From knowledge to mental liberation, stage 8

The little illumination

Learning in order to understand
To accelerate events is a sign of inexperience; the inexperienced man plans to build the roof of his philosophic home before providing for steady foundations and solid walls. To know means to understand; it is therefore silly to think that we can penetrate the subtle dimension only with the help of reason. Since the mind lies to itself first of all, the first thing to do is to understand the dangers of illusion.
In its subtle aspect, the rule of learning in order to understand involves recognizing the totems and masks that tie mind and conscience to false convictions. This is necessary if we want to get rid of them, adding the right amount of realism. Freedom from the thousand tentacles of illusion starts by separating real from ephemeral, revealing the falsity of its culture. Paraphrasing Saint Augustine, we must free ourselves from ‘laces and ribbons’ that hold us to material vulgarity and seductions that dim the mind. Freedom from ephemeralness means to destroy the excuses of illusion (false needs, false myths, false models), and start building Free Will.

Beforehand, physical reason was identified with and prisoner of the lower part of our nature (animal); by freeing itself from ephemeralness, it starts identifying with the abstract sense of thoughts, originating the abstract, or superior, mind. The higher mind considers every illusion as a burden to fight, affirming the principles of free and conscious intelligence.
Freedom of mind is considered the little illumination or the first real initiation. These are necessary requirements for the higher stages that will follow.

By Athos A. Altomonte