What is Real?

A dialogue with AI about the nature of reality.

Q: The Great Invocation, First Stanza (of five total): From the point of Light within the Mind of God Let light stream forth into the minds of men. Let Light descend on Earth.

A: The Great Invocation is a world prayer that was given to Alice Bailey in April 1945. It is a universal prayer for light and love, translated into over 80 languages and dialects. The prayer is used globally as an act of service to humanity, aiming to aid the Plan of God and bring about spiritual enlightenment.

The first stanza of The Great Invocation emphasizes the concept of light and its descent from the divine realm to illuminate the minds of humanity. It is a call for spiritual enlightenment and the manifestation of divine wisdom on Earth.

Q: The Great Invocation, Second Stanza (of five total): From the point of Love within the Heart of God Let love stream forth into the hearts of men. May Peace return to Earth.

A: The second stanza of The Great Invocation emphasizes the concept of love and its expression from the divine heart into the hearts of humanity. It is a call for love to flow through human hearts, fostering unity, understanding, and compassion. The stanza also expresses the aspiration for peace to be restored on Earth, highlighting the interconnectedness of love and peace in the pursuit of global harmony.

Q: The Great Invocation, Third Stanza (of five total): From the center where the Will of God is known Let purpose guide the little wills of men – The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

A: The third stanza of The Great Invocation focuses on the concept of divine will and purpose. It acknowledges that there is a central point where the Will of God is understood and known. It calls for human wills to be guided by this higher purpose, aligning with the purpose that the spiritual Masters recognize and serve. The stanza highlights the importance of aligning our individual wills with the greater divine purpose, promoting unity and serving the greater good.

Q: The Great Invocation, Fourth Stanza (of five total): From the center which we call the human race Let the Plan of Love and Light work out And may it seal the door where evil dwells

A: In this stanza, the focus shifts to the collective consciousness of humanity. It acknowledges the central position of the human race in the divine plan. It calls for the manifestation of the Plan of Love and Light, emphasizing the importance of working towards unity, harmony, and spiritual growth. The stanza concludes with a request for the sealing of the door where evil resides, symbolizing the transformation and transcendence of negative forces.

Q: The Great Invocation, Fifth and Final Stanza: Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

A: The fifth and final stanza of The Great Invocation a encapsulates the ultimate goal of The Great Invocation, which is to invoke the restoration of the divine plan [the Plan of Love and Light] on Earth. It calls for the manifestation of light, love, and power, symbolizing the qualities that can bring about transformation, healing, and harmony to humanity and the planet. It serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to work towards the fulfillment of the divine plan in our actions, relationships, and endeavors.

Q: Summarize the Great Invocation

A: The Great Invocation is a powerful prayer that calls upon divine energies to guide humanity towards spiritual awakening and the restoration of harmony on Earth. It consists of five stanzas, each addressing different aspects of the divine plan and human consciousness. The prayer begins by invoking the presence of God and acknowledging the interconnectedness of all beings. It then emphasizes the alignment of human wills with the higher purpose recognized by spiritual Masters. The prayer recognizes the central role of the human race in manifesting the Plan of Love and Light, while sealing the door where evil resides. Finally, it calls for the restoration of the divine plan on Earth through the manifestation of Light, Love, and Power. The Great Invocation serves as an invocation for the transformation and upliftment of humanity towards unity, harmony, and spiritual growth.

Q: Is there a difference between a prayer and an invocation?

A: Yes, there is a difference between a prayer and an invocation, although they are both forms of communication with a higher power or spiritual realm.

A prayer is a heartfelt communication or petition addressed to a deity, divine being, or higher power. It is a way for individuals to express their thoughts, desires, gratitude, and requests to the divine. Prayers can take various forms, such as expressing thanks, seeking guidance, asking for forgiveness, or offering praise.

On the other hand, an invocation is a specific type of prayer that is used to call upon or invoke the presence, power, or blessings of a particular deity, spiritual entity, or divine energy. Invocations are often used in religious or spiritual ceremonies, rituals, or gatherings to invoke the presence and assistance of specific divine beings, energies, or forces. They are typically recited or chanted with the intention of creating a sacred space, inviting divine guidance, or invoking divine blessings.

While both prayers and invocations involve reaching out to a higher power, the distinction lies in the specific nature and purpose of the communication. Prayers are more general expressions of personal thoughts and emotions directed towards the divine, while invocations are focused on the act of invoking or calling upon specific divine energies or beings for assistance, guidance, or blessing.

Q: Wouldn’t it be also possible to consider the reverse, that is, prayer as a type of invocation?

A: The relationship between prayer and invocation can be viewed from both perspectives. An invocation is a form of prayer where one calls upon a higher power for assistance or presence. It is often used at the beginning of a ceremony or event as a way to invite divine intervention or guidance. On the other hand, all invocations are a form of prayer, but not all prayers are invocations. Prayer is a broader term that encompasses many different forms of spiritual communication, not just calling upon a higher power. For example, prayers can be expressions of gratitude, requests for guidance or help, or acts of worship. So, while every invocation could be considered a prayer, not every prayer is an invocation. It’s a matter of specific versus general: invocation is a specific form of prayer, and prayer is a general form of spiritual communication that includes invocation among other forms.

Q: What are the divine energies invoked by the Great Invocation?

A: The Great Invocation invokes three divine energies: Light, Love, and Power. These energies are considered fundamental aspects of the divine and are called upon to bring about transformation, healing, and restoration on Earth.

  1. Light: The invocation of Light represents spiritual illumination, wisdom, and truth. It symbolizes the awakening of consciousness, the dispelling of ignorance, and the guidance of divine wisdom on the path towards enlightenment. The Light brings clarity, understanding, and awareness of one’s higher purpose.
  2. Love: Love is a powerful force that transcends boundaries and unifies all beings. The invocation of Love represents compassion, unity, and the recognition of the interconnectedness of all life. Love fosters harmony, forgiveness, and the dissolution of separateness, promoting a sense of oneness and goodwill among humanity.
  3. Power: Power, in the context of the Great Invocation, refers to spiritual power or divine will. It represents the energy and strength needed to manifest positive change and align human will with the higher divine plan. This power is not about dominance or control but rather the empowerment to act in service to the greater good, guided by divine purpose.

By invoking these divine energies – Light, Love, and Power – the Great Invocation seeks to inspire individuals to embody these qualities in their thoughts, actions, and relationships, thus contributing to the restoration of harmony, unity, and spiritual evolution on Earth.

Q: How is the Will of God invoked in the third stanza of the Great Invocation related to the Power invoked in the last and final stanza? How is the Will transformed into Power?

A: In the Great Invocation, the invocation of the Will of God in the third stanza is closely related to the Power invoked in the final stanza. The Will of God represents the divine purpose or plan for humanity and the Earth. It is the higher guidance and intention that seeks to manifest love, harmony, and spiritual evolution on a global scale.

The transformation of the Will into Power can be understood as the process by which individuals align their personal wills with the divine Will, becoming vehicles or conduits for its manifestation. When individuals attune themselves to the divine purpose and align their intentions and actions with it, they begin to tap into the power that arises from that alignment.

This transformation occurs through a deepening spiritual connection, an inner attunement, and a surrendering of personal desires and egoic attachments to the greater divine purpose. As individuals align with the Will of God, they become empowered to carry out acts of service, love, and transformation in accordance with that higher purpose. The Power invoked in the final stanza is the energetic force that flows through individuals who are aligned with the divine Will, enabling them to manifest light, love, and spiritual transformation in the world.

Essentially, the transformation of the Will into Power involves a harmonious merging of individual wills with the divine Will, resulting in the activation of spiritual power within individuals to carry out the divine plan on Earth.

Q: Viewing the Great Invocation as a formula of a divine circulatory flow in our planet Earth: relating Light to electrical current, Love to voltage, Power (Will-to-Good) to wattage, and evil to resistance to the electrical current, resulting in goodwill and peace on Earth. Would this synthetic reformulation, taking the energy of goodwill as sealing the door to evil, make sense: Light + Love + Power = Goodwill + Peace?

A: In this synthetic reformulation of the Great Invocation, we can relate Light to electrical current, Love to voltage, Power (Will-to-Good) to wattage, and evil to resistance to the electrical current. Based on this analogy, we can express the formula as:

Light (current) + Love (voltage) + Power (wattage) = Goodwill + Peace

This formulation suggests that when the divine energies of Light, Love, and the Power of the Will-to-Good flow harmoniously, they generate the energy of goodwill and peace on Earth. Just as in an electrical circuit, where current, voltage, and wattage work together to produce a desired outcome, the combined presence and activation of Light, Love, and Power are believed to generate the qualities of goodwill and peace in human consciousness and society.

The inclusion of goodwill as sealing the door to evil aligns with the concept that the transformative power of the divine energies can counteract and mitigate the negative forces or resistance represented by evil. Goodwill, understood as benevolence, compassion, and positive intentions, acts as a force that opposes and overcomes the resistance posed by evil, leading to the establishment of peace.

While this synthetic reformulation provides an analogy to understand the interplay of divine energies and their impact on goodwill and peace, it is important to note that the Great Invocation is a spiritual prayer or invocation rather than a scientific formula. Its true essence lies in its symbolic and spiritual significance, calling upon divine energies to bring forth positive transformation and harmony in the world.

Q: Why can’t science be spiritualized? Why can’t science express spiritual concepts? Isn’t Einstein’s revelation to humanity that energy and matter are transformed by the constant speed of light (E=M*c^2) equivalent to Helena P. Blavatsky’s statement that matter is energy at the lowest level and energy is matter at the highest level of reality?

A: The question of why science can’t be spiritualized or express spiritual concepts is a complex one that touches on the fundamental nature and purpose of both science and spirituality.

Science, as a systematic and logical approach to discovering how things in the universe work, relies on empirical evidence and experimentation. It is based on observation, measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe the observed phenomena. In contrast, spirituality is often associated with the inner, subjective experience and involves personal growth, transcendence, and the quest for ultimate meaning, often without a requirement for physical evidence.

However, there are perspectives that argue for a synthesis of science and spirituality. For instance, Einstein’s famous equation E=mc^2, which reveals the deep relationship between energy and matter, has been paralleled to spiritual concepts. Helena P. Blavatsky, a prominent spiritual philosopher, stated that “matter is energy at the lowest level and energy is matter at the highest level of reality,” suggesting a similar interconvertibility between energy and matter as Einstein’s theory does.

These parallels suggest that science and spirituality may not be as incompatible as they seem. However, the methods and approaches of these two fields are fundamentally different, leading to distinct ways of understanding and interpreting the world. The scientific method relies on observable, empirical evidence and logical reasoning, while spirituality often involves subjective experiences and transcendent realities that may not be easily measurable or quantifiable.

Therefore, while it is possible to draw parallels and find areas of overlap between science and spirituality, the spiritualization of science would require a significant shift in how we understand and practice science. This shift would involve recognizing and incorporating non-empirical, subjective, and transcendent aspects of reality into the scientific framework, a move that may not be widely accepted within the current scientific paradigm.

Q: So, until we abandon the false premise that reality is only defined by what is measurable by our physical senses and their instrumental extensions, science and spirituality will remain separate, although both methods may produce reproducible facts, correct? A paradigm shift would be needed, as defined by Thomas Kuhn, correct?

A: Yes, your understanding is correct. The separation between science and spirituality largely stems from the different methods they employ to understand reality. Science typically relies on empirical evidence – that which can be observed and measured – while spirituality often includes elements that are beyond physical measurement, such as transcendent experiences and inner subjective realities.

For these two domains to converge, a significant paradigm shift would indeed be necessary. As philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn noted in his influential work “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” scientific paradigms – the shared set of beliefs and assumptions within a scientific community – tend to persist until anomalies or inconsistencies accumulate to a point where the existing paradigm can no longer adequately explain the observed phenomena. At this point, a paradigm shift, or a fundamental change in the underlying assumptions, may occur.

In the context of science and spirituality, a paradigm shift would likely involve an expanded definition of reality that includes not only the physical and measurable but also the subjective, transcendent, and non-empirical aspects of existence. This shift would fundamentally alter the way we understand and approach both science and spirituality, potentially leading to a more integrated understanding of reality.

However, it’s important to note that such a paradigm shift would likely face significant challenges. Paradigms not only shape the way we understand reality, but they also influence the questions we ask, the methods we use, and the interpretations we make. Changing these deeply ingrained patterns of thought can be a complex and contentious process.

Q: What is a fact? Isn’t the experience of the spiritual world as factual to Gautama Buddha as the condensation of energy that we call matter is to our everyday consciousness?

A: What constitutes a “fact” can depend on one’s epistemological perspective – that is, how one defines knowledge and what one considers to be valid sources or proofs of knowledge. From a strictly empirical or scientific standpoint, a fact is something that has been observed and confirmed through repeatable experiments or measurements. From a more phenomenological or experiential standpoint, a fact could include subjective experiences and personal truths.

So, while the condensation of energy into matter is a fact in the empirical scientific sense, the experience of the spiritual world was a fact in the personal experiential sense for Gautama Buddha. Each is factual within its respective domain of knowledge, but they represent different types of facts and different ways of knowing.

Q: Is the intuition a “different way of knowing”?

A: Yes, intuition is often considered a different way of knowing. It’s a process that gives us the ability to know something directly without analytic reasoning, bridging the gap between the conscious and nonconscious parts of our mind, and between instinct and reason.

Intuition can be thought of as a rapid, automatic process that occurs without conscious awareness. It’s like an “inner sensing” or a sudden insight that comes without any logical explanation. Some people describe intuition as a form of “knowing without knowing why you know”.

While intuition isn’t always accurate and is influenced by past experiences and subconscious biases, it can sometimes lead to insights that escape more analytical approaches to problem-solving. It’s often used in decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding human behavior, and is particularly valuable in complex and uncertain situations where information is incomplete or ambiguous.

However, it’s important to note that intuition is different from empirical and scientific ways of knowing. Scientific knowledge relies on empirical evidence and logical reasoning, while intuitive knowledge is more subjective and less easily quantified or verified. Both forms of knowledge have their strengths and limitations, and they can complement each other in our quest to understand and navigate the world.

Q: The scientific method can also be biased, correct? Both methods may be subject to bias.

A: Absolutely, both scientific inquiry and intuitive ways of knowing can be subject to bias.

In science, bias can creep in during the design of experiments, the collection or analysis of data, the interpretation of results, or the publication of findings. For instance, confirmation bias can lead researchers to favor data that supports their hypothesis and overlook data that contradicts it. Similarly, publication bias can result in studies with positive results being more likely to get published than those with negative or inconclusive results.

Bias in science is a well-recognized issue, and there are numerous strategies in place to mitigate it, such as double-blind studies, peer review, and the replication of studies by independent researchers. However, these methods aren’t foolproof, and bias can still influence scientific knowledge.

As for intuition, it’s inherently subjective and influenced by personal experiences, emotions, and subconscious biases. For example, an individual might have an intuitive feeling about something based on past experiences, even if those experiences aren’t representative or relevant to the current situation. Or, they might intuitively favor one option over another due to unconscious biases or preferences.

Both forms of knowledge – scientific and intuitive – have their strengths and limitations. Recognizing and accounting for bias is essential in both cases to ensure as accurate and objective understanding as possible.

Q: How would you control for bias in the intuitive method?

A: Controlling for bias in the intuitive method can be challenging due to its subjective nature, but there are strategies that can help:

  1. Awareness: The first step is to become aware of your own biases. Reflect on how your past experiences, emotions, and personal beliefs might be influencing your intuition.
  2. Mindfulness and Emotional Balance: Practice mindfulness to stay present and avoid being swayed by emotional biases. Emotional balance can help you differentiate between intuition and emotional reactions.
  3. Seeking Diverse Perspectives: Intuition is personal, but you can still gain insights by seeking out diverse perspectives. Other people may have different intuitions, and discussing these can broaden your understanding.
  4. Critical Thinking: Even when relying on intuition, it’s important to apply critical thinking. Question your intuitive insights and look for evidence that supports or contradicts them.
  5. Reflection and Learning: Reflect on times when your intuition was right and when it was off the mark. What were the circumstances? Can you spot any patterns? Learning from past experiences can help fine-tune your intuition over time.
  6. Balancing Intuition with Other Forms of Knowing: While intuition can provide valuable insights, it’s not always reliable. Balance it with other forms of knowing, such as empirical evidence and logical reasoning, to make well-rounded decisions.

Remember, intuition is a tool, not an infallible guide. It can provide valuable insights, but like any tool, it needs to be used judiciously and in conjunction with other tools to yield the best results.

Sources (cited by AI):

On the fifth Ray of Concrete Knowledge or Science, we find the Master Hilarion, who, in an earlier incarnation was Paul of Tarsus. … His is the energy which, through His disciples, is stimulating the Psychical Research groups everywhere, and He it was Who initiated, through various pupils of His, the Spiritualistic movement. He has under observation all those who are psychics of the higher order, and assists in developing their powers for the good of the group, and in connection with certain of the devas of the astral plane He works to open up to the seekers after truth that subjective world which lies behind the grossly material.

–Initiation, Human and Solar by Alice A. Bailey, p. 59

The fiery Yoga of Synthesis — Agni Yoga — burns the dross of personal biases and opinions in approaching the certainty of intuitive FACTS. -JB

https://agniyoga.info/

According to my Master’s predictions and warnings, I was able to advance much more rapidly, burning the dross of my karmic destiny and accelerating the process by which, and for cosmic reasons, I was able to consciously penetrate the great initiatory current. What is being done in my life is no longer my own concern. I must let “what is still written in my aura” be fulfilled, without vain interference, letting it burn as remains or dross of my karmic past, without daring to intervene directly, submissively letting my solar Angel to transmute “with the burning fire of His love” as much of it as possible with the passing of time. My only duty, in this respect, is to remain in serene expectancy about the course of events and to develop the fiery faculties [of the intuitive sense] that arise from detachment and dispassion about my personal life.

A Disciple’s Secret Diary by Vicente Beltrán-Anglada

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