Sector Estadio Jaime Morón
ANEXO N°. 7 ENTREVISTAS
In the Mysteries of the Ancient Egyptian god and goddess Asar and Aset, respectively, Asar’s brother Set represents the lower human nature, and Asar’s son, Heru, the higher. Set kills Asar and usurps the throne, which rightfully should belong to Heru. In various renderings of the characteristics of Set, it is stated that Set is promiscuous. Most interestingly, both Heru and Set are vegetarians. Their favorite food is lettuce. Another form of Heru is the god Min. He symbolizes sublimated sexual energies. His favorite food is also lettuce, and in ancient times this food was seen as an aphrodisiac. Therefore, through this myth, the teaching that vegetarianism increases the potential for spiritual advancement is being given. With this understanding, it is clear that control of the sexual urge to conserve potential spiritual energy and purification of the diet are necessary practices on the spiritual path which enable the aspirant to achieve increased spiritual sensitivity.
A most important point to remember when beginning practices for the purification is that they should be implemented gradually, preferably under the supervision of an experienced person. If these changes result in an inability to perform your daily duties, then they are too extreme. The key to ad- vancement in any area is steady, balanced practice. There must always be a balance between the prac- tical life and the spiritual. In this way, spiritual advancement occurs in an integral fashion, intensify- ing every area of one’s life rather than one particular area exclusively. All areas must be mastered, secular as well as non-secular, in order to attain spiritual perfection, Enlightenment.
Since the physical body and all worldly attainments are changeable, fleeting and ultimately perish- able, it would be wise to pursue a way of life which directs the mind toward understanding the Self and not to pursue health as an end in itself, but as a means to your own growth and spiritual evolu- tion, which will continue even after the death of the your physical body (i.e. carry on to your next lifetime when you reincarnate) if you have not attained enlightenment up to the time of physical death. The holistic development of an individual must be directed to achieving a state of consciousness
which is not dependent on the physical body for peace and comfort. The body is an instrument, which you have created through your thoughts to allow you to pursue the goal of enlightenment and thereby experience the fullness of life.
11- See #1.
12- There are two very important points in this line. One, that good association or keeping the com- pany of sages or other enlightened personalities is a powerful means to gain knowledge of the state of enlightenment. To this end, strive to keep good company in your family relations as well as non-fam- ily relations. Read uplifting books by the sages and the teachings of the masters. When you discover a more evolved personality, seek to maintain contact by reading their teachings and through corres- pondence. Do not debate with those who lack spiritual sensitivity. This form of interaction will weak- en your mind. As Jesus said: Cast not your pearls before swine, for they will trample them as they turn against you. Trust in the omniscient Divine Self, who knows past, present and future, who mani- fests as Nature to lead others on the path. Spread the teachings of mystic spirituality only to those who are interested or with those whom you practice. This kind of interaction will help you both to in- crease your understanding and generate a positive frame of mind.
The second important point here refers to continuous reflection and meditation on the divine which is also expressed in the Ancient Egyptian prayer: “Give thyself to God, keep thou thyself daily for God; and let tomorrow be as today.” It implies that one’s mind should be constantly remembering the di- vine and glorifying the divine in all things. It means not allowing the mind to develop attachments to the fleeting events of human life, be they positive experiences or negative ones. It means not allowing the negative thoughts and feelings to lead you into a pursuit of illusory pleasures of the senses, which will draw you away from divine awareness and realization. It means centering the mind on self-dis- covery and introspection at all times, regardless of what your activities may be. However, those activ- ities should be based solely on the principles of virtue, justice and order. This form of spiritual prac- tice is known as “mindfulness” in Buddhism and Vedanta Philosophies.
Plutarch further reports that the Egyptian initiates:
...strive to prevent fatness in Apis54 as well as themselves(1), for they are anxious that their bodies should sit as light and easy about their souls as possible, and that their mortal part (body) should not oppress and weigh down their divine and im- mortal part...during their more solemn purifications they abstain from wine(2) wholly, and they give themselves up entirely to study(4) and meditation(5) and to the hearing (3) and teaching of these divine truths which treat of the divine nature. The following dietary guidelines for spiritual and physical health are derived from the above statement.
1- Preventing “fatness”- obesity. This issue is very important, even for those without spiritual aspira- tions. Some people who are overweight claim that they are happy and content as they are. Some sci- entists claim to have discovered a gene in the human system, which causes a propensity to become overweight. All of your body’s characteristics are due to your past history of experiences and desires, not only in this lifetime, but in previous ones as well. Physical weight is like a physical object which is possessed. The more you have, the more you try to hold onto, and the more stress you have trying to enjoy and hold onto “things.” Desires of the body such as eating have a grounding effect on the soul, because they engender the desire to experience the physical pleasure of consuming food. Desires of the body as well as strong emotions such as hate, greed, etc., have the effect of rendering 114/524
the mind insensitive to spirituality. Excess weight on the body causes innumerable health problems to arise.