AGNI YOGA WEB TV
SERIES
EXPERIMENT
IMMORTALITY
BROADCASTING
1
Immortality – Mankind’s age-old Dream comes true
Dear fellow
man!
are
you ready to give me your attention for a moment?
Then I will show you how you can attain immortality.
Since human
beings exist, they are afraid of death
Since human
beings exist, they are dreaming of immortality
The time is
ripe to overcome this fear
and to
realize this dream!
(Cézanne
"Three Skulls"; de Morgan "The Angel of Death", Nicholas
Roerich "Star of the Hero")
Nothing in
the world is so powerful as an idea whose time has come. (Victor Hugo)
I invite you
to take part in a project that will take you personally and humanity as a whole
a giant step forward: in the Experiment Immortality!
The spectator
interjects: "Incredible, an impossible undertaking!"
No! The first
immortals are already living among us. All you have to do is to imitate them
and go the same path they are walking ahead of us.
Nicholas Roerich "Glory of the Himalayas"
What is your
most fatal illusion? What causes you the severest suffering?
This terrible
"memento mori": "Remember that you must die"; the delusion
that your existence will be completely extinguished in just a few years from
now. (Dürer "St.
Jerome")
A great,
strong, optimistic, active spirit rebels – quite rightly! - against this
terrible idea. He still has so much to accomplish. He feels that there is much
more in him than he can unearth and develop in this short time.
He cannot and
will not believe that his possibilities should be so limited.
The conviction
of our continuity I derive from the concept of activity. For if I continue to
work restlessly until my end, nature is obliged to allocate to me another form
of existence, if the present one is unable to endure my spirit any longer.
(Goethe to Eckermann, February 4, 1829)
What makes
you small and weak?
The fear of
death! (Dürer "Death")
What makes
you great and strong?
The awareness
of your immortality! (Nicholas
Roerich "Higher than Mountains")
What expands
your possibilities immeasurably?
Eternal life!
If you had a
wish for free: What is the most beautiful gift you can dream of?
Imperishability!
That will be
a real improvement of your life!
What is the greatest
happiness, the most precious wealth, the true greatness and the highest goal
you can achieve? Immortality!
*****
The ancient
Greeks called their gods "the immortals". What a gigantic progress
will it be if we humans as well now set about to acquire this divine property!
As immortals we are imperishable, indestructible, invulnerable and invincible –
and thus far superior to the old mortal man.
Come on, let
us unearth this treasure that lies dormant within us!
"Aha,"
you think, "a miracle healer trying to talk us
into his little remedies that are supposed to prolong life."
No, wrong
guess. Immortality of the body is impossible.
Everything
material must decay.
There is no
getting around this fundamental law of nature.
Moreover: No
one can seriously wish for the immortality of his frail body, which becomes
more and more defective with age. In fact, the older we get, the
happier we are to get rid of this wreck soon.
Finally, your
existence in the Higher World after death is of the utmost importance for your
further development.
"Then I
don't know what you are talking about. How can I become immortal if it is
impossible to prolong life?"
Because you
are still clinging to the old thinking and have in mind the immortality of the
body only.
"I
understand even less. What else is there to become immortal?"
2. Transformation into a Being of Spirit
There is only
one way to attain immortality:
You transform
into a being that is non-material and thus not bound by the limitations of
matter, time and space.
"That
sounds fantastic. Such a being of spirit doesn't even exist!"
Yes, it does.
You know it. It already lives – and within you yourself!
I am
referring to your soul.
It is not
material, not visible and not tangible. It continues to live after the death of
your body. It is immortal
We are
already taking the first step on the path to immortality. It consists in the
realisation:
I have a
soul.
To take this
step, you have to expand your consciousness:
A small,
narrow consciousness only recognises what is material, visible and tangible:
the body.
A broad
consciousness grasps the whole reality, namely also its non-material,
non-visible and non-tangible aspects: for example the soul.
You become
aware:
"Man",
taken as a whole, is hybrid like a centaur (a creature half human, half horse):
he consists of two parts: of a physical body and of a non-material soul. (Veronese "Centaur")
However, this
symbiosis ends with the death of the body, after which only the spiritual part
lives on.
The key to
immortality and the only prerequisite for our experiment is the realization of
the immortal soul.
*****
One or the
other might object:
“But I don't
believe in the soul and its immortality.”
Well, that is
another story, which we will talk about in detail in one of the following
Broadcastings. First, let me just say:
All peoples
of all times, all religions and teachings of wisdom knew the immortality of the
soul.
Not one
single culture has ever believed that our existence ends completely with death.
You must admit:
Such a universal knowledge is a solid basis for our experiment.
Are you a
devout Christian, Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist? Then you know about life
everlasting! Then, after all, you cannot be a mortal!
*****
However, it
is of no use if you just parrot dogmas that others have set up. You must
experience for yourself that you have a soul. Therefore, we will show you:
You can feel
the existence of your soul:
Of your
higher, spiritual Self, which, according to its nature, strives for higher
purposes, is not satisfied with anything achieved and always wants to ascend
further.
*****
It is sad to
see how today’s man makes himself small and limits his possibilities by denying
the invisible reality.
4. I am a Soul
William Blake "The Soul”
From the first
follows logically and necessarily the second step to immortality:
If man has a
twofold nature and consists of a mortal body and an immortal soul, it follows:
You have a
choice between two forms of life.
One will be dead
in 20 or 50 years from now on, the other will continue to live afterwards.
Which of these two beings do you want to regard as your Self? Are you a body or
are you a soul? Are you that what you see in the mirror, or perhaps something
completely different?
*****
You are not
going to be foolish enough to choose the body!? A creature that will soon cease
to exist!? Whereas you have the much better possibility of regarding yourself
as the soul which lives eternally!
Of course,
you will choose the soul.
For that what
is imperishable is surely greater, more beautiful and more real than that what
perishes. Compared to your spirit being, which is wandering in eternity through
infinite spaces and times, your body, which lives on earth for a few dozen
years only, is quite insignificant.
*****
So far you
have backed the wrong horse: You have identified with the material, mortal
aspect of your being. Now you realise your mistake: your spiritual, immortal
part is much more important!
Your Eternal
Individuality offers you many more possibilities!
You cannot
avoid drawing the conclusion: Your body is a reality of secondary importance.
Your true
Self is your soul! (William
Blake "The Soul")
*****
Thus, you now
make a conscious choice. You draw the obvious, the only reasonable, the
necessary consequence from the realisation of your spiritual being and say:
"I am a
soul."
This transformation
takes place in your mind alone, in your consciousness. You are only one
thought-step away from immortality.
*****
This step is
the foundation from which everything else follows. It brings about a true
revolution: Man forms a much greater, more beautiful and more dignified picture
of himself!
You are a
being of spirit. You are non-material. You are invisible!
*****
The secret of
immortality is of the utmost simplicity. We can sum it up in one single
sentence:
The old,
mortal man thinks: "I am a body. I also have a soul, but I can't really do
anything with it."
The new,
immortal man is wiser and realizes:
I am a soul.
It is true, I
have a body, too. But it matters little, since it will soon pass away.
So
to know the real do not think you have a soul, but the soul has you. (Teachings
of the Temple Vol. II, Lesson “Life and Death”)
*****
In actual
fact, we could end our conversation here: The goal has been reached, the
promise is fulfilled, for:
If you are a soul,
you are immortal!
You just did
not know about your greatness, your happiness and your dignity until today.
"No,
please let’s go on talking. All this is so new to me. I still have so many
questions! First of all, if I am a soul, what role then does my body
play?"
5. The Body as the Tool of the Soul
The immortal
sees reality with different eyes and realizes:
The body is
the tool of the soul.
Your Eternal
Individuality, as a non-material being of spirit, cannot appear and work on the
physical plane at all without such a vehicle.
Just as a
deep-sea diver can only descend to the bottom of the sea in a solid diving
suit.
See through
the illusion of matter! Your true Self is not the outwardly visible shell (the
diving suit), but the being that lives invisible from the outside hidden in the
shell: the diver – your soul!
The monks
regard the body as their little friend and companion and lovingly call it
"brother donkey". In this way they aptly express its serving
function. But you are not the donkey – you are the rider!
The body is
like a marionette that has to play a role. It is led back and forth on the
stage of earthly life by the will of an invisible player. You are the player,
not the puppet!
*****
We shall
discuss in more detail in a moment: The Eternal Individuality employs in the
course of its everlasting life not just one, but many physical bodies. When one
has become unusable, the soul will soon be equipped with a new, young and
beautiful one. Therefore, the fate of your present body is of little concern.
*****
"How
shall I treat the physical part of my being?"
Of course,
the man of the future maintains his body as a suitable tool by a little training.
More attention, however, is not worthwhile for a thing that will soon fall to
pieces.
Is it not
downright ridiculous for the master to pamper and adorn his donkey instead of
sprucing himself up? It is far more important that you nurture, heal, exercise
and render great and strong your true, imperishable Self.
If you get
into the habit of thinking like this – then your transformation into an
immortal is already on the way.
"That is
not enough for me. Just because I think – or fancy –I am a soul does not mean
that I am in reality immortal!?"
Yes, indeed,
we have only just completed the first stage of our journey. From here we have to go further.
Chapter II: Immortal Man
Before we
continue the path of transformation into a spirit being, let us first consider
the goal we want to achieve: immortal man – the man of the future!
What does he
look like? How do you recognise him when you meet him? What are his superior
qualities?
1. Immortality divine science
Science
fiction movies show the man of the future chasing through space in spaceships
brandishing weapons like a cowboy.
However, such
ideas lack imagination and only apply outdated thinking patterns from the past
to the future. Thereby we do not develop a vision of a better world and a
better life.
The man of
the year 3000 or 4000 will not only possess a higher technology.
He
himself will have reached a higher level!
He will be
greater, more beautiful, stronger and more dignified than we humans of today’s
time.
People tell
you: Progress is achieved when your house, your car, your bank account or your
library grows bigger.
But it is
even better if you yourself become greater!
"How can
this happen?"
By attaining
immortality!
The man of
the future is immortal.
That is what
makes him great.
The universe
is infinite. Therefore, man as well can have no end.
Immortal
man—is this idea not worthy of the future? (Agni Yoga)
Man should believe in immortality, he has a right to do so, it is in
accordance with his nature. (Goethe to Eckermann, 04.02.1829)
What a
wonderful liberation and elevation:
The terrible,
paralysing fear of the end of life fades away! (Tiepolo "Memento mori”)
Now, you are
looking forward to your death, because then you will go over to a better,
higher world!
The race of the
future is so strong because it has overcome death.
A new life in
the spirit of immortality is the way out of the misery of the time, the
foundation upon which we may completely transform both ourselves as well as
human society as a whole.
2. Life everlasting
The man of
the future lives eternally.
You are much
greater than you think!
The old,
mortal man is small and limited like a mayfly, laughing incredulously at the
concept of "tomorrow".
The new,
immortal man is a Cosmic Giant.
He already
lived when this earth did not even exist. He will still live on when this
insignificant chunk of matter has long decayed.
The
transformation into an immortal increases the greatness of man immeasurably!
Eternity
opens up before you!
Can you even
imagine what that means in practical terms? Above all two things:
First:
Your possibilities to grow expand immeasurably!
A person living
eternally has an infinite amount of time at his disposal. You may use it for a
development, for an ascent which knows no bounds.
If you grow
eternally; if over centuries, millennia and millions of years you become just a
little bit greater every day: Then you can reach heights which are unimaginable
today.
Secondly:
Your possibilities to achieve something in this world
expand immeasurably!
A person
living eternally has an infinite amount of time at his disposal. You may use it
to pursue your projects without restrictions. There is still so much to do. You
still have so many plans! There are no limits any more to your creative power.
If you work
eternally; if you strive persistently; if over centuries, millennia and
millions of years you add just one small stone to the New Construction every
day: Then success must come as soon as the time and you yourself are ripe for
it.
The old man
comes up against the illusory limit of death, which he has set for himself in
his ignorance. Thereby, he deprives himself of the best possibilities. The New
Man transcends this barrier.
The eternal
existence of man is the starting point from which we can get rid of all our
outdated thinking, unhinge the whole old world, and overcome ignorance,
imperfection, need and suffering, poverty and unemployment.
3. Imperishability, Indestructibility, Invulnerability, Invincibility
As an
immortal being living eternally, the man of the future is imperishable and
indestructible.
That is what
makes your superiority!
There is no
death!
Your life not
only has no natural end. It cannot be terminated violently or otherwise either.
To put it drastically: Even if your head is cut off or your body starved to
death – your real Self lives on.
The life of your
soul goes on forever.
There is only
one true consolation for the sick, the dying and their relatives: The true
Self, the soul, is not affected by the transition at all. It only changes its
whereabouts. (Picasso "Weeping Woman")
*****
Immortal man is
like a god: indestructible, he is invulnerable. Invulnerable he is invincible!
No power in
the world can do you any harm!
All attacks
against the health or the integrity of your body miss their target: they cannot
hit your real, spiritual Self at all.
4. Fearlessness
The man of
the future is completely free from fear.
As an
immortal, invulnerable being you need not be afraid of anything or anyone.
The fears of
man are numerous: You fear the loss of health, of life, of relatives, of your
job, of your possessions and of many other things. By transforming into a soul,
you overcome this weakness:
As a
spiritual being you do not need all these things.
Not even
death can frighten you: Your soul lives on and is as little affected by the end
of the body as the rider by the death of his donkey.
Exploit this
asset! Do not let this wonderful treasure go unused! The first application will
be: You acquire complete fearlessness!
*****
Fear
is the main cause for the weakness of today’s man.
On
what is the power of dictators and other oppressors based? On fear!
When
fear ends, submission ends!
The
race of the future is so strong because it has conquered death and with it
fear.
5. Freedom
The
man of the future is completely free.
As
long as you regard yourself as mortal, you are corruptible: You have to make
all kinds of compromises when you are threatened and your transient personality
fears for its existence.
Fearing
for his life or that of his family, the old man becomes a follower of even the
most unscrupulous endeavours and does things for which he must be ashamed.
*****
On
the other hand, as an immortal you can pursue your higher goals in all
circumstances.
You
attain complete freedom of action.
You
become entirely independent. At last, you can do without undue consideration
only that what you have recognised as good and right!
As
long as man fears death, he is a slave. He who does not fear it masters
everything. (Tolstoy "War and Peace")
If
necessary, you can seal the struggle for your ideals with the death (of the
body) – your true existence (the life of your Higher Self) is not endangered
thereby.
*****
Listen
how unworthily the old, mortal man is manoeuvering:
First
comes food and then morality. (Bert Brecht "The Threepenny
Opera")
What
a wretched sentence! It deprives man of his dignity and throws him back to the
level of the animals. It actually suspends morality – right then when things
are getting serious. But principles that only apply in good weather are
worthless.
The
New Man throws his imperishability on the balance. If you play this trump card,
you are able to unwaveringly and freely lead a life according to the highest
ethical principles.
The
race of the future is so strong because it has overcome fear and thus won
freedom.
6. Dignity
The
man of the future is full of high dignity.
"Why
is the old man so undignified?"
Because
he feels compelled to suppress the voice of his Higher Self just to maintain the
miserable life of his lower, physical nature.
But
your dignity does not lie in your body, which is always inferior to the
physical strength and great number of the others. It can be humiliated,
damaged, crucified and destroyed.
Only
as immortal beings are we able to accomplish our mission proudly and with
dignity.
*****
Everyone
can live with dignity, even in the most terrible circumstances.
Your
personal dignity must not depend on the ever-changing external circumstances,
on whether you are well or bad off, or living in poverty or wealth.
The
race of the future gains a whole new dignity: it fearlessly and freely does
only that what its Higher Self wants it to do, without regard to the earthly
consequences. Its mantram is:
I
reveal the Divine only!
7. Vitality
The
man of the future is full of vitality.
"Where
does he get this power from?"
The
immortal sets about strengthening his soul.
He
uses his spiritual forces, which are much more powerful than the physical ones.
A great, strong soul can cope with all problems.
8. Joy of Being
Nicholas Roerich "Krishna"
The
man of the future is always full of joy of being.
Immortality
is a source of eternal joy! (Nicholas Roerich
"Krishna")
For
a creature living eternally, earthly adversities acquire a whole new meaning:
it wants to become greater and realises:
In
truth, the difficulties and hardships of everyday life offer the best
opportunity to grow.
If
it were not for these steps, you would not be able to ascend at all. (Spanish Steps, Rome)
*****
An
immortal has mastered a great art:
He
transforms suffering into joy!
Pain
is not imposed by fate. It has a function! It alerts the body to weak spots or
wrong behaviour.
When
I keep banging my head against the wall, the body signals me through pain that
I am going to harm it if I continue like this.
Actually,
you have to be grateful for this reminder. It is exactly the same with
suffering:
Like
pain to the body, suffering indicates to the soul where it is still weak or
behaving wrongly.
For
this, too, the traveller on the spiritual path can only be grateful. These
signals alone enable him to remedy weak points, to correct wrong behaviour and
to further develop his Eternal Individuality. Once this has been achieved, the
suffering will come to an end.
"Why?"
Because
then it no longer serves any function!
A
great, strong soul knows no suffering – just as a healthy body does not hurt. (Michelangelo "David")
9. No earthly Worries
An
immortal knows no earthly worries.
As
a being of spirit, he does not require any material food, clothing or shelter,
neither for his survival nor for his well-being.
To
the soul, the concern for the preservation of its tool is of little importance,
because sooner or later it will pass away anyway, and then a new one will be
received.
10. Selflessness
Let
us now address the last property, which is most important for shaping the
future:
The
New immortal Man is completely selfless.
When
you have become a soul, you will place little value on material goods: You will
have to give them up anyway when the body dies. They do not help you on your
infinite Spiritual Path towards ever further perfection. Worrying about their
preservation and defence rather hinders your progress.
Souls
live simply, modestly and undemanding, an attitude which reflects the dignity
of man much better than the present wastefulness. They do not participate in
the mad pursuit of possessions power, and satisfaction of the desires of the
body.
Your
Higher Self shuns material pleasures: They cannot satisfy a spiritual being and
only weaken its power.
*****
The
mortals around us smash each other's heads in order to grab for themselves as
much as possible of that what nature provides for all mankind and what all of
us have produced together.
We
immortals compete to make do with as little as possible!
For
a creature that cannot die at all, the much talked of struggle
for existence is a meaningless concept. It would never harm another soul
because of some insignificant physical needs. Thereby, it would only harm
itself – its Higher Self.
11. The Law of Sacrifice
Grünewald Altar of Isenheim
"Crucifixion”
To
the old, mortal physical man, the law of the jungle applies: the stronger one
robs or eats up the weaker one and becomes even stronger thereby.
The
New immortal Man lives by the Law of Sacrifice! (Tintoretto "Crucifixion of Christ")
In
the rare case that there is really not enough for everyone to survive – that
is: for all bodies! – we immortals willingly step back in favour of our fellow
men.
A
long earthly life is not a value in itself. In the face of infinity, it is of
no importance whether a single life of the body lasts a little shorter or
longer. What are 10, 50 or even 100 years for a creature that lives forever? No
more than the blinking of an eye!
For
your Higher Self it is better to live short and right than long and wrong on
earth!
A
soul loses nothing, but grows, when it sacrifices its body – which will soon
vanish anyway.
*****
Your higher
nature is actually thirsting to give itself completely in the service of a
great work. The law of sacrifice runs as follows:
Your soul
grows greater when it gives, not when it takes!
"I don't
understand that. How can one become greater when one loses something?"
To beings of
spirit, different standards apply:
Those who
sacrifice their lives for a good cause are certainly greater in a spiritual
sense than the oppressors.
That is why
all teachings of wisdom agree: True happiness consists not in having, but in
giving! (David
"Selflessness")
Thus, Jesus
teaches:
It is more
blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20, 35)
12. Selflessness as Basis of the World of the Future
The lack of needs
of the New Man is the basis for building the world of the future, a higher
culture without greed, violence, need, poverty and unemployment.
The New World
arises by itself as soon as the New Man appears.
The scourges
of the present time that make life on this wonderful planet a hell for us, are:
Selfishness, the pursuit of money, power and pleasure, the struggle of everyone
against everyone. If you think deeper, you will find:
The cause of
almost all evils is man's selfishness.
Poverty was not created by God. We have produced it, I and you, with our
egotism.
If we want to
build a better world, we have to overcome this selfishness and at least to
educate our children to become men of spirit.
We immortals are eager to contribute to the common pot more than we
take out of it for ourselves. We are ready to share fairly with our fellow men
both the necessary work and the proceeds resulting therefrom. This is what
matters! This is how we eliminate both poverty and unemployment.
Chapter III: The Potential of the Overman
Invulnerable,
fearless, free, dignified, powerful and joyful, free from worries and selfless,
the new immortal is far superior to the old mortal man.
Of that you
may be really proud. But not because you are greater than others, but because
you are greater than you yourself a few days or a few years ago.
1. The next evolutionary Step
In scientific
language we may say: We have come a long way from prehistoric man to the
present day, from Homo erectus and Homo habilis via the Neanderthal man up to
Homo sapiens.
This
development, of course, will continue! Why should it stop?
"Where
is this development going?"
To a new
stage of evolution!
You know the
proud words of Nietzsche:
I teach you
the overman. Man is something that must be overcome. What have you done to
overcome him?
What is the
ape to man? A laughingstock or a painful embarrassment. And that is precisely
what man shall be to the overman: a laughingstock or a painful embarrassment.
You have made
your way from worm to man and much in you is still worm. Once you were apes,
and even now man is still more ape than any ape.
The overman
is the meaning of the earth.
Man is a rope fastened
between animal and overman. What is great about man is that he is a bridge and
not a purpose: what is lovable about man is that he is a crossing over and a
going under.
I love those
who do not know how to live unless by going under, for they are the ones who
are crossing over.
I love the
one who lives in order to know, and who wants to know so that one day the
overman may live. (“Thus Spoke Zarathustra”) (Monet "Water Lilies"; Hans Olde “Friedrich
Nietzsche”)
This is more
than an intellectual fantasy! You feel:
Things cannot
possibly go on as they are! A new era of human development is imminent.
But you are
unable to find the access. You sense that a great being is hidden within you,
but you do not know how to bring it to light.
Nietzsche was
only dreaming.
We want to
put this prophecy into practice and make the Overman a reality!
Let us set out
to leave the old man behind and climb the next stage of evolution. We call it:
Homo
immortalis: immortal man.
To attain
immortality is the greatest step in the development of mankind since our
elevation from four to two legs.
The new Homo
immortalis stands as high above the old Homo sapiens as a biped above the
quadrupeds.
We are
talking about an undertaking of world-historical significance:
Man rises to
a higher level, to his true greatness!
2. Unearthing, developing and using our Potential
A new step in
development is ahead of us. This means:
Within each
of us there is a gigantic potential.
You are
already fully equipped for an evolution that will last an eternity. The
potential for this progress without limits already lies within you and is only
waiting to be developed. You have not yet exploited even nearly your dormant
possibilities.
Achieving
invulnerability, fearlessness, freedom, dignity, power and joy of being is only
the very first, small step on this infinite path.
If you
develop your potential, you can climb heights unimaginable today.
*****
"In
which direction does this development go?"
Towards
spirituality!
The possibilities
of the body are largely exhausted. The immortal man begins to use the powers of
his spirit.
Thus he can
attain the seemingly supernatural higher skills which Jesus and many saints,
according to reliable reports, already possessed.
The man of
the future replaces technical apparatuses with the abilities of his own
organism: Instead of watching television he will use clairvoyance, instead of
telephoning he will transmit thoughts, instead of using muscle power he will
move objects with mental power, and so on.
*****
Every
immortal who progresses in eternity and rises higher and higher can become a
Mozart, Gandhi or Napoleon, and even a Jesus or a Buddha.
There are
possibilities within you that will lead you far beyond the human being of today’s
time.
It is your
destiny to become a ruler over planets, solar systems, Milky Ways, Cosmoses and
Universes.
"That is
quite lofty and for me hardly imaginable."
"Yes,
just as it is difficult to conceive that it is the destiny of a tiny chestnut
to grow into a huge tree."
But the germ
of such a Cosmic Giant is already planted within you.
Man is on the
path to God!
This proud idea
all of a sudden comes within the scope of what we can practically aspire to in
our everyday life.
On the ladder
of this infinite ascent, a single earthly life can only be a tiny rung, which
must be followed by many more. (Michael
Lukas Leopold Willmann "The Angel's Ladder")
Do you want
to unearth, develop and use your potential?
Don't you
yearn to grow greater?
Then follow
the ancient sages who advise:
Become who
you are!
Moreover, we
must realise:
A potential
is always also a mission!
If you do not
use it, you miss your mission.
It is the
very purpose of your life on earth to unfold the possibilities that lie within
you!
*****
"I have
come to learn to become immortal, imperishable, fearless and free. I want to
grow. I want to unearth the potential dormant within me, reach the next stage
of evolution and become a man of the future."
Then I will
now show you the way, step by step.
Chapter IV. Transformation into a Being of
Spirit
I invite you to
take part in an experiment of universal significance, which opens up infinity
to us human beings.
In a real
metamorphosis you transform from a physical to a non-material creature. (Maria-Luise Bodirsky "Metamorphosis")
We experience
the birth of a new being living eternally: a spirit-man, the over-man, a cosmic
giant, who lives with his body on earth and with his soul in Heaven! (Nicholas Roerich "Higher than Mountains";
Richard Strauss "Also sprach Zarathustra")
1. Metamorphosis
To show this
metamorphosis more vividly, let us look at three examples:
You transform
like a caterpillar which turns into a butterfly.
Like the
butterfly in the caterpillar, the soul into which you are to transform, is
already existent and implanted within yourself. It is just still small and weak
and hidden deep inside you. You must let it grow out of there.
When Eric
Carle, the creator of the famous children's book “The very hungry Caterpillar”,
was asked how he explained the huge, worldwide success of his book, he replied
something like this: Everyone feels that a much greater, stronger and more
beautiful being is hidden within him, and is happy when he succeeds to express
it.
You too are filled
with the longing to help the higher, the more beautiful, the better part of
your being to break through.
*****
In the
novella " The Metamorphosis", Franz Kafka describes the
transformation of the harmless salesman Gregor Samsa into a kind of beetle. Let
us listen to the first sentences:
"As
Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed
in his bed into a monstrous insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were
armour-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little, he could see his
domelike brown belly, divided into stiff arched segments, on top of which the
bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely.
His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk,
waved helplessly before his eyes."
"Why are
you telling me this creepy story?"
To make it
clear that you too are changing completely: The old Adam dies and a new being is
born. May you wake up tomorrow morning not as a hideous monster, but as a
great, beautiful and strong man of spirit.
*****
The movie
"Avatar" depicts how the consciousness of paraplegic US Marine Jake
Sully is transferred into an alien body. In this vehicle he feels reborn and
can suddenly walk again.
Similarly,
after the transformation, you find yourself in the shape of a spirit being: In
a new form of life which offers you much greater possibilities than the old
one, your body.
*****
The butterfly,
Gregor Samsa and Jake Sully look down at themselves in amazement and realise:
That is me. This is what I look like now.
You now
perceive your Higher Self – however, not in the mirror, but before your
spiritual eyes – and realise: This is me, this is what I look like now.
*****
In the case
of the chestnut, the butterfly and with Kafka, the metamorphosis takes place
overnight, by itself and unconsciously, in the movie Avatar through technical
means. With you it is different:
You yourself
bring about the transformation through your own spiritual power.
The new man
will not be born. Your cooperation is required to bring him to life. Without
our active collaboration it is impossible for mankind to reach the next stage
of evolution.
The immortal
man is a work of art that you create yourself like a sculptor from the material
of your Eternal Individuality!
We intend to describe
this process in summary form in this introduction. The details will be
discussed in the subsequent Broadcastings.
We have
already talked about the first two steps: "I have a soul" and "I
am a soul". Now we shall progress further on the path to immortality.
2. Change your Identity
First you
change your identity: Up to today, you were a material, now you are a spiritual
being.
You are no
longer the body you look at in the mirror. (Manet "Woman in front of the mirror").
You are the
soul that you cannot see, but whose existence inside you you feel with
certainty.
*****
To render
this change of identity conspicuous, you should give the being that you wish to
be in the future its own name.
A new
identity requires a new name.
Until now you
were called Mary Smith or James Baker. These
names, however, refer to your old, transient personality, which will no longer
be in existence in just a few years.
Call your new
ego, which lives forever, for example “Anima”. You now identify with Anima, no
longer with Mary Smith or James Baker.
3. Transfer your Consciousness into your Soul
To continue
the transformation, you drag your consciousness out of your body and transfer
it into your soul.
Just like Jake
Sully's consciousness is moved into the alien body.
Now, your ego
is no longer the body, but the soul. When you think or speak of yourself, from
now on you mean Anima.
*****
Imagine your
being of spirit somewhat larger than your physical body. Your consciousness is
now dwelling outside, above your body. (Dubach "The Initiate")
Your
consciousness ascends. It moves, so to speak, from a lower, the material, to a
higher, the spiritual level.
This is like
at a near-death experience, when the patient from above, from the ceiling of
the room watches his body lying on the operating table below.
You look at
the world with completely different eyes, namely with your spiritual senses,
with the eyes of the soul.
From up there
you look at what is happening down on earth, at your fellow men and also at you
yourself – at your transient personality. (Caspar
David Friedrich "Wanderer over the Sea of Fog")
You take a
higher standpoint. (Nicholas Roerich
"Tsong kha-pa")
You view the
transient things sub specie aeternitatis, as the ancient Romans so beautifully
said: from the point of view of eternity.
From up
there, Anima directs the four expressions of your transient personality (your
thoughts, feelings, words and deeds), just as a charioteer steers his four
steeds.
*****
This
consciousness of Self is the indispensable basis for the further development of
your soul: It must recognise itself as an individual being of its own,
different from all others.
Just as a
baby that lived in the womb in symbiosis with its mother must recognise after
birth that it is a separate being independent from her.
A creature
which is not aware of itself, such as an animal, cannot consciously advance its
own development either.
4. Bring your Soul to Life shaft
“The
transformation into a spiritual being reaches the limits of my imagination. How
can I become a creature that is non-material and invisible?”
Well, instead
of saying: You create a new being, we may also put it differently:
You bring to
life a creature that already exists, but is slumbering deep inside you: Anima,
your soul.
This being
exists. It is just invisible, there is nothing to be done about that.
Just as the
personality Jake Sully is present in the body of the alien and is his true
self, even if you cannot see it.
*****
It is not so
difficult at all to lead your Eternal Self out of the depths in which it is
stuck.
For we are
not talking about some alien being, but about your own individual soul,
different from all others. Anima is alive since time immemorial! You only have
to become aware of its existence and allow it to begin to lead its life.
A baby
becomes aware of itself and awakens to its life when it discovers its body and
realises what it can do with it.
A soul
becomes aware of itself and awakens to its life as soon as it perceives itself
and realises that it has spiritual senses and spiritual powers that it can use.
5. Lead the Life of the Soul
"So far
we have only talked about a change in my consciousness. That is not enough!
Just because I think, or fancy, that I am a soul, I am not yet a being of
spirit in reality. Just as I am not Napoleon just because I think or fancy I am
Napoleon!?"
Yes, you are
right. You have to actually transform; like the caterpillar into a butterfly
which learns to fly, what the caterpillar is not capable to do.
At the moment
your soul merely exists, but it is not yet alive.
"I don't
understand. What is the difference between existing and living?"
Well, a
creature that is in a sleep-like state, is locked up in the prison of the body,
does not express itself and is not recognizable from the outside; has no will
of its own or at any rate does not assert it, neither appears nor acts on earth
and neither develops nor uses its abilities: Such a being, after all, is merely
vegetating and not really living.
This is how
your soul is doing! Its life is completely suppressed or superseded by your
body.
"What
can I do to free my soul and open the way to its life?”
The crucial
question! This brings us to the central point of "Experiment
Immortality":
If you want
to become a soul, you must learn to lead the life of your soul!
The life of
the rider, not that of the tool, the donkey, which you have led until today!
The life of
the soul alone is worth living. (Tolstoy "Anna Karenina", Part 8
Chapter XIII)
The life of
your Eternal Individuality is very different from that of your transient
personality.
Anima has
much greater possibilities and strives for quite different goals!
"What
does it mean in concrete terms to lead the life of my soul?"
Two things:
Firstly:
If you want to be a soul, you must also express this new form of life and let
it appear on the stage of the earthly world.
"What do
you mean by 'appear'?"
You learn to
think, feel, speak and act as your being of spirit wills.
Anima thinks,
feels, speaks and acts, no longer Mary Smith or James Baker.
You are what
you think! (Buddha)
If you think,
feel, speak and act like Napoleon, you are like Napoleon. (David "Napoleon")
Secondly: Your soul lives truly only if it uses its
possibilities, if it develops the qualities and abilities that a spiritual
being has and which are already existing in the bud.
You no longer
have to strengthen the donkey, because it is already fully grown, but the
rider, who is still small and weak!
If you have
the qualities and abilities of Napoleon, you are a Napoleon. (Ingres "Napoleon")
We shall now
be talking about these two aspects of the life of your soul in more detail.
6. Let the Soul think, feel, speak and act
Let us look
at some examples of the thinking and acting of a being of spirit:
*****
As long as
you are still a mortal, you think: "I say or do this or that" or
"I go here or there". But that is wrong, because on the material
plane you – your real Self, Anima – as a spiritual being does not say or do
anything and does not go anywhere.
So learn to
think like an immortal. That goes like this: "I – namely the soul – in
order to fulfil my mission, impel my earthly tool, the body, to say or to do
this or that, or cause it to go here or there ".
*****
When you are
driving a car and the petrol at the petrol station you are just passing is too
expensive, you drive on. Your car will have to get along with what fuel it has
for another while. In the same way you have to treat
your perishable personality: The spirit decides whether, when, what and how
much food your body gets.
When his
stomach growls, the old mortal man thinks, "I am hungry." Anima, your
immortal part, does not think like that: As a spiritual creature, it has no
need, nor even appetite for food, because every intake of material food weighs
down its etheric being.
So your soul
thinks: "My tool, my brother donkey is demanding nourishment. Is it really
absolutely necessary to supply my vehicle with fuel again? Will not the last
filling suffice for a while?"
*****
When you have
a wound, you used to think, "I am hurt." Your spirit being does not
think like that: it is not affected by injuries to the body. Anima thinks:
"My vehicle seems to be damaged. Do I have to repair it immediately, or is
it going to last a while longer?"
*****
The mortal man
is afraid when threatened with death because he deems the end of his existence
approaching. Your true, Eternal Individuality does not know this feeling,
because it is not affected by the death of the body at all – no more than the
rider by the demise of his donkey. Nobody and nothing can harm you.
*****
Are you
impatient or irritated? This is an expression of your transient personality.
For your true
being such a feeling is absurd, as in eternity it has infinite time to wait
patiently and to try again when conditions are ripe.
****
You see:
Through a new way of thinking, feeling, speaking and acting, you bring about a
real transformation of your nature!
Achieving
immortality is a spiritual exercise!
7. Education of the Heart
"How do
I know how the soul thinks and what it wants?"
Here we are
at a crucial question!
Listen to
your heart!
The heart is
the most important organ of your Eternal Individuality. It tells you infallibly
what Anima wants. It warns beforehand and complains afterwards about every
thought, feeling, word or action that is unworthy of your Higher Nature.
So you deny
the most divine if you do not mind the advice given by the heart. (Goethe,
"The Natural Daughter II 1")
Therefore,
the education of the heart is the very basis for your transformation into an
immortal.
Education of
the intellect without education of the heart is no education at all.
(Aristotle)
Leading the
life of the soul means: Living from the heart!
"What do
I have to do practically?"
Direct all
your thoughts, feelings, words and deeds through the heart!
Purify them
in the fire of your heart before you allow them to come up!
Unfortunately,
most people ignore or suppress the voice of their heart and trample on their
soul, until it ceases to budge altogether.
8. Acquire the Qualities and Abilities of a Being of Spirit
Nicholas Roerich “Lotus”
Now we
are coming to the second aspect of the
life of your Eternal Individuality: You must acquire the qualities and
abilities of a being of spirit.
Achievements
such as invulnerability, fearlessness, freedom, vitality and joy of being are
at the moment only laid out within you as potential. Whether you are actually
free from fear will become apparent in the next dangerous situation only. For
the time being, your soul is still small, weak and fearful, even though it is
invulnerable.
You can and
must bring up your Eternal Individuality like a small child by making it great,
strong and beautiful!
A baby learns
to know its body, takes possession of it, uses it by employing its physical
powers and physical senses, and begins to walk and to talk.
In the same
way, you have to get to know your Eternal Individuality, take possession of it
and use it.
"An idea
difficult to understand. How can I make use of my soul?"
You begin to employ
your spiritual powers and your spiritual senses.
Here are some
examples of what a developed soul can do:
As a
non-material being, the soul is not bound by the limitations of matter, time
and space. It can pass through walls and closed doors.
It can see through solid objects as with X-rays and read in closed books. It
can levitate, i.e. rise above the ground like St. Joseph of Copertino and other
saints, walk on water like Jesus, sit on water like a yogi (Nicholas Roerich "Lotus"), walk
through fire and even fly (Nicholas Roerich
"Higher than Mountains"). It is immune to disease. It has
mastered telekinesis, that is, like Uri Geller, it can move objects with its
mental power alone. It can transmit thoughts like a transmitting station and
receive and understand thoughts like a radio. It can understand foreign
languages and converse with animals like St. Francis of Assisi (Nicholas Roerich "Francis of Assisi").
It can heal like Jesus with pure spiritual power (Henry
Thomson "The Raising of Jairus' Daughter") and predict the
future like a prophet.
"Miracles",
or rather, higher skills of this kind, as reliably reported from the life of
Jesus and numerous saints, are nothing else but the entirely natural
consequence of the training of the spiritual powers and the spiritual senses of
our Eternal Individuality. Within each of us there is already today the germ of
these abilities; other people are only ahead of us in their development.
The goal of
the education of your Higher Self is:
You grow from
a small to a Great Soul, to a Mahatma!
Do you muster
the will and the energy to realise the dreams of your childhood and transform
into a being of wonderful greatness, strength, beauty and dignity? (Nicholas Roerich "Lama")
Chapter V. Life Everlasting
How shall we
conceive the everlasting life of the soul?
1. Eternal Path Fluss
In the
Apostles’ Creed you repeat every Sunday:
I believe in
life everlasting.
But how poor
is the picture which the Church draws of this greatest treasure one can think
of and wish for! What have you been taught?
"After
the death of the body, the soul is put to rest for eons, and then after the
Last Judgement for the remainder of eternity either roasts in hell or sits on a
cloud in Heaven singing to the harp."
Isn't that
childish? Unworthy of any thinking being endowed with common sense? Anyone who
believes such things has not yet grasped the concept of "eternity" at
all.
An
everlasting standstill, the absence of any development, an existence without
work and progress would in truth not be eternal life, but eternal death!
Life is
movement.
Life is
development, the striving for permanent personal and worldwide renewal!
Life
everlasting is a meaningful concept only if we conceive it as an eternal path,
as eternal progress!
2. Return to Earth
We see that
your soul has formed a physical body (your present one). Then we may be
convinced:
On her
eternal path, Anima has already formed several bodies in the past and will do
so again and again in the future.
The
assumption that the immortal soul on its pilgrimage through eternity makes use
of one physical body only is obviously nonsensical.
Much better
is this idea: When a vehicle has become useless, your Eternal Individuality
lays it aside like a worn-out coat and forms a new, unused, beautiful and strong
one in due course.
*****
You are in a
position to utilize the full potential of an immortal, the vast possibilities of
a being of spirit only if you accept the natural law of reincarnation:
You come back
to earth in order to continue to grow and in order to continue to work on the
progress of humanity.
There is no
better concept of the eternal path! I, for one, know of none. If you are aware
of one, please let me know.
At the age of seventy-five years one cannot fail to think about death
from time to time. This thought leaves me in complete peace, for I have the
firm conviction that our spirit is a being of an indestructible nature; its
activity is continuing from eternity to eternity. It is like the sun, which
seems to set only to our earthly eyes, but which in reality never sets, but
goes on shining unceasingly. (Goethe
to Eckermann, May 2, 1824)
If you cannot
yet grasp this law, you exclude yourself from the immeasurable possibilities of
an unlimited development. Then you are living and working, instead of for
eternity, only for one single miserable short earthly life.
If it wishes
to advance in its spiritual development, the West must at last adopt this
wisdom which has been familiar and natural to the East for millennia.
An aspiring
soul actually yearns for returning to earth:
Evolution
continues, and on earth, not in Heaven!
People are
growing greater. Conditions are improving. You want to continue to participate
in this process, don't you? You certainly do not wish to remain excluded for
all eternity from any further development in an imaginary paradise!
3. Eternal Growth
Your soul is
like a child:
It
desperately wants to grow greater, stronger and more beautiful.
In Heaven,
Anima may rest for a while and receive instructions. However, she can make progress
and further her personal development only on earth:
The higher
abilities of a Mozart, Gandhi or Napoleon – to compose a great symphony, to
lead a nation or an army – you cannot develop and prove anywhere else but in
one place only:
In the middle
of normal earthly everyday life!
*****
In fact, your
life is meaningful only because in later incarnations you can build upon the
achievements you have accumulated during earlier stays on earth: It is on this
basis that your soul can continue to grow and reach, in the course of millions
of years, its destined greatness step by step in numerous lives.
What you
possess deep in your heart, you cannot lose through death. (Goethe)
*****
In one single
short earthly life, you cannot even come close to unfolding the gigantic
potential which you carry within you. You need many incarnations for that.
That is why
you must return to earth if you aspire to further growth!
Trust the
beautiful and just Cosmic Order: If it endows you with a potential, it will also
give you enough time to develop it.
4. Eternal Work
Your soul
sees:
There is
still so much to do!
And not in
Heaven, somewhere above the clouds, but down here on earth: With your knowledge, your abilities and your
experience you have so much to contribute to continue in the future as well to
improve conditions, to alleviate hardship and to help those who are suffering.
*****
Do you really
want to spend ages just looking down idly from Heaven to the misery below on
earth?
Is a detached
existence at the feet of which earthly
people continue to suffer distress, really a paradise that could bring you joy?
*****
We can
advance evolution only on the material plane.
That is why
you must return to earth if you aspire to continue to work for the progress of
humanity!
Trust the
beautiful and just Cosmic Order: If it assigns you tasks, it will also give you
enough time to solve them.
Conclusion
This Broadcasting
has only given a brief overview about the experiment of transforming into an
immortal man of spirit.
If you wish
to deepen what you have heard and progress further, you can find more videos
first at
and then at
I am looking
forward to seeing you soon!