Excerpts from The Major Mysteries by Samael Aun Weor

The First Great Initiation of Jesus was as natural and simple as the humble and innocent birth of a lotus flower. The bodhisattva Jesus did not covet initiations, powers, titles, degrees, hierarchies, masteries, social or divine positions, kingdoms, gold, or silver. Being higher than all Angels, Archangels, Seraphim, Potentates, etc., he only preferred to be a good man.

(Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, Angels came and ministered unto him. - Matthew 4: 10, 11)

It is stated, “It is better to be a good man than a bad Angel.”

When apprehending the most complicated characters of the “I,” we perceive that it becomes subtly covetous; here it no longer covets noble titles, but it covets divine titles and wants everyone to call it Master; it covets hierarchic and esoteric titles, and thus, one loses very long, infinite eternities entangled in the karma of the worlds. Here, it no longer covets gold or silver, but it covets occult powers; it no longer covets honors and greatness, but it covets initiations and degrees. Here, it no longer covets lordships or earthly kingdoms, but it covets internal kingdoms, lordships and majesties within the superior worlds. Here, it enjoys governing paradises, and moreover, although this may seem incredible to you, it even become jealous of its own divine hierarchy and thus, it transforms itself into an ineffable tempter, who enjoys governing worlds and suns, and thus offers its Edens to the bodhisattvas of compassion. Here, it no longer wants to rest on cushy beds within comfortable earthly mansions, but it longs to rest in the ineffable bliss of Nirvana. Yes, the “I” of the Nirvanis does not like the narrow, hard and difficult path. It enjoys itself in Nirvanic, celestial rests, while wretched humanity suffers and cries. Notwithstanding, the Nirvanis offer unto the bodhisattvas of compassion their seductive paradises in order to impede the entrance into the Absolute.

Verily, I tell you, beloved disciples, that it is better to renounce the bliss of Nirvana and to follow the path of long and bitter duty.

The path of duty leads us directly to the Absolute. This is better than the bliss of Nirvana. Let us not fall into these divine, Nirvanic temptations.

Know that the bodhisattva who renounces the Nirvanic temptations, the planetary kingdoms (offered to him by the tempting Gods) and renounces Nirvana (heavenly bliss) for the sake of this suffering humanity, is confirmed and “Thrice Honored,” and after eternities he gains the right to enter into the Absolute.

The Absolute is life free in its motion; it is the Supreme Reality, the Abstract Space that only expresses itself as Absolute Abstract Motion, happiness without limits, complete Omniscience. The Absolute is Uncreated Light and perfect plenitude, absolute happiness, life free in its motion, life without conditions, without limits.

We have to terminate the process of the "I" in order to absolutely be.  In its most subtly refined shape the “I” transforms itself into a dangerous child. The “I” of many Nirvanic Masters tempts us, saying, “Abandon the difficult path and come to Nirvana; here, we are happy.” Feeling compassion for our pain, they tempt us with Nirvanic bliss.

The “I” of Angels, Archangels, Seraphim, Potencies, Virtues, Thrones and hierarchies of different splendors always has the innocent characteristic of children full of beauty. That divine “I” covets degrees, initiations, powers, divine titles, Nirvanic majesties and divine lordships. This divine “I” is the same human “I,” yet completely refined.

Listen to me, you Humans and Gods; listen to me, you Angels of Nirvana! Listen to me, oh planetary Gods, happy beings, divine Nirvanis, listen to what we, the bodhisattvas of compassion say: the long and bitter path of duty that leads us directly to the Absolute is better than Nirvanic bliss. Those of us who follow that path of duty do not want to leave this path.

Woe unto those who leave the difficult path; they will remain entangled within the karma of the worlds. We, the bodhisattvas of compassion who love humanity immensely, state: as long as there is a single tear in any human eye, as long as there is even one suffering heart, we refuse to accept the happiness of Nirvana.

Therefore, instead of coveting degrees, powers, initiations and divine lordships, we must exert the effort of becoming useful beings to this suffering humanity.

We must exert great efforts in the law of the great service. We must seek the fertile work in the Great Work of the Father. We must seek the means to become more and more useful to this wretched, suffering humanity. This is better than coveting internal titles, initiations, esoteric degrees and planetary kingdoms.

The personality, the individuality and the “I” are the hard chains that bind us to the hard rock of suffering and bitterness. Gods and humans are submitted to the suffering of conditioned life.

Notwithstanding, in the Absolute we go beyond karma and the gods, beyond the law. The mind and the individual consciousness are only good for mortifying our lives. In the Absolute we do not have an individual mind or individual consciousness; there, we are the unconditioned, free and absolutely happy Being. The Absolute is life free in its movement, without conditions, limitless, without the mortifying fear of the law, life beyond spirit and matter, beyond karma and suffering, beyond thought, word and action, beyond silence and sound, beyond forms.

The Absolute is abstract, absolute space, abstract absolute movement, absolute freedom, without conditions, without restrictions, absolute omniscience and absolute happiness.

We have to cease the process of the "I" in order to enter into the Absolute.  The human "I" must enter into the house of the dead, it must go to the common grave of the astral rubbish. The "I" must be disintegrated in the Abyss in order for the Being, full of majesty and power, to be born.

The “I” of many Masters enjoys its powers and lordships; it boasts of himself being divine and garbs himself with ineffable majesty and beauty. The ‘I’ of many Masters divests himself like a prostitute in order to show its forms and powers to others; it enjoys boasting about his visions so that others will admire it and venerate it. It speaks about his initiations and tells its secrets, yes, it is like the miserly person who lives counting his money, or like the scoundrel who goes around full of pride, constantly boasting about his high lineage and great wealth.

Listen to me, you humans and Gods! Initiations are the awakenings of the consciousness, intimate matters of the consciousness. So, let us learn how to be silent, to be humble and modest.

Authentic evolution relates to the consciousness and not to the “I.” The “I” does not evolve; it only complicates itself and that is all.

Mineral consciousness evolves when it awakens as plant consciousness. Each mineral atom is the physical body of an elemental creature filled with beauty. These mineral elementals have their language, their consciousness. They gather in tribes or families; they resemble innocent children.

The sublime kingdom of the plants is above the mineral kingdom. Plant consciousness also evolves until awakening as animal consciousness. Each plant is the body of an elemental child that aspires to enter into the animal kingdom.

Animal consciousness also evolves until awakening as human consciousness. Much later, the human awakens as an Angel, Archangel, etc.

Yet, the human “I” is merely a larva; it is the same larva of the threshold that becomes more and more complicated; the human “I” is the internal beast that controls the four bodies (physical, ethereal, astral and mental bodies); upon this is how this monster called “personality” is constituted.

The human “I” of many Masters no longer wants political positions, but longs for spiritual positions; it enjoys being a leader and fights for high hierarchical positions in schools, lodges and spiritual movements.

Therefore, we have to conclude the process of our “I” and personality in order to have the right of Being. We have to terminate individuality in order to have the right to receive the Crown of Justice.

Only impersonal life and the Being can give us the legitimate happiness of the great life free in its movement.