The Christian Mystery of Reincarnation

[DjM]

The Christian Mystery of Reincarnation

The Christian path for human development has always been strictly defined.  It necessitates an extremely high level of development   However, it is not distinguished from all others, since, within it, human beings cannot arrive through their own vision at a knowledge of reincarnation and karma.  Certainly, there was a conviction in esoteric Christianity concerning the existence of reincarnation.  But such a conviction is not really a part of esoteric Christianity.  There is a specific reason why Christianity in the past did not contain such a doctrine.

We need to go back only a few thousand years, to a time when the doctrine of reincarnation and karma had spread throughout most of the Earth.  People who were discouraged by their destinies would say to themselves, "This is only one life among many; what I prepare in this life will bring its reward in another."  People at that time continuously looked toward the worlds above.

Human beings lived at that time by constantly directing their souls upward towards the spirit.  The external works performed were primitive, while, on the other hand, the universe around them was permeated with the workings of the spirit to a high degree.  We find there a highly spiritual view of the world alongside a primitive material culture.

Then came an age when outer, material culture became increasingly cultivated, when the globe was conquered by a materializing culture.  Human eyes were supposed to rest on the objects of physical life.  Bu the thinking of the wise Chaldean priests, the students of Hermes, and the disciples of the ancient Rishis was directed toward spiritual life.  For all of them, repeated earthly lives were a fact.  Humanity would look away from that fact for a while.  It was intended that every human being pass once through an incarnation without knowing of repeated Earth lives.  This era was being prepared for 800 years before the beginning of Christianity.  This condition is receding gradually during our time.  Those who are familiar with esoteric streams today are aware that Christianity must begin again to teach of reincarnation and karma.

That may be seen in the Mystery on Mount Tabor.  According to Christian legends, Mount Tabor is where Christ was transfigured.  The name, however, is never mentioned in the New Testament descriptions of the transfiguration (Mark 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36)  We are concerned here with an event that occurred "on the mountain."  Thr phrase on the mountain indicates that the Master is leading his disciples into the most intimate space to give them there the most intimate teachings.  We read, "The disciples were led up" (Matt 17:1).  This means they were led into higher worlds.  Elijah, Moses, and Jesus appear to them; in this way, space and time have been overcome.  Moses and Elijah, who were no longer on the earthly plane, appeared to them in the Devachanic state.  The name Elijah means the "path of God," the "goal."  El, meaning "Godlike," is contained in Elohim, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, as well as Bel.  Note: it is IMPORTANT to pronounce this syllable and not slur it (Mi-cha –el; not Mi-chl)  The name Moses means "the truth."  Jesus means "the life."  Christ himself, at the center, is the life.  Here we have written in bold words, so to speak, in the mental plane, "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  The disciples say, "Let us make shelters here" (Matt 17:4), which means they were Chelas (disciples) of the second degree.  Then the Lord continues: "Elijah has appeared again, but they did not recognize him.  But tell no one until I come again" (Matt 17:9-13).  He is speaking here of reincarnation.  John the Baptist is Elijah.  "Coming again" refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, prepared for through a spiritual scientific worldview.

When all human beings have had the experience of passing through an incarnation without knowing of reincarnation and karma, reincarnation will again be taught.  Nevertheless, reincarnation has always been taught in the most esoteric circles of Christianity.

There was a time when human beings were supposed to be taught to hold firmly a feeling that one's life on Earth is exhausted with a single lifetime.  They should have been able to say, "All of eternity depends on what happens in this one lifetime."  The globe would not have been conquered had Christianity's teachers not left this idea behind- that a single life should be seen as vitally important.  The great teachers have never presented absolute truths; rather, they taught whatever was appropriate for humanity at a given time.  The great teachers never teach the final truth, but only what will help a particular age.  The doctrine of reincarnation would not have been appropriate within this time frame.  Nor does spiritual science teach the final truth; the spiritual scientific worldview must be taught now because it is right for our age.

So that human beings would come to regard their present incarnation as the only one, it was necessary to separate the brain from knowledge of higher principles in the human being- Atman, Buddhi, and Manas – and from any knowledge of reincarnation.  Wine was given to humanity for this purpose.  Earlier only water had been used for all temple rituals, then wine was introduced.  Indeed, a divine being, Bacchus (or Dionysus) was representative of wine.  John, the most deeply initiated of the disciples, revealed in his Gospel the significance of wine for inner development (John 2:1-11).  Water was transformed into wine during the Marriage at Cana in Galilee.  Humanity was transformed through the use of wine that people were no longer able to understand reincarnation.  At that time, the use of water in offerings was transformed into wine; now we are about to change wine back into water.  Anyone who wants to ascend to the highest realms of existence must refrain from drinking even a single drop of alcohol.

Clarity of mind does NOT deaden your feelings; the opposite is true.

Every line in John's Gospel represents a deep experience in the individual and all of humanity.  Jesus said, "I have come to bring about the introduction of this new era of evolution."  Paul, an initiate, called Christ the reversed Adam or "new Adam."  In Adam we have the first human being, the first to appear in human form.  Now he can take a twofold path.  He can take what the gods give him or take something new himself.  This is the story of Cain and Abel.  Abel simply tends the animals he finds around him.  Cain works for what he sacrifices.  Though Cain's labors, bread came into being.  Bread has always represented what human beings themselves can produce.  Because people produce bread, they have become sinful.  Cain killed his brother.  Along with the need to work, human beings became sinful and fell into matter.

The new Adam is Jesus Christ, who ascends again.  He must purchase this ascent with his blood, which had to happen once through a human personality.  Bread and wine are represented in the person of Christ, in his body and blood.  The Lord Himself must take upon himself Cain's deed.  Redemption must take place by making holy what is on the earth.  The wine represents that transformation through the Sacrament of Communion; thus, the blood related to wine.

The purpose of the Gospels is not only to teach; they are also writings of life.