Clergy Post Report 22977 Pages 175-top of 184 From the Book Egyptian Mysteries Volume 3, Sebai Muata Ashby
Udja,
These pages cover some important issues with regards to the clergy. There is the presentation of the admonition to the priests and priestess and part time priests and priestesses. Another very important aspect of the clergy path that is covered is the guarding against impatience, self-willed nature, and irreverent attitude. The role of the king and queen as high priest is also elucidated upon.
The priests and priestesses are instructed to turn towards the house of the divine, the temple, and to do with purity of heart. In as such there should be care not to lie or to steal in the house as well as not to add to the weight of the measure knowingly and deceitfully and not to raise the taxes on the populace. The clergy member are to act as care takers for the community and not to take advantage of those who do not know the weights and measures of the scales. In terms of modern times the clergy must be careful not to overly charge for services and to work with a heart of understanding towards the members of the community with regards to the financial responsibility of the community members. Therefore, “the clergy is in a special position of trust and therefore has special temptations. There is the temptation to misuse the power of the office (pg.177).” A very important passage from the text states, “The sinful behaviors arise from the highly egoistic notion that one is getting over on god, and that one is taking something and profiting by it as if God is like a person, with limited senses and limited presence.” If these elevated truths are known and reflected upon it protects from sinful acts that goes against the office and against purity of heart.
With regards to impatience, self-willed nature, and irreverent attitude, it is good to know and understand that spiritual development takes times. As the mind has participated in delusion for many lifetimes and has been deluded and clouded for many lifetimes, it will take time to achieve liquidity and spiritual stamina on the path to enlightenment. As there are advances in technology, these advances have facilitated a kind of impatience in the personalities of the common folk. Just as a person would like to take a pill to relieve a headache, many personalities approach the teaching with the same mental disposition. They want the teaching now, enlightenment tomorrow by some external means as facilitator instead of realizing that understanding the teaching and expanding ones consciousness beyond the limits of normal human perception is a project that takes time, endurance in patience, spiritual rigor and forbearance. “This impatience and irreverence lead to lack of respect for authentic spiritual personalities, and an inability to progress on the spiritual path, because the movements of such a person are shallow and ineffective (pg.179)”. Therefore, prospective clergy member must watch for this within themselves and work to eliminate this self-willed an impatient nature and be watchful and mindful of this psychological tendency in their students to facilitate their work towards elimination of such unwholesome feelings, emotionality, and actions.
The role of the queen and king as high priest (Pharaoh {Per Aah}) and priestess is one of caretaker protector, and as a guardian. And this elevation of the Per Aah goes beyond the mundane as the “the Per Aah was seen as an incarnation of Heru, the divinity of order, truth, righteousness and redemption (pg.183)”. Thus, in a very sophisticated way the Per Aah was the caretaker of the soul of humanity and nature. Thus, the Per Aah was a political leader but also was head of the religion of Shetaut Neter. The clergy must also be proficient in the science and concept of Maat as well as Maat philosophy as this informs their lives.
Dua Sebai Maa, Dua Seba Dja, Dua Hemu, HTP
SK
