textfiles/bbs/KEELYNET/KEELY/gnostic.asc

            From "Dashed Against the Rock" by W. J. Colville, 1894
             (heavily influenced if not written by John W. Keely)
    Placed in the public domain on August 30, 1989 by Vangard Sciences, PO
    BOX 1031, Mesquite, TX, 75150:(214) 324-8741 (Jerry ) or
                                  (214) 484-3189 (Ron)

    Comments by Aldebaran (pseudonym for Keely in "Dashed Against the Rock")

                           GNOSTICISM VS. AGNOSTICISM

       I hold   that   ONE   SUPREME   FORCE,   which   we   may   term  the
    incomprehensible, holds within itself all these sublime qualities, as an
    octave embraces its many tones.

       This force expressed in the human  organism,  in  the varied impulses
    already designated, has  what  may  be termed CONCORDANT  CHORD-SETTINGS
    dominated by one  or  other  of the above-named differentiations of this
    supreme force.  Now let us ask what  makes  human  beings differ the one
    from the other.

       The reason we give for this striking natural phenomenon  is  that  in
    one individual these   chord-settings  are  allowed  full  amplitude  in
    action, while in others they are suppressed, and by suppression rendered
    latent.

       To illustrate : we will picture  a  beggar  asking  alms  of a richly
    dressed gentleman, who passes by entirely oblivious of  the  suppliant's
    needs; but here  the  wonderful  law  of  sympathetic action intercedes,
    making the wealthy individual comprehend  the  necessitous  condition of
    the pauper.

       At this  point  the  EGO  enters  the  chamber  of ordeal;  here,  in
    commonplace life, in  every-day  surroundings,  man  is  tried;  this is
    INITIATION.

       The well-to-do man goes on his  way,  not  caring  to  stop,  hurried
    perchance by the   urgency   of   worldly  affairs;  the   chord-setting
    representing that differentiation   of   infinite  force  called  by  us
    COMPASSION, acting upon its concordant  chord-setting,  loudly proclaims
    to the EGO  what is right action, and the opportunity  passing  when  it
    should be seized,  powerfully  exerts  its force against the will of the
    personality that would suppress its action.

       Here is where the battle is fought;  simple  though  the illustration
    may appear, it  forcibly  sets  forth  the  actual conflict  continually
    waging between divine   wisdom   and  mortal  error,  carelessness,  and
    ignorance.

       The man of wealth and position goes  on,  perhaps, for some distance,
    the battle all the while continuing; finally, he stops  and  turns back,
    he yields to  the  dominating  influence of that chord-setting; he gives
    the beggar alms and goes on his way  with the skies bright above him: he
    has won a battle he will not have to fight again.

       Understand that victory is won, not by the giving  of  alms,  but  by
    YIELDING to that divine force-differentiation.



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       If this  chord-setting  had not retained its dominance, it would only
    require a few instances of the above  type to render it latent, and when
    latent the person  is  no  longer amenable to influences  calculated  to
    arouse compassion.

       In like  manner,  other  centres  may  be rendered latent by repeated
    suppression, until we find a person  so  dead  to  all  appeals from the
    various chord-settings that his whole course in life is  represented  by
    the sum-total of  the  antagonisms  internally produced: results proving
    this are seen every day.

       You ask why do people commit such  blunders  and perform such acts as
    they do, all the while seemingly unable to help themselves.

       The reason  is  that  they have RENDERED LATENT these  centres  which
    otherwise would have given them the power to rightly control their deeds
    instead of being,  as  they now are, dominated exclusively by the forces
    of aggregated matter which we usually  call  the  self-will of the outer
    personality, as distinguished  from the distinctly humane  individuality
    which always responds to a divine appeal.

       It can be readily seen from this example that a man can mould himself
    practically as he   chooses;  though  he  may  have  to  encounter  many
    obstacles erected by himself in past periods of earthly existence, as he
    comes to earth anew with these chord-settings  latent,  or  developed to
    the extent they were so, at the conclusion of his last earth-embodiment;
    a man has  therefore  only to carefully examine the condition  of  these
    settings to learn  whether  they  are latent or developed: if latent, he
    knows well that if he yields to the  dominance  of the chord-settings of
    the supreme force-and he needs no monitor other than these  to  instruct
    him, their voice being loud-toned, full, strong, deep, and high-to carry
    him on to  the  consummation  of  his  highest  ideal, their suppression
    leading him to the lowest condition  in  which we behold that section of
    humanity which is dominated by the action of the blind  forces  inherent
    in aggregated matter,-forces  which  are  at  all  times  powerfully and
    intimately associated with every one who possesses a material body.

       The work  of  arousing  to  activity  the  latent  chord-settings  is
    sometimes equivalent to giving birth to an entirely new condition in the
    person, the intellect and the imagination having to actively  co-operate
    in the endeavor to produce even the minutest degree of activity.

       In such  persons  their  hardest  experiences  may be of the greatest
    benefit to them, if rightly taken; for  it  is through certain orders of
    experience-not unattended with   suffering-that   these    centres   are
    powerfully acted upon.   The fore-going illustration of the merchant and
    the beggar introduces one in whom the  action  of  these centres is to a
    certain degree active.

       In experiences where the emotions are INTENSELY aroused  their action
    is far greater,  andwe may see the result of the conflict, inthe event
    of a person of hitherto unnoticeable  traits being developed either into
    a person of crabbed, irritable disposition or into one  of  considerable
    moral beauty and  attractiveness,  and  all  because  a  centre hitherto
    dormant has been powerfully aroused or more completely suppressed.



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       Who knows  but that all the varieties of disposition we see expressed
    every hour in the persons of those about us is due to HABIT; in the case
    of the sweet  and lovable, to the habit  of  constant  yielding  to  the
    dominance of what we may term super-celestial force, while  on the other
    hand, the sour  and  morose  are  but the suffering victims of their own
    habitual suppression of these same  divine  centres  of radiation, which
    are continually dispersing the divine energy focalized upon
    them throughout the eternal ages of unwasting life.

       Concerning CIRCUMSTANCES let it be most emphatically stated that they
    never need be permitted to suppress the upward tendencies of our nature;
    that they have,  like ALL experiences, an opportunity  contained  within
    them, to act  either  for the more perfect dominance of the celestial or
    the terrestrial, none need deny; but  it  rests with every individual to
    EMBRACE or REJECT  opportunities  as he will, to accept  the  honors  of
    initiation or undergo the regrets consequent upon failure.

       Only the keen, sensitive soul can understand when these opportunities
    come and go,  for  only such have won this right by successive victories
    gained through yielding to these celestial  streams  of  force,  and the
    conqueror over himself  is  the  victor  ALWAYS,  though   he  may  SEEM
    sometimes to yield obedience to a force greater than himself.

       Let the  supreme  desire  of  each  one  of  us  ever  be  that these
    resonating centres, permanent throughout  measureless  cycles  of  time,
    graduated by the   all-wise   builders  of  the  universe   to   perfect
    concordance with the Divine Force which is in essence incomprehensible,-
    shall vibrate to  fullest  amplitude  of action; so shall we each escape
    from the pains,  sorrows,  and  disappointments  associated  with  their
    suppression and INEVITABLY resulting from it."




























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