Udja Sebai Maa and Seba Dja,
Please find below the rendition for Lesson 6 – Level 1 audio Assignment…
Audio Assignment – Lesson 6 – Level 1
A) Main Teachings of the Lesson
The Science of Anthropology at birth was created with the purpose of proving the superiority of one race over the other. But, the scientists of the field failed to achieve that goal simply because it was an illusion to start with. Despite the initial bias, the Science has evolved toward the study of culture with the recognition that across civilizations, human experience is fundamentally similar with diversity of expressions due to environmental context. One of the aspects of that commonality is the fact that regardless of the culture, the people have always reflected on the existence of a Supreme Being and how to relate to it as well as the origin of the world and human species.
The ancient Egyptian civilization has fascinated the world and continues to do so with their architecture, and more importantly with their philosophy of living manifested through their Religion; a philosophy influenced major Western Religions and its traced can also be found in Hinduism, Buddhism as documented by many Scholars such as Dr Muata Ashby in his book African Origin of civilization.
The essence of the teaching of the Ancient Egyptian religion, also called Shetaut Neter is summarized through four major principles that are called Great Truths. In Mathematics, there are certain statements called Axioms that can’t be demonstrated and therefore must be admitted as intuitively true; without them the rest of the mathematical statements will fall apart. The Great Truths in Shetaut Neter play a similar role in regards to the Religion of the Kemetic people and represent the essential formula of the teaching as well as principles the aspirant must admit to be true in order to progress in the path. Doubts concerning them will affect negatively the ability of the aspirant to progress. However, the Great truths are not an end within themselves as they represent the main guides for the aspirant to support her desire to expand and transform her consciousness until realization of the final goal of Religion, which is enlightenment. They are not simply necessary to support the work of the aspirant; they are simply the Truths that transcend history throughout time and space.
The first great truth statement: Pa Neter Ua Ua Neberdjer M Neteru. It is translated as follows: Neter, the Supreme Being is one and alone and as Neberdjer, manifests everywhere and in all things in the form of Gods and Goddesses. The first Truth informs about the existence and the essential Nature of the Supreme Being as the only reality that is abiding. One and Alone implies there is only one such reality and no other outward manifestation can be real except the One. In the Kyballion, it is called the All. As Neberdjer, it underlies all outward manifestations and this means that it is the stuff that is behind and under everything that is the object of our perception. This implies also that the Supreme Being is formless but encompasses all forms. While being the stuff under all outward phenomenons, none of them contains that stuff in its totality but is only a manifestation of it. The Supreme Being expresses itself through the Gods and Goddesses also named Neterus which represent cosmic principles that sustain Creation. The Neterus are not the Supreme Being but are its manifestations and as such represent door ways for realizing our true Nature. The Ancient Egyptian tradition recognized the existence of one Supreme Being and not many as understood in the Western world. The Ultimate Reality does not have a form in itself and therefore can’ be perceived in time and space with our senses; one can only see its manifestation and through them, come to realize the oneness of ALL not as an intellectual affirmation or a statement to be proven through reasoning but, with intuitional insight. The teaching of the first great truth implies human being is also composed of that substratum: this statement is justified with the transitivity law of the teaching of the scripture of Aset & RA. Neter created RA out, through and it itself; Ra created Neterus out, through and in itself; Neterus are forms of Creation, living beings and Physical Universe animate and inanimate including human beings; it ensues the following philosophy axiom: “ if RA created the forms of Creation out of himself and he lives in them, they are RA incarnate. Therefore, the essence that is in RA is also in Creation so Neter is also in Creation. Creation is Neter”. Therefore, at the core of the teaching, God is not a separate entity outside of us but a reality within that we need to realize in order to attain ultimate perfection. It is contrary to the duality principle of major Western Religions at least in their currently expressed form whereby God is depicted as an outside entity that we need to worship as such.
The second great truth statement is: an-Maat Sui Saui Set S Khemn. It is translated as follows: lack of righteousness brings fetters to the personality and these fetters lead to ignorance of the divine. Lack of righteousness relates to the affirmation of duality or the identification of objects of creation as being real and abiding, forgetting as such that these objects are only the manifestations of the Ultimate reality as described in the first Great truth. It results from this forgetfulness that the subject is acting in contrary to the order of Nature and this in itself brings fetters (Saiu Set) to the personality representing qualities that affirm egoism or the identification of the Self as being separate from the rest of Creation. As this is against the natural order of Creation, it leads to suffering and great pain as a way to signal to the subject about the illusory of the attachment to duality. The individual who is experiencing the suffering resolves to find peace in time and space externally and this reinforces the forgetfulness until it reaches the stage of ignorance (Khemn) of the divine essence meaning a state where one perceives oneself and rest of creation as two completely separate realities having their own right of existence. The sages describing that state of mind is telling us the following: “there is no more darkness than the darkness of ignorance”. The physical darkness is perceptible whereas the one of ignorance is hidden and underlies all negative activities of the subject and is the cause of unrighteous act; in that sense, it is more destructive because it is unconscious and not revealed. On the individual level, the person inflicted by the fetters is seeking value for the self through social relationship expressed through statements such as: I am from the upper class or the Elite and the others not or I am more educated and things like that. Another manifestation of that ignorance may be found in expression including: I am nothing, I am worthless, which are usually the result of internal integration of social violence derived from the same affliction. In both cases, the subject through each type of affirmation reinforces the perception of the self as a separate entity and therefore is immersed with the fetters as a way to justify owns existence. The ” I” becomes the object of worship and all actions are taken to support the perception of separateness as they become sources of satisfaction. But, the problem is the satisfaction never comes permanently but temporarily, which leaves the subject with the taste of desiring for more and more. These qualities identified since the beginning of time include anger, greed, jealousy, dishonesty, and many more and are necessary from the perspective of the afflicted person to support egoism and without realizing it; they are also the sources of suffering. On a subtle sense, these fetters are not necessarily evils per se but are to serve as indication of the degree of our ignorance about the oneness of Creation and provide a context of understanding and progression for the spiritual aspirant.
The third great truth is stated like that: S Uashu, S Nafu n Saiu Set. The translation is that the devotion to the divine leads to freedom from the fetters of SET. Human being is an eternal lover; one can find at the basis of his acting, feelings, reasoning, the love for a principle, an idea. Once engaged in life through ignorance of the divine, devotion and attachment are directed towards the ego self and related supported objects of creation hence binding the individual as a slave to the body. This state of mind is symbolized by the Ancient Egyptian deity GEB holding the person to the earth opposing any attempt to progress higher up spiritually. To reverse that state of mind, the devotion (Uashu) needs to be redirected to the divine; it is a process of detachment toward worldly object and attachment to the divine Self. The feelings and actions need to be directed toward the divine as opposed to the benefit of the ego self. With that state of mind, it results Nafu which is a State of liberation from the bondage and attachment to worldly object as well as from the related fetters (Saiu SET). This can be symbolized by the deity GEB no longer holding the aspirant who now is able to progress higher up towards the goal of spiritual practices.
The fourth great truth is stated as follows: Ari Shedy Rekh Ab m Maakeru. It is translated as: the practice of the Shedy disciplines lead to knowledge of the Self and the divine; this is called being true of Speech. The term Ari means actions and it relates to those necessary in order to realize the lessons of the great truths. Shedy refers to pondering, or the process of getting deeply into the disciplines not for the sake of knowing them but to persist in the pondering until they lead to complete transformation or purification of our personality. The transformation referred to, is the movement of consciousness from egoism to awareness of our true nature as being essentially one with the rest of creation. There are four Shedy disciplines that derive form a thorough understanding of the psychological context that lead the mind to perceive duality as abiding; from that understanding, they propose practices aiming at dissolving gradually that perception which clouds our awareness of the divine Self.
The first discipline named Rekh Shedy relates to the listening of the teaching about the Nature of the Supreme Being, the origin of the world and human being and the path toward enlightenment of the SOUL. The identification of mind with the ego personality is based on impressions accumulated over many life times. Therefore, to reverse that identification, the teaching looks to instill new impressions about its illusory aspect and source of the suffering and pain. The mind is informed about what its true Nature and more importantly that this is also the very same nature of the rest of Creation hence the concept of oneness. This statement when impressed repetitively to the mind will lead to create a new type of thinking about the nature of the Ultimate reality. However, the transformation of Intellect alone will not suffice to dissolve the identification with duality as the mind also has developed strong emotional attachments to objects of the sense and that is where the teaching aims at initiating a second level of transformation through the second discipline.
The second discipline is Uashu or devotion. The identification of objects of our senses as being abiding and permanent is associated with a sense of attachment to them. The discipline of devotion will look to provide new insights and feelings in order to detach the mind from worldly objects and turn it to the divine essence. However, this process of detach and attach can’t be done abruptly but gradually starting with objects that symbolize the Ultimate reality which the mind can relate to easily. From that perspective, the Neterus or the Gods and Goddesses represent doorways to the divine essence with their depiction in several forms including anthropomorphic, zoomorphic or simply as cosmic principles depending on the level of devotional practice that the mind is able to sustain. The process goes on to include the concept of tutelary divinity in accordance with the qualities of attachment mostly expressed by the aspirant in time and space, with the purpose of detachment from worldly objects until final identification with the tutelary divinity. The devotion can be done in songs, chants as per the temperament of the aspirant.
The third discipline is called Ari Shedy and is intended to spiritualize the actions of the aspirant. Spiritualized actions refer to those that are not done in the pursuit of personal gain but, for the service of others. In that case, the aspirant is taught to be a servant of humanity in providing selfless service with no expectation of personal benefits. Also, in that same line, he should not take enjoyment nor pride in regards to outcome of his actions as this would be once again a way to reinforce egoism. He is encouraged to live a simple life with discipline and control of the senses. In regards to developing righteousness, the teaching encourages the worshiping of Maat, the deity of balance, order and justice. The purpose is through the worship, the aspirant will integrate the notion of righteousness with the avoidance of situations that are against the qualities of the deity. The idea is to generate impressions on the mind that cause righteousness to manifest in the life of the aspirant. One aspect of Ari Shedy is the need for the aspirant not to respond to insult but to consider them as act of ignorance and therefore try not taking them personally. He or she needs to show humility and develops feelings that one is merely an instrument in the hands of the divine. In all his aspects, the Ari Shedy discipline helps the aspirant to purify the actions in order to progress in the path.
The fourth discipline is the Uaa Shedy or meditation which aims at helping the aspirant to control the wonders of the mind. According to one of the final conclusions of the prm m Heru book, mind is a product of disturbed waters. This analogy signifies that when there is agitation in the mind, it causes phenomenon to manifest in time and space as per the desires emanating from the Arius. The goal of the meditation is to have the mind becoming like NUN, the primeval ocean where there is no movement, which is the state of Anrutef. Meditation starts gradually with teaching the aspirant about how to control the movement of the mind and to have it pointed to a particular object. The capacity for single pointing is used to focus the mind on the nature of the Self. The Sages understood the state of the mind is a result of thoughts and feelings therefore, in providing a context for reflections on the oneness of existence and the underlying nature of everything which is also the true nature of the aspirant, this process causes the realization of the SELF to occur in current life when the reflection is done consistently and with patience. When that happens, the aspirant is said to be true of speech or according to the first conclusion of the prt m heru book, the aspirant knows his name, his true nature.
A key consideration about the Shedy disciplines is that their purpose is to transform all levels of the personality as the purification needs to be integral otherwise, the aspirant will not be able to reach fully the highest goal of spirituality, which is enlightenment. Another aspect is that the practices require a context and guidance that are provided through the preceptor without which the aspirant would be lost and confused. An aspect worth noting is that the teaching to be effective requires first that the aspirant willingly decides to take that path where he or she is not forced otherwise; the experience will be bound to failure. The support system for the Shedy disciplines is done through a process in three steps: listening, which is to learn about the teaching; rituals meaning to apply them in daily life; meditation meaning to become one with the teaching and transcend it. In practical terms, when the aspirant is enlightened he or she in fact reaches a state of dual consciousness. Because the subject evolves in time and space, he or she still keeps awareness of duality for practical aspects of life but, the key difference is that he is no longer bind or attached with objects of creation as being abiding and permanent. Having realized the unity of creation and his oneness with it, the aspirant in that stage lives a life in time and space with no desire to find happiness in there as he already realized eternal bliss. He is able to offer universal love indifferently to everyone without expecting anything in return for personal gain; he lives selflessly and most of the time carries on the teaching to others who so desire to perpetuate this great teaching.
In summary, the Great Truths teach us about the Nature of the Supreme Being and the Source and the consequences of our ignorance of it. They lay down the path toward removing the clouds that affect our perception of our true nature and more importantly that it is not only to know the path but to realize it through the practice of the Shedy disciplines.
B) Part of the teaching I am currently implementing
I would answer that question along the Shedy disciplines, Tjef Neteru and Kemetic Diet.
In regards to Reckh Shedy, I practice daily listening of the teaching by reading the books, listening to past lectures and attend current ones to the extent of my capacity. The Egyptian mystery classes provide as well a good context for continuous study of the teaching and the writings of essay help clarifying my understanding. As time passes, I am discovering new insights with better understanding.
For Uashu, I practice the morning worship regularly; the Evening worship is done at least three times a week now; for the noon worship, I am not able to practice yet but, I made a point of relating to it either through the mental recitation of the Great Truths or singing.
For Ari Shedy, I must say compared to last time; I made progress particularly, in regards to managing anger. I am less and less susceptible to it and now, I can feel the irritation when its coming and try to calm down before it manifests. With the teaching, I am learning more and more to evaluate the events not based on my personal interest but, within the context of the scriptures and this leads to less passion and attachment particularly in regards to politics. Finding good association is an area that is much more difficult for me within the country context where study of this type of teaching is not highly considered. I usually avoid associations where people are gossiping about politics and other people with the risk of being labeled as anti-social. People may not realize but as much as you love and respect them but, you are unable to partake in their social activities: this is something I would like to learn to do with more grace so that people do not feel any rejection. Overall, I am developing more awareness in attempting to manage the fetters of SET but, this is a battle with many cycles of failures and disappointments: persistence and patience are recommended by the teaching until final transcendence. In a more subtle sense, the teaching has helped me a lot in providing me with a higher perspective in life. Referring to this higher aspect of life, it has helped me balancing the day to day events. I feel better prepared to manage worries, fear, and anger. However, there is still much progression to make to control the automated egoistic response system developed over time and supported by the Ari
Regarding Ua Shedy, I am regular with my meditation in the morning. In the evening, before sleeping, I recite the Hekau and meditate a little. Compared to last time, I am more engaged in hekau recitation preceding my meditation session either in the morning or at night.
Kemetic Diet for the body
I manage successfully to eliminate meat completely from my diet since last January. It took me around one year or so to get at that stage. I realize on the previous attempts I have not fully followed the instructions or simply, my Ari did not allow it to happen. I am now trying to move progressively toward the next step which is a pure vegan diet.
For Tjef Neteru or the practice of the Neteru exercises, I have made progress up to the transition phase with the DVD. I am practicing regularly in the morning and this is really a good experience regarding how I feel throughout the day.
C) Areas I do not yet practice or improvement
– Noon worship is an area I need to improve on…
– More regularity with my evening worship.
– Increase length of meditation session at night
– Be able to practice selfless service: usually, all my activities are work related and I really hope to engage in activities for the benefit of others very soon.
My goal is to be able to intensify the practice but I understand I need to progress gradually as time permits. I hope with my progression with the teaching I will be able to get direct feedback regarding my practice from Sebai Maa. To the extent of my capacity and understanding as the Arius permit it, I have tried as best as I could to practice the teaching in an integral fashion but from what I also know, one can’t absolutely be his own judge in the process. The books “Intiation into Egyptian Yoga (the Secrets of Sheti)” as well as the Worship manual and practical advises from the lectures and weekly chat, have guided me in my practice. I feel the progression but I know also the feedback of the Sebai in regards to the practice is determinant to my growth and I am looking forward for the very next opportunity to do that.
HTP
