You should be highly commended for putting your thoughts on paper. In Initiation into Hermetics Franz Bardon mentions a diary in which to record all your positive (virtues) and negative characteristics (passions). After recording the characteristics, you should read, examine, and carefully study what you wrote in the blog, because it is pregnant with all the answers you are seeking. Reread the statements you made in the diary and determine which are positive and which are negative. As an example, if you commit your thoughts in a letter, reread it after a while, and you will read something in the letter which is negative which you did not mean to be negative. You mentioned the law of cause and effect. If we cause a chain reaction because of things we have done, that too is a necessary learning experience. The key is to not continue on that path of negative thinking, a practice which can be achieved over time. And the time element depends on the maturity of the student — each person progress at his or her own level. Bardon’s work in the initial chapters is a tremendous study in self-examination, and the exercises of the Mastery of Thoughts will prevent any future complications. Also, by the time a student reaches step VIII he should receive his personal teacher. Bardon’s caution about being careful what you think is merely a well-meant reminder, because at that point the student will have attained the necessary experience. At this point, you are way ahead of yourself. There is a vast difference between philosophical and practical experience. Follow the instructions in the book. Most students initially mingle their own ideas, which are mostly based on passions, with the material in the Bardon books. This too is a growth experience.
There is a vast difference when a person does something [negative] in Step I of Bardon’s system vs Step VIII. The Bardon method of Hermetics is a step by step personal growth system, and when the novice student reaches Step VIII, which can take a lifetime, he will be able to control his [negative] thoughts and not concern himself too much with causing harm to others. If we curse someone, it is also crucial to determine within oneself whether that act was intentional or unintentional.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Am I following the instructions in the book, or do I follow my own? Should I develop my passions and eliminate my virtues? Or should I develop my virtues and eliminate my passions? Is fear a passion or a virtue? Would you fear someone that loves you? Or would you fear someone that hates you? Is selfishness a passion or a virtue?
The opposite of love is hate, of life is death, of light is darkness, of order is disorder, etc.
For example: If someone says: “I hate war!” What is he saying? Is he telling the truth? What kind of a character does he have?
If someone else says: “I love peace!” What is he saying? Is he telling the truth? What kind of a character does he have?
When starting with the exercises we should investigate and meditate on our negative characterizes, because we cannot eliminate something we are not aware of. And once we learn what these characteristics are, we must not feed them. You must gain the knowledge of your negative and positive characteristics in order to deal with them effectively. Developing your virtues and eliminating your passions will give you the energy and knowledge to be successful in your development. The more you find out about yourself on your own, the better you will feel. Try to find the answers on your own, for it is very rewarding and it will bring joy and happiness into your life. Practice finding answers — it gets easier in time. You will only find joy or blissfulness in your virtues.
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1 comment:
Thank you for kind advices!
I would like to comment a bit on a different uses of term "passion".
I've noticed (or at least have an impression) that in Bardon's work, as well as in your comments, it is sometimes used as a synonym for all negative character traits. Before that I understood it in its more specific meaning of "uncontrollable affection or desire" or "desire or leaning toward something without rational motive". It is also used with this meaning in other instances by Bardon.In my language, the word which "passion" is usually translated with have only this meaning. Being motivated by the above mentioned use of this word as sort of universal opposite of virtue, I found on the web that in Latin passio means to suffer.I also remember reading about that meaning in one of the texts on your site, so it is logical that in its wider meaning it can indicate all character traits that cause suffering (that is, negative characteristics). I think that this information can be of use to people who use other languages. If I got it wrong, please correct me. There is also an interesting question concerning use of this word with the meaning of "uncontrollable (irrational) desire". Could it be that with this meaning passion could even be positive? Like for instance "passion for knowledge", passionate learning, passion for helping others, passionate love. I guess there is a catch even in these meanings because it can become negative if it is uncontrollable, but then exactly it's uncontrollability is it's negative part, not the particular subject or aim of it (learning, helping, love and similar).
Igor
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