The Pillars of the Rosicrucian Philosophy
Man is two-fold: In his present form, he is mortal and at the same time there is an immortal spirit spark in his deepest, inner core. Through transfiguration, an immortal being arises out of this spark of Light and manifests itself in the world of eternal life.
The current Rosicrucian teachings of the Lectroium Rosicrucianum are rooted in gnostic, hermetic tradition. These teachings are adapted to the practical requirements of the highly individualised modern man.
Gnosis – knowledge of God – is given to man as a Light force, which leads to inner knowledge of the relationship between God, man and cosmos. Aspects of this knowledge are, for instance, handed down in the writings of Hermes Trismegistus. These ancient mansucripts were re-published with commentary by Jan van Rijckenborgh and Cathrose de Petri under the title “The Egyptian Arch Gnosis”.
Man as a Microcosm
Man is understood as a multidimensional entity, as a human ‘microcosm’ – a small but complete world with seven spheres. Man can only partially manifest itself within the limitations of the material world, because he originally evolved from another nature order. His original field of life is not subject to death and decay and it is his destiny to return to this immortal life.
Two Life Fields
The concept of man as a microcosm and the existence of two life fields (nature orders) are central to the philosophy of the Lectorium Rosicrucianum. The life field of eternity is not to be confused with that of life on the other side after death. That other side is only a reflection of this side, a reflection sphere – and the abode of the dead. It is not the world of eternity. This side and the other side are two sides of the same coin. Rosicrucians refer to this duality as the ‘dialectical’ polarity of life. Nothing in dialectics is eternal, everything eventually turns into its opposite – good and evil, day and night, peace and war, life and death.
The human microcosm experiences a chain of many reincarnations from this side of the dialectic world into the other and back again. As a result, it gathers experience that will let it mature and begin an inner conversion. This conversion is founded upon the realization of not being at home in the world of dialectics. It leads to seeking after our true, eternal existence.
Endura and Transfiguration
This takes us to the third pillar of the Rosicrucian teachings: The path of the inner man from the transitory, perishable to the eternal, imperishable life field through transfiguration. That is the grand metamorphosis of spirit, soul and body.
The starting point for this path is not the I-consciousness that originates out of the perishable, dialectical world. Man possesses in his deepest being, in his heart, an immortal principle, a spirit spark, the ‘Rose’ of the Rosicrucians. Connected to this, man can find the path which leads back to his original source. In addition, he must overcome his I-centredness and its binding to the material world on the path of the ‘Endura’; the overcoming of the old ego. This process leads to a new nourishment by forces from the immortal new life field. It culminates in the complete transformation of spirit, soul and body:Transfiguration.
Spiritual Work for Mankind
This does not mean that Rosicrucians want to escape from reality. In fact, it is just the opposite. The consciousness of love and compassion for humanity and all creation in its manifestation are central to the Rosicrucian path. To the Rosicrucians, human service means passing on the spiritual light to all people who ask for it. A profound word about the Rosicrucians is that they stand “with their backs to the light”. This means they work from, and with the Light, but serve in the midst of this world.