A M O R C - = * = - _ / \ _________\_/_________ __________\________| |________/__________ ________________\__________\_______|@|_______/__________/______________ \________________\__________\ | | /__________/______________/ \________________\__________\ | | /__________/______________/ \________________\__________\ | | /__________/______________/ \___________________________\ | | /_________________________/ \ | | / \ | | / \| |/ \_/ THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER, AMORC - - - = = = * * * = = = - - - known as 'The Ancient, Mystical Order Rosae Crucis' throughout the world THE LEAST ROSICRUCIAN by Chris. R. Warnken The Grand Master's Monthly Message for October, 1974 Because Rosicrucians are human beings, and imperfect ones at that, they are apt to make comparisons among themselves and grade or rank the degree of perfection to be found in their fellow Rosicrucian members. They will arbitrarily select some particular member to rep- resent their ideal and place that Rosicrucian upon a pedestal of adu- lation. They will tend to blind themselves to any less-than-perfect trait they may discover accidentally in their ideal. At the other end of the spectrum, they will quickly and easily designate a fellow member whom they are convinced can never represent the ideals of the Rosicrucian fraternity as they conceive them. Such a member will be tolerated to the extent necessary when several members are gathered together. Privately, however, that member will be shunned whenever possible. Is this a proper demonstration of Rosicrucian fraternalism? Are there degrees of Rosicrucian acceptability? Is one Rosicrucian more valid than another? Should we canonize our ideal Rosicrucian and disparage our least recognizable Rosicrucian member? In a Rosicrucian convocation of any form there is no recogni- tion of individual attainment; each member is present as one who has come to recieve Light. Each has thus admitted to himself that we are imperfect, that "livine in tumultuous times," we have come together to seek shelter and solace for awhile. We do not expect this from the symbolic Master or from any particular "high degree" member, but rather from the Greater Light which comes from the East. This is KNOWLEDGE, NOT PERSONALITY. At a particular moment the presiding Master may personally be the most in need of solace and guidance. None of us living on the earth plane is free of the tests and trials of physical life. None of us has learned the solution to all of life's problems. Some of us may have had more or longer experiences than others, but this should make us all the more conscious of the needs of others and more ready and available to help them if asked. One of the most important lessons taught us in one of our earli- est initiations is that of humility. We must come to realize that, of and by ourselves, we are nothing. If we fail to acknowledge and accept this fact, the Cosmic has an infinite number of life situations in which to place us in order that we may have a full opportunity to accomplish this one vital step forward on the Path. It is the law that sooner or later we must voluntarily accpet and practice humility, or have it forced upon us. We are not alone and separate; we are one and therefore need each other. It is a fair statement that each of us as a Rosicrucian feels that we are conducting out lives in accordance with the highest ideals of our sacred philosophy. If we are in doubt, we need only retire to our Sanctums and commune with the Master Within. There only will the truth be revealed to us. If we objectively reason with and examine ourselves we can easily be deceived. Then we are apt to tell ourselves only what we want to hear. We can be sure that we are never as good or as perfect as we tell ourselves. When we attain that stage of perfection, we will no longer need physical bodies. One of the most beautiful aspects of our private Sanctum periods is the stripping away of the sham and wordliness of our objective lives, and the communion with the Cosmic and the Master Within in our unadorned and unashamed imperfection. Here in secret we may truly be ourselves. If we have the courage to discover and acknowledge that we, too, are only LESSER Rosicrucians, then we will be in a better position to recognize, accept, and love the LEAST Rosicrucian. Every subordinate body of AMORC has its own LEAST Rosicrucian. But did the Cosmic send the Frater or Soror to the group with a tag or label designating the "least Rosicrucian?" NEVER! In the Cosmic each of us is a brother or sister, equally loved, equally precious. There are no grades of quality. it is in the membership of the subordinate body that grading or ranking is determined. But is it necessary? Of course there are evident degrees of attainment that vary from one to another. This is comparable to the variations in age, sex, race, education, and many other differences in life. But varia- tions in attainment are as attractive as all other natural variations. The new member who may have less formal education, less refinement, who may at this point in his search be absorbed in physical manifestations and sansational phenomina, or generally be "pesky" in an infinite number of ways, is seeking for Truth and Light even as you and I. He does not even realize that his behaviour is different. He is a manifestation of God, even as you and I. He may very well be a reflection of one or several of us when we first came to the portals of AMORC seeking help in the mastery of life. To paraphrase another great mystical teaching, let him who is without blemish cast the first aspersion. Remeber that although after receiving some guidance from our philosophy and apply it, we may have advanced somewhat in our mastership, we are each still far from the goal of perfection. We may be, and probably are, unaware that there are those beyond us in attainment who look upon us sympathetically in much the same manner as we consider our "least Rosicrucian." Relatively we too are somewhere between the two extremes of nonattainment and attainment. In the Cosmic it is unimportant who has advanced the most or how much, for the Cosmic considers man as one, that is, as MANKIND. Whatever is attributed to the "least" is attributed to all. When will man really learn that great lesson--the universality and the unity of all mankind? In an earthly family it is quite natural and normal for one child to surpass brothers and sisters in some gift or talent. That gift or talent is appreciated by the whole family, but that member is not set apart and idolized. The normal family relationship is always maintained. When this does not follow, both the gifted member abd the remainder of the family suffer. It should be realized that the gift might have blessed any other member of the family. Many families have had their "black sheep," or one member who seems to be a stranger in the family. He or she seems to be by nature contrary to all traits and behavior of an otherwise unified family. The "black sheep" is very individualistic. But the family does not ostracize the odd member; if anything, that member usually takes himself out of the family. Every soul personality born on this earth has a mission or a part to play. For a better world, we pray that each finds his mission. Every soul personality that is guided or attracted to the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, and to its subordinate bodies has some part to play, something to teach us, or something to give us. There are no accidents! It s for us, the older members, to discover whatever is the reason for our gaining the newer members. We must try to understand them, to love them as we find them, to involve them in our work, for they have a part to play. Let us not judge them by our own yardstick of values. It just might be that their mission is to teach us that we have been deceiving ourselves. According to the law of change, nothing is static. Perhaps they are bringing to us new progressive ideas, newer viewpoints. Perhaps they have been sent to us to pry us out of our well-worn and unrealized rut of sameness. In more than thirty years of Rosicrucian contacts I have learned so many lessons from the "least" Rosicrucians. Very precious among them are those whom I soon came to describe as "diamonds in the rough." How easily we could have turned them away and lost the wisdom they have brought to us! Let us ever be aware with Dr. H. Spencer Lewis that we are always neophytes, ever searching, ever learning. The Cosmic works mysteriously. Thus we need, and can, and will, learn great lessons from the "least Rosicrucian." -- EOF --