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On the Spiritual
Virtues
by Fr. D.R.C.
According to some schools of the Rosicrucian tradition,
there are ten spiritual virtues along the mystic path. Each
of these virtues corresponds to one of the sephirot of the Qabalistic
Tree of Life. They are associated as follows:
1. Malkut - Discrimination
2. Yesod - Independence
3. Hod - Truthfulness
4. Netzah - Unselfishness
5. Tipharet - Devotion to the Great Work
6. Geburah - Courage
7. ‘Hesed - Obedience
8. Binah - Silence
9. ‘Hockmah - Devotion
10. Kether - Attainment
The virtues have received so much attention, especially in older
works and those of a more conventionally religious nature, that
one might conclude that the cultivation of virtues is the essential
process or goal of all spiritual endeavours. While such work
may be prescribed by one’s tradition, and might be an admirable
pursuit under any circumstances, it should also be understood that
the practicing of virtues does not itself ensure progress along
the mystical path. In fact, an overemphasis on this aspect
of spiritual development can become an “act-as-if” basis for the
illusion or delusion of spiritual progress.
Getting more directly to the point, let us acknowledge that there
is a very important difference between virtues grafted onto the
surface of one’s personality and virtues that flow outward from
the genuine understandings and heart-felt convictions associated
with the stages of spiritual development. In the first situation,
virtuous behaviour is most likely a façade erected to gratify one’s
desires for the esteem and approval of others, to accomplish appeasement
of the parental self-criticisms emanating from one’s own superego,
and even to appeal to the mercy of an anthropomorphized deity.
Even when such a pretence is rationalized by claiming that it eliminates
bad karma or generates good karma, we still see the underlying motives
of defence or aggrandizement for the personality.
One might protest that such behaviour is better than no virtue at
all, and that is indeed true much of the time. However, there
is always serious psychological and spiritual risk involved in virtuous
behaviour that is forced and accompanied by refusal to acknowledge
the truth of one’s secret fears, desires and motivations.
At the very least it produces yet another layer of illusion and
separation between one’s personality and soul. More commonly
it can lead to the shame, guilt, anxiety and depression that naturally
accompany the living of a lie, and frequently even leads to neurotic
or psychotic collapse. In the very worst cases, the twisted
psyche finds that it can justify all sorts of malevolent desires
and actions in the name of morality, and it is thus that humanity
has self-righteously embraced slavery, religious wars, torturous
inquisitions and genocidal holocausts, not to mention the more common
abuses that individuals and governments impose upon those who may
be easily victimized.
It is not the author’s intention to claim that it is unwise to act
with virtue despite social pressures and even one’s own desires
to be less than virtuous. Rather, when such circumstances
arise it is imperative to fully acknowledge and accept both the
inner and outer challenges. The natural benefits of such a
discipline include greater psychological and spiritual integrity.
By following this course, great opportunities arise for discovering
and working out one’s inner conflicts and insecurities. Furthermore,
one does not have to work very hard at maintaining but a single
virtue before it is discovered that society has very little interest
in one’s success. Indeed, in its own interests society encourages
each and every person to compromise his or her virtues on a routine
basis. Squarely facing both of these challenges, the internal and
the social, very nearly mandates that one seeks out the support
that can only come from the spirit. If that support is not there
one may realize the hollowness of one’s pretence, and thereby be
released from the compulsion to behave in a manner that has been
revealed as meaningless or misdirected.
It is truly admirable to follow a genuine soul-searching discipline
of virtuous behaviour. In some traditions this practice is
regarded as the highest form of morality. Even so, in the
author’s understanding of the Rosicrucian tradition, essentially
a Christian tradition, we are taught that good works alone are tragically
inadequate for optimal spiritual progress. According to our
tradition, the best of virtuous behaviour is a natural expression
of wisdom, compassion and strength arising from an awakening to
the Christ-consciousness within one’s heart. In other words, we
are instructed to seek spiritual progress from the inside out, not
from the outside in. When this occurs, there is no need for pretence,
one behaves in a truly virtuous manner regardless of the situation
or consequences, and does so simply because it has become as natural
as breathing or sleeping. It is also unfortunately true that
the virtuous motives of one’s behaviour may never be apparent to
anyone else, and indeed may be misunderstood as foolish, misguided,
or even evil.
Obviously, in this context the true master of virtue is almost certainly
destined to become a martyr, but not because his or her death will
offer others salvation from sin. Instead, society will force
martyrdom upon the master of virtue simply because it has become
impossible for him or her to betray that virtue. For the master
of virtue such a betrayal would be an absurdity equivalent to a
denial of existence itself. Society simply cannot accept such
an unbending embodiment of virtue, for it naturally throws a beam
of light upon the weakest and most corrupt aspects of society, and
threatens to reveal the illusions that are the foundation stones
of worldly power. Any salvation offered by the martyred master
of virtue is therefore found only by those who have eyes to see
the revelation, ears to hear the message.
Let us be thankful that not all of us are called to be masters of
virtue. It is important that we accept ourselves as striving
and less than perfect in virtue, and to realise that there are times
for most of us when compromise may indeed be the wisest and most
virtuous decision. Naturally, such decisions require an acute
faculty of discernment, and this is undoubtedly one of the reasons
that discrimination is traditionally considered the first virtue
on the mystical path.
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