“And Jesus came to Egypt land and all was well. He tarried not upon the coast; he went at once to Zoan, home of Elihu and Salome, who five and twenty years before had taught his mother in their sacred school. And there was joy when met these three. When last the son of Mary saw these sacred groves he was a babe; and now a man grown strong by buffeting of every kind; a teacher who had stirred the multitudes in many lands.
“And Jesus told the aged teachers all about his life; about his journeyings in foreign lands; about the meetings with the masters and about his kind receptions by the multitudes. Elihu and Salome heard his story with delight; they lifted up their eyes to heaven and said, Our Father-God, let now thy servants go in peace, for we have seen the glory of the Lord; and we have talked with him, the messenger of love, and of the covenant of peace on earth, good will to men. Through him shall all the nations of the earth be blest; through him, Immanuel.
“And Jesus stayed in Zoan many days; and then went forth unto the city of the sun, that men call Heliopolis, and sought admission to the temple of the sacred brotherhood. The council of the brotherhood convened, and Jesus stood before the hierophant; he answered all the questions that were asked with clearness and with power. The hierophant exclaimed, Rabboni of the rabbinate, why come you here? Your wisdom is the wisdom of the gods; why seek for wisdom in the halls of men?
“And Jesus said, In every way of earth-life I would walk; in every hall of learning I would sit; the heights that any man has gained, these I would gain; what any man has suffered I would meet, that I may know the griefs, the disappointments and the sore temptations of my brother man; that I may know just how to succor those in need. I pray you, brothers, let me go into your dismal crypts; and I would pass the hardest of your tests.
“The master said, Take then the vow of secret brotherhood. And Jesus took the vow of secret brotherhood.
“Again the master spoke; he said, The greatest heights are gained by those who reach the greatest depths; and you shall reach the greatest depths.
“The guide then led the way and in the fountain Jesus bathed; and when he had been clothed in proper garb he stood again before the hierophant” (Aquarian Gospel 47:1-17).
A few points
This is basically historical narrative, so I just gave it in a single quotation, but there are some points that merit our attention.
Jesus is described as “a man grown strong by buffeting of every kind” showing that it is adversity that makes us strong–not from the silly Western idea that suffering “enobles” us, but that struggle makes us stronger. Conflict does bring out the best in the worthy person. That is why for so many people the hardest times of their lives are considered the best. For example, people who went through the Great Depression invariably remembered it with great nostalgia, describing their hardships with humor and even affection. In the same way I have known men who fought in the Second World War who definitely looked back on those years as the best in their life. It seems strange to us who seek to avoid inconvenience–much less pain–at all cost, but it is nevertheless true.
The universal mission of Jesus is expressed by Elihu and Solome saying that “through him shall all the nations of the earth be blest; through him, Immanuel.” “Emmanuel” means “God with us,” and this is a fitting title for those in whom Divinity has become fully awakened and is operative throughout their being. They truly are gods, conveying to us the presence of God.
The chief of the brotherhood in Heliopolis is not atypical of those who would prevent an aspirant from progressing. His ignorance is revealed in his asking Jesus: “Rabboni of the rabbinate, why come you here? Your wisdom is the wisdom of the gods; why seek for wisdom in the halls of men?” First we get the “Hey, Jew boy, what are you doing here in Egypt with us? Go be with your own kind.” After the insult then the flattery: “You have divine wisdom, what bother with lesser people like us?” Both mean: Go Away. But Jesus had no ego to react to this foolishness, so he replied:
“In every way of earth-life I would walk; in every hall of learning I would sit; the heights that any man has gained, these I would gain; what any man has suffered I would meet, that I may know the griefs, the disappointments and the sore temptations of my brother man; that I may know just how to succor those in need.” Is there any doubt that Jesus saw the entire range of humanity as part of his spiritual commission?
We all want it easy, but Jesus knew that such would not produce the results he wanted, so he said: “I pray you, brothers, let me go into your dismal crypts; and I would pass the hardest of your tests.” And he still asks us what he asked the Sons of Thunder: “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:22). If we are wise we will answer with them: “We are able.”
“The master said, Take then the vow of secret brotherhood. And Jesus took the vow of secret brotherhood.” The brotherhood of awakened souls is not secret in the sense that no one knows about it, but rather it is secret because it is totally internal, and none but God and each individual member knows its ways and purposes.
“Again the master spoke; he said, The greatest heights are gained by those who reach the greatest depths; and you shall reach the greatest depths.” This underlines the fact that great labor is needed to reach great attainments.
“The guide then led the way and in the fountain Jesus bathed.” Purification is a necessary preparation for spirit endeavor, and perpetual purification is needed for perpetual endeavor.
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis: First Steps to Wisdom