Criticism, Elemental Beings, Meals & Meetings- 23rd April 1995

CRITICISM within one's own awareness and sub-awareness, draws the offendant closer to he who he criticizes, that he may be embraced and possibly unburdened somewhat. This is why criticism is an irritant to he who openly criticizes, for there is that part of the higher consciousness which seeks to allay all misfortune as perceived in another; whilst the mundane consciousness in a man makes struggle with any such involvement.

Abhorrence to particular conditions comes naturally; whilst accompanying judgments about the men we find disagreeable or whom we find uncomfortable, may be untoward in cruelty if not answered also with a degree of compassion. In simple terms, he who we are not moved to feel sorry for when a criticism emerges from within our own being, is one who shall share their experience with us in some period hence, that we may come to sympathy in full awareness. 

When a man overcomes an illness or unsanctity, he is triumphant for all. He has accomplished a recovery which will affect many in this lifetime and the following. Conversely, during times of struggle - be it any form of struggle - he may also make share of his pains and his involvements, so that the influence of such travels over into becoming planted within the psyche of other men, then brought forth within their circumstance; and so it goes. 

On the surface this does appear (and with warrant) to be a dangerous outcome, sadly. Of course we have also discussed previously, how the very company of men who are of untoward natures shall affect even pure individuals in a derogatory way, were that they continually abided them. Influence does indeed work its way through regardless. 

However, in respect to our true natures which yearn to incorporate all understandings of humanhood, the shared experience may be of merit, particularly in relation to karma and the relative unattachments there. All consequences are karmicly in tow, however when one man 'shares' experience with another directly, it can be through the activity of an extended ego who:

1. Wishes to make supplement - make right the perceived wrong (in the circumstance of criticism) - and seeks to alleviate the karmic burden of that soul.
2. Has conflict arising from this confrontation of attachment – the lower self seeks to flee from the experience and may become antagonistic to he who he criticizes because of fear of involvement.
3. Is subsequent to the very velocity of such antagonism - i.e. the further one is repelled the closer one is drawn - the individual shall experience that which he has rebuked.
   

If on the other hand he has already such experience within his soul-consciousness or waking consciousness, to recognize that which he finds offensive, and further to this he has pity for that circumstance, then accordingly the supplication has been offered by the Higher Self in the form of pity or compassion so given immediately, and the involvement goes no further.

None of this relates to false criticism, whereupon the claimant has misjudged another by mistake. The reasons for such depend largely upon whether or not there is upset or rage which accompanies the complaint. There are many casual criticisms which come and go, flitting throughout a man's mind during the day, which barely impact his consciousness, but act as little aggravations to his overall concentration. These mites of dissension are of an elemental nature which primarily feed from the vitality expired, given out in cursory bursts. Their own nature is built of uneven-temper, bad-temper; and they continue to inspire it where they can, feeding from the man's expirations as he is goaded into replay.


These elementals are essentially colored by the man himself, who is responsible. They are encouraged and fed by him, and when viewed only abstractly in relation to one's thinking, one may still acknowledge their presence and their effect, particularly when they have become immeasurably interrupting and disagreeable to self.

The expiration of thoughts which we harbor, compound and hold consequence. A 'simple' expression of anger, let's say for example, may be nil-directed and of itself ineffectual (impotent enough to cause any great or lasting harm) but it will assuredly go directly into an awaiting elemental being who will thereby return to the initiator for more of the same. This elemental being will go back, with the same substance as was given out by that individual - the very same - to then inspire more. 

Now this may or may not be entirely effectual. Should it be that the elemental is weak, having only just been 'born' to this, then he may dissipate his substance and the man may indeed walk away without furtherance; or if the individual responds twice over he shall give issue to his friend who then doubles his strength with the outpouring.

The elemental being may then return to the man with an increased ploy, sufficed by he himself. There is then the relationship of this external fellow of Anger living independently as it were, but returning to be reinstalled by the man who is loved and acknowledged as creator. Every time the man hastens to expound this emotion and his astrality ignites with passion, it is then fed to the awaiting being who, for the main part, has been the very cause of the inspired 'feeling'. 

The man himself may believe that he has reasons, either well-placed or otherwise, but he has moreover a habit which has been experienced and practiced over many episodes which all have differing reasons in the past, therefore he is prompted to anger by the anger he has - whether it is useful or destructive, it is self bound and self orientated.

One of the saddest sights seen, is of the circumstance where an elemental being of this desire variety has taken a man into death - their relationship has gone thus so. In the case of Anger, as we have talked of, one can see many a man being led over the threshold holding this being's hand for the last time, only to enter the astral domain quite weakened from all the vitality so expended.

The individual after death is habit orientated, and relies upon the behavior moreover, than wording or even thinking. He is what he has exuded - he is substance for substance. If there have been negative parallel relationships such as described, it will take much effort for the soul to detach from the relationship in order that he remove himself and carry onwards into higher realms. For in the case of longstanding relationships between our personal demons and ourselves, there is that self-identifying dependence and a reluctance to give up and sever ourselves from that which we have poured much of ourselves into. Pity that it is not with an angelic being, rather than demon! 

However, in all of these sojourns there becomes a lasting and good effect. For then a man becomes entitled further to Grace, because of his efforts in Hell. He may not move into Heaven with unnaturalized fiends; he must forcibly and consciously see them as they are, and himself into the bargain, and then in answer to need, he is awash with the anointing love that comes to his sorriness. Elemental beings, during one's lifetime, will desist if they are not encouraged or fed. They do expire after time, and are not therefore empowered to promote more of the same, if more of the same is refused. 

For the purpose of today's subject we relate only to those undesirable elementals. There is of course the same principle given and worked to positive effect. They are a part of nature, of human nature as a matter of fact, and simply colored by Man, depending upon his desires, his inclinations and his determinations. They may serve Man usefully, or if so allowed, be a deterrent to his brighter consciousness. They are intrinsic to the thought-world, but have origins which go before thoughts, and are so played out in this way also. So one may look more closely to the aspects of criticism in ways related to self, to try to discover the internal promptings to such. 

Discernment is distinct from criticism and necessary to the developing ego. Discernment is well-founded and must be accurate by its nature, that by experience and with clarity we can assess a predicament well. But this is rarely accompanied by negativity, and if it is, the negativity is a detraction from the man and is unrelated to the judgment; for complete discernment brings the true peace of knowing. When any situation is properly reviewed and understood, then there is always a peacefulness which abides. 

In the most horrible of human circumstances, where grief and cruelty is prevalent, one may be moved to focus only on the pitiable causes and then wish to defy them. However, concentration upon the upset is not concentration upon the men concerned; it is further from them than to them in an overall reality. When the soul is seen there is hope and hope then given them. When the knowing comes that no earthly circumstance will shatter a man, then a peacefulness may not only answer one's own upset for him, but tend also to that which we find discrepancy with. We begin to administer supplication ourselves, providing we are enabled to do this with a peaceful attitude above all else. 

In our daily applications of this it is possible to divorce ourselves from our corresponding elemental devils (for which most have differing natures and intensities) for a time, and by such practice, their effectiveness lessens with every such separation. There are places made externally (such as a chapel) and ways to be internally (during prayer and certain meditations), where they cannot interrupt the feeling-consciousness and draw the man yet away from his spiritual intention. When we pray we purify, this is true. 

There are many activities which could ordinarily be of a crude or base nature, given that is all that they were. For example: when we go to eat, we may eat with many elementals at our table. Let us work through this simple examination, remembering that elementals do not belong primarily to reasons or to reasoning. They are born of desire, be it of a higher nature working in Man, or a cruder lower nature. They are what they are, and they only inspire what we have made of them.

When a man comes before that which he is about to partake in, he adopts a preparatory attitude. This attitude will assist him into the activity, and is comprised of one or many 'summonings'. When the man is preparing for a meal, and the food is there to be had, there also are the elementals of communion (for which there are a great many involved), and we shall come to them further on, subsequent to this. 

Before the meal a man may involve an accompanying elemental of:

• INDIGNATION - The experience of indignation at having to eat. It may presuppose that the meal will not be enjoyable, even if it is what is desired. This is a complicated, but an often seen elemental inclination. Our relationship to the food we take to ourselves is delicately balanced every time. Our desire to eat may have little or no relativity to the perceived substance before us. Our perception of the nature of the food may not correlate to its true substance and action upon us. We may have had some difficult experience with food (as all have) whereupon we bring a suspicion to the table, inspired from that first experience. The suspicion would be a secondary elemental to the indignation. We may be indignant at our own desire and need. This may have formed when we were refused a food or refused a second helping, and became abashed at the circumstance thereby. The meal may become rancid with the indignation. It will taste differently. Dietary obsessions - even to the extreme (anorexia, bulimia, over-indulgence in substance) come from this elemental. Food is no longer associated with wholesomeness or given the respect it's due. It is viewed negatively and unreasonably.

• GREED - This elemental may work with indignation or be quite separate as entity. Greed is an overactive preliminary for survival. It is also quite unreasonable and unfounded, except to say that it is stimulated excessively in its very nature and a most responsive demon because of that. If we are to over-eat past our required fill we are being greedy. If we are prepared to eat whilst others go without, we experience greed. The elemental can present even if there is no one else in the room besides, it can be inspired and inspiring because as modern man we know that food may well be someone else's would that circumstances were different. When food is wasted, there was greed involved in the misjudgment. For greed is hapless and has no regard for wastage. Greed cares not for the nutrition within the food, nor the heavenly grace; it is an attitude of sense-fulfilling, inciting the lower astrality to excite at the anticipation and over-indulgence of sensory pleasure, before physical or spiritual fulfillment. Greed plays for excessiveness, insatiable excessiveness. Frugality may be inspired by greed when it comes of a man who is 'greedy' to be frugal. In this sense, one may be excessive or over pronounced with good intentions - i.e. to over fill the dinner table, or to underestimate the appetites of others. It can be that poor judgment is more apparent than mere greed, however it is greed we can watch out for.

• ANGER - This elemental has been given some consideration here already, but now for a specific context in relation to attitude and eating. The combustive nature of assimilation works similarly to the fiery relationship of sexually combining individuals in regards to the lower aspects and passions inspired - the individuals are inflamed in centres of activity all at the one time. There are very definite times when a man is 'combustive', and also when he is meeting within proximities, needing toleration or love with intimate involvement. The process of assimilation requires that we may firstly withstand that food, for without the adequate toleration it would become by its action upon us as a poison. Whether or not it would kill us entirely, it does certainly aggravate the system in part, and does kill us partially within the moment, within a certain centre. Quite often one may see a man getting angry during the course of his meal. As he ingests any food with contemptuous mood, he certainly does poison himself (and perhaps others who are present in his company); however, the point here is that the anger is usually inspired because of an inadequacy within, in meeting with the natures of the food which he is to combine with. If we cannot combine with love we find that the combustive forces actually turn corrosive against us, and become inflaming to our unhappier passions. If, on the other hand we have combined with love, then the opposite is true and we are inspired to happier experience. This then promotes also the need for one to choose that food which is most conducive to the system, and also highlights the merits of one's table grace, that we may call upon the higher order to help us in the very assimilation of that which would be otherwise intolerable.

• STUPIDITY - This elemental accompanies many a meal, particularly in the instance of men who seek to become the substance they consume. For the weaker ego there is the desire to lose the consciousness in the lower activities, and further on into the very natures of the foods so provided. As an essential experience it is fine to come to any particular and know it well, however the elemental of stupidity takes a man into the desire for unconscious participation, thereby negating the experience entirely. It seeks stupidity for stupidity's sake. This of course is most ... (if you get the picture).

Perhaps if we move on to the more positive aspects that may be brought to a meal, for this may help to encourage the student to realize that just as our elementals of the lower desires presuppose their worthiness upon us, there are more useful acquaintances which we may harbor lifelong.

• JOVIALITY - We rejoice in life itself when we begin to combine with others and with external substance. Here we come to know ourselves. We have tasted something different to ourselves and it does please us, therefore there is harmony known and experienced firsthand. This elemental may be encouraged and responded to in such ways that it does promote further harmony in situations where there is none. The stomach will be relaxed and the fiery digestion will transmute the forces into higher activity, rather than in a congested mass which circulates and concentrates solely around the lower regions - the man shall have his own higher activity stimulated thereby. Joviality may go where anger cannot and it will transform the working substances with joy and with love, that a combining shall be successful and of merit.

• REVERENCE - is an attitudinal elemental to accompany our meal. This elemental corresponds to life and is angelic in aspect, presupposing us to the higher realities of what is taking place. Every bite and every sip involves the mystery of being. The actuality of consuming a meal, although commonplace in occurrence, is one of the greatest happenings experienced and known to Man. We do not approach our food on a level for level basis. The elementals who do feed from our expirations and intentions, do so to satisfy a preliminary and base survival. The animals are drawn to etheric vitalities or astral attributes, but do not combine in the way of the ego in relationship to that which they may consume. In Man the substance is actually uplifted and given greater substance. Through Man, in the overall sense, that which does adjoin his evolutionary pathway is thus brought higher by such involvement, and in the day to day sense with these relationships, that substance coming from whatever living entity (plant, animal, angel, elemental), is directly involving the living evolution of that entity, and raising them higher.

• HUMILITY - We are humbled before need, we are humbled by mortality. There is that part of all men that knows of its dependence upon the food and upon the provider of that food. This elemental shall grace us with their presence when we are meditative upon thanksgiving. So here is another working example of table-grace; be it simply uttered, nonetheless, it does provide for a different space for a more beneficial elemental to enter in. Humility assists us in being able to give consideration to that which is outside of our immediate ego-experience. In this way our egos are developed when we return to them with greater experience thereby. In the context of meal-eating we are necessarily caused to become attentive to that which we do take into ourselves. We may develop from this the necessary discrimination also, so that we are cautious about substance, whilst trying to develop our awakening consciousness in this regard.

The meal is not merely a sense pleasure, nor is it an experience in which we may lose our ego involvement. It is a sacred act which we may pray for, remembering that what we may do in all ways encourages activities of elementals which will directly affect us now and in the future. And particularly when there is fiery activity stimulated, there shall be activity on the whole. 

The purification of prayer should not be underestimated. The very attitude of prayer inspires within a man the form of elemental which immediately drives out all lesser and aggravating fellows. Father God provided Man with a respite wherein he could go at anytime to Him unhindered. During the time of prayer we are exactly that: unhindered. So in not only the circumstance of table-grace where we seek to have a proper attitude and call upon the heavenly and higher forces to attribute our substance and combining, we may also use this gift of purification in preparation for other such combining, such as collective study. 

Once again, although briefly explained, we may cite a few elementals which may well determine the passions either way: Indignation, Anger and Greed - answered by: Joviality, Reverence and Humility.

Firstly it may be said, that the more one is practised the stronger there becomes the elemental being thereby. Therefore, it cannot be reasonably anticipated that any meeting group shall instantaneously upon will or want, establish separate or joint elemental beings of stamina. This is only won from recurrent effort. And the principle holds for good as for bad. 

Initially those prayers said at the beginning of such an effort will provide a clearing from the room of personal demons, at the time of the issue. However they are not far away and often called back in, for remember also, that they are habits moreover that we do live with, and the sanctity provided by prayer shall only hold good in a sealed and protected space (one which is not usually entertained by negative or frivolous moods for example). 

We may liken the attitude desired to those last and first moments adjoining sleep. Sometimes spiritual work and prayer takes men into sleep because they are separated from their demons. Also a man may be so used to being 'fired up' by his elemental host, that without them and their interplay he is open to the heavenly forces, but tired by them as well. However the reduction of activity is desirous when we come to serious study. 

Once again we may briefly examine our common or garden variety of elemental:

• INDIGNATION - We often resist truth, yet it is because of this elemental so inspiring the attitude, rather than by reasoning or intimation from the spirit. Once again it has all come from some defensive moment long past and we may realize that in the first instance. The ego is given a peculiar status - in children who are unawares and unattached to their active egohood, we find the greatest surety and knowing. In adulthood there is a conflict of knowing within the one man, and largely it becomes unresolvable, as the individual is ongoing throughout the entire life thereafter. Changes have to manifest within the consul, and he is ill-equipped to sustain soul experience with egoic explanation. At best there shall be an easing of tensions, but tensions shall predominate ever after, and perhaps primarily all indignation does come from this within. Indignation may be a tool of discrimination when we refuse an untruth. The elemental itself cares not for right and proper use, only for the exercise of vitality out from a man, and so when we bring such a being into our consciousness when considering another's point of view, we may answer it with a humility which will give over to a more charitable aspect of consideration. Indignation says: "Who are you to say that?" Humility says: "Who am I to say that?"

• GREED believes that we are individually entitled to a spiritual progression before all others. It will coerce the student into many excesses. Whether well meant or not they are a hindrance to proper study. We may feel greedy for upliftment and although it is not as a sensory indulgence, it may actually become as parallel to such if we are overeager for the repeated experience of upliftment without the true revelation to accompany it. The attitude here is a difficult one. Who does willingly abandon their ecstasy of finding? However there is quite a difference between this and the other. The greedy initiate has little time to give for those things which do not bring him pleasure. His excessiveness will show when he is unable to let the pure joys come to him, rather than he stimulate elated joys in fantastic imagination. By all means the higher involvements will come and be revealed; be it because of the effluence of others or by personal attainment, yet only because of the love of that which you work with, and not for the experience moreover. Reverence shall answer this, for intemperance may come out from simple mistakenness or from greed. However with reverence we may learn to honor the spiritual life and seek to give it value, rather than use it solely for self-improvement. This is another reason why meetings of men are significant, for they can be for one another and thereby surpass the sole effort integrally. Greed says: "I must take to myself all that I can that I may become more. "Reverence says: "I honor all Life and shall become only by its becoming."
  

• ANGER or its corresponding elementals of dissension often frequent meetings of men, for firstly as was discussed, there are combustive forces at play - just in the dynamics of great and wonderful thought communicated between minds, and then onto the higher ego involvements also.

Elementals are not prompted by actuality so much as perceived and recalled actuality. When a man sits with other men he is often as not recalling similar circumstances and bringing to mind this and that story. This can be untoward if in fact it calls upon negative associations - for them or for others - and so we find that the elementals which are not conducive to enriched and cooperative study are induced by those things outside of the issues (rather than within).

Joviality is an aspect which need not be excessively remonstrated to be effectual and as remedy to dissension of any regard. The nature of joviality is uplifting - it is what it is - and though harsh judgments despise it (that being the nature of a harsh judgment, if you get the thinking), it is as unhindered, untouched by upset when pure and free from criticisms or insinuations. For there are times when the elementals of dissension need be cleared away and Joviality can do this. 

Anger says: "I cannot tolerate you, you cause me to pain myself".
Joviality says: "Arise out from that pain and expel yourself."

We should not be dissuaded from trying our best, for it is the very trying and rehearsing which will establish our strengths and our patterns as empowered into the elementals of our choosing. Much can be managed, and there is plenty yet to be learned - with no recriminations from self, as this only brings on elementary indignation at self etc.

We may close with a prayer:

To the Angels of Man -
May we not offend with violent overload,
In stresses of magnetisms ungoverned by joy or of love.

As powerful as demi-gods, we've shaped as shapes did form,
And now for all the whole of Man those hideous makings perform.

Dear Angels, do protect us now from shades which hunt our souls-
Our starlife-lights they shall expire, our joys exhaust,
Our truths withhold.

With wings God-strong raise us above,
That we shall not feed dragons with tears or this our bleeding blood;
And rest safely on your pinions.

Shall we then move to transform them?
With that sanctity of a greater fire?
For here I be, enshrouded in Thee,
By Christ, make pure my Desire.

Amen