not far from reality. The banners of darkness and meanness float not only over "occult ceremonies" they also bloom forth at many festivals, sideshows, and bazaars, and in the teachings of pseudo-humanitarian schools and brotherhoods. People still pray at times about the peace of the world, about the unity of all churches, about brotherly love, about magnanimity. But what peace is conceivable for the grinning skull, when the heart has become silent and the fires are extinguished! And has not pseudo-fraternal love garbed itself in the garment of a subtle executioner? Save us from rigor mortis! Safeguard us from all the crumbs of darkness, from all domestic vermin, bristly and infectious! Light conquers Darkness! At the -------------------------- Webmaster's Note: A Revised Edition of the book "Fiery World" is available on-line here (external link). | ||
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