This is also the true meaning of alchemy. The lead is the crude human ego and body, and the gold is the divine spirit. All Hermetic traditions are based on the teachings of Hermes, which tells us that what we call the physical world is a mental construct created by the divine mind with the help of human consciousness. In Freemasonry, this is symbolized by the ashlar, the rough stone that must be shaped into the perfect ashlar, representing the refinement of the self. Eastern philosophies are markedly older, and instead of the rose symbolism of the West, the East uses the lotus.

In yoga, the human body is viewed as a vessel created for ascension. It teaches that the central nervous system is a mechanism that can be consciously operated to activate higher faculties and ultimately achieve liberation. Hindu Vedanta teaches that the separate human identity is an illusion, and if we free ourselves of this dream, we will realize that we are all the same divine source. Mahayana Buddhism teaches that all living beings possess the seed of enlightenment. One of the most revered archetypes in Buddhism is the Bodhisattva, one who achieves this enlightenment but chooses to remain in the cycle of rebirth to help all other sentient beings achieve the same.

This teaching can also be found in the Abrahamic religions. In Jewish mysticism, the tree of life exists within the human form, and by ascending the tree, the human transforms from a lower soul to a divine spirit. Sufism teaches that through a deep love for the divine, one can merge completely with it. In Gnosticism, the material world is viewed as an illusion that imprisons a divine spark within the human body, and through direct experiential knowledge, one can awaken this spark and liberate it. In Eastern Orthodoxy, there is the concept of the uncreated light, theosis. As Saint Athanasius famously said, God became man so that man might become God.

Early Christianity clearly taught this doctrine. For centuries, it was understood that every individual possessed a divine spark. That sin was a sickness of the soul, and that salvation was achieved by cultivating this divine spark, just as Christ taught through his actions. However, around 400 AD, Saint Augustine replaced this view with his own doctrine of original sin, which asserted that humans are naturally broken and cannot heal themselves, and therefore require the external authority of the church system to be saved. The great schism of 1054 AD marked the moment the Christian world split in two. Orthodoxy maintained that the goal of Christian life is to merge with the divine, and the western church became heavily authoritative, focusing on the suffering of Christ rather than his teachings of transmutation and theosis.

After the schism, those in the west who attempted to revive the original teachings were tried for heresy. This is a complete historical inversion, as the Orthodox perspective suggests. The great schism was an act of heresy by the Catholic Church itself. For heresy is defined as a deviation from original teachings, and the original teachings did not include original sin, or salvation through a hierarchic system of man. And with the Protestant Reformation of 1517 AD came the doctrine that human nature is totally depraved, and that salvation comes only through faith, not through action. If these changes in church doctrine were not meant to make mankind more fallen and submissive, then what on earth were they meant for? The most effective way of dumbing down the population has been convincing them that they are a depraved animal, and must submit to the authority of man.

No matter, the divine spark is within you, and only you can choose to ignore it. Or not. Gregorice reporting Thanks for watching!
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