Knowledge and Truth
By William Bezanson
A favorite Rosicrucian invocation, which can be found personally meaningful, contains the phrase, “…in knowledge and truth….” We may seek to present knowledge and truth in whatever we do. They are very important to strive for.
So much of what we encounter in life is based on the direct opposite of that sentiment: ignorance and lies, confusion and untruth, and misrepresentation and misleadings. Such negative influences are especially prevalent in organized religions, including Christianity. Some of the main purposes of writing can be to help readers understand such deceptions, and to think for themselves to decide whether they are content to remain living in the dark or to awaken to the light.
It might be said that people are not interested in learning about the truth or in attaining true knowledge; preferring, instead, to remain ignorant or to be content with untruths. Their religion strongly urges them to stay that way. For example, Christianity (and its foundation, Judiasm) teaches that looking at the face of God, that is, actual truth and pure knowledge, is greatly to be avoided, for it will surely kill you.
We may consider this a juvenile attitude. The reason why looking at the face of God might reputedly kill us is simply this: We are so very accustomed to not seeing truth. The shock of really recognizing it would be so overwhelming that we will, indeed, die. —Not die physically, but die psychically to old ways; to be transformed to new life, and become a new person. No wonder the priests want us to stay in the dark! They would be out of their jobs when we learn to think for ourselves.
We may hold our own view that most of us are trapped in reality, and that we are afraid of, unaware of, or not interested in actuality.
Let us consider some examples. For each statement below, there is a reality, i.e., our truth, or our perception; and its corresponding actuality, i.e., the truth, the actual true explanation. They are labeled R and A, respectively:
R: God is apart from us, up in heaven
A: God is Nature, and centered in our hearts
R: You are separate from me
A: We are all One
R: Yesterday came before Tomorrow
A: Time does not exist
R: Things exist
A: The universe is mental, in God’s mind
R: We live in physical form just once
A: We reincarnate a great many times
R: Jesus forgives our sins
A: Karma requires that we compensate for our sins by ourselves, not through an external agency
R: The Holy Spirit gives us life
A: Spirit animates all life
Two relevant quotations related to this topic are:
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” –Steve Jobs: Graduation Commencement address, Stanford University, 2005
“Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, the tyranny in religion is the worst; every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity.” –Thomas Paine, 1737-1809
So, how do we find knowledge and truth? A simple way is to follow the advice of Jobs and Paine, above. Listen to your intuition and be guided by it. Do not be trapped by the world’s deceptions. Follow God’s guidance, which is revealed to you through your intuition.
To help you develop your intuition, you may find the studies as presented by the various mystery schools of great assistance through their structure, your initiatory advancement, and the gradual evolution of your psyche. Such mystery schools include Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Martinism, Theosophy, and other such orders that focus on your spiritual growth. Follow your intuition to be led to and to choose an appropriate one or more for yourself.
Many have found great spiritual growth, access to knowledge and truth, and excellent fraternal brothers and sisters through membership in the Confraternity of the Rose Cross (www.crcsite.org), the Order Militia Crucifera Evangelica (www.omcesite.org), and the British Martinist Order (www.bmosite.org). Others may find different orders or organizations more their own liking. A key choice to decide upon is to join a mystical, initiatic order, not a society, club, church, or group.
Recognizing truth helps us determine that inner life and spiritual growth are far more important than the outer life and mundane materialism. We become more adept at seeing we are souls, not bodies. We will be back: the same souls in new bodies. Let us continue growing and evolving, in knowledge and in truth.
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About the Author
William Bezanson is a retired engineer who has turned into an author of systems design and world stewardship books. His next offering entitled, “I Believe: A Rosicrucian Looks at Christianity and Spirituality,” will be published in 2014. He lives with his wife in Ottawa, Canada. To learn about his books, visit his website at www3.sympatico.ca/bezanson1
