Liber Tzaddi and balance
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@Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus said
- Many have arisen, being wise. They have said "Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It."
- Many have arisen, being foolish. They have said, "Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime."
- I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both!
- Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose the other!
- My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their feet below the hells.
- But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last attach more firmly to the higher.
- Thus shall equilibrium become perfect.
I agree wholeheartedly with the above sentiment. The thing is, most of the groups I've read about are only interested in upward or downward movement, including the A.'.A.'., which as far as I know is much more focused upon the glittering image than the blind creature. How does the A.'.A.'. work towards this aim of balance?
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@veritas_in_nox said
"The thing is, most of the groups I've read about are only interested in upward or downward movement, including the A.'.A.'., which as far as I know is much more focused upon the glittering image than the blind creature. How does the A.'.A.'. work towards this aim of balance?"
Liber Tzaddi is an A.'.A.'. publication...
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@veritas_in_nox said
"I agree wholeheartedly with the above sentiment. The thing is, most of the groups I've read about are only interested in upward or downward movement, including the A.'.A.'., which as far as I know is much more focused upon the glittering image than the blind creature. How does the A.'.A.'. work towards this aim of balance?"
This is complicated to answer - I think because of tripping over language. But I'll give it a try.
The chief goal of the A.'.A.'. system is the Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Yes, this is "up" in a significant way - and consistent with another teaching that those who seek only beauty come nearest to Truth.
That statement doesn't prefer beauty over, say, ugliness in any theoretical way. It's just a pragmatic observation.
Along the way to that central goal, the personality vehicle needs to be set in equilibrium. Liber Tzaddi addresses one major type of disequilibrium. Some people learn toward "good only," and some to "bad only." The book says that, in whichever of these extremes you find yourself, you need to develop the opposite as well.
Either (for the right person) is in service to the One Goal.
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It was Thomas Merton who wrote something along the lines of this:
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony".
For me at least, this more or less sums up the Work, in the Outer college at least, Balance, order, rhythm, and harmony.
the important thing is a healthy sense of proportion, and perspective.
Just my two cents.