Liber Liter 777 LIBER 777 The Celestial Sanctum All people seek happiness, but few know how to find it. Many think that it can be obtained through material comforts, while a few are convinced that a life dedicated exclusively to spiritual goals will make happiness possible. Yet neither way of facing life is ideal, because true happiness arises from a state of perfect balance between material desires and spiritual aspirations. The ideal path for guiding us to this state is that of mysticism the study and application of that harmonious link uniting the individual to the God that can be felt and understood. The only way to fully experience this link is by maintaining harmony within oneself, with other humans, and with the natural environment. HARMONY WITH ONESELF The harmony we must maintain within involves the body, psyche, and emotions. Obviously, if we continue to violate the natural laws governing our body, we cannot maintain good health. We must therefore treat it with the greatest respect, and not compromise that harmony which is its rightful entitlement. An unbalanced or excessive diet, lack of rest, and insufficient exercise are a few of the physical abuses which disturb our body's equilibrium. The same principle also applies to our psyche. Because we live on the earthly plane, we must rely on our objective and subjective faculties. Reason is one of the most important, because our daily life is dependent upon proper judgment. The more we apply our reason to healthy and useful reflection, the more we make it as what it is meant to be an instrument designed to express the best in ourselves. By using our reason to concentrate on trifling and impure matters, we break the harmonious link which unites it with the impulses from our soul. It is important therefore to reflect on subjects that are worthy of a mystic's consideration. Reading works of interest, watching uplifting movies, and meditating upon the great problems of life are activities which help us to maintain harmony within our psyche. As for the emotions, such feelings as anger, pride, jealousy, and spitefulness are quite harmful to our emotional well-being and consequently to our physical equilibrium. Yet even less exaggerated feelings such as
Liber 777 those of fear, anxiety, and distress are also damaging to the general harmony that must prevail at all levels of our being. Thus, we must do everything possible so as to reverberate to the rhythm of pure and constructive emotions. We cannot know Peace Profound as long as we remain imprisoned by discordant emotional reactions. HARMONY WITH OTHERS We previously mentioned that harmony must be maintained between ourselves and others. It is impossible for us to evolve or to even live without frequent contact with others. Humans, as incarnated beings, are not as selfsufficient as they may believe themselves to be. Community life is a necessity, because no individual no matter how independent he or she may be can live happily and unfold fully without satisfying an innate need for communication. It is this gregarious instinct that has compelled humans to live in a society, which in turn ensures the security of the family. Since we all are dependent upon other people, it is important that our relationships never involve coercion or domination. In other words, we should do everything possible to preserve harmony in the family and to maintain a rapport with all our acquaintances whether in the home, in the office, or in public. Indeed, nothing is more distressing to the inner self than continually living in conflict. Disharmony between ourselves and others should be avoided, because this situation carries within it the seed of those wars which ravage the world. Harmony must be the golden rule within family and society. We are not claiming that all individuals must think, speak, and act all alike, because such uniformity is the enemy of evolution. Rather, we must respect one another, using our differences of opinion and behavior to serve society in general. HARMONY WITH NATURE The harmony which must be maintained between ourselves and our natural environment is so self-evident that, by all rights, this matter should not even be commented upon. Unfortunately, however, all we need to do is look about us to observe how we humans do not hesitate to disrupt the ecological balance in our own surroundings, either through laziness, negligence, or greed. Yet Nature has its own rights which humans must heed. As long as we do not understand the laws of Nature, we will continue to destroy or impair our environment until we suffer the consequences of our actions individually or collectively, if such is not already occurring. This is why all humans must be conscious that the natural order to which we owe life cannot be disrupted with impunity. Such natural order prevailed well before the appearance of humans on Earth, and no doubt it will prevail after our disappearance, unless of course, our planet is destroyed by some cataclysm. Once again, mysticism is the royal path which will allow humanity to be reconciled with Nature.
Without such reconciliation, humanity is doomed to self-destruction because, whether we are conscious of it ornot, any violation carried out against the natural environment deprives humanity of part of itself. In summarizing the main themes in this introduction to the Liber 777, let us state that happiness is proportional to the state of harmony that each person maintains within himself, with other humans, and with the natural environment. The more conscious we are that this harmony works for our personal well-being, the more we will feel the necessity and desire to maintain it in our human relationships and natural surroundings. Experience shows that people who realize this state of consciousness know that only a single Cosmic Harmony and not several types of harmony manifests at different levels and in diverse realms.
Liber 777 THE CELESTIAL SANCTUM DEFINITION OF THE CELESTIAL SANCTUM One of the goals of Rosicrucian philosophy is to give every human being the means to live in Cosmic Harmony on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual planes. The Rosicrucian teachings contribute greatly to achievement of this goal by allowing them to realize total harmony with the most positive forces of the universe. Because of its traditional and initiatic nature, the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis integrates within its egregore a cathedral; others as a mosque, a synagogue, or any type of building dedicated to a particular faith; yet others prefer to conceive it as an inspiring landscape. Many choose to visualize the Celestial Sanctum as a Rosicrucian temple. In fact, there are as many ways to imagine the Celestial Sanctum as there are individuals manifesting a desire to attain it. What is most important is that our visualization of this exalted cosmic place evokes within us the most beautiful emotions toward the divine. THE ASCENT TO THE CELESTIAL SANCTUM Every time you wish to ascend to the Celestial Sanctum that is, to the highest plane of consciousness where one may receive the blessings of the Cosmic proceed in the following manner: Wash your hands as a symbol of bodily purification and dry them well. Then drink a glass of water to symbolize your desire for purity on the inner plane. The more your actions and thoughts express your humility and respect toward the Cosmic, the more you combine the ideal conditions for a conscious attunement with the Celestial Sanctum. When this is done, sit in a quiet place, with your back quite straight and your feet flat on the ground and slightly apart. Place your hands in your lap, close your eyes, and recite the following invocation mentally: "May the Divine Essence of the Cosmic infuse my being and cleanse me of all impurities of mind and body, that! may enter the Celestial Sanctum and attune in pureness and worthiness. So Mote It Be!" As you will notice, this invocation is not of any religious or sectarian nature whatsoever. Its goal is simply to express a desire to the Cosmic for attainment of the Celestial Sanctum in consciousness and to communicate with the wisdom that it symbolizes on the mystical plane. Moreover, it places this communion under the protection of the Rose-Croix, so that no negative influences will interfere while you are in this inner state. After reciting this invocation, take a few deep breaths so that you are fully relaxed. Inhale and exhale deeply, through the nose, in a regular and rhythmic way. Once you are fully relaxed, breathe normally and begin to imagine that you are ascending to your Celestial Sanctum. In other words, visualize that you are ascending above the room where you are above your house, your town, your country, all the while going farther and farther away from the Earth, until you see it only as a sphere rotating slowly in space. Now turn your gaze toward the infinite cosmic, continuing your spiritual
Liter 777 ascent until you perceive the Celestial Sanctum as you have visualized it. See it as you have imagined it, in the form of a cathedral, mosque, synagogue, temple, landscape, etc. The fact that you can see it rising in the Cosmic and bathing in the celestial light should fill you with an indescribable inner joy. If you choose to visualize your Celestial Sanctum as a building, imagine yourself entering and going to a place of your choice where you will sit down. Afterwards, while sitting completely relaxed, contemplate the wonders offered for your admiration: stained glass windows, paintings, statues, colonnades, archways, and generally speaking, all of the elements which are part of the settings found in a place consecrated to prayer and meditation. To this visual beauty, you can add the distinct impression of hearing music that is particularly inspiring. You can also imagine the odor of incense pervading this place. Thus, in your visualization of the Celestial Sanctum you will become unaware of the earthly plane and you will live completely at the level of the soul. All your thoughts and emotions will be impressed with a great serenity and well-being that no physical satisfaction can bring about. If you prefer to visualize your Celestial Sanctum as a landscape, at the last moment of your ascent you should merge into it completely, as though it truly existed. You should see yourself completely enveloped within this natural setting, imagining yourself in a forest, on the edge of a river or lake, or in the center of a meadow. Once again, your conscious activity should also include colors, odors, sounds, etc. For instance, you can imagine the blueness of the sky, the fragrance of flowers, the song of birds, the blowing of the wind. As previously mentioned, it is crucial that you lose objective consciousness of your physical body and worldly surroundings, so that you may receive the influx of the subtle vibrations emanating from the Cosmic. Once you are in your Celestial Sanctum, let yourself be totally immersed in the sacred, inspiring, and comforting feelings which pervade it. With body and soul bathing in this atmosphere, the time has arrived for you to express, to the God of your Heart, the reason for your coming to this place of high spirituality. If a health problem is involved, refer to it mentally, as though you were informing the purest conceivable Cosmic Intelligence of it. If your presence in the Celestial Sanctum concerns a desire to be enlightened concerning some family, social, or professional problem, proceed likewise. If your goal is purely to pray or meditate upon some philosophical subject, do it in this harmonious ambiance and proceed according to your feelings. After presenting the reason that has made you ascend to the Celestial Sanctum, do not think about it anymore, but remain within its characteristic harmony and place yourself in a state of total receptivity. At the exact moment you reach this state, you will receive a cosmic influx that will cure you, inspire you, bring you the answer that you are seeking, etc. This does not mean that you will be immediately conscious of receiving this influx, because it is situated at a psychic level which cannot be perceived objectively. However, as the hours or days go by, you will begin to notice the full impact that this cosmic communion will have on you and your associates. In fact, we can affirm that such spiritual contact always translates into beneficial effects.
Liter 777 This is why, despite all appearances, it is impossible to fail when experiencing the Celestial Sanctum. Even if you have the impression that you failed to raise yourself to the plane of consciousness symbolized by the Celestial Sanctum, you are mistaken, because failure is impossible at the level of the soul. At the end of the period of receptivity, return gradually to the objective plane. See yourself leaving your Celestial Sanctum and imagine journeying back to your home. As you return to the objective consciousness, open your eyes and say the following invocation: "May the God of my Heart sanctify this attunement of self with the Celestial Sanctum! So Mote It Be!" PERIODS OF ASCENT TO THE CELESTIAL SANCTUM In our definition of the Celestial Sanctum, we stated specifically that it is not a place, but a field of cosmic energy, a level of high spirituality, an exalted plane of consciousness which completely transcends time and space. This means that, no matter where you might be, it is possible to ascend to its heights at any time. In other words, it is not necessary to observe a definite time for your consciousness to enter the Celestial Sanctum. As soon as you feel the need to enter, and if nothing prevents it on the mundane plane, its doors are wide open to you at any time of the day or night. Moreover, there is no need to go to some religious edifice to practice this exercise. The only requirement is that you be alone and in a peaceful and quiet setting. Moreover, it is possible to contact the Celestial Sanctum at night, while lying in bed just prior to falling asleep. In fact, this is what most Rosicrucians do, for they have learned through experience that such a cosmic attunement is always followed by a more restful sleep, often accompanied by unusually mystical dreams. Obviously, you must not ascend to your Celestial Sanctum only when you are confronted with health problems or material difficulties. Whenever you become aware that someone needs help, you should allow your consciousness to ascend to the Celestial Sanctum and ask the Cosmic to grant its support and inspiration to that person. If you are truly sincere, you will notice how effective this manner of helping others is. You can also do this exercise for the sheer inner satisfaction it provides. This means that you can ascend to the Celestial Sanctum for no particular reason. In this case, the Cosmic bestows the blessings it deems wise to give to us. In fact, we always have at least one reason for wanting to reach this particular state of consciousness, and that is to pray for the happiness of others and for Peace on Earth. We have explained that everyone has his or her own Celestial Sanctum, for the understanding one has of this high cosmic place is personal. However, in the Absolute, you should be aware that the plane of consciousness where it is situated is the same for everyone. This means that the manner of ascending to Celestial Sanctum is individual, but all those who congregate
Liber 777 there bathe in the same field of cosmic energy. Consequently, whether we are cognizant of it or not, we are never alone in the Celestial Sanctum for, among the thousands of persons who know of its existence, and most especially among Rosicrucians throughout the world, there are always some who, at one time or another during the day, ascend to its heights to pray, meditate, or petition for cosmic aid. This explains why so many encounters occur in the Celestial Sanctum and why this symbolic place is used by many members of AMORC to attune with persons they cannot contact physically. It needs to be mentioned at this point that the Imperator and the Grand Masters of AMORC join you as Supreme Grand Lodge Officers at the Celestial Sanctum. As such, they conduct regular mystical convocations at the level of this exalted cosmic place. During these convocations, where the thoughts of Rosicrucians from every jurisdiction meet, important messages which cannot be translated on the objective plane are delivered. We cannot, within the framework of this booklet, enlarge further on this point, for experience alone will assist us in understanding what they consist of and how they are perceived. In addition to the knowledge they impart, such messages have the advantage of not being limited by language barriers, for on the cosmic plane they speak directly to the soul consciousness and completely transcend the meaning and value of words. To conclude this presentation of the Celestial Sanctum, we suggest that you take full advantage of all the benefits that can be obtained on this high plane of energy. Since it constitutes one of the most noble creations that Cosmic Intelligence has given to humanity, it would be a real oversight to neglect reaching this symbolic place which the Rose-Croix has consecrated to truth and dedicated to all of those seeking happiness. If you ever wish to explain a particularly significant contact in your Celestial Sanctum, do not hesitate to let us know. Advise us by writing to the Grand Master. Your letter will not be answered, because such experiences cannot be interpreted by someone else. However, be assured that it will be read with the greatest attention. May the Cosmic forever guide your steps on the path to Peace Profound, and may the Celestial Sanctum be your privileged source to find this path!
The Celestial Sanctum A symbol drawn by Dr. H. Spencer Lewis (This symbol has no sectarian significance as used here.)