In the Light of Truth

66. Gross matter, ethereal matter, radiation, space and time

Ihave been asked many questions respecting the meaning of the terms I use in my writings. These shall here be explained in detail.

Gross physical matter comprises all that man can see, hear and feel with his physical senses. To this belongs all that he can see by the aid of the instruments at present at his disposal, for example, the microscope, and all that he will be able to see later on when new inventions disclose new phenomena. Gross physical matter is only a special kind of matter. The great field of matter comprises several species, essentially different one from the other. They can never intermingle.

The different varieties of matter lie, as it were, in layers one above the other; at the very bottom (or end) of the created universe, forming the lowest strata. The lightest matter at the top and the heaviest at the bottom, according to the order existing in all cosmic dispensation. The sole purpose of all these varieties of matter is to help to develop the spirit, which descends into it, to germinate like the seed in fruitful earth.

The different layers of matter are in themselves inert and helpless. It is not until the energy from the sphere above, the kingdom of nature (animism), penetrates and permeates it, giving it warmth and life, that it becomes active and can serve as an outer covering or garment to envelop all manner of different types and species.

As I have already said, different kinds of matter do not allow of fusion, but they can unite by virtue of animism which has given them life. This resulting compound of two or more different kinds of matter sends out heat-waves and emanations.

Each separate variety of matter has its own particular emanation, which unites with other harmonious emanations and forms a radiating halo round an object; this halo is already known to man, it is called “Od” or emanation. Every stone, every plant, every animal has its own individual halo of emanations which varies in appearance according to the condition of the body or outer covering of the object. Derangement in the normal condition of this halo points to disorders.

This radiating emanation gives each object a special surrounding aura, which serves as a defence in warding off discordant approach and also is the connecting bridge with the outer world. On the other hand it also reacts on its own inner self, helping its development forward in a general way. But in truth so many other influences are here at work that I can only take them one after the other, and, proceeding step by step, will make it easier for the serious inquirer to understand the eternal laws which order all things.

Where the energy of nature has not penetrated matter, it is as nothing, it is inanimate.

What we have now been considering is but the combination of the energy of the natural world with the different species of matter in the physical world.

It is this combination which provides the field into which the spirit descends to develop and also to rule, for animated matter is subordinate to it.

Sovereignty is thus offered to the spirit spontaneously, and it is indeed sad if it misuses or absuses its privileged position. The emanations, as we have just described, form the armour which protects the spirit during its period of development in the soil, which animism, the soul of nature, has carefully prepared in advance. It is the duty of the spirit to put the armour it is provided with to its proper use for its advantage and advancement and not to its harm and destruction.

It can easily be understood that the material element predominating in the covering will be decisive for the composition of the emanation, and likewise exercise a very great influence in all directions.

The quality and composition of the rays forming the emanation are of far greater importance than investigators have hitherto supposed. Not a tenth part of their proper purpose and office has been conjectured!

The power or ability to receive the vibrations in the universe is determined by the composition of this radiating halo or aura. The reader should not lightly dismiss this passage but concentrate his thoughts on its meaning, and then suddenly he will perceive that the nerve-strands of Creation, which it is for him to learn to employ, are disclosing themselves before him.

Imagine primeval radiating energy poured out on Creation. It pulsates through every part, and through every species of being. And every part and every species of being reflect these glorious rays and pass them on in an altered form and colour because of the difference in their composition. Thus Creation is one complexity of glorious rays of colour such as no painter could reproduce. Every part of the universe and every star, indeed every single object, be it ever so minute, is a finely-cut prism reflecting the rays it receives in numberless different hues.

The colours also give forth sounds that form harmonious accords. It is not that sounds have colours but that the colours produce sound, that is to say, radiating colours, not the dull colours used by the painter, which are dead in comparison with the colour of the rays.

The human spirit, protected by the various coverings it has received, stands in this mighty realm of coloured light. Till the generative power awakes, the proceedings are the same as with a babe. The material coverings suck up by radiating only what is necessary for their maturing. When the generative energy awakens and the spirit is fully equipped, the doors are thrown wide open and a direct and powerful connection with the outside world is established. The human spirit develops and controls the colour of its emanation and by so doing attunes its vibrations to those of the cosmos, it sends them forth like a radio and receives them back from there. Here again we see how the attraction of the analogous works.

The colours only show the species and the species give the colours.

And this is a key to unfold many mysteries, it is the lost key of the royal art of astrology, the secret of herbal medicine and of that much discussed subject, animal and spiritual magnetism; then also of the art of right living and of how to climb step by step to the Light. The steps are only meant as a help to climb by. It is a ladder leading to Heaven. And the knots in the network of the glorious rays of light and colour are the rungs of this ladder: they tell of all knowledge and reveal every secret in the universe.

You who are seeking with noble purpose, grasp boldly at this wonderful network of radiating light, and acknowledge the magnitude of God Almighty and His Creation! It is but child's play to be master and ruler here, if you will but be honest and lay aside your presumptuous so-called knowledge! Cast off this false burden, and stand upright and free.

Normal conditions provide that the composition and harmonious blending of the rays should give the help and protection the spirit needs for its advancement.

The present manner of nourishing and exercising the body, and of living generally, have somewhat displaced the order of these rays, and this calls for remedy, for it is an utterly unhealthy, detrimental displacement.

From the foregoing, man can form an idea of what influence and effect food has on the distribution of the rays.

The choice of food makes it possible to assist and to strengthen or to weaken and diminish the intensity of certain rays, so that those rays dominate which are beneficial to the individual in question. The beneficial influence is the normal influence.

Still this in itself is not sufficient to bear man upwards, it only provides a sound basis for the soul's full activity and it is left to its own free will to determine whether it shall rise, stray aside or take the downward road. These influences will not fail to invigorate the body as well as the soul, as soon as man is capable of attending to them; at present, through his ignorance, man grievously sins against them.

When I speak of invisible, ethereal matter and visible physical matter, it must not be concluded that the ethereal is but a refinement of the physical, for they are of quite different nature and consistency. Invisible ethereal matter can never become visible physical matter, for ethereal matter is an intermediate step in the upward direction. And besides this, it must be clearly understood that both these forms of matter are but the covering, the garment, of the spirit, provided and animated by animism, the soul of the natural world.

Whilst discussing this, I must point out that matter is not only animated by self-conscious and unconscious spirit and by the energy of the natural kingdom, but currents of energy from all manner of different species in creation join in furthering development and perfection. The activity of these currents comes next to the spiritual and natural influences, or one might say, prepares the way for them.

In analysing the details still further, many more influences will appear at work. Although linked together they succeed each other in activity and show a continuous series of new gradations. All is strictly consistent with logic and can easily be followed with the key which I will give in the course of my lectures. Then every individual can unravel the secrets of Creation for himself.

To give all the information at once would only confuse the reader. If, on the other hand, I reveal one thing after another, as I have hitherto done, it makes it easy to follow, specially easy for him who has followed me up till now.

To begin with I want to give the rudiments or first principles on which Creation rests and later on will go into the details.

My reader will perhaps sometimes feel like one to whom a human skeleton is shown and next to it a living man in the fulness of his perfection. If he knows nothing of man's build, he will not recognise the skeleton in the living man. He may even say, these two have nothing to do with one another. And so it will be with one who will not patiently follow my explanations to the end. He, who does not earnestly strive to understand from the beginning, will not be able to grasp the whole complexity of Creation when I come to the last explanations. He must try to follow step by step.

As I am obliged to restrict myself to a general survey, I must go over slowly to new questions as I wish to avoid leaving any gaps. I have often been told that I only give the gist of the subject under discussion, and that makes it hard for the generality of readers to understand. But I am obliged to proceed thus, as it would take more than a life-time to write all I have to say in detail; I should only be able to get one fourth of my task done. But though I cannot expend more time, others will come who will write one or more books on each of my lectures.

As I have said before, ethereal matter is of a totally different nature from physical matter; I will now point out what this fact involves. Not to confuse the reader, I have hitherto in some cases kept to popular terms, these I will now explain further; for instance people say: “beyond time and space”. This always referred to the worlds above physical matter. But our further knowledge teaches us that we should say: beyond our earthly conception of time and space, for time and space exist in the ethereal world also, but they are different from our time and space and are suited to ethereal conditions. Some form of time and space is to be found in all the universe, but it is always suited to the nature of the different spheres; Creation itself has a limit and that involves the idea of space even for Creation itself.

It is the same with the eternal laws which govern the universe, they all accommodate themselves to the special peculiarity of the different spheres. It follows that the effects that they realise in the different quarters of the universe differ one from another. This diversity gives occasion to much misunderstanding, to seeming contradiction and to doubts as to the unity of the eternal laws or of Divine purpose, and thus leads men to believe that God acts arbitrarily.

The reason for all this lies merely in the ignorance of man respecting the universe itself.

I must postpone going into these subjects in detail till much later; at present it would divert the attention of the reader and confuse him.

As soon as it is necessary for further understanding I will give this information, so that there may be no gaps.

[Grail Message by Abdrushin]  [Resonances to the Grail Message]