The Deepening of Sacred Service
Denise Rizzo
Students of Sacred Service begin developing the capacities of
serving in a selfless partnership with the World so the evolution of humanity
and the World unfolds in its rightful manner. Members on this pathway
develop heart capacities through meditation, readings, phenomenological
writing, and other exercises developed by the School of Spiritual
Psychology. Students work with resonance as a means of sensing realities
of the spiritual world. Sacred Servers cultivate reverence, devotion,
love and other virtues that light the way, soften the path and stream out into
the World as a medicinal elixir. A major part of the work involves
discovering and working in the field of Silence. Another portion is
unearthing oneÕs destiny by listening to the whispers of the Future, which is
so different than only finding oneÕs destiny through the identification of a
particular profession, such as a being a doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.
Once a student completes the two-year course in Sacred Service from the School of
Spiritual Psychology, it is not an ending, but creates a new opening and
orientation to living and working sacredly in the world.
A vital task of all students of Sacred Service is the continual
deepening of the work of Sacred Service. Each individual must
determine what the World is requesting and how furthering the scope and breadth
of this vocation is to unfold in his/her lifeÕs destiny. The intent of
this article is to discuss the deepening of Sacred Service in the most
universal way even though each person must travel their own unique
pathway. The purpose is to create an analogous and encompassing approach
to the question of deepening Sacred Service that will resonate with many
individual experiences. This article will discuss the analogy and then
apply it to the process of student growth in Sacred Service. The chosen
analogy centers on the historical shift from the earth-centered or geocentric
understanding of the cosmos to a sun-centered or heliocentric view of the
universe as described by Warrn Hollister (1975) of the University of
California, Santa Barbara.
The geocentric reality originated by Aristotle reflects a
consciousness that orients the earth at the center of the cosmos. Seven
transparent spheres moved around the earth, carrying the moon, the sun, and the
five naked-eye planets. An eighth sphere carried the fixed stars. Presumably an
additional sphere housed the dwelling places of various ranks of angels and
archangels. The geocentric universe was a closed system with the earth at the
center and the stars as fixed points of light positioned on the outside of a
huge sphere; day and night transpired by the heavens revolving in a circular
fashion around a motionless earth. Aristotle also taught that the regions
beyond the sphere of the moon were incorruptible and fixed, while the area
contained within this region (the earth) was corruptible.
The sixteenth century brought a major shift in human consciousness
resulting in an altered experience of the universe. Some sages
experienced a shift from the geocentric to the heliocentric reality prior to
this, but the world was not ripe to receive this in such magnitude until the
1500s. This paradigm change happened during the waning of the Italian
Renaissance. The Church was no longer embracing great imaginative
thinkers, but snuffing them out in torturous ways. The Inquisition was in
full force.Copernicus is best known for this remarkable revolution in
consciousness that places the sun at the center of the cosmos instead of the
earth. Copernicus did not completely liberate this new reality from the
old geocentric standpoint. He rearranged the order of planets, but
preserved the closed system by keeping the fixed stars around the outside of
the great sphere. The universe remained within a finite enclosure.
Giordano Bruno, a philosopher born five years after Copernicus had
died, grasped the universe with a greater and truer perspective. Bruno
believed the cosmos extended infinitely outward. He surmised that the fixed
stars did not contain the universe, but were huge suns moving through the
eternal space with, perhaps, their own family of planets. Giordano
indicated that there is no circumference and the center is everywhere depending
on a particular planetÕs placement and orientation. He traveled around
Europe lecturing and arguing about his discovery in courts and
Universities. Giordano was burnt at the stake five days after publishing
his views.
This paradigm shift of the universe within the consciousness of
humanity resonates with the individualÕs inner experience of deepening Sacred
Service. Individuals beginning the work usually start with an egocentric
view of the world. The ego entombs oneÕs reality giving one the
perception that one is the center of the universe. One unconsciously
functions within the safety of a fixed enclosure which parallels the geocentric
world view.
When introduced to the meditations, reading, working in the
Silence, etc. one initially opens up and experiences a wonderfully creative
time resonating with the imaginative blossoming of humanity during the Italian
Renaissance where one frolics in new discoveries and enhanced
consciousness. As one proceeds with learning the imaginative world
becomes less perceptible and begins to die away. The ego begins to clamp
down on oneÕs imagination as the spiritual worlds seem to pull way, much like
the Inquisitions at the end of Italian Renaissance. The Great Thinkers of
this time found revolutionary ideas no longer acceptable to the outer
mainstream world. The ego also retaliates in a similar fashion to gain
the control and push away the inspirations. Our unconscious
enjoyment of what is discovered and the pleasure we seek by interacting with
the spiritual worlds helps the ego maintain its grip. Easy interaction
with the heavens becomes extinguished and a dry barren feeling takes over,
which usually results in increased efforts and hard work to maintain what one
has enjoyed. Finally, one unknowingly comes to the confining walls
of oneÕs perceived existence, which paradoxically heightens oneÕs belief that
one is special and responsible for much of the spiritual work that has taken
place up to this time. Some students fall away from the work because the
ego takes over or perhaps there is a notion that one has lost his/her way and
may seek other avenues and pathways to keep from losing what one had.
Some get side- tracked for a while to no avail and return to the previous path
for further examination.
This point is actually the critical beginning point of deepening
work of Sacred Service. There is a ripening going on that prepares one
for the paradigm shift from oneÕs egocentric reality to a heart-centered
existence within the world. One must travel to the end of oneÕs finite
world before one begins to question the place he/she stands in oneÕs
development. One may or may not realize something new needs to enter into
this individual road one is traveling. OneÕs subjective pathway is
encompassed within the holistic eternal World plan, just as Giordano indicates
the center point is everywhere in the eternal universe because of the
relativity of each planetÕs placement. Our destiny is unveiled by
the Future whispering the way to tread by placing path markers of synchronicities
and inspirations that keep leading to the outer regions and beyond our closed
system of existence. Many times what one thinks is happening is not going
on atall. The Future has the power to trick the ego into following what
seems to be a carrot of reward that will be earned and applauded. The ego
is usually led off the cliff of comfortable existence into the Unknown to its
own demise. It is important to work closely and reverently with the
Future to understand and follow the way provided, which usually unfolds in a
surprising and unanticipated fashion. In the case of Giordano Bruno, his
new realization and publication unknowingly resulted in his death by
fire. Of course, there is no indication of what his intent was or why he
published his work without testing the type of response he would receive.
It seems that he was unaware of the path his Destiny was taking him even though
he lectured in public institutions. In some ways, an inner dying process
is experienced through the fires of the alchemical vessel of the heart much
like the outer experience of Giordano. One may also find oneself in this
transformative process without understanding the holistic reality of what is
actually happening. There is a turning inside out; an actual
re-organization of the foundation of oneÕs consciousness, like the paradigm
shift in consciousness of sixteenth century humanity. The ego does not
disappear, but is lessened and takes a new position outside the center of our
reality; just as the earth took a new place in solar system in the shift to the
heliocentric orientation of the cosmos. This dying process may be
experienced as an inner crisis. This may happen because one has
entered a new way of bodily being. Re-establishing balance within the new
and unfolding reality takes place similar to the process a new person being
born into the physical world. When a new baby is born into the
world it appears to be in crisis by its flailing arms and wailing voice.
The people of GiordanoÕs time cried out in disapproval and provided several
clever arguments against this new view of the cosmos. There was much
confusion and resistance during this time until people had time to adjust their
orientation from a world-view they had embraced for centuries to this
unfamiliar concept of the universe. Giordano questioned where the stood
in the world; it required time to regain their balance of being on earth in a
new way.
One no longer leverages existence through the entombment of the
ego in the same way. The heart now becomes the center of oneÕs inner
gravity; one is held by the Forces of the interior core of the Heart. One
experiences this bodily, soulfully, and spiritually as one flows out anew into
the Silence of the World or the Inner Cosmos. OneÕs heart holds him/her
in place as one streams out along a new plane in the infinite world;
consciousness stands on a new expanded foundation.
There are beings that guard this transition in consciousness and
one must face these Guardians before passing through this transformation
process. These Guardians help one to understand what virtues and
non-virtuous qualities one has truthfully developed and embraced. One
receives a wholesome look and experiences what it means to be a fallen being as
well as lighted areas created by the nurturing of virtuous
qualities. One cannot pass until the recognition takes place, which
may feel more like a test. Standing up to these beings or executing oneÕs
efforts hold little sway over this transition and much of it rides on the Wings
of Grace and the virtues one has cultivated. There is usually one
particular virtue that shows itself most readily. One must find this
worthy path no matter how dull the light shines, bow to the Heavenly Beings and
find oneÕs authentic voice to ask for safe passage beyond entombment into the
new reality.
In reflection, it may seem that a particular virtue one
experienced during the transition should be further developed, but in reality
it stands out because it was the fostering of that particular virtue that
helped one pass through the transition. Partnering with this virtue
during passage creates a new co-creating relationship as one works in the
world. There is a heightened sense of this particular virtue and it holds
some of the sway the ego once did. One will be aware of its presence in
almost every action in the world.
Developing reverence, devotion and the other virtues are important
in determining volatility of this transformation. These virtues should be
developed in the most selfless way. It is difficult to enter Reverence,
Devotion, or any other virtue without unknowingly taking or experiencing some
of the beauty and ecstasy for oneself. One may find it tricky to enter
these virtuous fields in a pure way. Practicing and working with the
meditations, reading, phenomenological writing, etc. can help develop these
worthy qualities in the right way. The Future may also provide actual
experiences that give one an opportunity to develop these sacred
qualities. There may not be any true way to tell where one stands in
his/her purity until faced with the realities brought on by this deepening
experience.
The deepening of Sacred Service is a never ending process.
Achieving levels of growth are just steps in helping human evolution unfold in
the right way. The people of the sixteenth century transitioned into a
new consciousness of the cosmos and historically recorded the volatility of
this transition through the outer events of that time such as the misery and
suffering of the Inquisitions. The pain of this transformation may have
been lessened if the majority of humanity had developed the sacred qualities
needed for a more placid passage. Humanity continues to move along its
path, has faced, and continues to confront many events in its evolution.
The world today seems to be nearing the end of a growth phase. The world
is growing barren in many ways through the violence, neglect and oppression we
see and experience everyday, especially since September 11, 2001. The
deepening of Sacred Service can influence the amount of volatility humanity
faces as it comes to its next transition. The students of Sacred Service
may hold the sacred virtue-torches of light that can offer assistance in safe
passage of the worldÕs transformation. This makes deepening and strengthening
this calling so critical not just for one individually, but for the sake of the
world.
Sources
Hollister, W.
(1975, Feb). Giordano Bruno and the Infinite Universe. Griffith
Observer.
Retrieved on January 8, 2006 from
http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/modeur/ph-holli.htm
Denise
Rizzo, M.S., is a graduate of the first Sacred Service class and currently
participates in the two-year course in Spirit Healing, both created and conducted
by the School of Spiritual Psychology. She is also a student of independent and
group study of the work of Rudolf Steiner and has dedicated her life to
spiritual research.