All who tread the path of ascent are confronted by obstacles that block progress. In time, we discover that these obstacles are rooted in personality patterns that create a sense of separation. To reveal the soul, one has to dissolve the self-seeking ways of the persona that held sway over lifetimes. This is the work of self-purification.
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Purification is the second of ten phases in our journey.
The quotes below reflect our experiences.
“The greatest existential threat facing humanity today comes from selfishness and greed. The antidote is self-transformation. I’ve realized through our group experience that real transformation comes through self-purification, self-sacrifice for a higher purpose, putting the needs of others before personal desires. This awareness is part of the Plan for the new era.”
“We’re learning that the light of true knowledge lies within and there are practical ways to extract it. One is the act of self-purification. As people begin to awaken and aspire to higher values, they sense there are things about themselves that need cleansing to progress spiritually. The process of purification in the opalescent flame has had a palpable impact on me. Sometimes it felt as if destructive patterns were being physically pulled out of my body. When shadow patterns are cleared, the way opens to the higher realms of consciousness.”
“Our experience has taught us that the way to create a new world is by purifying our own personalities. When we first contact the light of the soul, it exposes emotional patterns that block this light and conceal our authentic self. But when we release those patterns into the purifying fire, we encounter a new reality. As my shadows are cleared, I relate to the world differently and the world responds to my new way of being. It’s through inner transformation that we participate in the creation of a world aligned with divine purpose.”
“We are all working through the unfinished business we came into this life to complete—connecting the beads of life experience through the process of purification into an evolving awareness that we are here to serve more than our own self.”
“It is the will to love and to serve in a simple and genuine way that sustains soul qualities in any group endeavour. This is particularly so for the calibre of work initiated and guided by Wise Ones. Purity of intent and the pure expression of the soul are paramount for creating a world that is new.”
“From our guidance, we know that in order to activate our greater potential, we have to remove whatever in our personalities blocks the descent of soul light. I hear this call and I realize how important it is to identify these inner blockages and dissolve them. We’ve already achieved much together as a group, but there is more we can do to eliminate in ourselves whatever prevents the flow of light into our world.”
“The opalescent flame has been a tool of spiritual alchemy for us. When the persona is purified, soul qualities emerge: selflessness in pursuing the highest good of all, reverence and love for all creation, dedication to the divine Plan, and the ability to envision a future born of Love.”
“Our most challenging task is to purify every expression—every thought, word and action—until we are soul conscious all of the time.”
“Participating in the group has presented an incredible opportunity to heal the divisions present in myself. The friction generated between light and shadow creates a fire that ultimately burns away the dross of the persona and allows the integration of the greater Self and the lesser self into a harmonious union.”
“On the Path, what is sacrifice for the personality is ecstasy for the Soul. It’s a wonderful confirmation that so many of us can look back and realise that what the personality may have experienced as suffering, to the soul was a process of ‘making sacred.’ The path turns the personality into a vessel for the soul, which is who we truly are.”
“We have travelled a great distance together. With the guidance and support of our Elders, we’ve given birth to a loving field of unified intention. In the aura of the group heart, we’ve been helped to transform the dross of the personality—freeing the light of the soul for greater service. We’ve seen how group work can further the goal of evolution: to remake the world on spiritual foundations.”
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Removing Blockages to the Soul’s Light:
An Essay
The path of spiritual growth takes different forms in different religious and spiritual traditions. But there is one requirement that is universal to all: the purification of the lower self. All paths begin with aspirants learning to build character, by controlling the thoughts, emotions, speech and actions that would hinder progress. What comes next is the self-imposition of disciplines that will transform the personality into the divine Self.
The initial stages of the path lead the soul to what has been referred to as the ‘Outer Court of the Temple.’
“. . . The position of an aspirant who has reached the Outer Court is very different from the position of the good and virtuous and religious man or woman who has not thoroughly seen the goal which “is before them, or has not thoroughly realized the magnitude of their task.” 1
Once the magnitude of the goal is realized and the aspirant’s commitment is strong, the path gradually unfolds toward the ‘Inner Court’ [the Kingdom of Souls]. This path begins with cleansing the lower self of impurities accumulated over lifetimes. The requirement for revealing the soul’s true purpose for incarnation is to transmute the selfish desires, motives, and ambitions governing the personality into an impulse to serve the Good.
In the Ageless Wisdom teachings, it is the path of discipleship that reveals the way to enter the realm of illumined souls. By treading this path, one’s sense of identity shifts from the outer persona (the physical, emotional, and mental being) to the Soul, the true Self. As awareness grows, it becomes possible for the disciple to create a bridge of lighted consciousness to the realm of perfected souls—to Those who guide our evolution from the inner planes.
The need for self-purification runs like a silver thread through every stage of the discipleship path. Over time, as the lower self is cleansed of impurities, the light of the soul enters further into awareness and allows the happenings of an individual’s life to be seen from a higher perspective, the key to all healing.
The cleansing of the persona occurs by passing through the ‘fires of purification’—the inevitable ‘burning grounds’ that arise from personal crises—with conscious awareness. When these fires serve their highest purpose, the soul is released from bondage to the deeply engrained patterning of the lower self. The fire of lighted consciousness dissipates the dross accumulated by the lower self over lifetimes, allowing the light, love and wisdom of the soul to shine forth.
There is a great array of methods of self-purification in the myriad spiritual traditions of our world. In the wisdom teachings, their purpose is to reveal the higher capacities of the Soul and to transform the lower self into its instrument of service. One such practice is to visualize the burning of all that hinders the soul’s expression in a great flame of pure opalescent light, while recognizing the act as a service to humanity.
Combined with many other disciplines and forms of learning on the spiritual path, the eventual result of such practices is the transformation of a human being into a spiritual being—a conscious soul whose love, wisdom and joy flow freely into the world in service to the Greater Good.
“The cleansing of the personality and the attaining of more light upon one’s way is ever the preparation for increased and more adequate service.” 1
1 Besant, Annie and Leadbeater, C.W., Creating Character
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