Читать книгу Edgar Cayce's Tales of Ancient Egypt - John Van Auken - Страница 13

According to Cayce’s readings of the Akashic record, this early period in ancient Egypt’s birth closely followed the dramatic cleansing of the planet by the legendary Great Flood as recorded in Genesis 6. The time following the flood was a time for repopulating the earth with new bodies, and these would be more physical bodies. Originally, the children of God projected themselves into this world as phantoms, as ghosts. In fact, the name Lemur, as in Lemuria, means ghost, coming from a Latin word referring to the “spirits” of the dead—but these early souls were immortal, having never tasted death. The Great Flood was the symbolic marker of the end of the first creation and the beginning of the second. In the second creation, now deeper into matter and physicality, the children of God would experience the cycles of this reality, which included day and night, wake and sleep, and life and death. Of course, there really was no death for the immortal godlings, but they came to think there was. The Maya have a legend that tells how the Lords of the Underworld (forces of the lower realms of mind) tricked the immortal children of God into playing a game in which the penalty for losing was death (loss of consciousness). This was symbolized in the Mesoamerican legends by the act of decapitation of the loser’s physical body. The godlings were actually spirit-minds temporarily inhabiting the physical body, and the death of the body was not death of the godling. Even so, it had an overwhelming impact on the consciousness of the godlings. In the Garden of Eden’s story, the serpent’s whisper to Eve was that she would “not surely die” if she ate of the apple—but it was going to be such a profound impact upon her consciousness that she would be as if dead consciously, losing celestial awareness from the overwhelming weight of material consciousness.

Cayce’s visions observed that many (not all) of the minds and souls of God’s children willfully pushed their way into matter and materiality before it was prepared for them. This was taking them out of the natural oneness of heavenly existence and separating them into individual projections. In Genesis 2:18 God observes that this created a sense of loneliness in them, and it was not good for them. Even worse, since the only physical bodies existing at that time were animal bodies, Cayce and ancient mythology reveal that their spirit-minds became contaminated with animal features, such as feathers, scales, fur, and even major body parts, resulting in mixed-up beings that were half man and half horse (centaurs), half man and half lion (sphinxes), half woman and half fish (sirens and mermaids)! All of these liminal beings had to be cleansed of their confused mixture and reoriented to their ideal form and vibration—mentally as well as physically. And a human body was needed. Sadly, even when a body for God’s children was formed, the minds of many souls were now so polluted with animal imagery and vibrations that when properly incarnated in good human bodies, they manifested remnant animal features, mutating the chromosomes as their mental forces and vibrations influenced cell division and specialization. The complete removal of these pollutants was one of the services of the earliest temples in ancient Egypt, known as the Temple of Sacrifice.

Even so, the primary problem was the separation from oneness into what may be called “manyness.” It was a massive individuation progression that broke the collective consciousness of the souls into individual selves. According to Cayce’s perspective, self and selfishness were and remain the cause of evil and destructiveness. When an individual soul is conscious of its oneness with the whole of creation, it naturally expresses goodness and creativity. But when perceiving oneself as separate, the lower mind does not see that harm to others is harm to oneself.

The massive water cleansing of the earth through the Great Flood came as a result of growing selfishness, self-gratification, self-exaltation, tyranny, and cruelty of one group over another, and godlessness in most every heart. Two factional soul groups developed among incarnating souls. Cayce referred to them as the children of the Law of One, who attempted to hold onto the original oneness, versus the Sons of Belial (pronounced bell-ee-al or bell-aisle), who taught and practiced survival of the fittest: get all you can get for yourself, there is no oneness, the strong should dominate and use the weak, even as slaves. Genesis records that “the Lord regretted making humankind, and it grieved him to his heart.” The Lord then exclaimed, “I will destroy humanity whom I have created from the surface of the ground . . . for I am sorry that I have made them.” The Lord told Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. But I will establish my covenant with you.” In Cayce’s readings, this covenant was established with many soul groups around the planet; thus many were saved from the flood cleansing and were the incarnate souls that began the legendary “Second Creation,” of which the new nation of Egypt played a most important role.

The Temple of Sacrifice also provided services for reducing selfishness, cravings, and out-of-control sensual urges that had come to possess so many souls in the chaos of the First Creation.

In his deep meditative-like state, Cayce was asked to “have before you the Temple Beautiful in Egypt at about the period 10,500 BC after the return of the high priest Ra-Ta from banishment. You will describe in detail this temple and the services held in it, explaining how an understanding of the work carried on there may be of help to us now in carrying forward our healing study and work [today].” Cayce replied, “many of you here were both in and of the temple service, whether in the purifications in the Temple of Sacrifice or the Temple Beautiful. In the Temple of Sacrifice there were the altars to cleanse the bodies of those things that hindered in body, that were emblematical of the source of the stumbling block. In the Temple Beautiful there were the expressions of the service as an activity to maintain and to purify the bodies for the necessary associations of spiritual understandings in material bodies. Do not, my children, confuse your bodies of today with those attributes of that ancient period, with the conditions existent in the Temple Beautiful.” Cayce explained this last comment, saying that bodies in those ancient times were much less dense and not so possessing of the souls that inhabited them as our bodies today. Most of us actually think of ourselves as our bodies, not sensing the independence of the mind and soul inhabiting the physical vehicle.

As we learned in chapter one, the Temple of Sacrifice could best be compared to a combination of a modern-day spa, yoga center, and hospital in which the focus was on improving the physical body, which is the temple of the incarnating soul. The Temple Beautiful could best be compared to a combination of a modern monastery, university, and vocational training center in which the focus was on improving the mind and spirit of an individual and preparing him or her for a service that contributes to the whole of the community and the growth of the souls.

Cayce explained that the physical bodies in the most ancient of times were not as physical as our bodies today and could be absorbed into the nonphysical aspects of a soul-mind while they “traveled” to heavenly realms—then, they could be projected again when they returned to the realm of form and physicality. Even the Hopi have legends of a long-ago time when souls could manifest in this world and then leave at will, moving their bodies back into pure energy or spirit and traveling through the door between this world and the heavens.

So different were our ancient bodies that Cayce also spoke of an additional chakra in our thighs that was particularly earthy. It was this chakra that was being removed surgically in the Temple of Sacrifice to help a soul keep its consciousness and spirit at higher levels of vibration and awareness. We see references to this chakra in the Scriptures. In Genesis 24 and 47 there are scenes in which a person is asked to “put your hand under my thigh.” These may be indications of the existence of that ancient chakra.

Cayce’s response to the request for information about the ancient Egyptian temples continued:

“There had been gathered from all the nations of the earth that which represented from their environ, their surrounding, the most beautiful gift; that it might be a reminder of those, to those, that purified or gave themselves in service or activity there, of the beauty of service of every land in this preparation of the bodies for their greater service and for their intermingling with those of the earth’s environ as well as enabling the servants, the workers, the priestess, the prophetess, those that labored—or joyously gave themselves—to give their activity for others.

“The materials [stone blocks] that composed the outer portions of the temples were of the mountains nigh unto the upper waters of the Nile. The temple was in the form of the pyramid, within which was the globe—which represented to those who served that their service was to the world.”

The globe of the world was central to the temple’s work as they were training people from all over the world and sending helpers to every corner of the planet. We don’t think of the ancient people as globally interconnected, but they were according to Cayce. And they had the means via their flying machines, as described in greater detail in a later chapter.

As far as what was actually going on inside these temples, Cayce explained that on the altars of the temples no life was ever sacrificed, neither human nor animal, not even grains. These sorts of bloody offerings came much later after the original higher consciousness was lost. The offerings on these altars were the initiates’ weaknesses, poor habits, fears, and vices. Cayce explained that in the center of the altars a sacred fire was ignited to consume these offerings of the soul’s weaknesses. However, before an initiate could step away from the altar ceremony, he or she had to assume a new strength, greater purpose, a new virtue, and a higher consciousness. They could not simply cast off their weaknesses; they had to take up a new level of virtue and strength, and even a mission or work that helped make life better for others.

In the desert between the now famous Step Pyramid in Saqqara and the Great Pyramid in Giza there is a huge, beautifully carved, alabaster altar (see illustration 20). It is inside the rubble of a Ra Temple with an attached pyramid (just as Cayce described). The center of this magnificent altar is a raised circle, around which is a huge square with four arrow-like projections that point to the four cardinal points of the planet (north, east, south, and west) and between these projections are four corners that point to the location of the sun in the four seasons. When the sun is in the northern regions, it is spring and summer [in the northern hemisphere, and Egypt is in this hemisphere]; when the sun is in the southern regions, it is fall and winter in the northern hemisphere. Alabaster is a crystal-like stone that conducts light, so the sacred fire on the center circle of this altar would have dispersed its light throughout the altar. Imagine the scene inside a relatively dark temple, with a glowing altar and a flickering fire and all the initiates and attendants in white linen and golden accessories moving in a ceremonial procession, offering up their vices and assuming stronger virtues. What a scene it must have been.

According to Cayce’s readings, there were also regenerative ceremonies and devices that would raise the vibrations of initiates so as to rejuvenate their bodies. Cayce indicated that these were first used in Atlantis and then later became a part of Egyptian temple practice. We may have some evidence of these carved on some surviving temples. Today there remains a strange device, reminiscent of a light bulb, on the walls of the Temple of Hathor at Dendera. (See illustration 21 for images of this device; for details, see illustrations 82a and 82b.) In these carvings we see a full-size Egyptian holding a large bulb with a serpent filament. The bulb is connected to a lotus-like socket with a long cord leading back to a well-known Egyptian symbol, the djed (see illustration 22).

The djed symbol actually predates the dynastic period of Egypt, reaching back into prehistoric times! It continues to appear throughout the period of the pharaohs. Most scholars agree that it is a symbol of resurrection and is called the “backbone of Osiris” after the god who oversees the weighing of the hearts of all souls attempting to pass from this world to the heavens. If their hearts are heavy, they must return and get lighter ones. If their hearts are light, then they may pass on into the heavens and enjoy the fruit of the Tree of Life and the thirst-quenching Water of Life. The djed is a pillar with four cross bars. Upon this particular djed sits the open-arms symbol of the ka, considered by some to be the spirit or life force in its quintessence. Human arms are raised in the position for adoration, but the head between these arms is removed—indicating that it is that feeling we have when giving thanks to God, but not the thinking or self-consciousness of the act, just the vibration, just the feeling. It is also known to be the “twin,” signifying that we have another part to us that is not seen—our godling self. Again remembering that the two raised arms are symbolic of the spirit, the whole icon illustrates that the spirit runs down our backbone (the kundalini pathway) to give strength and resurrecting energy throughout our being.

The serpent inside of the bulb has a few meanings in ancient theology. It is the self, self’s mind, and self’s thoughts in contrast to God’s or the Collective’s. As such, it is the tempter, as it was depicted in the Garden of Eden; but it is also a symbol of the life force within the body, what yoga and Hinduism term the kundalini. In ancient Mesoamerica, Egypt, and Greece, the serpent is often depicted with wings, symbolizing the raising of the life force by the higher mind. Modern medicine retains this meaning in the caduceus (see illustration 23), the symbol of health services. The central shaft of the caduceus is the central nervous system; the double serpents symbolize the autonomic nervous system with its two parts, the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The wings represent the mind, especially with higher life-giving thoughts.

Notice that the Egyptians are putting their heads up against the bulb—some with buffering devices, some directly against the bulb. It appears that they are receiving energy, possibly information, or both from this strange device.

Considering the life-giving symbols associated with the bulb, this may be more of a life bulb than a light bulb. We know from Cayce’s readings that the Atlanteans rejuvenated their bodies using a crystal-based device.

Here’s a Cayce reading on that:

“As to the experience of the entity from that sojourn [in Atlantis], there come the innate abilities to create the higher energies within self . . . to find regenerations in the lower form of electrical vibrations.”

The temple-wall picture shows a power cord and filament, giving the impression of something electrical. But it may also have been a light bulb in the sense of “the light” of wisdom, because Cayce’s readings also talk about communicating with the universal consciousness through these devices.

Here’s one of those readings:

“The entity was in Atlantis, a priestess, and the keeper of the white stone or that through which many of those peoples before the first destructions in Atlantis kept their accord with the universal consciousness, through the speaking to and through those activities.”

Are the Egyptians depicted on this wall tuning their bodies to life-rejuvenating forces? Are they also tuning their minds to universal consciousness and communicating? The ka-arms sit on top of the djed stone. Is this “the white stone” Cayce was referring to?

Today Cayce has guided us to understand that all these ancient devices are also within us. The light bulb and life bulb are within us. The bioelectrical current of the life force is within us. Our bodies and minds are capable of rejuvenation and of knowing the consciousness and energy of the Creator and of communicating with God.

Cayce further described bizarre physical conditions that some ancient people suffered. According to him, the initial mingling of celestial minds with physical animals created thought forms that manifested in one’s physical body. This caused some people to have animal appendages. These had to be removed before the soul could progress through the temple process. Here are Cayce’s words on this in a lengthy quote:

“The individuals, having cleansed themselves of those appendages that hindered them, came not merely for the symbolic understanding. For these, to be sure, were all symbolized—the faults, the virtues of man, in all his seven stages of development [more on these stages in a later chapter]—in the light or the lamp [could he be referring to the bulbs on the Egypt temple walls?] borne by those who served as the Light Bearers to those who entered for their initiation, or for their preparation to be that as given by the teachers—even Ra-Ta. Laying aside those things that easily beset the sons of men, you as you enter here, put your whole trust in the one God, that you may be all things unto all men, thereby crucifying your own desires that they—your brethren—may know the Lord their God. In the temple activities then, there were first the songs, the music, as we have indicated that you sing: Ar-r-r—Ou-u—Ur-r; which makes for the losing of even the association of the body with that save the vibrations of which the body was then composed; yea now is, though encased in a much more hardened matter, as to materiality; which made for the vibrating of same with light, that becomes color, that becomes tone, that becomes activity. Seek then in tone, all of you: Ar-r-r-r-r-ar; that you may know how the emanations, that are termed as the colors of the body, make for the expression then given. With the music came then the dance, that enabled those with the disturbing forces and influences to become more erect, upright in body, in thought, in activity.

“Then there was the giving by the Prophetess of the seal of life that was set upon each and every one who passed through these experiences, how or in what field of activity the relationships were of an individual to its fellow man in maintaining material existence; being in the world yet not of the world.”

This “seal of life” may be associated with a very ancient symbol found beneath the Seti Temple in Abydos, one of the most sacred temples in all of Egypt. On one of the pillars in this ancient underground temple is carved the “flower of life” symbol (see illustration 24). This might possibly have been a portion of the seal of life that Cayce’s prophetess set upon each and every one who passed through those ancient temple experiences. Another portion of the seal of life may have been specific to each initiate’s field of activity.

“These then, made for that as you have in your experiences in the present expressed: First in cleanliness, in purifying of the body, in the washing in blood [a metaphor for self-sacrifice], in water, that you may be purified before yourself first and then before others. The anointing with the incense, making for the raising of that you know as your senses or perception or consciousness of the activities to all the faults, by comparison, as arose among others.

“From those activities you have that first as your service of preparation, of birth, of consecration, of purification, of those things that later become the hospitalization, the care of the ill in body, in mind; the divinations of those tempted from within and those tempted from without. Little study is made in the present of this phase of man’s experience.

“The teaching, the preparation, the ministering, the song, the music, the activities that give expression, arise in man’s experience from those activities in the Temple Beautiful.”

In a strange and curious comment during this reading, Cayce asked a question and answered it:

“You ask, where is this temple now? Disintegrated and in that sphere you may enter, and some have entered, where these are sealed as with the seven seals of the law in that these experiences now become as those of your activities among your fellow man.”

What does he mean, “in that sphere you may enter” and “sealed as with the seven seals”? The answer lies in the very source of Cayce’s insights, which is a sphere of awareness beyond daily consciousness, and in the seven spiritual centers hidden within our body temple. We may learn to open these seals and raise ourselves to greater levels of life.

As Cayce continues this long reading on the temples, he shifts his focus to our times and our opportunities today, and he gets quite “quickened” with the Spirit!

“Then, in using and in applying and associating same with your activities in that experience, and that manner in which you may use same in the present:

“So attune yourselves that you may harken, not as to an experience only; but rather live and be the experience in the hearts of those that are seeking to find their way; whether in the troubles of the body, of the mind, or whether they are lost among those turmoils of the cry, ‘This way—That way—Here and there.’ Be the experience to someone to light their lives, their bodies, their minds to your living Lord, your brother, the Christ! For He has promised in His words in your own heart, that keeps the hope, that keeps the fires of your own heart aflame, ‘You finding me may know the joy of the Lord.’

“As many of you served in the temples, as many experienced those purifications for an active service among their fellow man in an individual experience, so may you purify your minds and your bodies, or purify your bodies that your mind may put on Christ, the garments of a living Lord, that you may be not as ones stumbling, as ones fearful of this or that, but sure and certain in the joys of a risen Lord; that indeed your body in its expressions may be the Temple Beautiful for your living Lord.

“He your brother, your Christ, hath given that God is God of the living way! He is Life! He is Love. He is Beauty. He is Harmony. He is Music. He is the rhythm of the body in dance that is a service to your God. Though others make slight of your manner of speech, of your body, of your walks, of your ways, hold fast to Him; grudging no one, loving all. For as given, in your preparation, in the indication and the vindication in your service in those ancient temples, self is lost in the love of your fellow man through the joy of the Lord in you.”

At the end of this reading on the temples, he was asked a series of questions and the answers were quite revealing.

“Q: In which temple was I most active? What were my activities in same?

“A: This depends upon the periods in which this may be considered. In the early portion of the activities of the entity, it was in the Temple of Sacrifice or of purification. In the latter portion, when there had been those cleansings of the feet in your own service there, then the activities were in the Temple Beautiful; as a guard to those as they proceeded from one symbol to another in their journey about the Temple.

“Here it may be well that there be given a concept of what is meant by the journey, or what journey is meant. The globe within the pyramid was in the form of the ova, or the egg in its ovate form. From station to station in the seven phases or seals or stands or places of the activities, they were such as to make each station lead from one to another by ever crossing the one; making the continued web.” Here we may have an answer to the flower of life symbol. It appears like a web yet has distinct points.

Continuing with the interesting Q & A from other members of this group receiving this psychic reading:

“Q: What part did I take in services in the Temple Beautiful?

“A: The announcer with the cymbal and horn.

“Q: Please give me the information as to whether or not I was in the Temple Beautiful. If so, please give that service which I rendered.

“A: An observer of those seals wherein the effects of the sojourns in the varied activities were to be seen, or the effects from the planetary sojourn. Hence a keeper of seals there. Interest in astrology, astronomy, arises from same.

“Q: Was I in the Temple Beautiful and what part did I take in the services?

“A: In the station where your weakness now appears. Take this home with you and find what you must do!

“Q: Was I also in the temple? What did I do?

“A: The priestess.

“Q: Was I?

“A: In the records of that given for each in the journey out of the Temple to material application. Or, to put in the parlance of today, a secretary to the stations.

“Q: I would appreciate as much information concerning the Temple Beautiful as would be of help to me. I have a great inner urge to know more about this Temple and its purpose to man at this time. Does this Temple not have a close connection with Destiny? If so, please give.

“A: As the entity was the prophetess to those, it would make the indication to the entity of a definite association or connection with destinies. But Destiny, as you have studied and as you have learned is: ‘God hath not willed that any soul should perish but hath with each temptation provided a way of approach.’ Hence man with his free will makes for whether the body is as the temple of the living God or the Temple Beautiful, with its various stations as represented in the various phases of His experience; as is shown in the body itself in all of those urges as arise through emotions, through mind, through association, through purifying, through consecration, through determination, through knowledge, through the attributes that become a portion of same.

“As you have seen in that you have given, may give, that led the many, that opened the way to many, it, the temple, your temple, your body, your mind, your portion of the God-Consciousness may be aroused and awakened to the abilities within self to assist in those becoming aware of the necessity of arousing to the destinies of the body, the mind, the soul.

“Q: May I have a message bearing upon that period of time in the Temple Beautiful that may be helpful to me in this experience?

“A: You in your office ever was as the one that tended, gathered, comforted those as they passed from station or phase or experience. In encouraging, in comforting, know that you in your service now may give that encouraging word, that aid, that comfort, by the touch of your hand, by the sound of your voice, by the sureness of your purpose, by the centralizing of your ideals in Him.

“Q: Did I take part in the services in the Temple Beautiful?

“A: In bringing others to their activities there, in aiding those that faltered or made for aggrandizement of self, after their initiation. So, within and without, and in the present as you rise at times to those heights sublime in your visions of peace and harmony, you may bring help to the experience of a soul that is scared, fearful, lacking, or disturbed. So have you seen, and so do you see those things that make for the faltering steps, bringing help to the maimed in the experiences of those that have—as it were—taken hold and yet faltered. Keep your faith.”

So effective were the procedures and processes in these temples that the sex queen of the Atlanteans, spoken of in the first chapter, experienced a complete 180° turnaround from her lustful ways to a higher calling and service in spiritual-mental activities for the betterment of herself and those around her! We can imagine how difficult it would have been for her to subdue the deeply set habit patterns she had built from her earlier sexual activities. Cayce’s readings explain that the mystical altar fires used in these ancient Egyptian temples to cleanse earthy energies, patterns, and desires from the soul’s body, mind, and heart were very potent. If a soul was truly determined to rid itself of these, then all could be cleansed completely. Cayce said that the previous sex queen found new, uplifting vibrations and consciousness in “operatic airs, the folklore music, and the hymns and psalms.” In this present incarnation he encouraged her to get involved in chorus and to write stories and songs. Curiously, when he finished giving this reading for the one-time queen of sex orgies in Egypt—the Egypt in which he was high priest—he awoke feeling terrible, all upset, and didn’t regain his equilibrium until the next day! He must have relived the challenges of her ancient energies and activities while giving the reading. In this life, she was not overly sexual but was highly creative, with contracts for motion pictures in Hollywood and operas in New York City. Apparently, she had rechanneled her sexual energy into creative outlets.