Vitvan often spoke of the transitional period between the Ages (Piscean to Aquarian), and the collapse of the old established order, while simultaneously, a new order was being born, and the terrible chaos that would ensue. He reckoned this period to have started approx. 1950 and would endure to about 2050. As you can see, we are right about in the middle now.
While it may seem that people and nations create events on our level, in reality we are all part of an integrated field of consciousness, and the Power-to-be-conscious evolves mankind, acting through us in our apparent separation. Vitvan stated that the Forces of Light, which had been overwhelmed by those of Darkness for thousands of years, were now in the ascendant and would come into power following this transitional period.
Meanwhile, conditions may seem frightening and uncertain. In his Treatise on Faith, he describes the deeper meanings and connectedness that faith (which is far more than mere "belief") can give us, to sustain us.
Here are a few related quotes from Vitvan, and then following, his Treatise on Faith.
As this 2, 350 year cycle draws to a close, the dharmic seed must be developed to weather the deluge--the transition period--between the old age and the new orientation.
But, here at the close of this cycle, we find the karmic consequences of failure to align with the plan and scheme of the cyclic process in development. It is of little use to enumerate the causes for this diversion of powerful forces in Nature, and resulting dislocations. We are confronted with stark tragedy on a worldwide scale; and in the face of it there is imposed upon us a prodigious undertaking.
To prevent being cast adrift in the maelstrom of forces in the transition period from the old Piscean cycle to this new Aquarian age, we must respectively effect a reorientation to the energy-frequencies of this new cycle.
(It is our opinion that this can best be done by studying and learning as much as we can concerning the scientific developments of today, particularly in view of the fact that these very scientific developments not only will constitute the basis and foundation for the new metaphysics, religions and philosophies but also will point to and indicate a complete revival and understanding of the ancient teachings in regard to wisdom. Through this study it is now possible to effect the crossing-over from the level of accumulated information (concepts about reality) to that level designated as knowledge.)
However this may be, we must escape from the disintegrating effects of forces released in the transition period and effect a reorientation to the new order.
A Treatise on Faith
as given by Vitvan
PREFACE
A book is yet to be written on the revolution which took place in orthodox religion during the last half of the nineteenth century. Emphasis on the transformation effected in Occidental culture should be featured in this book as this revolution paved the way for the development and acceptance of modern psychology and the many branches thereof. This revolution also completely altered orthodox medical practice, as we are now witnessing in the widespread interest in psychiatry. The effects and end products of this revolution have not as yet reached culmination, but we can now confidently predict that in the foreseeable future there will be no ailment of the physiological organism diagnosed apart from etiological factors in psychic consciousness (or consciousness focused in the psychic nature) including the germination of viruses in and by the perverse, emotional content of the individual and racial psyche. Virosis, as well as trauma and traumatism, will be diagnosed and treated as psycho-logical disorders. Psycho-somatology will be the therapeutic science (at long last a real science) of the future. To illustrate the rapidity of the transformation now transpiring in the race psyche, only a few years ago this statement would have been evaluated and rejected as pure thaumaturgy.
This revolution in religion caused even more profound changes in academic, philosophical thinking than in orthodox medical practice. The authorities in our own government were slow in recognizing this, but not Hitler and his gang, nor the gang in the Kremlin, for they very quickly seized upon it. These mendacious persons converted the change produced by the revolution on the philosophical level into an ideological warfare. It began with a revolution in religion and will not end--or close the circuit of its cycle--until the New Religion (a revival of the Gnosis) has become established at the top level in race consciousness.
If this seems enigmatical to anyone, let him start with the axiom: Ever and always a creative process, or a departure from a former creative process, in 'human' or race consciousness begins with devotional enthusiasm to an idea. Devotional force represents the drive factor in and 'behind' an idea. Any idea remains sterile without a driving force and there is no drive-force comparable to devotion. Therefore, we cannot say 'everything' begins with an idea. On the mental level and verbalistically this may be true, but not in life facts.
The next consideration is to equate that which we mean by devotion with that which we mean by religion. Religion per se must not be identified with any particular system of thought, ceremonial observance, etc., for these could be with or without a religious context. Any dictionary is all that is necessary to equate these meanings, for even by definition the words devotion and religion are inseparable.
A superficial glance at the history of our race on this planet is all that is needed to discover that religion, or a religious force, predominates in the affairs of man. Even those who most loudly shout and vehemently assert that "religion is the opiate of the people," that economic determinism and dialectical materialism are the predominating factors in racial affairs, progress, historical preeminence, etc., take exceeding care to stir up and maintain devotion to a cause, consecration to a crusading mission, zeal unto death for an idea--that "the world is due for a change and it is our job to see that it is changed in our favor," etc. (How are you going to shoot, blast or atom bomb such religious devotion?)
Those who study most deeply into psycho-logical motivations are impressed with the uncovered fact that religion resides at the heart and core of man's intrinsic nature. This is exemplified in every experience where a man, or group of men, reaches utter extremity, all prospect of human aid is cut-off--in forest fires, shipwrecks, battle exigencies, tidal waves, holocausts, etc.--and an outpouring of religious force in pleadings, promises, etc. is manifested.
So when a profound change occurs in the affairs of man--individually and collectively--it will be evident first in religion. This is exactly what we find, and on empirical grounds, respecting the present (1952) world confusion and impending chaos, as we trace effects to causes, these causes becoming effects of antecedent causes, etc., until--objectively considered--we locate the inception, or original cause, in religion or a revolution in religion.
Obviously, I cannot write this book--that is yet to be written--but I can offer a few hints to one who will write it. Good aristotelians, of necessity, must seek for ultimate causes in some historical event--some movement, person, creative personality, political event, result of war, etc. There will be those who will "blame" Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, the German philosophers, the renaissance period centered in Florence; and some in all seriousness have laid the cause for the revolution at the door of Charles Robert Darwin. The best of these tracers of causes find what they are looking for in Aristotle's profound influence in and during the Renaissance period in England. In more recent times, and after the revolution was well advanced, blame has been attached to F. A. Mesmer, Mary Baker Eddy, H. P. Blavatsky and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone (it required the best part of one hundred years for the results and therefore the significance of the discovery of the Rosetta Stone to become effective). For those in objective identity, a most convincing case has been brought out for the cause of the revolution in the way the Christian Church was established by Constantine, The Emperor of Rome, in the third century. The subsequent revolt against the church--now continuing--was not against the source material of Christian thought or the origin of Christian teachings in the Egyptian Wisdom and Gnosis of the Greeks; it was against the establishment of a church-state for political reasons, assuming authority in religious matters for political objectives.
These and some other "causes" for the revolution will have to be explored, analyzed and assessed, but none of these alleged causes are necessarily centered intrinsically in devotion, religion or devotional religion, although many of them are so identified with religion and have focused sincere devotion, religion, etc. upon them that without sharp differentiation between meaning and 'thing' it is difficult for those not trained in conscious abstracting to think of them separately. So as a concession to this long-standing canalization in identification in this context, let us content ourselves by stating that it is in religion, not in the outer forms of religion--ecclesiastical church systems--that the causes for the revolution must be sought. If anyone thinks that this is unnecessary hair-splitting, let him be alert when some "cause" which has hidden, personal axes to grind, ulterior motives, temporal objectives, etc., pleads for support on the grounds of "protecting our Christian way of life," "Uphold the love of our Savior," "be on the side of God," "God needs you, so help us," etc., etc., ad nauseum, for here is deliberate identification of religion with a particular secular movement and gives grounds and 'reason' for calling religion "the opiate of the people." Again, this kind of name-calling employs deliberate identification of religion with some system for diametrically opposite 'reasons'--to destroy. No, my friend, this is not "unnecessary hair-splitting" for how are the many to be awakened? By giving them understanding is the only possible answer!
Devotion, religion and devotional religion are closely linked with faith, as we shall see in due course, and therefore have existence in the structure of the Triune Man, not in any doctrinal system contrived for belief. Many men are deeply religious but do not 'belong' or subscribe to any ecclesiastical organization. The four men most responsible for setting up our form of government understood this, and the dread danger we are in today is due to our losing sight of their clear perception of this distinct difference between religion and any church organization. These four men were known as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. We could not do anything more effective to recover our lost faith than to study everything which they read, talked about among themselves, pondered over and then, out of such studies, developed our system or form of government with its insistence on separation of church and state, which was in their minds the separation of religion from any kind of organization devised by man. Freedom of religion, means that religion is in itself free, free from all or anyone who may seek it in his own Self, and this enduring fact is recognized and duly recorded in the Constitution of these United States of America, signed and sealed by the symbol of the all-seeing eye of Self and the pyramidal representation of the structure of Self--the Higher Triad--showing a triangle as the top of a pyramid and an intervening space above the lower quaternary; the top surrounded by symbolical clouds of Glory (see the reverse side of the Great Seal on the back of any dollar bill). These four men knew precisely what they were doing, and were ably assisted by other men who, while not standing in comparable clarity of perception, were nevertheless wise enough to be guided by them. If you will write to your nearest university or consult a librarian at a convenient library you may secure a list of the books these founders of the United States read and studied. This will be more impressive than for me to tell you that these United States of America were founded upon the pre-Christian Gnosis. Why has not this also been the foundation of Government studies in our public schools? Why has the life, beliefs, background, etc. of Thomas Paine been so suppressed? Why has the major contribution which Thomas Paine made to the founding of this country not been made available to every school child? If the source material from which these Founding Fathers drew their spiritual food was of such supreme value to them in building a great country, then why was it not good enough to become the foundation for the educational institutions in that country? Why is it so difficult to secure this information today? Why has not the source material, upon which this country was founded, been kept alive and constantly before us? When you answer these questions, or secure true answers to them, you will also discover the cause for the revolt again the church. You will know the real reason why our people have lost faith, and why it is now so vital to our very 'physical' existence and continuance as an organized society that that faith be restored! When our School of the Natural Order was incorporated we established as one of its main objectives the revival of the Gnosis, as our effort toward a return to the source which inspired our Founding Fathers and that Rock upon which our country was founded.
This is why we in the School of the Natural Order assume the position that we are no longer children, that we are finally growing up; and this means that we can no longer be satisfied with the inane repetition of platitudes, the endless repeating of worn out cliches, the giving forth of vague and dusty answers to these vital questions. As Paul in effect said, when we were children we could take pap and be satisfied (pardon the paraphrase) but when we are grown up we want the real meat of Truth. So, we are finally reaching a point where we want clear answers, clear understanding, and we will not be satisfied with any substitution handed out by those who deliberately identify religion with some man-contrived ecclesiastical theocracy.
In the nature of a follow-through respecting this attitude, we are unalterably opposed to anything that smacks of mysticism, occultism or metaphysics; not that we are hostile to the teachings of mysticism, occultism or metaphysics. Rather, it is a recognition that these doctrines represent a phase or period in development where consciousness was in a state of identity with 'things,' 'objects,' "body is me," etc. At first it may appear that we are so-called materialists when we say that we are unalterably opposed to any form of mysticism, occultism or metaphysics because the unconscious assumption may be that if we don't believe in anything 'beyond' this objective world, therefore, we must be rank materialists. One must study the instruction as given in our school long enough to understand what we mean by the term, "the objective manifold of values." What do we mean by the term "objective manifold of values?"
We are very careful to explain and reiterate that the objective manifold of values has been developed in the psycho-logical processes of a given individual, and of the race, by reason of the inability of sense faculties--with their neural structure--to register the rapidity of frequency, meaning the rapid motion of units of energy composing any given "this." (Any given "this" is a simple way of saying, anything to which you can point; you can point to the starry skies, or you can point to a 'thing'--any 'thing'--and say "this;" then "this," "this," "this," ad infinitum). Any given "this" represents a configuration of units of energy, and that configuration of units of energy is a representation of the lines of force which we label the pattern of an electro-magnetic field. So we have a triplicity--field, pattern, representation--and we describe that representation as the final perceptive understanding of any given "this." In one sense, it is the break-down of the neural structure, or the inadequacy of the neural structure, its limitations, etc., to register positional intervals in the units of energy composing any given "this." Instead of registering the positional intervals in the units of energy, or between the units of energy, we register those intervals as a continuous process, not a discontinuous process.
As we register the rapid motion of the units of energy, in any configuration of them, as a continuous process we formulate an image or picture of the peripheral effect produced. Obviously the image or picture does not belong to the configuration; obviously the image or picture is what we, respectively formulated. Consequently, we call that formulation a private world, meaning it is sharply differentiated from the cosmic process. The private world, which we abstracted from the waves and frequencies we arrested as stimuli and from which we formed the image or picture, is not that vast system of fields, patterns and configurations we call the cosmic process. Is that not elementary? But here is the crucial point: so long as that image or picture remains unconscious in one's consciousness, he will give value to it as if it were real; that is, he will identify the image with that from which he received the waves and frequencies, the Light-energy waves and frequencies he registers from a given configuration or any given "this." You register those waves and frequencies either as direct radiation, such as radio-active substances, or by reflection of light and energy; but in either case, insofar as your neural system is concerned, you are registering frequencies (the word frequency is used as a short-cut for "Light-energy waves and frequencies") and from them formulating images and pictures in or on consciousness in your psychic nature. It is by reason of registering these frequencies as continuous that an image effect is produced. Let me repeat the simple illustration we have so often given. If, in a dark room, I had a bright light on the point of a stick and I could dexterously wave that stick fast enough in the outline and form of what we call a man, you would see the form of a man. Or if I would take that bright point of light on the end of a stick and whirl it in a circle, you would register that one little point of light as a 'solid' circle. If the image--a 'solid' circle--remained in your psychic nature consciousness, unconscious to your mental knowing, you would no doubt say, "That is an 'object,' a 'thing,'" and would be perfectly sincere about it.
Again, obviously, that image that you label object, thing, is in your consciousness; it is not in the rapid frequency (whirling) of one single point of light! Here in this world, we are surrounded by and we are also incorporated in a Light-energy world of highly dynamic frequency and we can't see it. We don't even know it. "Where is that ocean?" the fishes said. (You know the fishes held a convention and they argued where that ocean was, or whether there was an ocean. Some of them got up and said, "There isn't such a thing, no such thing as an ocean." Other said, "Yes, there is an ocean somewhere; it is omnipotent, it is omniscient, it is all-pervading." "But show us," said the agnostic ones. Many others sincerely wanted to be shown where that ocean was, and so the arguments went on and on and on.). And so arguments go on and on and on about whether there is any God, whether there is a comic process. Or, if there is, where is it? Some say there isn't any such animal or thing, and others say vaguely, "It is everywhere, even up in the sky." But let us get right down in our respective selves and see how we register the rapid frequency received from this energy world and how we make a picture of those frequencies registered as continuous.
So long as the pictures remain in your consciousness, wholly and totally unconscious to your objective, mentalized-self, or mental concept of self, you will then accept the images or pictures as reality; and to those images or pictures so appearing--which are generally identified with that from which the frequencies are received--you give values and create values about them. (The you here means the whole race, from the awakening of consciousness to wave-frequencies. In the animal state, the so-called objective world exists as a dream picture exists to a man, where the man awakening from the dream says, "Those pictures that I saw in the dream were real, so long as I did not awaken, but they were only dream-pictures.") So, when a given individual really awakens and sees this world AS IT IS, outside of or other than his private world, then he will look back to that old objective state and say, "What a dream! What a dream! We were sound asleep and walking dreamers! Giving values to images in our own respective private worlds that looked 'out there,' that appeared to be substantive."
It is the accumulation through the ages of the values given to those images appearing substantive, creating a gestalt in the race psyche, which we label the objective manifold of values. Relative to this objective manifold of values, mysticism, occultism, metaphysics had a semblance of validity; i.e., relative to the objective manifold of values, the words or terms mysticism, occultism, metaphysics, passed as valid "coin of the realm." No one questioned it because to do so he would have had to go back into himself to awaken the understanding of how that objective manifold of values became established in the race psyche and therefore in the consciousness of individuals. No one did that except the seers, the perceivers, those who broke through the "Veil of Isis"--that "Veil of Maya." Those who could and did break through this veil were far more isolated than they would be today, on the grounds that the members of the race had no referent with which to understand them, or understand the descriptions which they gave. They therefore had to resort to allegories, stories, parables, etc., never dreaming that another infant humanity would literalize and historicalize those allegories, stories and parables, thus creating a situation in the race psyche which would require a revolt against religion, or in religion, to restore sanity to a mentally sick and ailing people and link them up again to their status in the cosmic process. (This is the thesis of that book which is yet to be written.)
Today with our scientific developments, with facilities with which to map a considerable segment of this Light-energy-wave-frequency world in which we live and in which we are integrated, with increased ability to function on a higher level of perception, etc., we not only can question the old premise, based on the objective manifold of values, and refuse to accept those vague and dusty answers which have nothing to rest on outside of an emotional appeal, but we can grasp and understand the real life facts obtaining 'outside' of our abstracted private worlds. In actual fact, the context of situation has become so changed for us that the words mysticism, occultism, metaphysics, can no longer pass as valid "coin of the realm"; they sound quite different to our ears.
Yes! we are growing up; in ever-increasing numbers the advancing ones clearly perceive and understand how the objective manifold of values was developed. We say, "Yes, of course, there is no argument about it; there is no use to waste any more time trying to describe or explain it; why of course, take it for granted. Put it aside, let us go on, get busy and study this marvelous frequency world in which we find ourselves and orient our respective selves to it so that as quickly as possible we may find our places in ITS GRAND PLAN AND ORDER."
In learning how to deal with Light-energy-waves-and-frequencies, one must also learn that they operate like forces within his own centers and on different levels thereof. Through or in the centers--foci of the cosmic forces in the individualized field--wide bands or octaves of frequencies operate. In each center, a single wave-frequency of a given band can, to consciousness, be differentiated. Relative to us, here is a new world to explore, although we know it is ever here-now; but as it opens to view, a vista that is illimitable breaks upon our vision. No one as yet, relative to our present racial state of development, not even the highest developed perceivers or seers, has found its limits. We have reports from those who stand much higher than we do that the highest ones whom they can contact report to them that it is still illimitable. What a world! And at last we have broken into it to explore, to understand, to orient ourselves to it and finally to take our respective places in the rigorous natural order of Beings which represent its structure and function. I said "rigorous" because there is nothing in that world that likes you or dislikes you. Not one single thing that you have or think you have enters into the equation of your standing. There isn't anything you can do that will cause it to turn against you. It is not for you; it is not against you; IT JUST IS. But what you do or do not do reacts upon you. You "pays your money and takes your choice." "As ye sow, so shall ye reap," and it is possible that you can so effectively cut yourself off from contact with that world that you may never awaken to its Supreme Beauty.
As we envision this wonderful world of Light-energy-wave-frequencies (in which we have our existence and in which we are evolving our consciousness of Being, so we can find our place in its rigorous graduation) we clearly perceive that there is no such 'thing' as 'material;' one couldn't be a materialist if he tried. So the terms material, materialist, etc., cannot in Truth or life facts be ascribed to any "this"; for any given "this" represents a configuration of units of energy as the representation of differentiated patterns and fields epitomizing the whole wonderful world of Light-energy-wave-frequencies. So the word material was not given to the energy-world configuration, it was given to the image in the psyche. Therefore, "materiality" is like a ghost, a dream picture. So the words material or materialist have no leg to stand on anywhere, either in the clear perception of reality or relative to the image in the psyche, although they could be applied to a state of someone's consciousness.
If we allege that we stand unalterably opposed to mysticism, occultism and metaphysics it simply means that we have no materiality upon which we can base something 'other than,' 'occult,' 'hidden,' 'mystical,' 'meta-,' etc. We envision this wonderful world of Light-energy-wave-frequencies as one unbroken and continuous process. Therefore every 'thing' else is an abstraction made from IT and appears as a picture--as in a dream, or like shadows on the screen at a theatre--an image in the psychic nature appearing substantive. So, we cannot say about something or other, "That doesn't belong to the 'material' world, it belongs to something else--a 'spiritual' world." For not only against the background of that wonderful world we envision, but also by knowing that those terms material and spiritual belong to the polar opposite gang, the dual throng--hot and cold, high and low, good and bad, vice and virtue, etc.--we cannot employ them; and by the same token, we have no grounds or frame of reference to use the terms mysticism, occultism, metaphysics, etc.
There is nothing 'behind' or 'other-than' this world as Light-energy configurational representations. So, consequently, we can't pose or pretend that there is any meaning in the words metaphysics, occultism or mysticism except reification of the terms.
In this Treatise on Faith you will encounter three apparent contradictions. These are more in the nature of paradoxes than contradictions in logic and are due to the difficulty of explaining or noting each time a change in levels is made, that "this just said pertains to so-and-so level, and now this being said does not pertain to so-and-so level." The author asks your indulgence in these matters and suggests that the diagram on the Triune Man be fixed in mind so as to help "keep the levels sharply differentiated."
Neither the general reader nor the author have perfected facility in the mathematical language of the electronic engineers and quantum mechanic physicists and therefore have not the precise tools for rigor in communication. We can, however, by intuitive feeling, make up for this deficiency, and this will enable us to pursue the thought and not stumble over its form of expression. If some parts of this treatise seem obscure or difficult to understand, be patient, read and ponder, for this is excellent training. But in each and every case, please know that the author has not intentionally employed terms or language for any purpose except to be as careful and precise as the limitation of our symbolical form of communication, the author's vocabulary and his understanding of parts of speech permit. He will be the first to confess that in these respects there is much room for improvement. The sense of need, the urgency of these times and a most sincere desire to be of some service surmount these deficiencies and handicaps and perhaps the urge to rush in may be held accountable for this attempt to describe our perception of faith. Be that as it may, here, in the tradition of our Occidental culture, is an effort to assist fellow travelers on the path.