Pages 214-222
Chapter 9: Cultural, Historical, Political and Social Concerns for the Neterian Clergy in the 21st Century
We have learned of the ideals of ancient kemet. Ideally nothing is really happening. But can we remain in this knowledge and continue through life in a human body dealing with human issues unaffected? Although everyone was not enlightened in Kemet due to each one’s personal ariu experience, Our ancient teachings gave us a path to deal with our human experience while moving toward a higher consciousness beyond time and space. The political, social, cultural practices built into the Kemetic civilization had the ethical,humanistic, maatian considerations one needed to transcend the human entrapments. In todays, amystical, unethical society the social, politica engineering is not created to offer a clear path toward transcendence.
So, Now that the clergy understands the ideals of ancient Kemetic culture, how do we now navigate life, interact with others and practice authentically in this time with all the current dysfunction and sensitivities in today’s culture and maintain purity? We cannot pretend as if we have already transcended the human experience, pretending it is not affecting us. It is at least affecting the general population of Neterian followers that look toward the advancing aspirants for guidance on their journey. It is important to remain clear on the positions taken by western the modern world/western society ( leaders and the masses) and how it relates to their view on groups such as ours when interacting with them. We are not living in ideal times, under ideal circumstances. We will review the religious, cultural and social positions of the current culture and review and state our position.
Religion- the world is dominated by the three largest orthodox religions. They each have a mystical origin but that side is neither promoted nor even acknowledged. Today they each believe in the God of the Bible or their respective versions of. Though their relationship and pathway toward this God may differ they seem to have a fragile but noticeable level of tolerance for each other. They have each amassed a great deal of political and economical power and are widely supported by the masses. While the masses feel a sense of righteousness following the tenets laid out by their leaders to make them feel good, they refer to anyone not following their religion as heathens, and therefore not capable nor worthy of knowing the glory of God. In fact their scriptures make it clear that anyone not a follower should be ultimately eradicated. These beliefs and practices are not yet denounced and rectified and still remain an undertone within their teachings. They still remain a dominant feature of their teachings which propelled them into becoming world powers in the first place. These are the teachings that gave them permission and instructions to conquer, usurp and control as much of the world as they can. These features of their teachings cannot be ignored or separated from the rest but instead should either be denounced by its leaders while acknowledging its historical destructive effect on the physical,mental and spiritual health of the people or admitted to as a man-made ego driven construct and not meant for directing anyone toward knowing God. Yes, there are similarities and correlations between the Shetaut Neter religion and the three dominant ones; those similarities came from co opting aspects of ancient culture not from an understanding nor promotion of their mythical or mystical meanings. A Shetaut Neter advancing aspirant should remain clear and steadfast in maintaining the purity of the religion without mixing it with other religions.
Culture- missionary outreach is one of the primary ways indigenous cultures were destroyed and or co opted. Culture is related to one’s spiritual practice.The spiritual practice provides the teachings while the culture impresses the psychological and psycho spiritual feelings of the teachings back to the practitioner, like a mirror. The culture compliments the spiritual practice by removing the dissonance from one’s minds that could come from having a disjointed practice. Culture is destroyed in five steps laid out by Sebai. First, missionaries go into a country appearing peaceful and proving aid, they quietly and slowly convert the natives by denigrating their culture until they abandon it, over time they openly incite hatred and violence bringing along those who have not yet converted. They destroy the native way. Finally, they co opt the symbols to create the delusion for those remaining that they are practicing the same ancient practices. Again, this all happens over time. As a Shetaut Neter spiritual aspirant one’s clothing, name, iconographies, symbols, language, music, associations, customs and practices should reflect those of the teachings. This I believe is still being worked out.
Social/Political- Appeasing the incorporation of western religious practices into SN practices is not recommended. Adapting western orthodox religious practices because they have an origin in Ancient Egyptian practice such as the creation myth and the resurrection story is also not recommended. They have adapted some of these practices from the Ancient Egyptians. However, adapting does not mean understanding. Taking someone’s culture and incorporating it into your own creates an illusion of understanding it. Using ancient practices to create and enhance your own while declaring your own as the true and only way has no foundation.
In Kemet, we have a mystical practice that not only originates in Africa with ethnically black people but our practice is also universal. It is accessible and open to all. We denounce racism as it was not acknowledged in ancient times. It is a modern construct that tends to hold one race superior than another. While there isn’t shown to be any intellectual difference between today’s classification of races, ignorance is always a part of the human experience. Primarily, ignorance of one’s true self as God. As all humans are African, emanating from the same God and having an inherent goal to experience God, oneself, Shetaut Neter is a practice available for all humans. An advancing aspirant needs to make the teachings available to all who qualify according to their capacity and desire. The key as Sebai stated is in the leadership. We must be righteous leaders appealing to the higher aspect of the human journey as opposed to leaders of the world who act as demigods, aggrandizing their own ego.
Shetaut Neter leads one to the country of Egypt and toward the culture of ancient Egypt where the religious, cultural, social, political practices all compliment the teachings of enlightenment. An advancing aspirant should continue to study the teachings of SN authentically and not be misguided by the similarities in other religions into practicing lower level religious practices based only on myth and maybe ritual.
Reviewing how the orthodox religions integrate the social, cultural, political, economical aspects of life into their religion however unethical, makes it clear that continuing to develop our social, cultural, economical practices while bringing forth the religious teachings will allow for an integrative practice that will contiue benefit the followers of SN both practically and mystically.
HTP
