Reflection N° 4 - Growth

Japan banks are most powerful in the world, but remain motionless and unable to further growth. Money is valueless if you do not move it. Interest rates go to the other extreme when they are low; so they stop getting benefit, and begin to lose. They cannot increase any more. Likewise in economy of our country and other very powerful nations. The so-called sustained growth is an illusion; to get infinitely fat is a grotesque illusion. But getting always slim like the poor leads to death. The world system invariably progressing is against the universal reversibility principle and leads to an out-break. It is what we are recently seeing in all fields of human activities, and in a spectacular way, in a violent confrontation of the powerful. Or Humanity reversibly changes the way to act in the opposite direction, or bursts. Decisions have been made, and we can personally see the collapse of Western civilization buildings in slow camera and detail. Throughout his books, Master Santiago gives an explanation about the principle of reversibility on the Way of Renunciation, as a permanent gift in continuity of life, since remotest times until today. What reverts, remains; what repeats, dies. This golden rule is in force for whole Humanity, from great powers to intimacy of the humble. Races and Sub-Races follow each other reversibly. Now the Aryan Teutonic Sub-Race ended up, and the Aryan American Sub-Race begins with values opposite to precedent ones. This will be the task of Maitreya, the redeemer –stopping the destiny wheel turning toward a direction, and bringing it into motion in the opposite direction. Read Teachings about Maitreya, collected in Commentaries, and you can understand present disasters. It is an unusual chance to change personally with hope about the future.
All men are immersed in the final time of masses going mad in their own passions. If we follow collective impulses, we go toward a visible abyss in face of us, whatever may be our position. Only the individual soul, conscious of his attributes, can freely change his destiny reverting his direction, and turning 180 grades, he can follow the New Redeemer’s steps.

a. Social Disorder

Master Santiago’s first Book, “Spiritual Development”, Chapter 8, reads, “Alas, poor those men who, convinced of the existence of pleasant things and unpleasant things, feel that ugly things are non-existent, while looking for only what they consider pleasant. They never will be happy, because there are neither ugly things nor beautiful things; all of them should be known as a whole as soon as they unveil the seed spirit promoting them, after they have been closely investigated.”.
Argentineans experience now an intense social disorder, perhaps heavier than in other times and places, and motives of such a collective state are so elusive that many persons neither understand nor stand them, and pour their resentment on others –persons or institutions. Reactions are violent and destructive everywhere, but mainly harmful in themselves. They never can be happy; they live in anguish because are unable to possess what they desire, and as they are immersed in material things, money, pleasure, entertainment, clothes, and so on, they feel very unhappy, while expecting certain next political change to get wellbeing for free. They are living like that long time ago, and will continue, not understanding that “…happiness is in knowing all things –good and evil”, as Saint Francis of Assisi said.
Life always offers many chances to learn and improve, and as its order responds to the compensation principle, you can see that, automatically, as you lose something good, another –perhaps more significant– good arises. But one has to be watchful and not subject to things of wishes. Our daily reality tells us quite clearly, life is continuous change; if we remain attached to unstable goods, mainly to money, we create a destiny of unceasing suffering. Renunciation opens the Way to liberation so that we know all things derived from the reality.
What is the operation able to get rid from this social mass disorder invading homes, workshops, business, and personal intimacy? Basically, minimizing action as much as possible according with one’s responsibility: family, job, study, and inner life. All the rest is unhelpful and harmful. Disorder can stop by the streets and not to enter home if and when doors are locked and inaccessible to alluring passions offered by disoriented men.

b. A Little of Quietness

A little after the Second World War, Master Santiago’s first 1947 Full Moon Message reads, “Too much work has been done in the last years; too many new things have been invented: in peace and war, Humanity has moved too much and did not find an atom of happiness. So, let us return to loneliness, Prayer and Silence”.
More than fifty years have passed and things are far worse; the way of quietness is not followed, and men surrendered to the frenzy of possessing more and more. Nations destroyed by war are today more active in the concert of universal decadence. Sixty million people died in the war; today they mainly die of hunger, drug-addiction, AIDS, diseases, terrorism, holdups, and other general calamities. Argentina did not take part in the war, but now Buenos Aires, like other American metropolis, is menaced by these miseries: disorder and insecurity. What one watches by TV happens in daily life, by the streets of downtown when the night falls, in football stadiums, and in newspaper headlines. You do not need to be a journalist in Afghanistan to record how innocent people suffer; near, in any slum, you can find the same; but it is more painful. Afghanis suffer because they are bombed; Argentineans suffer because corruption is in them. Since the end of the war, men have made many things, but Humanity did not find an atom of happiness.
Many years later, Master Santiago repeated his Teachings in 1962, and announced, “the Message of Renunciation is a proclamation beyond religious and political proclamations, just as a spiritual voice that understands and shares a growing need of men, of all social classes and races, in order to improve their own conditions of life. A spiritual voice exhorting all men to accept sacrifices related to action and present hour, and to understand this: what one may lose on a plane, is always matched on another, a budget cut by higher moral values, a loss of easy securities by a higher spiritual development”.
Certainly, there is a degrading socioeconomic situation experienced by our modern society, and one cannot glimpse any positive correction at any term; on the contrary, forecasts are even discouraging in wealthy nations. But if to this general and irreparable suffering you add rebelliousness, competitive confrontations, disagreement, hatred and revenge, we shall end like Colombians, Jews and Palestinians destroying themselves. We can do nothing outside because there is a confrontation of quite powerful forces, but certainly we can correct our lives with personal efforts so as Master Santiago teaches us. No political or religious system will help men with promises and more promises. Every one has to save himself by means of a permanent inner work.

c. Instruments of the Spirit

We have reflected on Master Bovisio’s Messages calling to quietness and prayer in times of confusion experienced by Humanity. But how to work internally if we are unaware of instruments available to the soul and never we knew them and even we do not know the matter? Men are so busy in mere outer and worldly matters that they ignore themselves, and when it is time to bring forces of the soul into action in order to survive and overcome a crisis, in vain they remain paralyzed and weeping for their miseries. All Master Bovisio’s Teachings refer to these instruments so that the individual being may make them operative and helpful for his own good. Some instruments are intellectual, for mind knowledge, others are operative and move sensibility, some of them help to rest and live in peace, others give a correct human position as a whole, and others mainly teach good death and life in the hereafter. Courses constitute a complete system –theoretical and operative– of human life in every dimension, in search of spiritual liberation.
Of Teachings offered by this Internet collection, we shall mark three as the fittest for the above-mentioned goals: “Backward Examination”, “Meditation” and “Methodized Meditations”.
“Backward Examination”, (Book I, Chapter 4): Main cause of social disorder is lack of control in personal thoughts, as much leaders as led persons. If men could dominate their minds, they would do what they actually want, not what others demand. Backward Examination is an exercise to check thoughts by remembering the past. This Teaching explains quite clearly the way to practice it and its results, first, a quiet and refreshing sleep and, after certain period of time and constancy, higher mind control.
“Meditation” and “Methodized Meditations” (Book XVI, Chapters 8 and 9): They describe in detail functions, operation of different steps, seven basic subjects, main methodical exercises, and good intentions. Also they warn about dangers derived from looking for psychic effects or domination of others.
The same Book XIV offers other spiritual instruments closely related to Meditation, Concentration, Contemplation, and other matters. A close reading of different Courses can lead the student to diverse Teachings, which can help him find the exercise fittest for his own disposition. Some persons may practice Discursive Meditation, others may find more advantage in Affective Meditation, and others may prefer Simple Prayer. The important thing is to work in a positive way in order to get out of the ignorance well in which poor modern men are confined by outer circumstances.