Recently, I read a passage on the rat race which was an advice given by his friend to a Mr. Merlyn Gundiff. It goes as follows: "To be successful in this rat race you look like a girl, act like a boy, think like a man and work like a horse; furthermore, you must have the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the strength and endurance of Hercules and the skin of a rhinoceros.
My question is: If you can manage to attain this feat, what would you be? A superman or a nondescript monster? You see, the Rosicrucian methods leave you sane, human and happy. Rat races demolish your humanity (which is sad) and may bring mental derangement.
Does what I say mean that you will not exert yourself to get the good things of life, even money? Far from it. What I am counseling is that you do not permit your wants and needs, your deplorably poor condition to force you into doing anything no matter how financially enticing, which deprives you of your self-respect.
When you act, and you must always develop the courage to act, you must always have noble, constructive goals in mind.
Survival under a Depressed Economy
According to the Rosicrucian standard of living, each man and woman should attempt, by every means that is ethical, moral, and cosmically approved, to succeed in life, enjoy health, happiness, the material luxuries, and the comforts of physical existence as well as seek to attain spiritual peace and attunement.
The Rosicrucians have ever held that to truly fulfill the mission of our existence here on earth and thereby carry out the Divine Will, no man and no woman should slight or negate the material or worldly obligations which are incumbent upon all of us, but each should master them, meet them and make an eminent success of his or her earthly career.
Everyone of the Masters of the Great White Brotherhood has devoted the large part of his earthly life to the application of his knowledge for the alleviation of suffering, the advancement of learning, the promulgation of science, and the achievement of worldly happiness and prosperity…by and through intimate contact with the problems of our existence and association with men and women struggling to live exemplary life of a light on earth! None ever lost the human touch, the companionship with his earthly brethren, nor the opportunity to work out in a material way, the solution to man's actual physical problems.
It is but natural, therefore, that students of the Rosicrucian teachings would become imbued with this practical standard of living, and seek more information relating to the solution of their personal problems.
Amongst the most important problems facing men and women today are those which relate to success or prosperity in the business world. Success in such matters, does not always mean the attainment of great wealth, although this is neither impossible nor undesirable; nor does success and prosperity in business necessarily indicate a selfish heart and a greedy motive.
Most men and women in the business world today are in business because they enjoy its activities, seeking to contribute to the world's progress and desiring to meet their obligations fulfilling their duties, carrying on what seems to be their mission in life and enjoying sufficient prosperity to be able to help others as well as help themselves.
These are high motives.
These people deserve to succeed, for their success and prosperity in the business world will help business generally and will bring happiness and peace to others.
AMORC Principles Available
Affirmations:
CORRECT METHOD: not to deny existence of manifestation but the supremacy or permanency of its powers of existence. Affirm only truth and reality, not falsehood.
Fundamental Points to Remember
Disease and suffering, poverty and discomfort are invariably the result of the violation of natural laws or spiritual laws.
The sufferer or victim need not necessarily be the one who directly violated the law.
Man cannot change, regulate or modify - least of all negate or set aside any of the natural or any of the spiritual laws.
Man must abide by these laws. His only hope and salvation from disease, pain, suffering poverty and discomfort, lies in cooperating with these laws.
Fortunately man has the will and therefore privilege and power to use these laws to regulate his life profitably.
Therefore you as a Rosicrucian, a practical mystic, must USE YOUR WILL to direct the natural creative forces within your body and throughout the universe, to remove the cause of pain and so effect a more permanent cure.
If it is God's abundance you seek you have to attune yourself to it, or have it attracted to yourself.
All things that you may require are yours only in essence and as a possibility, a potential, but you may not have them actually because of some principle or law exercised by you or ignored by you which withholds the realization of your needs.
Merely to affirm that we are perfectly created and perfect in the image of God will not prevent us from being ill. Merely to affirm that because there is an abundant supply for all, and essentially every blessing and bounty of God is at our disposal will not drive away poverty and want.
There are some practical techniques and principles as well as modes of thinking and behaviour which each of us can apply in purposeful, intelligent manner to CREATE the things we need. One of these is the ART & TECHNIQUE OF CONCENTRATION which implies in essence centering our conscious thoughts or objective thoughts upon one great desire or need and keeping it foremost in our consciousness. When we are consequently and subsequently obsessed with a wish, a hope, or a desire, to such an extent that it blots out all other temptations and puts into the background all other seeming needs or wants, we are likely to make EVERYONE OF OUR ACTS contribute toward its fulfillment or realization and EXPEND EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT as a contributing factor in its materialization.
Technique
CONCENTRATE ON END RESULTS ONLY and not on the negative condition. DO SOMETHING. ACT TOWARD REALIZATION - make inquiries, write applications, embark on self-improvement, save needed money or borrow, seek advice, act upon such advice. In a nutshell, to the Rosicrucian , to truly concentrate means "to have one absorbing idea at a time, and to think of it to the exclusion of everything else, and then letting your entire life, for the time being, cooperate with your concentration to bring into realization the thing you desire.
This does not mean that every other activity, business, profession must cease while you devote your entire attention to this object of desire. Rather, it means
using every leisure moment
giving up any other trivial thought during those moments
forsaking pleasures and temptations and the casual things of life for deeper and more extended thought upon that desire. It requires time and effort or activity, action - doing things, faith and confidence in the efficacy and reliability of these laws and principles.
however, before concentration can become useful you must understand the principle of MENTAL ALCHEMY.
Now, what is mental alchemy?
Mental Alchemy
Alchemy is a process of transmutation usually of a baser element into a nobler one. Mental alchemy is basically a process of transmutation through the synthesis or building up of the desired object by the creative powers of man's mind which are part and parcel of the creative powers of God - a part of the God consciousness. The fact that this unique power resides within the mind of man or flows through it and is always at the disposal of man singles man out as specially privileged and uniquely endowed of all creatures. The process consists in mentally conceiving and mentally building up an image of what is needed and subsequently concentrating in attunement with the alchemical process of the Cosmos. As a result of such attunement the needed thing sooner or later becomes manifested outwardly through the creative processes existing within man's consciousness and man's being.
This is not a casual occasional affair. Remember concentration implies focused attention over time. Therefore whether you are seeking an improvement in your environment, an answer to a need, a useful item added to your possessions, a job, a business opportunity all you need to do is to create it through concentration and mental creation. I could also say, through MENTAL CREATION done in a CONCENTRATED MANNER. Please understand by mental creation we mean the technique of MENTAL VISUALIZATION. By concentrated mental visualization you are to understand that your visualization is to be done everyday, every hour (if possible) that certainly whenever time permits, until the thing being created mentally, becomes real to you i.e. you realize it, feel it as if it were already in outward manifestation, having real life and vitality and vibrating as the case may be or having a concreteness and form which is palpable within your consciousness. Its reality must be omnipresent, i.e. must be realized by you anytime anywhere. It must have real effect on you as an existence so that it modifies controls, directs and influences your thinking, acting and way of life. Fraters and Sorores, until your concentrated realization assumes these qualities and influences you in this manner, you have not yet realized the object of your desires. And you cannot create what you do not realize. We could even say that to create is to realize or to realize is to create.
A mental reality so carefully put together is said to be properly conceived. Such a creation "soon ceases to be a thing of the mind alone. When the eyes are closed, it is clearly seen. When the mind is in relaxation it takes possession of his being. It is ever present in all of its forms, colour, size, weight and power, regardless of its nature. IT IS LIKE THE UNBORN IN THE WOMB OF ITS PARENT, READY FOR DELIVERY INTO THIS MATERIAL WORLD.
Proper conception means the components of the created image must have a relationship with one another that can be regarded as consistent, that it is important in nature, harmonious in vibration, and is well-intentioned. If it is the opposite, then the image cannot be synthesized. Further more, even when the conception has been complete and more or less flawless, it requires a sufficient period for proper gestation.
Fraters and Sorores, we are enjoined by the Rosicrucian teachings to exercise patience during the gestation period of our mental conceptions so that they have time to develop and mature in the Cosmic before being materialized. It is observed that many of us lose patience at this stage and seek short-cuts or so-called easier methods which only lead to failure.
Let us again summarize the elements of mental alchemy:
Visualize in your mind in all of its details that which your mind can conceive as what you desire;
Do this through the concentration of your OBJECTIVE FACULTIES and the use of the WILL POWER directed from the OUTER SELF inwards as though there were within your consciousness a sanctum for the preparation and creation of all things desired by you.
Proceed systematically, step by step, little by little, part by part, element by element, to put the thing together in its visualized form. After the addition of each stage of development, it must be examined, i.e. mentally reviewed, to discover if any aspect has been overlooked or needs adjustment or realignment. As in the building of a house by constructing the walls, brick by brick, so that each part of the desired thing must be mentally created and visualized, until it is ready to bust forth in its completed state and stand up in your consciousness as a thing actually existing in your possession.
Do not overlook anything that has any bearing with what you desire. Consider, for instance, its usefulness. A useless and profitless thing or concept must not be subjected to the process of alchemy for materialization. Think about the possibility of misuse and provide safeguards against such misuse. Do not fail to include its usefulness to others. In fact, whatever you create must of necessity be of a nature that without fail it must benefit others. We are here talking about the element of altruism. Its nature and matter of creation must be such that your happiness, peace, health, and contentment as well as those of other people are neither compromised nor endangered. Your desire for it should be motivated by the actual need you feel for it but not b the intention to monopolize and surely not at all the intentions of using it for revenge, showing off in pride or arrogance or to satisfy the demands of anger, hatred or jealousy. In fact as it develops and matures in your consciousness you should occasionally feel humble, because, as it comes into form, the magnificence (greatness) of these creative powers you are exercising should make you realize your indebtedness to God and your attunement with the Cosmic.
When you have taken all these points into consideration, you should expect
success and satisfaction.
This article appeared originally in Personal Survival
which is a collection of seminars and workshops presented in Memphis
Lodge, AMORC Lagos, Nigeria back in 1987.
