Teachings of An Initiate - The Rosicrucian Fellowship

1 TEACHINGSOF ANINITIATEBYMAXHEINDELE ighth EditionCollected WorksTHE Rosicrucian FELLOWSHIPM ount Ecclesia2222 Mission AvenueOceanside, California, USA, 92058-2329 COPYRIGHT 2011by THE Rosicrucian FELLOWSHIPAll rights including translation to copy or translate will be readilygiven upon written request.(ISBN 0-911274-19-7)(ISBN 978-0-911274-19-6) (760) 757-6600 Max Heindel, spiritual Initiate and messenger of the RosicrucianBrotherhood, was born in Denmark on July 23, 1865. He became a shippingengineer and eventually immigrated to the United States. By 1905 he hadbecome seriously interested in the study of metaphysics and spent the next fewyears consciously working and searching for spiritual Truths. When he wasvisiting Germany in 1907, the Elder Brother of the Rose Cross who became hisTeacher made contact with him on the inner planes.

2 He was instructed in theetheric Temple of the Rose Cross, receiving the occult Teachings that heeventually incorporated intoThe Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, published inNovember 1909. He foundedThe Rosicrucian Fellowship in August 1909, andspent his remaining years, until January 6, 1919, writing, lecturing, establishingFellowship Headquarters in Oceanside, California, and generally spreading theTeachings of Esoteric Christianity the pioneer spiritual Teachings which willprepare all humanity for the New Age of Aquarius, when all nations will join inUniversal SYMBOLISM Divine symbols which have been given to mankind from time totime speak to that forum of truth which is within our hearts, and wakenour consciousness to divine ideas entirely beyond words. Max Emblem of the Western Mystery School of the Rosicrucians is onesuch symbol: in its entirety it represents God in manifestation.

3 It expressesthe key to man s past evolution, his present constitution, his futuredevelopment, and the method of blue background represents God the Father; the golden starsymbolizes Christ born within the spiritual aspirant and radiating from thefive points the head and four limbs; the red roses indicate thepurification of the human desire nature on the cross of matter the bloodof the aspirant cleansed from passion. The white rose symbolizes purity ofheart and also the larynx with which, once purified, humanity will speakthe Creative Word. The white cross represents the physical body. Thegolden star represents the Golden Wedding Garment the ethericvehicle which the Spirit builds during lifetimes of purity and reading shows that the cross also indicates plant, animal andhuman life-waves. The lower limb is the plant nourished through the rootswith spiritual currents from the Earth; man, the upper limb, receivesspiritual influences from the Sun through the head; animals are sustainedby spiritual currents horizontally surrounding the lamp of wi sdom and t he heart show t he t wo streams of evol vi nghumanity: those following the path of intellect (occult) and thosefollowing the path of love (mystic).

4 There can be no contradiction inNature, therefore the heart and the mind must be capable of union of head and heart will signify the Perfected the foot of the page is thefleur-de-lis, the emblem of theTrinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit but as only the Father and HolySpirit were active at the time here represented, we find but two of thepetals colored with red, thus showing beings created we see as a stream flowing upwards, providedwith two bodies, the dense and the vital, but after a time the desire body isadded and is shown by the red appearing in the ascending each stream looks alike outwardly, they are vastlydifferent. The one on the left is known in our literature as the Sons ofCain. They are full of positive energy and are thecraftsmen of the world,thephree-messen, who carve their way through life, rather enjoying theobstacles which they know strengthen the character; they work throughthe intellect, as is shown by the lamp from the flame of which proceednine rays, showing the positive path chosen by the esoteric other stream develops the heart side of life, and the divine flameproceeding from it shows buteight rays, a negative path; those followingit desiring that they should have a leader; someone to follow, someone toworship.

5 They are thechurchmen of the world who obey the Teachings oftheir stream of l i fe fl ows onward si de by si de ti ll a t i me comes whenthe wise and loving ones guiding the evolution decide that to hastenprogress it is necessary that the two unite, and plan that this shall beaccomplished by the building of a temple for the worshippers by thecraftsmen and that both streams would unite in a Mystical Molten can see the wonderful impulse by the chalice raised from each andfilled with the red wine of life. You will read the story of this in thebuilding of Sol omon s Temple. This plan was frustrated by the treacheryof the Sons of Seth those on the right. And after this each swung furtheraway from the other than seri ous condi ti on now i s shown i n whi ch some appear t o fal l awayentirely through materialism.

6 But still the race lives on, the churchmanand the scientist, the mystic and the occultist, each pursuing their ownpath independent of the other, till a stage of such materialism is reachedthat the spiritual guiders see grave dangers ahead. To prevent the plan ofevolution being defeated, a great destruction of the human bodies ispermitted which for a time looks as if it would wipe humanity off theearth. See the break in each stream. But this calamity has the desiredeffect: we now see again great force and each stream turned directlytoward the other, where they may shortly unite as one. At the foot of thepage we find another symbol, so small that you may have overlooked is a small black cross that represents the physical body. In theenlarged head of the cross is seen the heart. Heart and head have unitedand the result is shown in the spreading ray the resultant soul volume of the writings of Max Heindel, the WesternMystic, is the concluding number embodying the messages hesent out through monthly lessons to his students.

7 These lessons,reprinted since this great soul was called to a greater work inthe higher worlds on January 6th, 1919, may be found in thefollowing books in addition to the present volume:Freemasonry and Catholicism;The Web of Destiny;TheMystical Interpretation of Christmas;Mysteries of the GreatOperas;Gleanings of a Mystic; andLetters to Students. Thesewritings comprise the later investigations of this helpful messages and the spiritual encouragement thatthe readers have received from the inspired words in the earliervolumes we know have been far-reaching in their effects. Wealso feel that in years to come enlightened and advancedstudents and seekers along mystical and occult lines will realizemore and more the true value of the works of Max Heindel. Hiswords reach the very depths of the heart of the reader. Manywho have read his first work,The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, have been thrilled by their contact with Heindel, who was the authorized messenger of thetrue Rosicrucian Brotherhood, lived the Teachings which hetaught.

8 Only one who has suffered as he suffered during hislifetime is able to touch the heartstrings of humanity. Only hewho has felt the labor pains of spiritual birth which hasadmitted him to the realms of the soul can write with the powerto thrill his readers. As the result of such a spiritual birth thewritings which Max Heindel has bequeathed to humanity willlive and bear fruit. May the readers of this book feel the heartthrobs of this great lover of humanity, who sacrificed his veryphysical existence in his desire to impart to man the wonderfultruths which he had garnered through his contact with the ElderBrothers of the Rosicrucian Order. August Foss HeindelTable of ContentsChapter I Page The Days of Noah and of 7 Chapter II The Sign of the Master .. 16 Chapter III What is Spiritual Work?

9 23 Chapter IV The Way of 33 Chapter V The Secret of Success .. 40 Chapter VI The Death of the Soul .. 47 Chapter VII The New Sense of the New Age .. 54 Chapter VIII God's Chosen People .. 61 Chapter IX Mystic Light on the World War Part I. Secret 66 Chapter X Mystic Light on the World War Part II Its Promotion of Spiritual Sight .. 72 Chapter XI Mystic Light on the World War Part III Peace on Earth .. 81 Chapter XII Mystic Light on the World War Part IV The Gospel of Gladness .. 88 Chapter XIII The Esoteric Significance of 96 Chapter XIV The Lesson of Easter .. 103 Chapter XV Scientific Method of Spiritual Unfoldment Part I Material Analogies .. 108 Chapter XVI Scientific Method of Spiritual Unfoldment Part II Retrospection .. 115 Chapter XVII The Heavens Declare the Glory of 122 Chapter XVIII Religion and Healing.

10 126 Chapter XIX Address at Ground Breaking, Mt. 133 Chapter XX Our Work in the World, Part 141 Chapter XXI Our Work in the World, Part II .. 148 Chapter XXII Our Work in the World, Part III .. 157 Chapter XXIII Eternal Damnation, and Salvation .. 163 Chapter XXIV The Bow in the 172 Chapter XXV The Responsibility of Knowledge .. 180 Chapter XXVI The Journey Through the 1907 CHAPTER ITHE DAYS OF NOAH AND OF CHRISTHEN NICODEMUS came to Christ and wastold about the necessity of rebirth, he asked, How can these things be? And we also with ourinquiring minds are often anxious for more light uponthe various Teachings concerning our future. It helps us ifwe can feel that these Teachings fit into physical facts aswe know them. Then we seem to have firmer ground forour faith in other things which we have not yet has been the writer's work to investigate spiritualfacts and correlate them with the physical in such amanner as would appeal to the reason and thus pave theway for belief.