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Sacred Herbs & Self-realization

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Sacred Herbs & Self-realization
by Tau Malachi Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:20 pm

Greetings!

In answer to a question:

There is no doubt to me that there are organic substances that are provided by the Holy Spirit in
her manifestation as Mother Nature which may serve as an aid in the Self-realization process and
that can facilitate the awakening of the Fiery Intelligence in us – these “sacred herbs” are given
for those in need of them. Some individuals have need of them, others do not; it all seems to
depend upon the karmic condition of the individual, whether more sever karmic obstructions are
present or not. It is really all a question of what may serve to facilitate the awakening of the Fiery
Intelligence in us and eventual Self-realization.

Among Sophian Gnostics a sacred herb might be used to facilitate a breakthrough, and likewise to
put certain gradations of progress to the test; yet the intention would be that any experience that
might be facilitated by them could eventually be facilitated without them – after all, actual Self-
realization is dependent upon nothing external. In this we may understand the difference between
recognition and realization – in the experience of recognition we glimpse something of the Truth
and Light, in realization we embody it, and thus in realization we can shift into higher states of
consciousness by the simple intention to do so.

The real danger with sacred herbs is that a person may confuse the experience induced by them
for “realization,” when, in fact, the experienced induced was *recognition* – a peak experience,
which as yet cannot be entered at will without need of the sacred herb. If there are some spiritual
teachers or adepts that frown on the use of sacred herbs it is most often because of this danger, as
it represents the most insidious possible obstructions to actual enlightenment and liberation;
hence, a premature assumption of enlightenment or realization. Quite simply, they are concerned
a person will make more of their experiences than they really are and are concerned that they may
come to rely on the sacred herb, rather than the power of their mind or soul actualized through
real self-discipline, actual spiritual practice.

I can bear witness in the context of my own experience that a sacred herb can be an aid,
especially early on the path, but also that it will not serve as a shortcut to actual enlightenment or
circumvent the need for actual self-discipline; hence, the need for a daily continuum of spiritual
practice and the spiritual life. If such an aid is going to be used in an aspirant’s process, then quite
naturally the self-discipline of the spiritual life and practice should be cultivate, along with the
right intention.

If and when actual enlightenment dawns, or there is a full emergence of Supernal or Supramental
Consciousness, there is no longer any need for the use of a sacred herb – one may shift into various
gradation of higher consciousness simply with the intention to do so. It is rather like the capacity
of Light Transmission that occurs with Supramental Realization, by mere conscious intention the
Light Transmission occurs when the Desire to Give and Desire to Receive are present.

As for the nature of sacred herbs – I have watched a spiritual adept cause a person who took
nothing of the sacred herb have the experience of having done so, and cause others who took it in
a large quantity experience no effect whatsoever, all at one and the same time. Likewise, I have
watched an adept give very little of a sacred herb, not really enough to be all that effective, and
yet, “consecrating it,” make it extremely potent. The real power is not in the sacred herb, but is
in the mind or soul, the Light-presence and Light-power, as reflected by so many other wonders we
might witness in the presence of true adepts.

In this we understand why some adepts may discourage the use of sacred herbs altogether, for they
can prove very deceptive to the aspirant. After all, if an adept can facilitate the same experience
for a spiritual friend without their consuming the sacred herb then, obviously, they do not need to
use the sacred herb – if they do use the sacred herb, then it is really all about the karmic vision of
their friends who feel themselves in need of it.

In this we may also understand that realization is not what we seem to see in visions or believe we
know from them, but rather is the embodiment of a Living Presence and Power, one that
communicates itself to those who are ready and willing to receive it – one that is communicated in
many and diverse ways, in whatever way is necessary.

Thus, I’m not against the use of “sacred herbs” as an aid in the Self-realization process, but at the
same time I also do not place all that much stock in them – sometimes they might be useful,
sometimes they might not be useful. It really all depends upon the individual aspirant and their
version of karmic vision, their karmic conditioning.

I can say that if such a substance were to be used, it would be used in a sacred manner, and being
used in a sacred manner it would not be taken up for recreational use.

My beloved tzaddik, Tau Elijah, was an active Gnostic teacher during the sixties – the great craze
of “sacred herbs,” and of course he was frequently asked this question. He had a very simply way
of responding to questions regarding the use of them. He would say, “Ah, yes, the ‘sacred herb,’
well now, that can be useful in very hard cases, when a breakthrough is unlikely to happen in any
other way. Once the breakthrough happens, quite naturally the use may be discarded and one can
seek their realization through the spiritual life, through prayer and meditation.”

This is certainly a question that I’m often asked, especially by many young people, so it seemed
good to post a response here.

Blessings & shalom!

by Yonah Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:00 pm

Greetings Tau Malachi!

Thank you for this post. I have come into contact with some "mystics" who have used herbs to
reach higher states of consciousness. I have not disagreed with them that this process works, but I
have questioned how this really impacts their soul evolution if they need these herbs for every
spiritual experience they have. It will be good to have your post for discussions such as this in the
future.

Blessings!
Brother Mark+

by DMt. Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:17 am

A lifelong 'pothead' like myself knows that Tau Malachi speaks truly here - the dope becomes an
end in itself, and an obstruction to progress, using up energy that would be far better invested in
practice, and very conducive to laziness and complacency.

Mix it with tobacco, as we do here in England, and you have a substance that combines the
frightful addictive power of nicotine with the dreamy seduction of cannabis, and undermines the
health into the bargain.

A 'snare of the fowler' from which I have so far failed to extricate myself.
Perhaps because the shadow part of me loves it so.

by know this Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:23 am

hello everyone !

this thread looks like the ideal place to write a little about my experiences with pot & gnostics. its
getting quite personal, but i hope u dont mind

in january 2007 i was a student of psychology at a university in the netherlands, and i was a regular
cannabis inhaler (bought a vaporizer to minimize health issues). i was very materialistic at that
time, and i was living in great fear. the fear originated from my efforts to get to know the truth
about 9-11 and i was quite deep into the whole conspiracy scene. when i tried to make people
aware of this whole global conspiracy that i believed was going on, somebody on a forum gave me
a link to the bhagavad-gita.

from that moment on things got strange and stranger. i began reading this book, which most of you
might know, and i felt so touched and moved by it, that i hardly stopped reading for the next 3
days. only went away from the computer to catch some food. vegetarian of course, since i got
converted through the book

there is a memory of me looking at myself in the mirror after 70 hours of reading and pot smoking,
my hair was all messed up and i really looked like a mad man. but i didnt notice it, somehow it was
like a spell was cast on me.

the book fascinated me more than anything before, and i decided to buy some magic mushrooms
(hawaiian) in order to get into a special state of mind and meditate on what is written in the book.
i felt like my eyes where openend, like the thruth was revealed onto me and most of all : i
suddenly felt my immortality. i realised that i was an eternal spirit.

and then came the need to get to know a guru. that was the only thing i could think of. i wrote
some emails to different hindu temples i found on the web, very confusing emails that never got
answered. finally i found a hare-krnsa-temple in amsterdam, and i decided to buy a railway ticket
and get there. on the way i distributed my last amounts of pot to random people i met, shared a
drink with a street musician, smiled all the way and some boys that i encountered said to me "you
are the modern jesus" and i just knodded.

up to this point things felt quite normal, though i had already a very shifted perspective on
woman. i felt somehow like i was the elder brother of them. its hard to find the right words, but i
really felt very different from my normal way towards them. in amsterdam i saw a jeans
advertising i remember, where it said "supernatural" and a man was blazing across an ocean. i
thought to myself "i can do that too", and i was really conviced of it.

at the temple things got out of hand. at first i met an elder lady whom i, under tears of joy, plead
to introduce me to a guru. she just said "everybody can be a guru" and that the gurus were
traveling around the world and not here at the moment. i just kept crying tears of joy, telling her
how much i was in love with krsna and they invited me to stay. they gave me prayer beads and i
began to chant the mantra. for hours i just kept repeating it, and then i remeber that there was a
list of 50 conditions that a follower of krsna should fulfill, and i fulfilled 49 of them. the only
missing one was abstinence from pot. but in the temple i decided to quit pot, which i did for the
next 2 days.

these 2 days cant be described. i was going totally mad. i literally lost my mind. i thought that the
temple was an alien spaceship, that the other people were aliens in disguise and that we would be
turned into bee's. i didnt eat because the prassada food tasted terrible, i drank some of their holy
water and was experiencing the most surreal things one can imagine. people could read my mind,
people appeared out of nowhere, they called me an avatar, there was one guy that looked exactly
like albert einstein and i talked with him about god's omnipresence in neutrinos.

the whole experience cant be described with words, it was just like a really mad trip. i thought of
myself as an reincarnation of krsna, and it happened to be the day they celebrated his birthday so
we made a huge tour through amsterdam. i thought we were terrorists spreading poison gas.

then back at the temple we listened to a tape from the founder of hare krsna, and guess what. i
heard the voice of adolf hitler talking about the "uber-ich" conquering the world. then i thought
that the nazis would come with spaceships to take over the world, and the only way to secure
oneself is to repeat the hare-krnsa mantra so that one could resist the hypnotising messages they
would spread on television.

then i left the temple and wandered to a nearby shop, where i watched a little tv, and there was a
talkshow where an old german man with a nazi-like look seemed to annouce that cannabis was now
made legal world wide. that made me smile.

back at the temple an accident happened. while i was praying and walking around my pants sank
down without me recognizing it. i must have stood there in my underpants for quite some time, till
the old woman came to me, coursing me and insulting me of beeing totally crazy and throwing me
out of the temple.

one guy was escorting me to the station, and on the way to the station i lost my ability to speak. i
could only articulate random nouns like "burgerking cellphone" and i was amazed and feard at the
same time about the gibberish coming forth from my mouth. when we arrived at the station my
companion suddenly vanished and i was on my own.

totally confused i suddenly saw the people around me all in total depressed mood, everybody had a
sad face and turned away from me as i wanted to approach people to find my way. i headed
outside, and i thought i was trapped in hell. i really felt like this was hell. and then i over-reacted
and got aggressive, punching random people out of pure dispair. luckly i didnt injure people severe.
i was overpowered by a group of tourists as they saw me hitting people. and i saw these tourists as
demons. literally demons, like black shadows with evil red eyes and they came for me and pushed
me down. then i laid on the ground, screaming in pain and with an anger i never thought i could
have.

then police came, and all i heard was a voice telling me "now we from above take over". and i felt
like beeing guided out of hell by angels.
later police stated that i was not speakable all the time, but i experienced things quite different. i
was able to hear what those people were thinking, or at least i got that impression. one phrase i
remember was "he is one of us". then i sat i a cell and i watched through a glassdoor the outside
world, where i thought world war 3 was going and and atom bombs were dropped, but i felt saved
in my cell.

then i was placed in a different cell, where there was a computer screen and a toilet, and in that
cell i started to think that i am god and this was my commando central. i could turn up/down the
temperature on the planet and send lightning via the computer screen, it even had the right
buttons.
and i felt like i was sitting in a train moving with a bomb to a final destination in order to explode.

later the police men brought me into a mental hospital, and there i started to get agressive again,
thinking that i was in a nazi experiment where they wanted to turn me into a mixture of man and
dog, and i thought that i could crush the walls with my fists, so i started to beat them. i still could
read the mind of the people around me, they thought "he is not ready".

then they gave me some strong medicine, i cant remeber the next 4 days at all, and as i came back
to myself i was in germany in a mental hospital where i had to stay for 3 month recieving
neurolepticas.
in that hospital i thought i was dead and came into some kind of purgatory institute in order to get
used to the new way of life after death.
i suffered a mild depression, stayed in my bed for weeks and just could not really understand what
i experienced.

then i was released, and i went back to the netherlands. and not too much time passed as i started
to smoke pot again, though the doctors told me to stay away from it because i had suffered a
severe psychosis and cannabis would very likely induce it again. but i didnt listen. and in the
beginning i didnt notice anything strange, but then i started reading spiritual stuff.

mainly about the ascended masters and other new-age-channeling-stuff, but also some german
prophecies (anita wolf for example). and i got a job . then things got strange again. on the job i
was suddenly thinking that every song on the radio had a deeper meaning, a hidden message. most
songs are about love and i projected into these songs the love of god for his dual sadhana, who
later became lucifer/satan/demiurge.

my experience of time dramatically shifted. i could work for 3 hours and it felt like 5 minutes. i
was smiling at everybody all the time, and people kept looking at me like i was a stranger or sth.
and i felt this shift of perspective towars woman again. i was filled with supreme amount of joy, i
thought i could radiate love waves and that the whole world was constructed out of pure love. i
felt like i got enlightened and very energetic. and my body was running on peak, i had to go to the
toilet 4-5 times a day, everytime having to take a huge dump though i was eating very little food.

one day my mother came and we went to germany, and she was wondering about me and my
behavior so we went to a hospital. the doctor "scanned" me, i could see his eyes shut in a very
strange and unnatural way, and he diagnosed that i was psychotic again. i stayed at the hospital for
a month, encountering many strange events.

then i went to another hospital for 5 month and finally to a semi-stationary hospital for another 3
month, and since 1 month i am out and free again

the whole story makes me still wonder about what really happened, but here are some basic
thoughts i have :
cannabis can give u some siddhis, and u have to be very careful with them. chanting, especially
with much willpower and determination, has a huge impact on consciousness. an early, unprepared
tuning into the astral/emotional realm can be very confusing, cause u get placed in the
lower/hellish dimensions. spiritual work is a slow and steady process, huge steps can result in
severe imbalances.

and i generally advise everybody to stay away from all forms of mind altering substances. they give
only fuel for ur egoism, and that is not ur best friend. finally we want to overcome him, and not
strengthn him.

luckily i came across the teachings of a great master named "daskalos", whom i can only
recommend to every gnostic, these teachings gave me much understanding of myself, my life, the
world and god, the ultimate reality. check out www.researchersoftruth.org !

and of course, i appreciate the great work of the sophian gnostics, which i am new to but feel
already quite a resonance with

peace & love for all of you !

Preparation
by Tau Malachi Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:14 am

Greetings and welcome!

Yes, indeed, there are dangers to the use of powerful medicinal herbs – if we have not purified and
prepared ourselves, then we may experience very negative side-effects, and rather than something
helpful, it could be very harmful; of course, this is true of many things in the mystical journey.

It is rather like the awakening of the Serpent Power or Kundalini – if we have purified and prepared
our consciousness, and allowed a spiritual maturation, it can be a very positive experience and a
force that brings about illumination; on the other hand, in an impure and unprepared state, or
awakened prematurely, it can be a very negative or hellish experience, and can even lead to
severe illness, mental-emotional as well as physical.

Some individuals who have had a spontaneous and premature awakening of the Serpent Power
without the proper spiritual education and training, and who have had a terribly harsh experience,
would suggest that no one should seek to awaken this evolutionary force – but the experience of
one single individual with it does not represent the experience of all, and for many it is essential
that they awaken this Divine Power in themselves and push towards self-realization in this life. Yet,
indeed, for some, it is not time and it is better left alone.

The awakening of the Serpent Power is a good comparison to the use of strong medicinal herbs
because all of the same potential abreactions and obstructions are possible, including premature
assumptions of enlightenment and all manner of egoistic grasping and self-delusions.

It’s rather like when individuals are making all kinds of great claims about themselves and putting
themselves off as great enlightened personages in order to put forth their teachings and attract
followers – it can be a very dangerous game and we have good reason to question when we hear
and see this; it often reflects the awakening of the Serpent Power in an imbalanced state, not fully
uplifted and redeemed.

In the Kabbalah there is a teaching of the shebirat ha-kelim, the “breaking of the vessels.”
Essentially, in the process of creative evolution at times vessels that are formed fracture or shatter
– this invokes a need for tikkune, healing, mending or rectification. According to the Kabbalah, the
vessels formed are not able to withstand the influx of Divine Light or Divine Power, and become
overwhelmed and break; this occurs both in the metaphysical structure of creation and it occurs in
the generation of the Human One (Adam).

If this occurs in the metaphysical structure of the cosmos and in the generation of humanity, then
this may occur in our own experience, in the process of the development and evolution of our sous
– if and when the vessel is impure or unprepared, it can fracture or even shatter in an experience
of a greater influx of psychic and spiritual energy.

The distinction between a soul as a vessel that fractures and a soul as a vessel that shatters is this:
in the case of a fracture, the full tikkune-healing is possible in this life; but in the case of a
shattering the full tikkune healing is not possible in this life, but can only occur in a future life.

In this regard, it is good that we purify and prepare ourselves at the outset of the mystical journey,
seeking a proper spiritual education and training, and that we progress not with haste, but in a
gentle and mindful way, taking the journey step by step, and allowing a more natural and holistic
development over time – there is, indeed, a time for great quantum leaps, but not usually at the
outset.

*It is good to prepare and refine the vessel – the mind and heart, consciousness.

If we inquire into what’s meant by purification, it is the dissolution of self-cherishing, attachment

and aversion; as Adonai Yeshua teaches, it isn’t what we put into our mouths, but what comes out
of them that is the cause of impurity.

When we can abide in the presence of awareness, liberated from egoistic desire and fear, then
whatever the influx we experience we will not be overwhelmed; when we become empty of
ourselves we may be Spirit-filled.
The nature of our experience of anything – even the Divine, is determined by the state of our own
heart and mind, our own consciousness; the “kundalini experience” and the experience of strong
medicinal herbs reflects this very well.

Blessings & shalom!

by know this Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:53 pm

i gave it another try and had a really crazy jesus experience ! but i had to really stear it, cause
there was some dark force present, too.

by Brooke Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:21 pm

Shalom!

There's recently been some good press following magic mushroom research at Johns Hopkins.
According to researchers, the participants had a more positive outlook on life (and their own
spirituality) following a single experience -- even 14 months later.

As +Tau Malachi indicates above, the impact of Mother's earthly gifts on the participant very often
depends on the consciousness of that participant. What's important is that the participant not
mistake the experience for "realization" itself. I also think there may be danger in such
experimentation but this latest news makes me think there is potential for opening up
consciousness via the shrooms. Like peyote, I think some groups even use them during religious
ceremonies.

Many Blessings!
Brooke

did the early christians use magic mushrooms?

by thingypsythief Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:39 am

When I research the early Christians there is a lot of mention of the use of mushrooms, mainly
amanitas muscaria. I am just curious if anyone on here knows historically if these stories are
accurate or not? I have even read things that say this amanitas mushroom was the apple in the
Garden of Eden! Curiouser and curiouser, but I am not sure how reliable that information is...
No matter though I agree with the posts above. From my own experience any form of entheogens
can be good, can be bad but shouldn't be relied on, our attachment shouldn't form to trying to
artificially recreate an experience we have had. Our spirit is always evolving, it is only our ego that
gets attached to trying to repeat the same things to recapture something pleasurable. I am so glad
though that there is an atmosphere of love and openness on this site where we can talk about
things like this in an non-dogmatic way.

Sacred Herbs , Kundalini and the healing journey

by IAOHANNES Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:45 pm

Salutations in the Light of the Messiah !

Hi Brother ( or Sister ) .
I guess i can say one or two things about this subject since i have had both experiences , the
Kundalini one and the "sacred herbs" one as well .
Here where i live , in Brazil , Ayahuasca is legal and recognized by the State and there are some
regular "churches" , like "Santo Daime" , that use it .
These Churches come from the Amazon region and are a mixture of popular Chatolicism , Afro-
Brazilian religions ,Kardecism( Spiritism ) and native "indians" , of course .
I have "tasted"( God! the taste is awful! ) Ayahuasca some 6 times during my path and have had
both "good trips" and "bad trips" , "heavenly" and "hellish" experiences .
But i can say that they were all very helpful and gave me many insights about myself , my path ,
and even some "cosmic" insights .
But i had a spontaneous Kundalini awakening at the outset of my search when i was in Siddha Yoga
and i can tell you that i've never experienced anything like it .
Ayahuasca doesn't come a mile from it .
When i used Ayahuasca i was already on the path and had already purged a lot of my ego and it
certainly helped me to see and purge even more , to "unearth" very deep issues and clean them in
a dramatic way .
My last experience with it was very hard .The first one was very "light" , in both ways of the word .I
agree with Tau Malachi when he says that some people , some who have a great dificulty to awaken
, may benefit from the "sacred herbs" .
I have also seen the use of it by a great Professor who "consecrated" it with his Baraka and
certainly the effects were much more powerful than in a regular "Daime" section, that said by the
Daime people themselves .
But for me i had enough .I guess that in this lifetime i had enough of it .
So , i think it is a question of good sense and "hearing" your body to know when to stop and
choosing the right teacher and companions for the "trip" .
I've read somewhere about Moses using Amanita Muscaria .And of course , there is the classic book
by John Allegro .
I've found these links that you may find useful Brother :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

http://www.claudionaranjo.net/pdf_files ... nglish.pdf

http://www.iamshaman.com/amanita/mosesfireplant.htm

http://www.johnallegro.org/main/
I hope they are of help to you and to all those who may be interested in this subject .
May all those who seek find the medicine they need for their Souls ! Amen .

I just couldn't help it

by kenosis Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:25 pm

Grüß Euch Gott !

The color is a reference to the sacred medicine in gratitude !

Sadly I do not have the time now, but I would like to mark this thread as probably being a future
receptacle to a contribution or two by this here fellow. This is just a little note, a "premature
inoculation" you might say, I might expand some day when I find the time.

As far as I flew over what Tau Malachi said, I can only agree that experience is not integration.

OTOH, some experiences seem to stick to a degree if they go deep enough. Once you see what I
call the midnight sun (it's "in the darkness behind you" so to speak), it seems the buck if not shot is
already wounded to such a degree that it is bound to die sooner or later. Spiritual practice then
seems to turn into a necessity just in order to keep pace with what you already seen.

There is a kind of integration within the methodology of sacred medicines themselves, but I doubt
one could engage in that path as secondary. It would be a vocation in itself for at least a number of
years and would involve its own forms of spiritual practice.

Here are some of the adepts I have learned from (on the whole I have spent about two dozen
nights in "serious drinking" with them over the years):
Kajuyali Tsamani
Kajuyali Tsamani presiding over ceremony (with Arno Adelaars and Jan-Frank)
Taita Querubin
Taita Querubin once more

This old man above is extremely powerful and works with the Jaguar of 500 years ago because its
spirit has been weakened since Columbus came (talk about a talent in navigation).

Hilario Chiriap

The curandero with the greatest genius of icaros I know. His songs will steer your visions like no
one I have ever heard before - beautiful !

Hilario with Aurelio Diaz Tekpankalli (middle) and a few others

Be warned though: like any medicine, it can be misused, and with such powerful stuff you better
stay in the hands of trustworthy experts. Even then, take it a step at a time.

For myself the time of using the medicines has largely come to an end, or at least to a much slower
pace. I have seen that integration has to keep pace with experience if the latter is to have any
transformative value.

Also I found the doorway in meditation which is a much subtler and more balanced way. But in
another sense meditation is more effective, even more "scary" as in "subversive", since you know
the way. It has more compelling consequences because you know it isn't something from the
outside. You can't escape meditation after you've been there as you might think you can escape the
medicine - because how can you escape yourself ?

Excuse the ramble, I started out wanting to just write a one liner. I guess I finished most of what I
had announced above as coming up when I "find the time", hehe.

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin !

kenosis

Some Thoughts
by Tau Malachi Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:31 pm

Greetings and blessings in the Light of the Messiah!

First, in regards to the question of whether or not ancient Israeli prophets may have used a sacred
herb or mushroom – if we look beyond that latter period Jewish and Christian dogmas concerning
the navim or prophets, very clearly they were shamans, and the use of sacred herbs is very
common in shamanic traditions. So it is likely that sacred herbs or sacred mushrooms were used by
some of the ancient Israeli prophets.

It must also be said though that there are very powerful methods of prayer and meditation taught
in the Kabbalah that can lead to the same spiritual and mystical experiences without recourse to
any sacred herb. In terms of the use of sacred herbs, the aim would not be to rely upon them
forever, as though they are one’s prophetic and magic power, but rather merely to help facilitate a
breakthrough into a higher level of consciousness when necessary – the further one travels in the
path, however, the less there is any need for the sacred herbs.

We often speak about moments of the experience of Gnostic and Light Transmission in the company
of tzaddikim, or adepts and masters – typically speaking, in those moments there is no sacred herb
involved, so sacred herbs are quite secondary in the tradition, not so central to us.

I appreciate what was shared about the need to integrate our peak experiences, in whatever way
they might have come to us – a peak experience and recognition is one thing, actual realization
and embodiment of the truth and light revealed is another. It is relatively easy to have a peak
experience of one gradation or another of higher or more expanded consciousness, the real work is
seeking to integrate and embody the higher consciousness.

It is very common for individuals to confuse a passing peak experience or recognition with actual
awakening or realization, so making this distinction is very important.

Now here there is something to be said about sacred herbs – used in a sacred context, generally
speaking, they are consecrated and used under the guidance of an experienced spiritual teacher or
shaman, and there is a process of entering into the sacred ceremony in which they are used. Thus,
there is something more to the play of sacred herbs than just acquiring some and using them on
one’s own – that can be a recipe for disaster.

An experienced teacher or shaman can actually shift the energy and direction of the experience,
and can guide in the experience – they can also modify the effects of sacred herbs; so there is
much more to this play than just “taking sacred herbs.”

Blessings & shalom!

Re: rounding it up
by kenosis Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:35 am

Prostration before Truth and Love and all their Embodiments !

I thought I'd finish what I (re-)started, and after having read through the thread, only little needs
added.

First

thingypsythief wrote:
I have even read things that say this amanitas mushroom was the apple in the Garden of
Eden! Curiouser and curiouser, but I am not sure how reliable that information is...

It is unreliable and a pet theory of the late Terence McKenna. That doesn't mean that this huge
issue - eminently the rise of personal self-representation in consciousness - expressed in that myth
was not also affected or triggered by such plants. But that alone would be insufficient to explain
it. Feed mushrooms to a lizard and see if he develops language.

Secondly, reading the input by "know this" reminded me to distance myself from any habitual use
of mind altering substance, especially Cannabis.

Thirdly, I consider +Tau Malachi's input to not leave all that much to add except perhaps to note
that there are plenty of other practical purposes for the use of such plants independent of the
spiritual aspirations under which aspect +he considered them so far.

That is particularly true of the Great Grandmother Medicine which was called above "Ayahuasca"
(which is really only one of the two main ingredients) or "Yage" or "Natem". Under all the
mentioned caveats, She has very powerful healing properties, for instance, and She tends to
ground the patient and connect him deeply with Mother Earth, balance and nourish him so as to
prepare his body to become a better receptacle for the inflow of the higher light. Patients will as a
rule not leave her womb of psychic space which is full of ample room and water energy - as
opposed to being forced too violently into energies one might actually by seriously damaged by.
Even the greatest sinners are treated kindly (relative to other such medicines) and not immediately
exposed to the fire which presupposes righteousness or else shows the effects of justice. In fact,
She may help heal an over-exposure to energies stemming from misuse of other power substances.
Of course, once someone is positively psychotic, we are in a very difficult area indeed.

I thought I might add that as ours are times of great conflict and poisoned elements. Many of these
are expurged very effectively (one of Her names is "la purga") and so there are applications which
make a lot of sense even if the spiritual function is no longer relevant.

Tau Malachi wrote:

the Human One (Adam).

Interesting. Barry Long describes "Man" as the one most evolved nucleus of terrestrial mind. Please
expand if you care - unless this is explained sufficiently in your books.

Tau Malachi wrote:

In this regard, it is good that we purify and prepare ourselves at the outset of the
mystical journey...

*It is good to prepare and refine the vessel – the mind and heart, consciousness.

If we inquire into what’s meant by purification, it is the dissolution of self-cherishing,

attachment and aversion

My own practice has been revolving mainly around purification for about 15 years and I suppose
this is this life's purpose for me altogether and I will be a beginner for the rest of this life.

This topic will give me reason to spark a discussion around the kathartic practices in your lineage -
when I find the time, perhaps in a separate thread - again: unless it is discussed in your books.

Regards
kenosis

Other Spiritual Work

by Tau Malachi Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:59 pm

Greetings and blessings in the Light of the Messiah!

I believe that you bring up an important point friend – there are, indeed, other purposes for which
sacred herbs might be employed.

They do have hold incredible healing power, when used by experienced healers and guides in their
spiritual work with people, both for physical and spiritual healing; likewise, they can be used in
some cases of displaced energy, or to sever bonds with the wrong sorts of spirits, and likewise to
restore an energetic balance in circumstances of ill fortune, even being used to shift the balance
of a person’s fate and fortune.

Along with these purposes, or extending from them, if and when a soul becomes disconnected from
the body and life, at times, in some cases, sacred herbs can be used to help restore the soul to the
body and life.
So there are really many different spiritual works for which they might be applied.

Here, perhaps, it ought to be said that in the process of self-realization or divine illumination,
healing and balancing energy, and the reintegration of our energetic and physical being, are
integral – it is all about the tikkune-healing of the soul or our energetic being.

We may also share, per your own observation, that this spiritual journey is all about purification
and reintegration – my beloved tzaddik, Tau Elijah, would always remind that purification was the
very essence of the spiritual life, restoring to the original blessedness and goodness in which we
were conceived by the Creator.

As the psalms teach,“Who will ascend the hill of the Lord? One who has clean hands and a pure
heart.”

We have an innate connection with the Great Spirit – it is impurities in consciousness that obscure
and obstructs our Spirit-connection.

Yes, an exploration of cathartic methods of spiritual experience would be good as another thread
of discussion – there is much that could be shared.

Blessings & shalom!

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