Samael Aun Weor

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Samael Aun Weor (

In 1948, Gómez referred to himself as the name of his being, Aun Weor, which means "the verb or messenger of God."

According to his diary, writing about sex in such a candid manner was met with disdain by the majority of the public at the time. Seen as immoral and pornographic, Aun Weor found himself fleeing angry mobs attempting to silence him through violent means. From March 14 to 19 of 1952 Aun Weor spent five days in jail for "committing the crime of healing the sick".[7]^[17]) The account of his incarceration is recounted in a personal diary he later published as Secret Notes of a Guru.

After March 19, 1952, Aun Weor and some disciples built and lived near the Summum Supremum Sanctuarium, an "underground temple" in the

A messenger or avatar, in the most complete sense of the word, is a courier, a man who delivers a message, a servant or maid of the Great Work. So, the word avatar must not fall into misinterpretations, it must be specified with complete clarity. I am, therefore, a servant or crew member, or messenger who delivers a message. Some time ago I said that I am a cosmic mailman, since I am giving the content of a cosmic letter. Therefore, my beloved brethren, the word avatar must never lead us to arrogance, since it only means nothing other than an emissary, a servant, a crew member who gives a message, an epistle, and that is all. In regard to Buddha Maitreya, we must analyze these two words a little in order not to fall into misinterpretations. The Innermost-Buddha in itself is the real Being, the Innermost of each one of us. Thus, when the Innermost or the real Being of somebody has attained its proper intimate Self-realization, then he is declared a Buddha. However, the term Maitreya is individual and collective; thus, from the individual point of view, it represents a teacher whose name is Maitreya, but from the collective point of view Buddha Maitreya must be understood—in the most complete sense of the word—as any initiate who has managed to Christify himself, and that is all.[19]

Although he would declare himself as the true Kalki Avatar many times throughout his works, he also cleverly and regularly rejected the cult of his personality despite definitively having founded a cult:

I, Samael, am not in need of henchmen or followers, but only imitators of my doctrine: Gnosis. I do not follow anyone, nor do I want anyone to follow me. What I want is for each one of you to follow his own Self. I am only a lighthouse in the sea of existence, and I do not need clientele in order to subsist. Since I am against the slavery of souls, I do not want to enslave any soul, nor do I agree with executioners of ideals. Masters exist in abundance, and I am only one of many; thus, those who want to find the Masters will find them inside, within the profundities of their own inner consciousness.^[20]

Living in Mexico City

In 1956, he left Colombia and went to Costa Rica and El Salvador. Later in 1956, he settled permanently in Mexico City, where he would begin his public life.^[21]

Before 1960, he had arguably published 20 more books with topics ranging from

In spite of its success, the development of the Gnostic Movement was not without dramatic setbacks, according to its followers. By the time of publishing the revised edition of The Perfect Matrimony (1961), the movement had fallen apart. Aun Weor wrote that "those who did not leave the Gnostic Movement can be counted on the fingers of one hand."[25] However, by the time of his death, Samael Aun Weor had completely re-established the broad international reaches the movement previously held.

Into the 1960s, he continued to write many books on topics, such as

In what was to be the last decade of his life, he penned works such as Parsifal Unveiled, which details the esoteric symbolism of the Wagner opera, and Gnostic Anthropology in which he heavily criticized the theories of Darwin, Haeckel, "and their followers". The books The Great Rebellion, Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, and The Revolution of the Dialectic provide a ground work for the vast knowledge of esoteric psychology purported to be found rooted in every genuine religion. During this time, he was preparing the highest vehicle of his doctrine, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled,^[27] in which he meditated, verse-by-verse, upon the extremely esoteric Gnostic text Pistis Sophia.

Death

By 1972, Samael Aun Weor wrote that his death and resurrection would be occurring before 1978. In the chapter entitled The Resurrection, in his work The Three Mountains (1972), he stated that the eight years of ordeals within the Trial of Job would occur between his 53rd and 61st birthdays. Furthermore, in the same work, it is stated that this ordeal occurs prior to resurrection, and the one going through it is "deprived of everything, even of his own sons, and is afflicted by an impure sickness."^[7] By August 1977 he had developed stomach cancer. During this time he continued to speak to both his students and the general public, giving radio and television interviews while touring Mexico. Eventually he was forced to stop, due to debilitating stomach pain. As his condition steadily worsened, he would mention to those at his bedside, "Don't cling to my battered body, instead cling to my doctrinal body."^[28] Aun Weor died on December 24, 1977. He was survived by his wife and children.

Years before his death, he declared he would adopt the use of a duly prepared ancient Egyptian "mummy" as a vehicle for further work, a vehicle better prepared than his own "physical body". Many of his followers expected him to return publicly shortly after his death. According to his own statements he planned to remain incognito for a certain time so that “the leaven will ferment.”^[29]

Doctrine of Synthesis

The Doctrine of Synthesis is a term Aun Weor used to describe the teachings he delivered through his books and lectures, because it is an amalgam of an extensive variety of teachings.^[30][31]

Although many of the metaphysical concepts expounded by such authors as

Aun Weor emphasizes that his doctrine is experiential, and must be put into practice for it to be of any value to the student.

It is stated that if a student is successful in awakening consciousness, he or she will eventually experience a continuous state of vigilance not only during the day but also while the physical body is sleeping, and most importantly after death. This is significant because Aun Weor states that those who have a sleeping consciousness are not aware of their postmortem condition, just as they are not aware when they are physically sleeping. The awakening of consciousness allows a student to continue to work regardless of their physical state.^[37]

Religion

Religions are viewed as idiosyncratic expressions of immutable and eternal values. Religions are said to be born and die in time, yet their spiritual values always remain eternal. When a religious form has fulfilled its mission, it begins to degenerate and dies, then a new messenger appears and delivers a doctrine appropriate for that culture. Different cultures require different doctrines for their development and this results in a vast difference of religious doctrines. Nevertheless, if one understands their core values, all religions naturally support each other.^[38][39] It is stated that any authentic religion possess what are called "The Three Factors of the Revolution of the Consciousness"^[40] which are practical aspects of daily life:

1. Death: The psychological work of eliminating the
   ego
   .
2. Birth: Giving birth to the superior potential of the soul, which is done through chastity and sexual transmutation.
3. Sacrifice: To work to aid suffering humanity "without desiring the fruits of action, without desiring reward; pure, sincere, disinterested sacrifice, giving one's life in order for others to live, and without asking for anything in return."

Among these 3 factors, Aun Weor highlights that the first one is the most important. A teaching that is missing any one of these components is considered incomplete or degenerate.

Psychology

The basis of Aun Weor's practical work is of a psychological nature. He states in many of his books that the purpose of his doctrine is to affect a psychological change. The terms Gnostic, Esoteric or Revolutionary Psychology are used to describe the psychological methods taught, and are said to be synonymous with the psychological teachings of religion.^[41][42]

A fundamental axiom presented is that an ordinary human being is not really human at all, but rather an intellectual animal (a rational animal) with consciousness asleep.^[43] According to Samael Aun Weor, a true human being is someone who has no psychological imperfection, an image of God, as in Jesus' saying, "Become perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect."^[44][45] He believed himself to be an example of such a 'human being'. Aun Weor writes of the awakening of consciousness as being very similar to the traditional Buddhist understanding, and throughout his works he describes many analogous processes as they are spoken of in different religions.

In order to awaken the consciousness correctly, Aun Weor stated it was necessary to annihilate the ego. He taught that one's ego is really not one but many, or a multitude of independent, contradictory desires. Likewise, each person's ego is said to actually contain many "I's," many "egos," many "aggregates." Each desire is an "I" and each "I" has its own specific causes and conditions that lead to its personification at a particular time.

In order to achieve psychological transformation, extensive methods of meditation, self-observation, and sexual transmutation are taught and prescribed for daily exercise.[52] The goal of psychological work is the awakening of consciousness and ultimately the state of Paramarthasatya.^[63]

Physiology and sexology

We understand people of normal sexuality to be those who have no sexual conflicts of any kind. Sexual energy is divided into three distinct types. First: the energy having to do with the reproduction of the race and the health of the physical body in general. Second: the energy having to do with the spheres of thought, feeling and will. Third: the energy that is found related with the Divine Spirit of man.

Indeed, sexual energy is without a doubt the most subtle and powerful energy normally produced and transported through the human organism. Everything that a human being is, including the three spheres of thought, feeling and will, is none other than the exact outcome of distinct modifications of sexual energy.^[64]

— Samael Aun Weor

Basic

Occult or esoteric anatomy and physiology is also studied, which refers to the study of the supra-sensible bodies of minerals, plants, animals (rational and irrational), and human beings. It is said that everyone contains seven bodies, closely related to the Theosophical septenary, which Aun Weor calls physical, vital, emotional (astral), mental, causal, buddhic and atmic.^[76] Aun Weor differentiates between an intellectual animal and an authentic human being through the differences in the vehicles of emotion (astral body), mind (mental body) and will (causal body). Intellectual animals (ordinary man and woman) are said to contain the Lunar Astral Body, the Lunar Mental Body, and the Lunar Causal Body, each referred to by different names in different schools of Occultism. It is stated that these lunar bodies are the result of mechanical evolution through the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms and therefore, they are of an infrahuman or animal quality.^[77] The only true difference between the rational animal and irrational animals is the intellect, which gives the former the ability to become human, or as Aun Weor states, the intellectual animal has the "seed" or potential of a human latently existing within its sexual organs.^[78]

What are called authentic human beings, although physically appearing identical, have crystallized the solar bodies: solar astral body, solar mental body, and solar causal body. Lunar bodies are vehicles that receive the energy of creation (that is, God) at the level of an animal, while the solar bodies permit the reception of a much greater voltage allowing greater levels of wisdom and superior emotion to be incarnated. Aun Weor states that the solar bodies are collectively referred to as vehicles of the "soul".^[79]

Aun Weor states that the solar bodies are formed in the same manner that physical bodies are formed: through use of the sexual function. In order to form the solar bodies, sexual transmutation is taught via the hetero

Many hypocritical Pharisees hate us because we are not complaisant with whoredom, because we condemn crime, yet they state that this is why we hate. This is how they imprecisely judge us. What happens is that all of those hypocritical Pharisees from Spiritualism, Theosophism, Rosicrucianism, Aquarianism, etc., yearn for a sanctimonious mastery where masters are complaisant with crime; a type of spiritual whore-master who, complaisant with crime, goes around from lodge to lodge, from school to school, from sect to sect. This is why we, those who truly love humanity, are hated by hypocritical Pharisees.[87]

— Samael Aun Weor

Soteriology

Soteriology (study of salvation) is presented in the light of every notable religion yet usually with special differences not held by orthodox interpretations. There are many degrees of salvation generally accomplished by paying one's karma, removing the psychological imperfections and finally creating the solar bodies. The idea held by many religions that belief in God alone achieves salvation is categorically rejected.^[63]

Many different levels of salvation are explained, each depending upon the willpower of the individual accomplishing it. For those who do not remove their psychological imperfection (ego) – which is the cause of karma and the suffering of humanity – after approximately 108 rebirths they will have their ego removed forcefully through mechanical devolution within the infradimensions (

It is important to notice that some of these individuals represent Christ as an impersonal force, e. g. Jesus, meaning that although he was an individual Christ, he taught the doctrine of the Cosmic Christ, intentionally molding his physical life after the psychological processes that one undergoes to incarnate the Christ.[94] As with Buddha, Jesus is seen as a Bodhisattva who came to help humanity. Jesus is viewed as the Savior of the World because he is a Paramarthasatya (an inhabitant of the Absolute) that physically incarnated specifically for the sake of poor suffering humanity. According to Aun Weor, Jesus purposefully played out physically the internal or psychological struggle one must undergo in the path of Self-Realization; thus, the Gospels are a mixture of reality and kabbalistic, initiatic symbolism.^{[95] [96][97]} According to Aun Weor, there is the historic Christ as depicted in Christian Churches; then, there is the Christ of Transubstantiation to be known exclusively through the Gnostic Church; and finally, there is the Apocalyptic Christ who is to come with the New Jerusalem, after the Great Cataclysm that will consume the world.^[24]

Anthropology

His work Cosmic Teachings of a Lama states that life on Earth did not occur through

Man, therefore, is not the outcome of the evolution from a common ancestor to the primates, but rather the exponent of an eternal anthropic principle. Monkeys, apes, and other primates are instead the outcome of certain sub-sects of ancient humanity copulating with animals, and are in a complete state of devolution.[99]

They say that the human being comes from the ape. They came out with the theory of the cynocephalus with a tail, the monkey without a tail and the arboreal men, all of them children of the noeptizoids, etc. But, which of these would then be the missing link? On what day have they found a monkey that is capable of speaking, that is gifted with speech? It has not appeared until now. Therefore, these materialistic gentlemen are ludicrous. They only present us suppositions and not facts. Therefore are not the materialists refuting the theories of Darwin himself and his henchmen? Does the human being come from the ape? Upon which basis do they sustain this theory? How do they demonstrate it? Until when are we going to wait for the supposed missing link? We want to see that specie of ape speaking like people. That ape has not appeared, therefore such an ape is only a supposition of nonsense that has no reality.^[100]

He does state however that evolution within a species is possible, yet that no species can evolve from another species. Furthermore, he states that the human or 'intellectual animal' naturally evolves in time, for example our society is an evolution from previous societies - however the evolution of species can never achieve spiritual liberation because it will always return to devolution. Spiritual liberation requires a 'revolution of consciousness'.

Eschatology

In many books Aun Weor wrote about the "Final Catastrophe" or Apocalypse^[101] which was central to the framing of his cult's teachings. His work The Aquarian Message is a commentary on the Book of Revelation, which affirms the notion that present civilization will end and a future one will emerge. Only those souls who remove their ego in the present time will avoid the Second Death and re-transmigrations. A specific date is never given, only that this civilization is in the twilight of its existence.^[24]

The Social Christ and POSCLA

Aun Weor wrote about social problems in the books The Social Christ and The Social Transformation of Humanity.^[102] The Social Christ is primarily concerned with a comprehensive critique of Marxism or Dialectical Materialism, but deals also with the injustices of the Capitalist system;

We are filled with horror in the presence of so much infamy. The ones that cannot pay for a stall in the public markets are persecuted, but they flatter and butter up the powerful gentlemen that steal millions of pesos from the people.^{[This quote needs a citation]}

In this way the capitalists fertilize the soil and prepare it in order that in it the filthy flower of Communism can germinate.^{[This quote needs a citation]}

All political systems, Aun Weor states, are a reflection of our own psychology, and he explains that in order to finally finish with oppression it is necessary to change our own psychological state through the Death of Ego, combining this with non-violent resistance and the unionization of workers.

The struggle for the triumph of social justice is very long and hard, but we must never use violence, nor revolutions of blood and liquor.^{[This quote needs a citation]}

In order "to start a new age and realize the Social Christ on the face of the earth,"^{[This quote needs a citation]} Aun Weor formed a political party called 'POSCLA', The Christian Socialist Party of Latin America, which he later disbanded as a formal organization.

Medicine and elemental magic

In his works, Occult Medicine and Practical Magic, Igneous Rose and others, Aun Weor taught about elemental magic. In the former work he expressed his opposition to the medicine of modern science, allopathy, and called for the Gnostics to learn the ways of Indigenous and Elemental Medicine.

Aun Weor taught that all the plants of nature are living Elemental Spirits, similarly to Paracelsus and many other esoteric teachers. He states that it is the Elemental Spirits who cure, not simply the 'cadavers of the plants'. Plants should be treated as living beings, harvested at the proper hours etc. He stated that the Elementals of all plants are aspects of The Divine Mother in the form of Mother Nature. In 'Occult Medicine and Practical Magic' he spoke about the healing methods of the Kogi Mamas, who diagnose sicknesses by means of clairvoyance.^[103]

Criticism

The

As of 11 February 1984 or thereabouts, the Ministry of Tenerife, Spain, denied incorporation to Aun Weor's Universal Christian Gnostic Church of Spain operating from 38 San Francisco St., in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, on the grounds that said organization is not a legitimate church as it does not have any record of incorporation as such in any country whatsoever.^[107]

In 1990, after numerous consultations with high-ranking members of the Roman Catholic Church and other figures who preferred to remain anonymous such as lawyers, public prosecutors, psychiatrists and psychologists, Pilar Salarrullana, who has been a political figure since 1974 and is considered an expert on sects, published Las Sectas (The Sects: a living testament to Messianic terror in Spain), which became a best-seller with six editions the first year alone and, in spite of its popularly inquisitorial tone, it denounces the Gnostic Movements among others as some of the most dangerous anti-social plagues in Spain.^[108]

In 1991, F. W. Haack (1935–1991), who was chief delegate of the

Aun Weor's Gnostic movement was labeled a cult by some. However, his books and lectures continue to help many who are seeking important Buddhist, Christian and Gnostic teachings.

Bibliography

Aun Weor wrote over sixty books, covering a broad range of esoteric, philosophical, and anthropological subjects. The following is taken in part from the "Bibliography of Samael Aun Weor"^[111] although a more accurate list may exist.^[112]

See also

Notes

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Samael Aun Weor.

• glorian.org English hub responsible for publishing Samael Aun Weor's complete literary estate including public lectures into English, under the name Glorian Publishing.
• Sacred-Sex.org Sister site of gnosticteachings.org which accumulates all known related texts from the East and West on the topic of Esoteric Sexuality.