The Divine Contrast

The Divine Contrast

Rodney Collin theorized that animal life on Earth are experiments. A dog is an experiment in the function of the nose. A beaver an experiment in woodworking. Cats, he theorized could be an experiment in awareness. For example a cat almost never lies somewhere where it does not know where all it’s limbs are. Taking this theory to it’s logical end, we can say that man is an experiment in consciousness. The human being is the only animal with four centers that includes an intellect, and is the only animal that possesses the possibility of transcending itself.

The four lower centers are a sophisticated mechanism, each interacting and influencing the others. We can say they were created for no other purpose than for the centers to work together in harmony with the aim of creating a permanent connection to higher centers. The fourth way is the esoteric science of development for individuals to attain objective consciousness. To attain objective self-knowledge the system specifically addresses each part of the machine and the complex nature that the lower centers have with each other and their relationship to their external environment.

If we think about a space rocket and the complex arrangement of systems and processes required to sustain life, even taking into account the incredible feats of engineering, these are nothing more than external replicas of the instinctive-moving centers. In contrast, some of the most sublime works of art, no matter the medium, from one perspective, are sophisticated replicas of higher centers. Think about the paints, the colors and hues, the delicate brushstrokes an artist must use to mirror or portray a higher state. Or the fine craftsmanship a sculptor has to bring to his medium to bring the message of consciousness to the viewer. Or the complex arrangement of notes in a musical offering that transports nascent higher centers into their birthright. These works of art inspire and even generate in the individual the simple state of wordless presence.

The Philokalia described the creation of a permanent connection to higher centers as ‘The art of arts, the science of sciences’. There’s the science of awakening - the system - and the art of where, when and how to apply this science. This is the realm of esoteric schools. In relation to moving from the general to the specific, from the sophisticated to the simple, Leonardo da Vinci said it best: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.

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