Spiritual Renaissance

Elevating Your Consciousness for the Common Good

by Dr. Barbara Condron

Spiritual Initiation: The 13 Virtues

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind."

--William James, American Psychologist (1842-1910)


Based upon a presentation given during the America's Secret Destiny seminar
in Kansas City in the spring of 1986.

When I was young, I had the good fortune of having dedicated teachers who taught me the things necessary to know in order for me to exist in the physical world. Some of these were reading, and writing, and arithmetic. All skills needed for communication in and understanding of the world.
But I was also trained to be in the world, but not of it...

As I grew older I learned that there were other rituals in our religion. One was being saved by Jesus Christ. Another was being baptized, submerged in water. There was also a ritual called speaking in tongues. As I grew old enough to attend high school, I started meeting Catholics. I began learning about this Catholic religion which was also Christian. At the time I remember being jealous of my Catholic friends because they would tell me about their religion. They told me about ceremonies they had been going through all of their lives in conjunction with their religious beliefs. Christenings. Confirmations. Graduation ceremonies. Girls would tell me that there was a ceremony they went through around the age of 13. They would dress in beautiful white dresses to marry Jesus. My fourteen-year-old mind thought that was a pretty exciting idea. I often wondered why we didn’t have something like that in our religion because the idea meant a great deal to me.

Then I heard that Catholic weddings took forever, a long time. I knew Catholic funerals were long because, as did many of my contemporaries, I had watched for days the remembrance ceremonies following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, our first Catholic president. Through a child’s eyes, I learned about spiritual initiation. I was exposed to that idea. Spirituality was very much a part of my life. The idea I had about this was that spiritual initiation is a birth of great ideas. Ideas that are spiritual in nature.

As I approached my studies in metaphysics I brought these awarenesses of spiritual initiation. My teacher in the School of Metaphysics enhanced my awareness. She taught me that there would be points of initiation in our growth and learning that would be spiritual in nature. These would be signposts, or points of accomplishment, to gauge our growth. They could also be points where we could accelerate our evolution in terms of the whole self. My ideas of spiritual initiation were embellished and enriched by what I was learning about metaphysics.
Throughout the beginning series of SOM lessons there are several points of initiation an individual experiences. Each is an expansion of consciousness that affects your everyday life, the way you treat yourself and others. They are exciting to embrace, because in doing so you expand your ability to give and to receive. You expand your awareness of who you are beyond merely the physical. You recognize there truly is a reason for some type of spiritual discipline as well as physical discipline. You begin to realize that you can gain understanding from each experience, which is indeed the purpose for being here in the material world.

As I advanced in my studies I began to realize that spiritual initiation, and the steps I was taking, were a way also to unfold what we commonly refer to in metaphysics as the assignment for a lifetime. Each individual has an appointed assignment to fulfill in their life. That assignment is not given to you by someone outside of yourself, it is given to you by your soul. Being able to be attentive to your soul once you are out here in physical activity, and being able to communicate and cooperate with that soul, you can become aware of what your assignment for being here is which adds meaning to your life.

It causes there to be a fulfillment in the choices you make. In doing so, you add to initiation a spiritual flavor. There is a person I want to talk about today who I think most of the time is not seen as a spiritual leader. I don’t think if someone walked up to you and asked who are the great spiritual leaders throughout history, you would think of this person. But maybe that will change after today.

This person I think undoubtedly throughout his life, fulfilled his assignment. I hope to give you enough of a background on him that you will perhaps also draw that conclusion.
This person was very famous in literature and in our history. He was an American. The study of his life and writings conveys the idea of spiritual initiation. It does so in two ways. In spiritual initiation you have two ideas that come together to form a whole. First, spiritual which means that you are of spirit, you are a thinker. Then you have the idea of initiation, to commence something, to cause something to happen. When you bring those two together you have more than each independent of one another.

Some of the words of wisdom that this person shared through his writings I believe hold meaning for everyone because of their spiritual content. One of the things that this person is noted for saying is "Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, and discourse a clear man.” Think about that. It reflects wisdom, insight borne from knowledge from both the outer and inner environments then shared with others. In few words and much detail it conveys concisely that the efficient use of our everyday waking life is to gather information, put that information together in ways that perhaps we never have before, to experience and from those experiences grow in understanding which enriches our life.

He also said, “Wise men learn by others’ harms, fools scarcely by their own.” At this point in our evolution, because we have the capability of reasoning, it is time for individuals and humanity as a whole to begin to learn not only through direct experience but also through observation. To be keenly observing of other people, how they think, the choices they make, what the results of those are.

He also said, “How many observe Christ’s birthday, how few his precepts. O tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.” I think this man had an awareness that our individual, and our combined, destiny is to become Christlike, Buddhalike, Enlightened. Franklin's clear picture captures the space between desire and manifestation. In the Bible this space is revealed in the words and actions of the Pharisees. The people who don’t live what they preach, they are the ones who keep holidays.

He also said, “God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.” So simple. I think this indicates this person knew something about Universal Law. He probably knew that health is not a physical matter, it doesn’t start or end there. The source of health is found through spirituality or God.

He also said, “Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes it.” The person who wrote these words was Benjamin Franklin.

The wisdom that he built is revealed in how he lived his life. Franklin's life was very spiritual in nature. He has a list of accomplishments in the world to his credit. He lived a very full life. Franklin was born in 1706, the son of a tallow maker. By the age of 12 he was an apprentice to his brother James who was a printer. By 16 he was already the editor of a paper himself.

I’ve looked at great and remarkable people throughout history and I read about their lives. I think it makes sense that they would have talents and skills that they would bring into a lifetime and want to use very early. I think about that often because I work with and meet many people who have children and it’s like they want to keep their kids, kids. Then I meet the child and I think, "Boy this kid needs to be stimulated. This child needs responsibility. This child needs focused adults who know how to teach the principles of concentration."

I think of this as a teacher of adults also. I see them "babying" students too. Instead of looking for their talents, skills and abilities, and stimulating them to respond to those, giving them places to be responsible for them, they are coddled, excused, and ignored. Sometimes even fixed. Benjamin Franklin, thankfully, did not have well-intended adults retard his growth...

He lived a very full life. One thing we can say about Benjamin Franklin is that he did initiate. The word initiate actually means to set going. By initiating in the physical world in his dealings with people, he was able to bring to himself many experiences. The way his life unfolded it is apparent that he gained understanding from each experience. He also used that understanding to produce wisdom. I say this because of his writings. For over 40 years he published Poor Richard’s Almanac.

One of his writings was his autobiography. In it he lists thirteen virtues. His choices cause us to realize that not only did this man initiate many things in the physical world, but he was in the world and not of it. In other words for his remarkable worldly accomplishments, he experienced many spiritual initiations as well. He was probably quite a remarkable man to know.

The list is a wonderful description of truths that apply to all of us, no matter where we live or when. His list of 13 virtues from his experience, his wisdom, went like this.

The first was temperance.

What he said about temperance was “eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation.” Be aware of what you are doing. Reason is what separates man from all other animals.

Second virtue was silence.

“Speak not but what may benefit others and yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.” Elevate your thoughts to that which will serve the common good.

Third, order.

“Let all your things have their places, let each part of your business have its time.” A wonderful description of the Universal Law of Proper Perspective.

Fourth. Resolution.

“Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.” Fulfilling your dharma, the duty of your soul to act in the common good.

Virtue five. Frugality.

“Make no expense but do good to others or yourself.” In other words give completely and freely from your storehouse of riches.

Six, industry.

“Lose no time, be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary passions.” Think about how your life would change if you cut out all unnecessary passions! Think how much time you’d have!

Seven, sincerity.

“Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly. And if you speak, speak .” Speak truth as you see it. Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Eight, justice.

“Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are due.” Be aware of the intention behind your actions.

Nine, moderation.

“Avoid extremes, forbear resented injuries as much as you think they deserve.” Turn the other cheek by respecting people's right to their own. Strive to transcend points of view that free you to see a broader picture.

Ten, cleanliness.

“Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.” Practice what you preach.

Eleven, tranquility.

“Be not disturbed with trifles or accidents, unavoidable.” I was talking with someone the other day who had misinterpreted a series of events and had totally fallen apart over it. She was literally out of control, beginning to believe the whole world was against her. Such a wild and unruly imagination upsets your tranquility, robbing you of peace of mind. Cultivate relaxation of body, calmness of emotion, stillness of mind.

Twelve, chastity.

“Rarely use venery but for health or offspring. Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.” Respect the nature, power, and reason for being of the Kundalini energy. Draw upon it to create Enlightenment.

Before I tell you number thirteen, I want to share something with you. Benjamin Franklin had quite a sense of humor, and I think that is the mark of someone who knows how to go through spiritual initiations. He writes:

“My list of virtues contained at first but twelve. But a Quaker friend, had kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud, that my pride showed itself frequently in our conversation, and that I was not content with being right when discussing a point, but was overbearing and rather insolent, of which he convinced me by mentioning several instances, I determined, endeavoring to cure myself if I could of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added humility to my list. Giving an extensive meaning to it. I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it

"In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it. Struggle with it. Beat it down. Stifle it. Mortify it. As much as one pleases, it is still alive and will every now and then peep out and show itself. You will see it perhaps often in the history for even if I concede that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my ability.”

It does take a good ego to go through spiritual initiations. You cannot have a small ego and do so. So be proud of your identity, of who you are. But in that pride, keep in mind Franklin's

Thirteen virtue: humility.

How Franklin chooses to describe this virtue, “that broad, extensive definition,” is not a lot of words. He simply says, “Imitate Jesus, and Socrates.”

If you’re going to imitate Socrates, you’re going to imitate one of the greatest thinkers that history remembers. You’re going to imitate someone who took command of reasoning, and who used reasoning in such a way to provide a whole new structure of how to use the mind. A man who explored and created the ways and abilities to use the mind that no one else had to that point. If you’re going to imitate Jesus, you’ll want to imitate the ideals and the practices that produce a Christ. These enlightening thoughts are worthy of your attention, worthy of your consideration, worthy of your time that you invest.

Imitate Jesus, and Socrates.

Through Franklin’s 13 virtues, you can see he was not just accomplishing physical things. He was accomplishing wisdom, and wisdom is the mark of being able on a path to experience one spiritual initiation after another. One of his sayings, “If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few.” You look at that and think, if I want a lot of things how can they ever seem like a few?

Jesus answered this question through many parables, but like Franklin he was best when he was direct:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

"Master which is the great commandment in the law?"

Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40)

Those who heard the teaching with only physical ears believed Jesus to be ignorant of Judaic law, the ten commandments given to the earlier Jewish leader Moses. Those who sought the spirit of Jesus' teachings found their minds and hearts opened to the universal and simple truth that is the root of all desire: love for our Creator and our fellowman.

There is such a richness in the consciousness of one who realizes Universal Truth. They insightfully know what is valuable in life and they do not hesitate to live in accordance with that knowing. They follow Jesus' counsel seeking "first the kingdom of heaven and all else" seems to come to them from the abundance of the universe as if by magic.

Life becomes very magical when you put your thoughts in order. You can discern what is truly important to you and why it is so. When what you value is rooted not in things that are transient, things that are physical, but rather what is spiritual in nature, you find your life truly is simple. You may have many desires, but they really are very few. In order to embark upon spiritual initiations you must desire wisdom and knowledge.

It is important to initiate change. To initiate in the physical. To make things happen. But it must be mindful. The spiritually aware do so to cause motion, to cause learning, to cause wisdom to flourish in the self. When you cause it, you are an Initiate. You move yourself to inner depths and you eventually create mastery in your existence.

I believe it is possible for everyone to attain such mastery.

I believe each of us have the capability to be remembered as Benjamin Franklin is. We have the capacity to initiate many things in the physical and to grow spiritually. Consider what you want to do with your life. Consider what you’ve done already and consider what you are capable of doing from this day forward. Endeavor to make your life a series of spiritual initiations that will culminate in your mastery of your whole self.

Come into light. Realize the power of creation, the reality of God, every day in every thought.