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OVERHEARD ON ROSENET – A Discussion

Missing the Mark

Martin B The other day John said something in his healing prayer posts about how not listening to the Holy Spirit is a matter of missing the mark, something that can be corrected, rather than something that must be repaid through disease and punishment. This goes slightly counter the idea that Mr. Heindel put forth when he said that the sins against the Holy Spirit must be repaid in full. 

 This led me to think about what the Holy Spirit is. Of the many things, the Holy Spirit is also a representation of the laws that govern our existence, especially as they pertain to our physical existence. I was thinking about what would happen if I drop a vase, and that vase is made of glass. The vase will fall to the floor, and break. Such are the laws of gravity, and the laws that govern the physical existence of that vase. I can replace the vase. i can even fix it. But If I drop it again, that vase will break again. And no matter how much money I might have to buy new and better vases, no matter how much I think and hope for the opposite, each and every time that I drop that vase, it will break. 

 

 I was thinking that something akin to that might happen when we miss the mark and sin against the Holy Spirit. Depending on what the sin was, there might be some consequences to be had on the physical, emotional and even the mental planes. If we think of the Holy Spirit as being a principle best exemplified by the highest initiate of the moon period, wherein we obtained our desire body, we can see how this same principle might have a say on the workings of that vehicle that it helped form and the ones below (vital and physical), that are in a sense sustained by it. 

 

It is true that in essence, in our truest of natures, we are spiritual; we are children of the Father and brothers to Christ, partaking of the same nature as His. But though this may be true, it is also true that we have vehicles that permit us to function in these worlds. If we do not take care of these vehicles, give them the proper upkeep, they will break down, as happens with our cars and other tools when we don’t take care of them. So when we sin, or miss the mark, it is a truth that in spirit we never sinned, in spirit we remain pure, and in spirit we are already forgiven (in spirit we haven’t even sinned!), but that “sin” might lead to its consequences, such as the vehicles wearing down after much abuse. Sometimes our vehicles even break down not so much because of a particular “sin” we committed, but because these vehicles, unlike our spiritual self, are imperfect and prone to breaking down. 

 

So what does this mean in terms of forgiveness? Does this mean that forgiveness of our sins can’t really heal? Much like the desire body has a say on the workings of the vehicles below it, the spiritual self has a say on the workings of its vehicles down to the physical. However, this message, its regenerating influence, can’t reach us if the line of communication is not opened and kept open. And this is where healing prayer comes in. When the damage is done, and the physical or emotional bodies break down and go into crisis (when we get sick), it is through healing prayer that we open up the lines of communication with our higher, true selves, with Christ, so that we might mend the broken vase. And the vase might crack again, or even break, because of something we did or just because such is the nature of the vase from time to time to wear down, but so long as we keep the line of communication open and clean, Christ can keep reaching in to mend and fix what needs fixing. 

 

These thoughts came to mind last night as I considered my mom’s church and the RF. It seems we in TRF keep missing the mark somehow, as evidenced by our treatment of each other and even ourselves. This of course, led me to remember how sinning and illness can result from missing the mark as well. I will comment on what this means to me in terms of TRF and its membership, but I wanted to see first what you guys thought of what I wrote above.  

 

Jim B If I remember correctly Jehovah is the Holy Spirit.  The sin against the Holy Spirit involves misuse of the creative force – both positive and negative poles.  So it could involve both misuse of the creative force involving procreation and also misuse involving our mental powers.  In either case we must master the correct use of the creative forces so that we can build better vehicles for our use as virgin spirits.  Any misuse would result in weakened vehicles – dense, vital, desire, and mind.   So the misuse can not be forgiven… we must come back and repeat a lifetime in which we learn how to correctly use that creative force.  Christ indicated the working of this law several times in the New Testament.   See Matthew 5:21-31  

 An example….   5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ….

 If we do not master the use of the creative forces and if we can not build the new vehicle ‘to be our golden wedding garment’ then we will not be ready to move into the next period of our evolution.

 

 Martin B Thanks for being the only one to reply, Jim. Before I get to the point I was trying to make by writing the initial message, I’d like to point to something that you said: 

 

So it could involve both misuse of the creative force involving procreation and also misuse involving our mental powers. 

 

It is known to all of us that our minds and our larynx came to be through the redirecting of the creative forces, of which Jehovah and his angels were stewards until a time when we’d be better fit to control them. There is no question in any of our minds that procreation involves use of this creative force. But when it comes to our thoughts, our actions, or even our words, many of us doubt or overlook the fact that these things come about through use of the same creative force. 

 

Mr. Heindel once pointed out that were a man to strike another man, one might say that it was the man’s fist that struck the other. But likewise, another might comment that it was the man’s thoughts (his mental activity) that struck the man, as his actions came to be because of the man’s mental capacity. 

 

Considering that, as previously mentioned, our thoughts (and through these our actions), and our words come to be through the use of the same creative force that allow us to procreate, misuse of any of these things would be to sin against the holy spirit. That is, improper thoughts, harsh words, negative emotions against ourselves or our fellow man, improper actions on our part, these things are on par with the abuse of the procreative forces which so many in the mystery tradition have come to look down upon, as all the above mentioned things have their roots in that same force. So if we look so poorly on abuse of the procreative function, why do we choose to act so poorly against our fellow man, to say harsh words to him, or to think untrue thoughts and then convert these into untrue words? Why do we overlook the fact that our entire lives, down to our breathing and thinking, is a perpetual act of creation? And as abuse of the procreative sexual function is a sin against the holy spirit, should we not also consider abuse of the other creative functions as sins against the holy spirit?

 

Perhaps many of us in the mystery tradition (and I am including myself here, Jim) have become too narrow in our vision. Many of us can recite the letter of the words written by Mr. Heindel, but I honestly wonder how many of us can look beyond the letter. It is human nature to get comfortable, but we should shake ourselves off from our high and mighty thrones, upon which we have placed ourselves because of our knowledge of the western wisdom teachings as put forth by Mr. Heindel, and challenge our own understanding of these things, seeking instead to truly apply them in our lives. Such were the wishes of Mr. Heindel, for us to turn our theoretical knowledge into practical truths that we can then carry out into the world. It seems too many of us never quite made it past the theoretical part though. And when I say this, I’m not pointing the finger at any one person, but rather towards the RF as a whole. I know that there are good people in the organization. Heck, we’re all good despite our flaws. But as a whole, we’re pretty lacking in the putting theory into practice (and good use) department. Were it otherwise, would we lie, seek personal gain, direct ourselves harshly towards our peers, work poorly with others? “But we are children of fire, and such is our nature” is a sad excuse that many of us use to proudly excuse our behavior. 

 

If I am able to see that I have behaved poorly against my peers through such thinking and excuse-making, I do not doubt for one second that I am alone in this omission. 

 

What led me to write these things, I will talk about in the next few days. Till then, I welcome dialogue.    

 

Carlos B Dear Martin and Jim,   

 It is so inspiring what you posted, and I agree with Martin that the creative function also involves our thoughts, actions and behaviors, especially our thoughts, for thoughts are the very basis of all creation. Thinking bad thoughts is a sin against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven unless these thoughts are transformed into positive thoughts of LOVE, which is the redeemer, as Christ was our redeemer, and his greatest teaching was LOVE.

 

It is our greatest challenge to love one another as Christ loved us.

 

Jim B Dear friends… here are just some random thoughts:

 

 Life is a school and we all have lessons to learn. The people in our lives and the circumstances we face all carry lessons for us.  Why then are we surprised when we face challenges in our life?  Why do we look to the faults of others to somehow excuse our own faults? 

   

Through our Teachings we have a clear understanding of the Spiritual Laws that govern our spiritual development. The bottom-line is that we are here to build the spiritual vehicle that will enable us to take the next step in our spiritual development.  The proper use of the creative force is the KEY to developing that vehicle.  All this is easier said than done. We need to truly understand the impact of: 

 

The Cycle of Rebirth

Law of Cause and Effect

Our Dense, Vital, Desire Bodies

The Link of the Mind

The Three-fold Spirit

Awakening Consciousness

Soul Power

Forgiveness

Selfless Service

Our Golden Wedding Garment

The Mystic Marriage,  etcetera ……. 

 

We were also warned about the three sins facing us:  Pride of Intellect, Impatience, and Intolerance.  The RF has made this information available to us for over 100 years.  We are privileged to have one another – to work on ‘massing our spiritual coals’ to ignite that Spiritual Fire within us.  I also believe it is our duty to keep this information available for those who come after us.  Let’s continue to share these ideas… focusing on building our ‘Golden Wedding Garment’…  

 

Jorge B St. Paul in Galatians 5, expressed clearly what should be a standard for us:

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 ²³ meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

 ²⁴ And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.

 ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

 ²⁶ Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

These recommendations, applied here in our internet exchanges, will allow building better relationships, of real friendship and cooperation.

 

Pentecost falls on Sunday, June 12, 2011. This seed from Martin is a splendid opportunity to know more on the work and nature of the Holy Spirit, its seven Gifts.  Here is what it says in www.about.com 

 

Question: What Are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. These seven gifts help us to live a Christian life.

Answer: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (or courage), knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. You can find an in-depth discussion of each in The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.   

Carlos B Thank You friends for all these inspiring notes !

 

It is so important to read about the gifts of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost times…

It is also important to keep in mind what James stated as well,

Keep sharing…   

 

Martin B Jim, it is a good thing that you mentioned the dangers that face us all today as they did in MH’s times: pride of intellect, impatience, and intolerance. 

 

This leads me to explain why I wrote my initial message in the first place. 

 

My mother recently joined a church different from the one she had been a part of for many years. This church is a Pentecostal church, and somewhat rough around the edges in their understanding of the bible and maybe even their understanding of certain phenomena (such as illness). 

 

Still, as I am back home for the summer, I have been able to see a difference of character in my mother and her husband that go well beyond any degree of esoteric knowledge that an individual may possess. Their emphasis (the church’s and my mother’s) is not on the law of rebirth, or law of causation, or even the various worlds and the process of involution and evolution. They know nothing of astrology, the link of mind, our various bodies, the golden wedding garment, or the many other esoteric teachings found in the bible. 

 

Jesus said to us that by their fruits we shall know others. In my mother and her husband I see the fruits of the spirit: patience, love, peace, goodness, self control. But the greatest of these is peace. Such a peace I have not seen in my mother in years, or her husband, ever. And being around such an atmosphere is having its effects on me, bringing me closer to peace, despite the fact that I’ve not even been here a month! She has been with the church for maybe 6 months, tops. I have been with the Rosicrucians for over 6 years. Some of you have been with the RF for decades. Yet how many of us have attained to the fruits of the spirit? 

 

What does all this tell me? That no degree of book learning, esoteric understanding, knowledge of our bodies or astrology, no number of lectures given or heard will bring about true abiding in Christ and the holy spirit. Rather, Christ and the Holy Spirit seem to abide in those who trust. What I have been shown time and time again by the RF as it is now (a far shadow from what it may have been during Heindel’s times) is that these things, as Corinthians put it, puffeth up and make one arrogant. The solution?  Found within that same verse: Love edifies. Love builds up. Christ edifies.  

 

We have not yet learned to trust in Christ. We have gotten into the error of thought that only through merit alone can we reach Christ. We feel WE must do everything. That each of us, individually, must make our selves worthy to be able to have Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives. We read this and that book, engage in this or that practice, hold this or that position of power, and give or attend this or that lecture in hopes of making ourselves worthy of abiding in Christ. But as I said to a friend, WE DO NOTHING. All we keep doing by that is building our egos. If a drop of water from the ocean were to one day find that it is salty, it would be ridiculous for it to start claiming that this is all due to their own effort, their hard work. Rather, we know that in reality the only reason the drop contains any salt in it, to begin with, the little that it does, is because such is the nature of the ocean from where it came. With regards to this little drop, all he had to do was realize that all along he carried within himself the same essence as the ocean, its source and creator. 

 

Likewise should be with us. We are all familiar with the healing service: we know that we are advised to become vessels, to open ourselves up to a force greater than ours that this force may reach down and, if we have fitted ourselves as appropriate vessels, to flow through us. We do not create this force. Rather, it is the architect that creates it. We are only to become living channels for it. It is the same with abiding in Christ. The idea is for Christ to manifest himself through us, in spite of us, not because of us. True, we have to make ourselves fit as vessels, but this only means for us to stand aside: To stand aside, to put our own egos aside and realize that we share of the same essence as Christ, the Holy Spirit, God, our creator.  And that nothing we do or don’t do changes this.  In such a manner we allow Christ to become manifest in the world through us, not because of us. 

 

The holy man does not abide in God because he does holy things. Rather, he does holy things because he abides in God. This is something for all of us to ponder. 

 

The next few days, it might be good practice for us to start finding new, more novel ways of approaching Christ, of trusting in the Holy Spirit, of letting them in our lives so that through us their fruits may be known. We should take these summer months as an opportunity to learn, each of us in our own scope, how to better abide in Christ that we may be better fit to accept him in the winter months. I feel like all of this touches on the subject of Grace, and what its exact role is in regards to us. 

 

Let us pray that God’s Grace may be with us, in our lives and the lives of those that surround us, that we may be graced with the understanding to see this in our lives, and let us be thankful to God that he Graces us in spite of ourselves. 

 

Jim B It is the Mission of the Elder Brothers to reach those whose Minds have caused them to reject Faith by providing them with reasonable explanations to the mysteries of life.  Your mother has been given the gift of Faith… and many of us have found it through the Teaching of the RF.   As the bible says… if we understand all mysteries and have not love it means nothing…..    The goal of the Fellowship is to combine both Head and Heart… which is the Mystic Marriage.   We cannot reach that goal through pure intellectual means.  Once our Minds and Hearts are One there is nothing that can stop us.   Again… all this is easier said than done.  

 

Jorge B The human being is multidimensional, ie: he operates in the Mental Plane, the Desire World and the Physical World. Sometimes these three are coherent in his actions and the person is a great server. Also, every human being is in a specific point in the evolutionary plan and what service means is different in each level in scope and mission. Most probably Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King never studied the Cosmo; what is important is how we serve humanity wherever we are located. Perhaps for that reason it is better to practice what we know with the mind, because not doing so, we would be operating in a lifestyle far below our Pentecostal or Catholic brothers. If we serve where we are, with the good fortune of knowing the Rosicrucian teachings with the wonderful tools they provide, it is supposed that we would elevate our standard of thinking, feeling and physical action. I see the only cure for these maladies so common in us… is to meditate and act according to our RC motto…              

 

Carlos B  It is so true what Martin stated, faith and love is all that is needed, but when it comes to the healing service and acting as Invisible Helpers and undergoing the nine lesser mysteries and beyond – initiation, the Rosicrucian Teachings become a must, even the Saints will need them for further spiritual development in the service of humanity.

 

Saints are already initiates of the heart path, but there will come a time when they will need to undergo the initiations of the mind path, and so, would have become Rosicrucian Pioneers.

 

Mother Theresa was not undergoing the TRF teachings, yet she was such a typical example of a Rosicrucian Initiate, even the colors of her clothes are in harmony with the Azur and White colors which we use in our healing temple. For the already-initiated, it is not recommended that they undergo the teachings; the process continues in their inner lives of devout service. The teachings are imprinted in their seed atoms already through previous incarnations where they received the impacts of the Elder Brothers and most importantly, the touch of Christ.

 

I guess that all together are needed, faith, love, peace and TRF teachings, in preparation for harmony with the Aquarian Age.

 

Martin – Pennsylvania and Florida

Jim – San Diego

Carlos – Beirut Lebanon

Jorge – Medellin Colombia

 

Tags: Bible, grace, Holy Spirit, Rosicrucian philosophy

            Upon deeper thought, most reading this blog know that Jesus was far more than student or seeker but it is clear that there exists enormous romanticism and projection concerning the status and possible life experience of Jesus from age 12 to 30 (And even more so of Christ Jesus.) Works such as the Fifth Gospel and the mystical visionary work of Catherine Emmerich and Maria Valtorta (search web) fill in many gaps about the life of Jesus and Christ’s ministry (Though the later sources need to be read carefully with discrimination).

 All this said, what is essential is that these great Beings were both human and divine and we should attempt to form a true and accurate idea of such great Beings with the reminder that “God is Spirit” (as are these great Beings); and no form or image or astral vision can contain their true nature.

 

This is the paradox that the Fifth Gospel and careful reading of the scriptures offer: to the world Jesus and Christ appeared probably more as a normal looking man with special grace and character.
Of course inwardly the highest divinity was radiating forth from the soul. Yet both were dedicated to experiencing the full range of human experience in order to deeply understand our predicament on earth.      Jeff A.

Tags: Catherine Emmerich, Fifth Gospel, Maria Valtorta

Not To Receive More Knowledge

In my humble opinion, referring to Jesus as a probationer is like saying that we are students, and by “we” you could say, Master CRC was a student.  Of course !!!  (Of Nature… he used to read the book M). [See Rosicrucian Manifestoes]  Christ was a student (of course, of the Father´s lessons)… in a broader sense, all are students… and all who are on the road to perfection are disciples of higher principles and are probationers—proving they will succeed in the tasks at hand.

What does not make sense is to compare Jesus with a common probationer who is undertaking minor tasks compared with the enormous task of Jesus.

Something does not fit, to me, in the sources of Jeff, because for curiosity, the fifth gospel is brought forth as an essential source in the life of Jesus…. but it also could be quoted as essential evidence of Steiner’s disappointment with Max Heindel…

Anyway, Corinne Heline also has in her fourth Volume of New Age Bible Interpretation, good material, where it is stated that Jesus was ready to do the great work… and visited local leaders to announce that the time was ripe for the Coming of the Great Light… not to receive more knowledge.    Jorge

I found this discussion of Jesus and probationers and disciples interesting. But from a broader perspective (broader Rosicrucian vantage point) it is always helpful to avail oneself of all legitimate sources regarding spiritual ideas, especially in the most complex subject of Jesus and the Christ Being. Though not always comfortable to consider, there are other sources that contribute to MH investigations and teaching on the subject. Manly Hall, for example, though not an initiate per se, is an excellent source to broaden ones understanding of great spiritual figures and esoteric philosophies in history.

 

 

Edouard Schure’s, The Great Initiates, also is a good source.

The Rosicrucian Enlightenment By Frances Yates is highly regarded (history and influence in the 17th century). Ultimately, if one is going to dig deep for the truth, comparative study must be done.

One essential source is the Fifth Gospel by Rudolf Steiner where he attempts to fill in the gaps of the Gospels, and in particular the life of Jesus from age 12 to 30 and his journeys and travels to nearby regions. He did spend some time with the Essenes as an honorary member but eventually rejected their path due to their isolationism and non-involvement with the community and suffering at large.

In this lecture series, Jesus is depicted as an explorer and seeker, but not yet as a teacher. He gradually unfolds insight and experience in decadent religious practices of his time in and around Palestine. He does not come across as “a clairvoyant or initiate” at first but as a man driven to discover essential spiritual issues of the times, namely the nature of evil and its insidious impact on the people and the cultures around him. He appears to undergo a gradual awakening to his mission, culminating in the descent of the Solar Being.

It is also well established that Jesus was the great Zarathustra in a previous life and had great knowledge and wisdom within but as is the case, a full awakening to inner soul status comes gradually and not in an “enlightenment event.” Zarathustra set the stage for the coming of Christ hundreds of years earlier as Ahura Mazda, the Sun Spirit, (as Christ was gradually approaching the earth).        … Jeff A.

Tags: Edouard Schure, Frances Yates, Manly Palmer Hall, rosicrucian, Rudolf Steiner

I have a question.

Was not Jesus already a high degree initiate, raised by the Essenes, who at the baptism gave his body over to the Christ spirit who dwelt in him until the crucifixion? I ask this because here you said that Jesus was merely a probationer for the 18 years leading up to the baptism, after which he then simply became a disciple. Cosmic memory shows the many lives of Jesus leading up to the baptism. He was a great miricle worker long before this. How many probationers (or even disciples) have this capability?

Detail from Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, 1889 Heinrich Hofmann

Richard,
First, let me explain that the article you refer to, The Rosicrucian Way, was published in the Rays magazine in 1996, and it was originally authored by the late Beryl Hamilton, who was a member of The Rosicrucian Fellowship.  The article most likely was the text from a talk which she gave at the Fellowship.  The information concerning Jesus’ status as probationer or disciple was her interpretation – colored by her perceptions.   That stated, I will give some of my thoughts on the subject.

The terms “disciple” and “probationer” or their equivalent would not be consistent throughout all periods of history.  Furthermore, depending on one’s source, whether it is from a version of the Bible or from an initiate, a clairvoyant or other authoritative and highly regarded source, there will always be variations with not all “witnesses” in agreement.

It is apparent to me that evolutionary progression of a soul’s experience through successive incarnations does not necessarily follow a linear path that coincides with the soul’s development in real time.  There may be multiple reasons for this, but one reason may be because, ie: what would seem to be the obvious next step (for example, apparent progression from student to probationer to disciple) may not best serve the purpose of any given rebirth.

There may be a certain specific objective for an incarnation – possibly to provide service and the best way to serve in a certain milieu is to be unwitting and blind, possibly through a “developmental injury.”  Also, there is always the possibility of regression.  One may be an initiate, but a certain debt must yet need to be repaid.  If the final lessons to be learned by the prodigal spirit are lessons of humility, one can imagine what kinds of situations teach humility.

Therefore, it is not always evident; most of us cannot make a surface assessment and discern who is (or was?) a disciple or an initiate.

Witnesses at all levels err.  We see creation “through a glass darkly.”  Some see more clearly than others, but one must rely on his own powers of observation and his own discrimination as it suits his own purpose – acting according to what he sees, evaluating the results, and modifying future actions accordingly.

Regarding seership, when asked how to best develop the ability to recognize truth, Heindel said that by faithfully performing the evening exercise:  forming impartial judgment of oneself night after night, one learns to discern truth from error in a degree not attainable in any other way.   …… It develops an inner faculty and no matter what statement is made to you, once you have developed this, you will know at once whether it rings true or the reverse. [Letters to Students, p 99]

To learn about what and how another individual “sees” helps us to learn about ourselves, but it is through our own direct experiences that we learn best.  Like you, my guess is that Jesus had achieved a very high state through his progression “from clod to God.”  In order to receive The Christ with its extremely high vibration, he must have attained a very high degree of purity in all of his vehicles and have had an impeccable character.  Does it not make sense, however, that even a precocious child grows and matures into adulthood with many of the same trials as lesser children, trials which take a certain amount of time?  As far as I know, to some extent we are all born blind.

It’s very difficult to compare Jesus to so-called probationers and disciples of today.  Disciples and initiates do not identify themselves as such and do not laud their own achievements, so it’s impossible to know who they are among us – how many are guiding us, either in or out of the Fellowship.  According to Heindel, we can identify them by their fruits.  If you do a keyword search of the Heindel complete works, (which I highly recommend—the CD is available from the Fellowship) you will note that Heindel gives interesting facts about these various classifications in many passages throughout his writings.  …ER

Christ Crowned With Thorns - 1500 - Sandro Botticelli Bergamo

Tags: Christ, disciple, Jesus, probationer

Discord!, composed by Samuel Webbe for the newly-formed London Glee Club in about 1787:  It’s first movement is based on a passage from Iliad, but the second verse, it is thought, he composed himself.

Discord!

Discord! Dire sister of the slaughtering power,

Small at her birth, but rising every hour,

While scarce the skies her horrid head can bound,

She stalks on earth, and shakes the world around.

But lovely Peace in angel form

Descending quells the rising storm.

Soft ease and sweet content shall reign

And Discord never rise again.

About 300 years earlier, at age 24, Michelangelo created the Pieta, and by accepting not the Virgin’s grief but her acceptance of fate, sought to stir the beholder to philosophic reflection.  “If life pleases us,” he once wrote, “death, being made by the hands of the same creator, should not displease us.” 

He turned the nude figure of Christ into the very quintessence of man—a figure in which there was no need, as he put it, “to make the human disappear behind the divine.”

Michelangelo, persuing what he called “the heart’s image,” disregarded conventional reality and substituted for it a set of strange and compelling paradoxes that build into a super-reality.  The Christ, though dead, is still alive, His veins distended by the pulse of life, His body limp with sleep, His torso flowing into the mold of his mother’s arm and lap.  The Virgin, traditionally represented as a woman disfigured by grief, is here much younger than her Son—the personification of “perpetual purity.”

And while the Christ is life-sized, in keeping with Michelangelo’s obligation to provide a figure as big as a well-proportioned man, the Virgin is bigger than life.  Were she to stand, she would be seven feet tall.  And yet her head is the same size as Christ’s.  One of the wonders of the Pieta is that aberrant proportions like these in no way disturb the viewer.

A work of deep Christian piety, the Pieta also expresses Michelangelo’s Neoplatonic belief that physical beauty is the manifestation of a noble spirit.  To critics who carped at the youthfulness of his Virgin, the sculptor had a ready reply—“Do you know that chaste women maintain their freshness longer than those who are not?”

[Illustration by Wikipedia.  The World of Michelangelo 1475-1564 The Time/Life Library of Art]

Tags: Easter, Michelangelo, pieta

Is there any way to describe, to one who has never experienced it, the unique pleasure, the profound joy of singing in a choir?  Eric Whitacre felt an unexpected euphoria and carried his experience to a new height, creating his virtual choir, comprised of singers around the world, each alone but not lonely, singing music that he composed.   Click on the angels below to see the video and to hear Eric’s angels in a virtual choir.  [poster print from barewalls.com]

Tags: Eric Whitacre, esoteric knowledge, virtual round-the-world choir, W