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The Purpose of Love by Richard Gardner PART TWO - C - chapter index 
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The persons whose co-operative efforts brought forth the twelve channels also say that individuals have elements in different sequences, and that the sequence of elements influences the character. This means, for example, that Fire, say, would manifest through a person rather differently depending whether he or she had it first, second, third or last in the make up of the psyche. The same rule is said to apply to the position of the other three elements in a person. These observations tend to be seen more clearly in some people than in others, depending rather on whether an individual has to some degree integrated himself. Conversely in a neurotic person these observations tend to be much more apparent. Whether we accept these rules as being true or not may depend on our present level of vision, but in any case these ideas are at least an aid to seeing ourselves and others, and can safely be put forward as a code for vision. To test the true validity of the effects of sequences in any individual they would best be linked with a study of his personal horoscope. A positive result from these ideas about sequence is that they can identify the two basic types of, often conflicting, behaviour patterns that activate the individual, and which, for greater happiness, he needs to reconcile. To go fully into this aspect of the work would take much space and would probably still not be clear to the reader. It is best taught as a subject, rather than just read. However what follows are brief examples to give an outline of the whole subject. The rules of the foregoing are: The element a person has first tends to be in its most genuine state. The second element tends to be suppressed. The third over-developed and not in as true a condition as it would be if it were in first position. The third element is said to be the one we most frequently use to deal with the world, do our job with and consider as ourselves. Our last element tends to be our ideal, what we admire in others, aspire to, and when we use it ourselves, it is said of us 'we are in our element'. As an example take a man who is Water first. Earth second. Air third and Fire last. The first two are the Siren, the second two are the Logician. Properly developed the first two could give him the good taste, charm and sensitivity of a gentleman. The second two the brilliant wit of the true advocate. These days men are discouraged from developing their feminine qualities, so that often these elements atrophy in them. With this sequence, if he practises no self-development he would probably become a little insensitive, impractical, intellectually dominated, trying to baffle people with words, and not very enterprising or steadfast. All this also modified by the influence of his horoscope. Another application for the ideas of sequence is in the choice of partners either in marriage or in business. The advice is to seek someone who has, as their last two, the elements you have first. So that the example above should seek a lady Fire first. Air second. Water third and Earth last. Then their interaction upon each other could begin to balance their elements. These ideas seem to confirm Jung's observation that men have a female essence and women a male essence. Only from an increasing familiarity with this subject, and comparison of notes with others interestd, will the reader gain the ability to observe the order of elements in himself and others. There is another important point which arises from an understanding of the sequence of elements in persons. A masculine type of person, be it man or woman, will have Fire or Air last, and are usually happiest fulfilling themselves through a masculine occupation. A feminine type of person will have Water or Earth last, be it man or woman and are usually happiest fulfilling themselves through a feminine occupation. For a man a male nurse. butler, valet, any job of caring for others. Even from these generalities it is clear that a great deal of work and real attention must be given to gaining a true understanding of ourselves, expanding our consciousness and learning about our relationship to the cosmos and each other. Although the twelve channels look so much like a horoscope, this subject is not astrology. Astrology can tell us what planetary influences are playing upon any given part of the earth at a particular time, and some of the effects of these upon one bom there. That is to say it is a subject concerned with the nature of transmissions, whereas this book is concerned with the nature and state of the receivers, us. Obviously what we can receive is largely dependent upon our state and level of evolution. The great astrologers always knew this, but possibly lacked the knowledge of how to assess the state of any particular individual. The learned astrologer could possibly plot all transmissions, but if he has no knowledge of the state and type of receiver he is casting for, he could not be very accurate in his knowledge of what that receiver will allow in, or be closed to. True knowledge of ourselves is a prerequisite for gaining full benefit from astrology. A practical view to hold for the present is that the elements are the 'strings' upon which the planets play. We shall sense again the 'pull' of planetary influence as our submerged perception rises once more to the surface where it was when astrology was founded. Familiarity with the elements of consciousness often reveals the nature of neurosis to be a state in which we are dominated by one inner archetype over the other, resulting in a serious imbalance. In fact the same trouble as we all have, but to a greater degree. Some examples of unreconciled internal conflicts: If Fire gains the upper hand the person tends to suppress his feelings, sneer at the feelings of others, dismiss imagination. In the end he becomes incapable of loving anyone or anything, feeling will always be 'silly' to him. However, if you manage to unlock his feelings a terrible mess will confront you and he will be terrified. Men have unfortunately been trained to suppress their feminine elements. If Earth gains the upper hand, aspiration, ambition, novelty and desire for change will be lacking. The person will go on in the same old way seeing no way out of his mould. Lightening these kind of people is no mean task, though their feelings tend to be in a better state than the example above. If Air gains the upper hand it tends to give vast quantities of ineffectual (even though accurate) knowledge. Someone who 'knows everything' but cannot do anything. Air is a great dryer up of water (feeling) and exhauster of fire (action). However marvellously intellectual these people may be they must DO something if their humanity is to be preserved. Their dried up faces become apparent over the years with all ability to feel, or do, departed. They should think less and act more. If Water gains the upper hand we have spinelessness, preciousness, drifting, dreaming, ineffectiveness, vagueness, inadequacy. Seeing the world as we subjectively feel, rather than as it is. Such people need to be taught decisive action as the way out of their morass. Shock is often necessary to bring an element which has been neglected into play. It is often used in the treatment of mental disorders, though without the practitioner really knowing what he is doing. This treatment is akin to our thumping a radio set when it is not receiving properly. Once we recognize the elements of consciousness we shall find better techniques for turning on the appropriate ones in people. Random shock treatment is not adequate to the delicate nature of consciousness. More specific and less drastic methods can be devised to suit each element deficiency. As psycho-therapists seem to know little about the nature of consciousness they often treat an unfamiliar channel in a person as if it were a mental disorder, thereby creating greater disorder and destroying something precious to us all. No wonder our Lord speaks of the blind leading the blind! The meaning of and the benefit from the foregoing will be lost as long as the reader does not truly realize that consciousness is external, and that we open or close ourselves to its various channels. By study to Airy ones, by day dreaming to Watery ones. By skill and action to Fiery ones. By practicality to Earthy ones. A most important point to bear in mind is that however well this subject may be grasped or learnedly discussed by persons, nothing has been achieved by them unless they realize that they themselves must DO something about each of the four main functions in themselves. Otherwise this will be just one more subject to be added to the general Airiness of our time. You do not know 'all about' dancing if you cannot dance, even if you have studied its entire history. Its elements are not functioning in you. You do not know 'all about' building if you cannot properly nail two pieces of wood together, even if you are an architect. The element Earth is not functioning in you. You do not know all about organization if you cannot make decisions, show initiative and drive. These aspects of Fire are not in you. You do not know 'all about' creativity and imagination if you cannot daydream. The element Water is dormant in you. And so it is with all attributes; for you to develop consciousness you must be able TO DO, not just read, discuss or watch. It is only what we can DO that evolves us. The more elements anyone develops the more aware he will become that consciousness is external. This explains why animals and insects 'know what to do'. Their brains are receiving sets tuned to certain channels and they perform accordingly. We use these same channels ourselves, but we have the potential for using every one of the twelve. Their 'circuits' are more fixed than ours. When we had even less consciousness than we have now, we used to copy one animal after another in order to gain the skills which they had. The list of twelve channels has been paired off into six male and six female ones; again this does not mean that they are men and women, nor that any of them is a person. No person could live outside a mental home who cannot use, to some extent, at least three of them. And some male and female channels are always found in both sexes. The conflicting conversations represent conflicts which go within a person, as well as what can happen in conversations with other persons. From many points of view it is best that women concentrate on the feminine channels. These are in general acquired in passive states, largely through a process of doing what comes naturally and intuitively. It is men who have to make most of the active efforts to evolve the masculine channels in them. By vastly improved lovemaking the evolutionary achievements of the male will be passed on to the female and he in turn will receive consciousness from her. The process will be a microcosm of the way that the sun strikes down upon the water and transforms it upward, a state that allows fire and water to mix. This is the very essence of evolutionary growth. Masculine type women and feminine type men should concentrate on the channels suited to their nature. At present many sexual relationships are between two feminine types of either sex (male and female who are both feminine types). This is the result of the taboo on homosexuality and feeling generally which forces the feminine type of male to suppress his psychological needs and conditions him to play a masculine role. Since this role is entirely superficial and in sexual intercourse merely a physical act involving none of his deeper feeling, what has been said above about the possibilities in lovemaking does not apply in these circumstances. These days such relationships are very common, unhappy and lead to no fulfilment, more often promiscuity and divorce. It should be clear that there is no order of priority or importance in the twelve channels. They are all necessary in their respective functions. No person or civilization can be complete or safe that neglects any one of them. From the foregoing we should see that what happens to us is that our basic character (our essential alchemy) plus conditioning factors of our environment cause us to make progress along one of the channels, the more we develop it the more spellbound we become by it and begin to judge the whole world from its point of view. Those of us who have done little about any channel are ignorant, though often less spellbound and therefore can be more open to any kind of information, depending upon our intelligence. The specialist is one who has greatly developed along a line of one of the channels. This is a straight line process, starting from the centre and moving out as on the spoke wheel. Such a person is usually the most closed to information coming from channels greatly different from the one he is on. The sad aspect of this condition is that he has come to think that progress is in a straight line, so that if you give him information that is not in his line he dismisses it. (The only difficulty any intelligent reader may have with this subject will come from his habit of thinking in straight lines.) As can be seen from the diagram, progress is an expanding circle which means that we have frequently to return to a state of innocence (put aside what he have learned) in order to explore other channels. As long as we insist upon judging one channel from the point of view of another we shall leam little about consciousness or the nature of life. Each channel must be experienced from innocence outward, not from one set of learning, that by the very spell it casts, prevents us from experiencing other states and perceptions. Hence the advice of the Indian masters when they say to their pupils: Tf you want to learn from me you must first empty your minds'. Most readers will be aware of these spells, if not in themselves certainly in others. For example, perhaps you have had some realization about life, a dream that was very revealing, or a concept not current in our time. You approach, say, a scientist, explain your view or experience, and receive the reply 'I am a scientist' and he goes on to prove to you that he has had his mind closed by that channel. In so doing he denies himself access to his soul with which he could have received your information and assessed it. Observing this performance G. B. Shaw pertinently remarked 'Science is the superstition of the twentieth century'. Or perhaps you have approached a priest and received the reply 'I am a catholic' and he goes on to show you he has had his mind closed by Air and Water and dare not let anything in which could disturb the spell. In ordinary people the effects of spells more often manifests in them not allowing you to discuss or even mention certain subjects. These spells are tragic in their effects and have held up our progress for centuries preventing the visions of our young from finding the fructifying sympathy that could have brought them into reality. This situation has led every inventor or revealer of truth to suffer endlessly in his attempts to bring more light. The most tragic spell of all to which we have been subject, is the ancient Egyptian idea that immortality begins after death. Even the exciting revelation of Jesus was not enough to break this spell, although anyone reading the Four Gospels will find no hint that immortality is to be found through death. Everything they promise is to be achieved through life. The breaking of spells is one of the first fundamental problems for the new age to tackle. The axiom must be: 'If anyone has something to say, let him be properly heard'. This will lead to real progress, whereas what has happened so far has kept us in the dark ages for centuries. If you cannot freely and easily discuss any subject under the sun, the one to whom you are speaking is stupid, spellbound or cowardly. People who agree with each other are using the same channel or channels closely related. Those with related values are easily seen on the diagram. Much of the material for this book came from researchers and authors who have been largely disregarded. The establishment has only to 'discredit' a revealer of any truth for the majority to follow suit without investigating the material for themselves. The herd instinct is strong, but sheep are always led to the slaughter. There is a vast well of neglected knowledge compiled by an army of unrecognized genius that could be brought to our aid once the spell of a few current channels of consciousness is broken. There are hopeful signs that these spells are beginning to break. No knowledge or perception of any kind can be properly assessed, appreciated or applied, if we do not know that we can evolve to a state of immortality. All knowledge must be seen in the light of this, then only will its significance be appreciated. |
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| page | |
| Introduction | 1 |
| PART ONE. ON CENTRE | |
| Chapter 1. Fallen Consciousness | 2 |
| Chapter 2. Three Basic Constituents | 3 |
| Chapter 3. Points to Consider | 4 |
| Chapter 4. The Two Establishments | 5 |
| PART TWO. THE TWELVE CHANNELS | 6 |
| Introduction | 7 |
| PART TWO (A) | 8 |
| PART TWO (B) | 9 |
| PART TWO (C) | 10 |
| PART TWO (D) | 11 |
| Addenda | 12 |
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APPENDIX Physics and Consciousness |
13 |
| Bibliography | 14 |
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