What is ascension? Since we are dealing with soul conquering, it must have reference to something invisible and spiritual. We have found through our past seeking that it does refer to a very vital part of our soul growth and the gaining, through illumination, of a higher comprehension of God as the Source of all life.
To understand just what the doing of all the “greater works” means, we must have a definite and clear conception of our own identity with the Source of all life. To understand that Source of all life, we must accept a Being of Light, a God back of all action, a divine Mind, all-powerful and all-controlling in its creative ability.
To take advantage of the rewards promised for conquering, for learning earth’s lessons, we must accept ascension as the only way in which to reach a higher state of consciousness, because only through a continuously ascending consciousness can we grow in the stature of the Christ strong enough to stand steadfast and expectant in the Light.
Our Bible textbook basis for ascension is found in the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Luke: “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” – Luke 24:50-51.
All metaphysics teaches the law of resurrection as the only way to be lifted out of the old, limited ways of ignorant living, into the new ways of truth. Jesus had appeared and disappeared many times, thus preparing them for his last disappearance. Because of his repeated appearing and disappearing, it does seem to make it the more logical and reasonable to think we are meant to follow ascension as part of the greater works.
For us, ascension becomes a simple art of moving up in consciousness by the practice of letting go of the old ways through resurrection, such resurrection being the act of reconditioning our thinking through living as a Christed one. This can be achieved by obeying the following five important laws found in the Master’s teachings.
The full purpose of our ascension through conquering is to have our identity-contact with our Source become so strong that the spiritual Power shall pour through us mentally, emotionally and in all material ways to make perfect our creations. We shall be known by our works. Only the results of this inner conquering can be seen by the world.
To ascend is the only way in which to awaken the dormant faculties within the soul, those hidden treasures of the powers of Being which, when awakened, put forth the call to the Source of divine Mind, allowing all the potential powers of God to move into our creations.
These five laws are to be taken as the first opening steps for the student on the pathway of the Christ, which covers the Thirty-three Degrees of the Via Christa way.
Through conquering is the only way to becoming a fully Christed one, a Christed individual, and the only real mystery about the Via Christa way is how to begin walking the long path, from the first unconscious faith in God of self-expression into that final conscious faith of God, of soul-expression, which leads, inevitably, into full conscious comprehension of God. From self-expression into soul-identity with the Source of all life is our goal as we walk the Way of the Christ.
Once our identity as fully begotten souls is established, not created, not just evolved, but begotten in the full consciousness of our God-likeness, we begin to realize our own immortality here and now, waiting to be expressed.
These first five steps do open the first five gates of Maya [illusion], of which there are seven, gates of Maya being the mystical term for the mists of earth that form layers of darkness between us and the different levels of consciousness found between us and the Source of all Wisdom.
Until we learn to conquer and properly control the Power released with each unveiling of the mysteries before us, we are and must be protected by these gates of Maya. These gates, or veils of Maya cause us to stop, look and listen, this pause allowing the Light of illumination to break through to us.
From the neophyte’s first inspirational seeking after God or Light, the first veil of Maya grows less dense, and as we stand and praise, the Light from above absorbs the veils of darkness earth has produced. The instant we start our conquering, the Light from above draws us onward and into that glory that only truly hungering and thirsting after righteousness can bring to us. From the very beginning, it becomes inevitable that there is no turning back.
Even though the way seems to grow harder, we find that we must proceed to ascend and grow until we can and do express the true Christ-likeness of God. As we conquer, we learn to speak the words, “Let there be Light,” under any situation produced by earth.
We find ourselves freed from all slavery to outer conditions. We become too busy practicing the laws, as disciples and followers of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, to be bothered by distractions of earth and we find ourselves becoming living ensamples of the law instead of just ordinary, outer, everyday examples of the Law.
These five steps form a scientific ladder between this world of time and space, where every day is a school day with its lessons to be learned, and that new world of our Source of potential powers. The gates swing wide and we find ourselves standing as the Light, and feel the potential greater powers of God using us for the greater ways and works.
The first step of the five lessons we must learn is part of every method given for the study of laws and truth: “Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things shall be added unto thee” is found in the sixth chapter of Matthew, the thirty-third verse. That first seeking is usually a slow process, since we spend time seeking a method.
Many times we grow weary because we see no outer results and allow indifference and forgetfulness to leave us floundering about in old ways, which bury us in doubts and fears.
The answer is to find a way that becomes an act, an instantaneous habit of action at every sign of being approached by the world vibration of fears and doubts, opinions and prejudices, an act coming from such a confidence in our identity with God as our Source that nothing can touch us or cause the dimming of our faith.
To think of God as the Source of all Light is an abstract vision greater than all of earth and its creations, yet we must add something to it that is practical enough to hold us to our vision, beyond the point of being disturbed by the outer distractions of earth. Just to say, “Let there be Light,” is inadequate to hold us unless we add something to it that can involve our imagination and make it one with our vision.
Only to think about Light as the Source of all creation invokes the full Power of the Almighty and moves it forth to fulfill our desires, but it does not hold our full attention long enough. So, as we say the words, Let there be Light, we must visualize, through imagination, a picture of a sun center of Light into which we then actually feel ourselves moving, moving into the warmth, the brilliance of its glory.
There we stand, bathed in this original Light, our own center of Light, our hidden place from earth, untouchable by anything of earth, yet knowing we can feel this Light flowing forth through our earth body at the same time and into all of our creations, vitalizing and quickening them into miracles as we stand there unwaveringly.
This is the Light from which all things were made in the beginning and to which all things must return, since there is no place else to go. Therefore, we decide to make this sun center of Light our simple act of faith and have no need to seek further, for we have found our own Source of Power.
The beauty of our find is that we can step into our new kingdom of Light in an instant, as we go to answer a doorbell or a telephone call. One instant of time and the swift act of using our computer Mind, with its built-in tool of imagination, allowing the vision of our sun center to take over and absorb us and we are free of earth.
For our commission to use Light for this first step, we open our Bible at James, Chapter 1, verse 17. “For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
At our first call upon Light, as we awake in the morning, our sun center is filled with glory and so we say, “Let there be Light.” Our body is recharged with life, renewed is our soul, and Power moves into all our creations with a protective vibration, enfolding us for the day.
Since the Bible is our textbook and the Sermon on the Mount holds every law we need to obey to learn our earth lessons, we take our second step from Matthew 5:25: “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him.” Not hours later, not tomorrow, but right now. It has been thought by some to be a stupid law. It has even been interpreted, in some instances, and used to avoid telling the truth. It does not mean lying to agree with an adversary.
There is no need to be dishonest or cover up the truth for anything. There is no dishonesty in saying to the person, “I can see how that seems to be the truth to you,” even though the statement might be an outrageous one. All we need to do is to keep silent about our own ideas. Our opinions are not interesting to any adversary. To want to argue to convince another is only being a showoff. Smile, be silent, saying mentally, Let there be Light!
There are several lesser laws involved in this truly great one of agreeing. The first one to learn is that we never can know, by any means, exactly what is right or wrong for another. God has made this impossible for us to do. Our business with this law is to know one thing only: When adversaries approach, we are supposed to know instantly what is right or wrong for us, then to stand silently and hold fast to our own right way.
There is no law telling us we have to speak. Silence does the agreeing, in the Light, with our adversary. Any words can shatter our own high vibration of Light.
We hold fast to our knowing that divine Mind never gives us the right to know what the other fellow really needs. Each one is in his own place, learning his karmic lessons, and disagreeing with anyone is sure to disturb the very plan of life lesson from above being presented to him.
We dare not forget, when agreeing with an adversary, that to declare Light is one thing the Power needs to make the lesson mean ascension for him. An adversary, and his reason for being one, is the most unimportant thing in our lives.
To agree demands of us that we ignore our adversary’s intent to hurt or wound, and to quickly find some reason for praising him. To say, “How wonderful you are,” to an adversary lifts us out of slavery to the world and into our own sun center of Light, where nothing can touch us. To use praise for an adversary causes him frustration until he forgets his original intention and departs.
The third step in ascension is used by every beginner in truth. It is found in St. John 21:22: “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” This command of Jesus involves one of the lesser Laws to use in following these five steps. It means “judge not.” Only God can know and judge anyone justly.
When we obey this step perfectly, it leaves us ample time to attend to our own affairs. It also frees all our family, our friends, and the world, of our own opinions and prejudices. It really means, “I free everyone of my ideas, and free myself to ascend, and free myself of paying the debts of judging. I mind my own business.”
The fourth step is a tricky one to follow, for it deals with all our idle words and silly actions. It really polishes the first three commands. In first Thessalonians 5:22 we find: “Abstain from the appearance of evil.”
To ascend on it, we must apply it in four ways: through words, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Every word we speak creates after its degree and kind. The Word is God in action; it is His substance going forth to fill our molds.
If we find ourselves under the necessity of saying, “Oh, I didn’t mean that,” we have been using idle words. Any gossip or stories we repeat create more debts for everyone, especially for the one at their source, debts which we must share. We are wholly responsible for everything we create, conscious or unconsciously. Debts must be paid.
To use unconscious idle words, we automatically let go of our own high state of consciousness, and soon we are using our own precious soul substance for idle word creations, because we have fallen back into old, lesser vibrations. Idle words result in a lowered quality and quantity of Power moving through us, into our affairs, therefore we set a firm watch upon our daily expression of life, as we accept full responsibility for all our debts. We avoid all appearance of darkness, while resurrecting all thinking, emotions and words.
The fifth step is very important. In fact, there can be no ascension without it. St. John 12:32, says: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto me.”
Since this is a purely metaphysical Law, it means to be caught up in a high state of consciousness by the magnetic Power of God. It means we must stand immovable and steadfast within our visualized sun center of Light at all times, with no more need to seek, since we have found our universal place and our identity with our Source of all life.
When we feel that we do not deserve what we have drawn to us, that we do not warrant this thing we so dislike, then we must remember that all our earth lessons are named and numbered with our own rate of vibration under karmic law, and only our own rate of vibration can touch us. Hence, comes the statement, “only mine own can come to me.”
Therefore, whatever we draw to us is for our own lesson, to be learned for our soul conquering. As a lesson, it may be a leftover from a past life, or even one we have been seeking to avoid in the present. We now declare, “Let there be Light upon this lesson. Let it be worked together for good, now!”
When we stand in our sun center, and Light radiates through us, it becomes actual rays of repulsion as it leaves our body and aura. These rays of repulsion penetrate out into all darkness, as far away from us on earth as we have ascended high in soul consciousness.
“Let there be Light,” sings our ascended soul. Light to make our life a sun spot of glory, shining out to bless all men whom we contact, whom we draw to us for the invincible rays of God’s healing Power to lift up into their own sun center of life.
Let all darkness left on earth be consumed now! Hour by hour, we are empowered to ascend into a greater glory of illumination, and we shall be One, possessed of God, and by God’s great creative Power of Light. Let there be Light!