The Rise of the Master Within II - Hugh McCague: transcript

Today we're going to be talking about the rise of the master within too. Concept of the master within the inner self or the divine within is central to the rosacian way of life which is unique yet universal for each student. who continue to explore this topic through a series of questions. Does the master within guide and attract us to people and places for us to learn and to serve? Do our encounters with the master within shake and transform our very foundation as a person? What is the relationship to the spiritual philosophies of the ages?

How do we work and unite with the master within? In this manner, we'll continue to explore rose crucial laws and principles and increase our well-being and capacity for service. These presentations are uh intended to increase our enthusiasm for the study of life, the study of mysticism and our roian studies that we do uh weekly in our home sanctums.

help bring this out. We'll have a a work of art that'll show you and also we'll do a period of meditation because the rose cushions are very practical. We like to have firthand experiences of roushian laws and principles and particularly in this case of the the master within. Now you see before you now a work that is entitled Dana. It's by Frederick Horseman Harley, Canadian artist, painted in around 1932. Oil on canvas about 34 in by uh 40 in at the Art G Ontario in Toron in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You see before us a figure looking upward. It's a very interesting integration of the of the of the human and the landscape. uh sort of a unity of

nature. There's various lines of force when you look at how the the paintings were painting was done here with these the vertical and the polar were hole figures tree figures here but also the vertical lines uh here where the person guides this person seated hole here lots of slats of wood and various lines for the landscape and you'll notice there almost like an aura like effect around the the landscape particularly on the mountainous figures and there's a building of light but who's one in a finely made work of art to take time to look at it and discover now the darana uh it's as you may recognize a term from uh yoga and spir spiritual philosophies of India it's often referred to in commentaries as a singleointed

concentration and often it's associated with being ran with concentration with a triplet Diana for meditation which we all do and then samatti union and the purpose of mysticism is to bring us into mystical union by mysticism we mean the full growing up of the human being the full realization of what it is to be a human being and the direct experience of reality or we could say the direct experience of the divine within the direct experience of all knowledge and all all love. There's a being one with the one and in this full maturation full growing up of human being. There's a deep sense of purpose and we want to give back and that's where the law of service service comes in. At this time I invite you but we're inspired by the suggestion

of the master within that element of the divine that's within us that we'll expand on during our presentation. invite you to period of meditation similar to the process of the person before us in their work this work of art looking upward and we'll ascend upward we'll close our impressions for the ascent of your way to raise our consciousness to a more expansive experience of consciousness if you're comfortable now you wish to close your eyes. Just concentrate on your breath. One of the wonderful things about the Rosacrruian teachings is that they are universal in our nature. They allow us to help us to understand all things, all the spiritual traditions of

the world that we just spoke of. But the arts and the sciences, human relations, engineering, mathematics, all the liberal arts, all phases of human knowledge, and we can draw on the resources of the master within to get insights in these matters, help guide us. Indeed, we can increasingly identify with the master within as our true nature and guide in light.

Just to have these thoughts in mind as you concentration concentrate on your breath, the incoming and the outgoing of the air. All things manifest through vibration, rhythm. Our breath is among them. And by the concentration of the breath, we can come into more deeper appreciation of the law of vibration. And what Rosa is referred to as the cosmic keyboard, the great system and order of all vibrations constituting the unity of existence which our contact with the master within allows us to increasingly Realize from the mastery of

life to living in harmony with all You may wish to extend your exhalation longer than your inhalation to the degree comfortable. That automatically bring about the VA relaxation response by stimulating the vagus nerve that works with the autonomic nervous system.

There's and many other things we learn exercises and practices study in our weekly monographs or studies the roian order. Just continue to enjoy the gentle rhythm of the breath. You find your mind wandering just lovingly and gently bring it back the vibration of the breath.

With each extended exhalation, feel that increased relaxation, calmness, tranquility, equinimity, imperturbability. You may wish to picture with each incoming of breath the increasing presence of the master within, the divine within. Just let go whatever is going on in the day today. Let's have this as a time of a mini retreat to be re-energized and rested. Just let go now. Anything that we need to return to, we will after the meditation and presentation.

We use this as a time to be inwardly strengthened through the divine within. Always there to assist us. Always there to show us the way. Always there to help us heal, become whole, and assist others in this process. The most loving, most meaningful, most encompassing and deepest way of life.

You can think of our body as the holy temple which houses the master within the divine within with this inspiring conception in mind. Let's continue our meditation period by conducting what cushions refer to as the overall exercise. I invite you now to concentrate all of your attention the law of concentration on the tips of your toes. You may even wish to picture a white light or some other light this color that's conducive to you.

Now just feel the invigorating effect of the vital life force the VLF particularly the positive player the cosmic essence I mean a tingling in the toes as we concentrate on them and all the wondrous system and order in them the life force flowing through them electromagnetic energy of the nervous system the atoms, the molecules, the electrons, the DNA, the RNA, the tissues, blood flowing, the skin, bones, the hair. Move up through your toes, feeling an exhilaration of the holy temple into the main body of your feet.

Grateful for all the actions they afford us and the mastery of life through the soles of our feet. Feel the pressure of the bed or the floor, however we're situated. Tops of our feet, the arch, the ankles, the heel, the senue. Move up now into the lower legs. Increasingly exhilarated by the ascent through the body. All our attention on the lower legs.

This matter appreciate and be in awe of the holy temple of the body, its brilliance, its wisdom expressed through the master within and the vital life force. Let us rise up now to our knees back and front. The joint there, bones, skin, the microscopic structure. Let us move gradually up through our upper legs and thighs.

the RNA, the DNA, the molecules, the atoms, the electrons, the posetrons, the neutrons, quirks and the quirks, all the wondrous system in order, the blood flowing, electromagnetic energy, our nervous system, the tingling of the vital life force. There's some many other things going on in a increasingly harmonious fashion. As we concentrate all our attention as we move through the thigh, come to our mid body.

gradually move up towards the solar plexus, a great nexus of nerves that you may wish to give extra concentration on into the various vital organs, the lower part of the abdomen. All guided by the subconscious mind and back of that the cosmic mind. All in concert with the master within, the divine within. Move up gradually through the spine, back in front of our lower abdomen. Amazed by all the work that's done for us. This concentration can help heal us. If there's a particular part of your body that's in pain, you may wish to spend extra time concentrating on it as we move through the body. the holy temple. Let's gradually move up the

spine, ganglia, front of the body, past the naval through various organs, digestive tract, kidneys and liver and so forth. gradually up into the diaphragm, the ribs, a wondrous heart center, appreciating the body both in its material form, but also the material form such as the psychic centers. Concentrate on the heart and slow continue to slow up as we relax.

Take a break between beats. A model for our own living and taking breaks. Being a discharging of our duties like the heart. It's great loving center. Great center of kindness working with the divine within in wondrous ways. We grow and mature. up to the thymus gland, the upper chest, the center of the spine continuing. Feel a great working of the autonomic nervous system through the polarities of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Gradually reach up to your shoulders. When you reach there, invite you to refocus your attention on the tips of your fingers. And we'll move through our arms just like we move through our legs. Follow your concentration the tips of your fingers and feel the tingling of the vital life force. Wonderful tonic healing effect. The lower part of the fingers, the joints, the senior, skin, the bones, blood flowing the upper part of the fingers and the thumb, the knuckles, the back and front, the hand.

through the wrists. We gradually move up the lower arms toward the elbows, a joint there. All this constituent elements, the atoms and molecules, the cells, mitochondria within the cells and re-energized into the upper arm, bicep, calmness, invigoration, the holy temple.

gradually up the armpits back up to the shoulders where we where we left off. Let's concentrate now on the base of our neck, nape of the neck, the nexus of nerves there. Just rise up through the throat and time with the thyroid. It's associated psychic center.

The jaw, the tongue, the gums, the teeth, the lips, back of the lower head, inside the head, gradually moving up the head and the skull, nostrils, the incoming and outgoing the air there. midsection of the brain, the back of the scalp. The eyes, eyelids, between the eyes is the place of the third eye. Move back in there towards the pituitary gland and the pineal gland. Special glands and psychic centers that we learn exercises for help stimulate like we're doing now.

feel the tonic and enobling effect of concentrating on the pituitary gland. It's an important regulatory work throughout the holy temple and gradually move the pineal gland and brain. Feel as you concentrate on it how it's dampening down higher and higher rates of vibration. assist us in experiencing the divine within, the master within. Inspiring tonic effect, the pineal gland stimulation conjunction with this mirrored psychic center. Let's continue to dwell well longer on this special center.

Feel the increasing intensity of the life force circulating in your body and the increasing presence the divine within. Not only as concepts but astonishing lived experiences. These are experiences we can use to regenerate ourselves and assist in the regeneration of all we come in contact with.

and all who we come in contact with. Let's move further up in the head, the forehead, upper part of the brain, the scalp and the hair. Let us continue our meditation period. We've done a breathing exercise, the overall exercise. Let us ascend to the heights of the celestial sanctum finding following the instructions of the booklet Libra 777. I'll give you resources on later this presentation through Karen. I invite you now to say a prayer and invocation. Having applied the law of purification through our breathing exercise and the overall exercise, let us apply the law of purification once

again, invite you to say with me, may the divine essence of the cosmic infuse my being and cleanse me of all impurities of mind and body that I may enter the celestial sanctum and attune in puress and in worthiness. So it be. I invite you now picture yourself rising above the holy temple of the body. Rising up over your surroundings going faster and faster of your great nation or country, above your continent, above your

hemisphere, even now above the temple of the earth. Beautiful blue jewel of a planet. Let's continue to rise up higher and higher, past the sun, our local star, the other planets. Let us continue to rise higher and higher into the Milky Way galaxy and beyond, faster and faster, using great inner spiritual energy of the divine within, the master within. rising higher and higher into the vastness and the suggestion of in infant of the cosmos. Recently experienced what Rosacusian referred to as the cosmic. It is the universal intelligence back of the cosmos and all natural and

spiritual laws. So intimately known and a part of the master within. And when you reach this high dwelling point what roish refer to as the celestial sanctum I invite you to dwell there now as you visualize your sacred space. You may wish to model after a temple on earth, our sacred place in nature. Just fill in the sights and sounds both inwardly, psychically, outwardly. Make it real. Make it vital. Feel the enrichment. Feel the rightness of his act. Feel the increasing presence of the

master within assisting in this process. You've pictured well in your inner mind, your celestial sanctum. I invite you just to release the visualization. Dwell in the most profound peace, peace profound, and just let go and be receptive to the divine within. We apply the law of silence and the law of cosmic attunement. Now, Just feel whatever there is to

feel. Feel all there is to feel and surrender. Before we formally conclude our period

of meditation, invite you to join with me in the sending of metaphysical aid as part of the work and worship of the rose cushion order and as a silent council you can join with the council of soloulless the grand lodge to radiate love and well-being to all those who petition the grand lodge and our affiliate bodies and those you know who are in need and all sentient beings throughout the cosmos who are in need of guidance and healing. Let us radiate love and well-being to them now like a great flood light going out from the depths of our being assisted by the master within in this activity. Just picture the love and well-being being radiated outward. Fill the cosmos.

Enjoy the exhilaration of the that proceed now. Just continue to let the radiations flow.

At a certain point, I think you'll find there's no longer any conscious effort. When that occurs, just let the flow continue. Continue to be center of your being, center of the cosmos, in the presence of master within and at one with the one. Soon we'll formally conclude our period

of sending a bit of physical aid. We'll continue our meditation a while longer. While we formally conclude, we'll be assured that the radiations of love and wellbeing will continue as we work with the divine within identify with the divine within and we increasingly are the divine within. I you say with me now if it pleases the cosmic It is done. So it be. Let us dwell longer at the heights of the celestial sanctum. Feeling the regeneration and the reintegration. Consciousness of the

cosmic. At this time before we begin our descent, you may wish to express the law of gratitude and thanks to all those who have taught you well, to all those who have loved you well. All those who have sacrificed well on your behalf. All those who have sent example for us to emulate through the master within. Let us begin our descent from the heights of the celestial sanctum through the vastness of space suggested even greater vastness within us.

See in the distance the Milky Way galaxy as we plunge through it past myriad stars and stellar phenomena see in the distance our solar system great fiery ball of the sun and the earth come back to the hemisphere where we left off the continent great nation or country and the geographic local and building home or office where we left off. Let us stay together following prayer and invocation. Formally conclude assured that this cosmic attunement will continue as a way of life. Wait you to say with me

now. May the God of my heart sanctify this atunement of self with the celestial sanctum. So it be. And when you're ready, you may wish to open your eyes and stretch with your fingers. Feel re-energized, rested, all the more sensing the presence of the divine within.

co-agent with the cosmic. Thank you everyone. Continue now in our presentation, the rise of the master within two. You'll see before you a rather striking image. Two personages in the foreground and in the background. Beautiful spiritualized city. People going about their lives.

You can see figures moving along with a horse and walking on the paths. This work is entitled Town of Zorsk. It's by the Russian artist Ilia Glazenov. It dates from 1989. It's an oil on canvas work and in Ilie Glasnoff's work he works to you have a deep sense of the spirituality of Russia. If you see by the figures looking forward, you almost sense their spiritualization, the sense of the divine within in them. And they've worked to clothe through themselves and through their communities to spiritualize or emulate their divine contact through the inspiring sacred architecture and sacred way of life all about them. This is what we're called on to do in our divine contacts with the master within the divine within the inner self.

with the deep conveyances of love and knowledge that came through those contacts. Then to emulate them and to apply that knowledge in our surroundings in a way and those inspiring surround us all the more to attune with the divine within. So we have a wonderful mutually reinforcing circle that's harmonious healing and strengthening. In this regard [Music] too, I can mention that questions that we've discussed. For example, how do we work and unite with the master within? Well, in many respects, we were answering that question. We did a period of meditation and we experienced actually how to do it and how to come back to it. In a way with those contacts of meditation, the various exercises we do on a daily and weekly

basis through our roian studies that we have the opportunity to have increasing rapport with the divine within and that that connects us with all. In fact, a simple definition of the master within simply that it's the inner self can also be described as a through our period of meditations. So earlier the divine within. You can also describe the master as the cons the conscience is the master voice. We always have that conscience to stay on the right path to stay on the mystical path. get back on the mystical path or that path of maturity and listening to the vine within. We know through science and the rose guushian teachings that our body the holy temple uses its brilliance through the the brain through the gut through the heart to work with the master within the vital life force and

the psychic centers to have that sense of deep guidance. Also a soul force brings into our being a divine intelligence. The aggregate of this intelligence some refer to as the psychic body. And this intelligence is our per personal master. Our first and foremost primary master. And again because mysticism is about direct experience about the love about the art and science of love. most important master is the master within.

All those who have showed mastery in life come to it by working with the master within and behooves us to do likewise. And how could it be any other way to think about how we're maturing and growing in life? We have to weigh in and experience these things firsthand, not rely on others. Indeed, an important part of the Rose Cruian teachings is development of self-reliance. Another important part is development of character. When our character is welldeveloped, we're a more purified vessel fully realized the divine within. Just like you may have noticed when we were meditating, there was an intensification of the flow of the light of life force and various flows in our body. Those are always going on. But by being silent and being present, concentration of breath, we realize what's going on always. And also we charge those flows in a healthy way.

So we feel that flow in an intensified way. I know many of you are increasingly experiencing that flow in the wake of our um meditation period and its momentum. So we unite with the master within through the various spiritual exercises and psychic exercises through our teachings of visualization that we applied our meditation various meditation exercises we did and more that we learned through our teachings what we applied some of them uh already in this presentation increasingly unite with the master within by humility being open to learn just like for example in the elder that's before us. Look into her blue eyes, the depth of her being. A life well-lived, one that's had various challenging experiences, coming into a cosmic

appreciation and working to express that in her attire and in the environment she grew up in and passing that on to the next generation. for example, to a granddaughter that may be before or a youth, they can pass that on just like the elder in her youth had it passed on by her elders down through the generations. Now another question is does the master within guide and attract us to people and places for us to learn and to serve?

I think in your experience you find that a a very strong resounding yes. Now sometimes we're attracted to people we wonder. I had a hunch that I should go there or they may say you know they had a hunch you don't normally come there had an opportunity to meet and we had an opportunity to have a conversation and learn more about life through them. It may be brief but it may be highly memorable. We also have the intensification to our awareness of our conscience and how to act, what to do, where to go. I know many of you have felt after your affiliate body experiences roian very intense love afterwards even during the times like almost so intense it could be hard to bear and we know that the master within is declaring itself and that intense love that's within us is very purifying.

And our autonomic nervous system increasingly gets used to that cosmic love, intense love. At first it can seem very strong for the holy temple, but over time it adjusts to it. The autonomic nervous system in a certain poetic way was made to receive that intense love that is through the master within. Now it's important to realize too that through that love we come into a great sense of balance and harmonium. Harmonium is important concept or harmony for the roian and all levels of our being and our deep spiritual nature. It's the experience of ecstasy and we get more used to the experience of ecstasy and it's allows us to go through challenging times more easily because we can draw on that deep deeply uplifting that rapture that ecstasy that experience harmonium and allows us to come back into them in an even greater and stronger way as

suggested by the elder before us holding the the staff of of the birch tree. Now maybe wondered you know why do we have to go through challenging experiences? The essential experience is that we have to learn to master the law of duality first then we can master the law of unity. You can't jump to the law of unity on its own. We have to have these purging experiences that have to clear up the sub subconscious mind replace the laws that are there with new laws that are life affirming.

Then our contact through to the cosmic mind is all the more clear, all the more accessible. One of the ways that we know that we've contacted the master within is that by the conscience in its guidance, but also through clear and penetrating insights that can be distilled in an alchemical way, often into one short sentence. It can also come through the experience of ecstasy or tremendous love, experience of all knowingness, experience of being everywhere at once, dancing deep down in everyone that they're doing their very best and have a tremendous love for them beyond what the outer self can do. It may be also asked, do our encounters with the master within shake and transform our very nature?

I think you'll find that the answer is a resounding yes. Steve suggests this to us, a work uh entitled uh See Me. It's by the renowned artist Elizabeth Catlet lived from 1915 to 2012. This is a lithograph. It's from dates from 1986. And you can see it's signed in the lower right.

Catlet was commissioned uh to make this along with certain other works to do with the opening of the film The Color of Purple. I know for many of you that film and the novel by Alice Walker much much beloved. Sely realized that to bring out the divine within and when she narrates her life through painfully uh honest letters to the divine which are depicted here and you can see the oraclike effect around her holy temple and also through the the letters just in our roacian lessons you know we're taught we keep a a note a notebook or its equivalent and write out our impressions but also with shar sharing with others our impressions, it can help them make them real and more vital. Just like Celia and her her writing and her increasing and realizing through the very challenging experiences of her life and her community and her nation and the racism and the learning

of growing that she had to face and deal with the misogyny. She was purified came increasing rapport of the strength the divine within that knows no ill health no ill feeling knows the great harmony knows the greatest strength and that can give that to regenerate all comes in contact just as this character increasingly realized her divine nature and we can say But as a master within transforms the very foundation for ourselves, we can actually think of our deepest foundation. Our foundation as the master within otherwise we'll find that we're not well founded. We're founded of our foundations in sand. And in our experiences of the

master within, we glimpse what could be described as the fully mature human being. And we just take those impressions to live them out. I think that's a very helpful way to think of it. We're experiencing a fully mature human being, which means we're experiencing the divine. Now, the inner self knows harmony. The divine within knows harmony. We can draw on it.

We are feeling anxious, feeling overwhelmed or ill. We go deeper into mind this way beyond even the subconscious mind. We have various exercises to work with the subconscious set of good laws and principles in it and habits. And then we go into an even greater understanding expansion of awareness come into the cosmic consciousness a lifealtering experience. And through that would behoove us to emulate it and show it to others and encourage others.

Come to that profound state, the full maturation of the human being. And also through the experience of cosmic consciousness, we increasingly have that rapport with it. Increasingly have the presence of the divine within. We increasingly realize that we are a master within and with the inner self and increasingly infused in the self suggested by the artwork of Celyus we realize that the self-consciousness has back of it the cosmic consciousness that everything is of that consciousness.

This this is a question often people wonder about well do I maintain my selfidentity? We infuse the selfidentity just like water being soaked up in a in a sponge or an iron being heated up in a blacksmith shop. In this way we get accustomed and into the habit of working with the master within because it is truly who we are. The breathing exercise we did will help never to be underestimated. And the momentum we build up from our roation exercise including meditation done regularly will have us increasingly often to our astonishment the rapport of the master within. And then we can wait in and embrace these experience and find them enobbling and enriching deeply meaningful. We have operate with the road laws and principles. We find them not only concepts but living vital

realities. We will then in a more clarified way. Things are less mysterious. Things become more realized and transformed for us. Rosian sometimes use the analogy of polishing the mirror, our soul personality that reflects the one soul within us and the contact with the master within. We're polishing it in that way. We increasingly radiate the love and well-being of the master within the divine within a way of life. the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine glands, the psychic centers, the entire holy temple come into their full activation when the master within reigns here. In a way, I think it's part of the inspired expression of the artist before us. You may think of the powerful experiences you've had in your subconscious mind, but then we can sense back of it even more expansive mind through the schematic diagram, mental process, and

through our experience in meditation. The experience of the cosmic mind is even greater, even deeper foundation. Sometimes it's mentioned that mysticism is irrational, but I think it's far from that. And mysticism, that deep experience of the master within, we come into a great intelligence that knows all and handles all at once. And that's where we look to it for inspiration when challenges in our life. Indeed, as part of this, it's true the shortcomings of the outer self will become more apparent just like Celely experienced. But we have all that strength that increased optimism, the laws of laws and principles to see the challenges as as stepping stones as gifts in living as part of the adventure in living, not something that we um um have to just simply suffer through. But learn the lesson from it, mature and grow up through it.

The final question I want to ask before we uh conclude will be what is the relationship of the master within concept to the spiritual philosophy of the ages? Well, it's imbued throughout them. You can think of for example in uh various traditions the roish order is not a religion that helps us greatly understand all things including if we have a chosen religion or not. But the Christ or the Christ principle is a way to express the master within. In Quakerism that uh tradition of Christianity that uh the Rosian helped build up uh through its teachings and others were inspired by just George Fox is inspired by Jacob Bone the traditional Rosacrushian's teachings but the inner light of Quakerism is a way to express essentially the master within. Also in 18th century France figures like Luca de St. Tamas to others speaking of the good

companion or certain of the terms that we come to know uh is the master within the idea of the spiritual marriage of the outer self the inner self the alchemical marriage is coming into the realization the of the master within the full action of the master within in concert with the outer self and thereby one can be one with the one experience the divine consciousness also The good mind spoken of by the peacemaker of the Hudeshani of the six nations of the Urkqua Confederacy is one way to express contact with the the master within and the cosmic consciousness. In Buddhism, this expression of the the various forms of the Buddha or the Buddhahood is the expression of the master within. So we see that essentially throughout traditions we could keep thinking of spiritual philosophies in a way and what I've mentioned so far is that there's essentially one story of

humanity and that is the rise of the master within at the heart of the rogian teachings that of mysticism with full maturation of the human being. So by a conclusion I'll mention that the concept of the master within the inner self or the divine within is central to the rose crucian way of life which is unique yet universal for each student and the term the master within the inner self divine within while they're equivalent they give us different perspectives different angles and is always helpful to have that in our studies to come into a greater realization and we've continued to explore uh this top this topic through a series of questions And we did it also experientially when we guided you through meditation. And we had experience of of the master within in a variety of ways. And so we've learned more about how to work with and unite with the master within and learn more about our true nature and guide in life. In this

way, we've continued to explore resolution laws and principles for our well-being and increased capacity of service. Thank thank you everyone.