Visionary Heart Alchemy

Until very recently Gold was on of the primary standards of wealth, and though money is no longer backed by it, it still caries the connotation of wealth. Since the creation of gold is one of the central metaphors of Alchemy it is reasonable to talk about alchemy as creating wealth. The question is what kind of wealth are we talking about here? While I have already said that the core goal of alchemy is aimed at something less tangible then gold, I also said that part of the reason for using a metaphor is that it can contain multiple layers of meaning. I think the creation of monetary wealth has an authentic place in ‘legitimate’ application of the art and science of alchemy though the motivation for doing so will be different for Global Alchemist as I am meaning here (see Intro to the Alchemical Wealth Building Blog). In addition to transforming lead into gold, the same Philosopher’s Stone that is named as the agent for that transformation is also described as have the capacity to heal all ailments and even grant eternal life. So the wealth of health is also clearly indicated. As was mentioned in the goal of alchemy post it is widely known in spiritual circles that Alchemy was intended to create Spiritual Wealth which encompasses within it all forms of psychological and inner wealth. I call this Alchemical Wealth which includes the Ultimate Alchemical Wealth which is the core goal of alchemy and Relative Alchemical Wealth such as rich inner qualities. Thus the skillful means of alchemy can be applied to create any kind of wealth, inner or outer. Of coarse the central aim is the Ultimate Wealth of your own True Nature but there is a special kind of relative wealth that is far more valuable then all others kinds of relative wealth because it has very special qualities. I call this Alchemical Karmic Wealth

Alchemical Karmic Wealth is a very special form karmic wealth. I will be explaining Karmic Wealth in depth in future posts when I discuss the Principle of Karma Mechanics. In brief one way to model how Karma operates is to think of it as a kind of currency and all the things you experience get purchased with Karmic Currency. It is important to emphasis that this is just a metaphor to help understand how to use The Principle of Karma Mechanics and not literal description. It is a map and the map is not the territory. Every thing we think, say or do makes deposits of karmic currency into specific accounts. There are a huge number of individual accounts and the deposits made in those accounts can only be spent on the “things” that account is specified for. Without the application of special methods all deposits will eventually get spent and I will talk about the mechanisms of that spending when I explore Karma Mechanics in detail. Until the deposits get spent they accumulate interest. Some of these accounts are to by things that no one wants to buy but will eventually these deposits will get spent to buy them none the less. These are what people label as the negative experiences in their lives. Other accounts will ‘purchase’ the things considered desirable. However it is possible to mismanage even these accounts. That is to say it is possible to cause the deposits to be spent but because the purchases don’t support your Visionary Heart Path they don’t create any lasting satisfaction and can distract you from your Visionary Heart Path.

Alchemical Karmic Wealth is a special account that operates differently then any other kind of account. First, Alchemical Karmic Wealth is a general fund and any kind of relative phenomena can be purchased from but only if it will enhance your Visionary Heart Path. Second you can only spend the interest. That way you are always creating new Alchemical Wealth and with each new deposit the rate you create new wealth increase. These qualities make even small deposits in the Alchemical Wealth far more valuable then any other kind of deposit. Once you commit to the Core Intention it is easy to create Alchemical Wealth all day long. Learning how to manage and work with these Karmic Accounts is one of the hidden keys to all success both ordinary and sublime and is largely missing from most modern success methods including the more esoteric inclusive ones that include the so called ‘law of attraction’. As will be explained when I discuss Karma Mechanics in more detail, lack of this key can cause the application of the ‘law of attraction’ to have some very unfortunate side effects.

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The Visionary Heart Path is where the ‘rubber’ of the Universal Core Intention meets the ‘road’ of the specific relative conditions of the individual. While the core intention is universal, each person’s path to the growth mandated by the core intention and the way they will benefit beings is personal and called one’s Visionary Heart Path. This is akin to what some people call ones life purpose or mission. However these terms tend to imply there is someone other then oneself who has given this purpose to you. If your spiritual tradition includes the belief in some creator outside of yourself who gave you your life then that way of understanding the Visionary Heart Path may be appropriate for you and will work well enough as a starting place. However my Visionary Heart Path has lead me to a different understanding in which the eternalist implications of life purpose are problematic. However there is some core truths that the concept of life purpose is leaning towards that are very useful. There are ways of engaging life that will feel meaningful and ways that won’t and there is no way to intellectually choose which is which. For example while being a doctor would certainly a way to benefit beings. But it may not be your way. It won’t be satisfying life choice in that case.

Even though it has a two-fold expression, the Core Intention is single and unchanging. Because the Visionary Heart Path is dependent on relative conditions it never fixed and is always plural. The specifics of the Visionary Heart Path are shaped by the intersection of the Core Intention, the relative truth of who you are (as opposed to the Absolute Truth of who you are) and by the needs of all beings. Because who you are in the relative sense is always changing as are the relative needs of all beings, so to do the specific expression of your Visionary Heart Path. An example might help here. Say you got inspired to right a book that would be great benefit to lots of people. At the same time got inspired to produce a movie with a very powerful and important message. You decided to act on the movie and by the time you are done with that project someone else wrote and published a book very much like what you intended. Both inspirations could be considered authentic expression of your Visionary Heart Path. Choosing one over the other didn’t constitute a divergence from your Visionary Heart Path. Now at this point the needs of beings has changed, someone else wrote the “needed” book, and you’ve changed as well. May be this was your first time involved with making a movie and you discovered you loved. Or perhaps your talent at it has grown and now a movie project that needed those new skills to do it justice comes to mind. It may then be that it would no longer be deep expression of your Visionary Heart Path to write the book you where previously inspired. It could still be and I will provide ways to discover that in future posts. The points are that just because something had the potential to be life choice in alignment with you visionary Heart Path at one time doesn’t mean it will always be so and that there are often multiple possibilities for engaging life that all have equal authenticity as expressions of your Visionary Heart Path. (This example also demonstrate the Principle of Spontaneous Compassionate Responsiveness)

Because the fullness of life itself always overflows the conceptual minds ability to hold it, so to does the Visionary Heart Path, which is the living of life in alignment with the Core Intention, overflow bounds of conception. (see Life Is Weird). There is non way to map completely out in advance. The Core Intention is like the pole star by which you can always orient yourself on your journey even if you don’t know the terrain. It is even more like the Star that Guided the Magi. They had no idea where they where going or, in full measure, what they would find when they got their but using it as their guide they arrived at a exactly the right place.

So you can see it is not possible to make a single declarative statement about what your Visionary Heart Path is. However it is possible to formulate action intentions that are aligned with your Visionary Heart Path. These are known as support intentions (or objective once they are articulated as goals) I will be giving instruction for this in future posts. For now just understand these intentions are not fixed and must continually be evaluated to see if they continue to be aligned with the Core Intention and thus authentic possibilities for your Visionary Heart Path. These are the things that are declared as what may be changed or sacrificed. Like all relative expressions these intentions can become prey to our habits of dogmatic fixations and we will cling to them even when they no longer function in the context of our Visionary Heart Path. The only thing of Ultimate Relevance is the Core Intention and we must be willing to sacrifice all relative consideration if we desire the supreme result of alchemy (and the metaphor of lead into gold barely scratches the surface of how valuable that is) . The key word is willing. It is not that we must sacrifice all relative considerations, just that no specific consideration must be beyond that willingness. Often the need for something to be sacrifice is the unwillingness to sacrifice it. The ‘forces’ that are put into play by the declaration of our intent may force the sacrifice if our unwillingness to sacrifice is an obstacle. Had willingness been present then those same ‘forces’ would not have forced the sacrifice (These ‘forces’ will be explained in future posts.)

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In the success and empowerment literature, there is much talk about finding your life purpose or mission and varying methods for articulating what this is for you. However, in my view, the methods they give skip over a crucial step - Articulating and committing to the Core Intention. Articulating the Core Intention is relatively easy because it is actually, in essences, the same for everyone. The Core Intention is an expression of the Absolute Truth of who you are and is thus unchanging, universal and has nothing to do with any of the relative conditions of your existence. It is an active expression of the Visionary Heart and is also another way of talking about the goal of alchemy composed of two elements: the intent to achieve the highest potential of a human being and the intention to be of maximum benefit to all life. These two elements which are reflections from the Principle of Two Truths and are inseparable. One can only be of maximum benefit to all life by actualizing ones fullest potential and one cannot actualize ones fullest potential without the intention to be of maximum benefit. A life built around this understanding will be fulfilling, meaningful and powerful. It doesn’t matter if you do this intentionally because you are aware of the principle or intuitively/spontaneously, the result is the same. Failure to build your life around this understanding, either intentionally or spontaneously, is the root of all dissatisfaction. The more completely you apply this principle by absolutely committing to living out of this core intention, the more complete and lasting your satisfaction will and the more powerful you will be.

The specific words one initially chooses to use to articulate this to oneself are not critical. Whatever words that best express this intention, according to your current insight and understanding, will serve as the perfect starting place. Over time the words one uses to articulate this may change as one acquires new learning, understanding and insight. While the words may change the essential meaning will remain the same.

However one chooses to represent this core intention to oneself, one must choose to fully commit oneself to it. Fulfilling this intention is the only intention one must set in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling life. It is possible to live ones life with this as the only intention. One can set support objectives if one chooses and this can be very helpful in building your life around your core intention, however if one has absolute commitment to the Core Intention and can remain mindful of this continuously throughout the day then one would spontaneously act in ways that support the intention. The Principle of the Core Intention was expressed by Jesus as “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and All else shall be Added unto you.” Accomplishing the Core Intention is another way of talking about the goal of alchemy. Committing to the Core Intention is committing to achieving the goal of alchemy

The benefits of genuine commitment to the Core Intention are immeasurable. It is essentially the engaged aspect of the Visionary Heart and is thus the means by which the Philosopher’s Stone of the Visionary Heart will transform you, your life and the word. It is through the Core Intention that you will use the substance of your life in all its aspects as the fuel for the supreme transformation. While the full benefits are immeasurable specific benefits of this alignment can be named. These will be elaborated upon in the contexts they apply to in future post but just to give you a taste:

• By creating congruence with the ‘Enlightened Intent’ of the True Nature of Reality, it puts the inertia of Universe (evolution) behind you
• It gives Wisdom Guidance more power to shape the circumstance of your life in way that benefit you.
• It is the key to generating Alchemical Wealth all day long
• It discourages expending ‘Karmic Currency’ on things that won’t actually bring satisfaction.
• It attracts, enlists and enables other beings aligned with the Core Intention to help you.

The Principle of the Visionary Heart Path is the relative truth compliment to the Core Intentions expression of Absolute Truth and is the meeting of the Core Intention with the ever changing conditions of relative existence. I will elaborate on the Visionary Heart Path in a future post. Next I will give instruction on creating a Core Intention Commitment State that will help engaging the power of Principle of the Core Intention

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The goal of Visionary Heart Alchemy is the goal of all spiritual alchemy. The central goal of alchemy is the transformation of lead (or some other ‘lesser’ metal) into gold. It is widely known in spiritually literate circles that this is a metaphor (which, by the way, appears in both western and eastern historical traditions of alchemy). But why the need for the metaphor, why not just say it plainly. There are several reasons for this. First and foremost is that their really is no way to plainly say what the goal of alchemy is. It lies outside of the realm that language is capable of conveying directly. In system of eastern origin the ultimate goal is often called enlightenment but that doesn’t really tell you anything. Because enlightenment has to do with Absolute Truth there any concepts you have about it will be partial, paradoxical and/or misleading. The Buddha provisionally described it as begin being free from all suffering but that is just a motivational touchstone and beside who can truly imagine being free from all suffering. The way most people try to conceive of this is imagining all relative phenomena being exactly as the think they want it but that is not how it actually works. In the western Hermetic and Alchemical Traditions is called accomplishing the Great Work but that doesn’t tell you anything more then “achieving enlightenment” does.

Another reason for the use of a metaphor is that metaphors, when applied in different contexts, can provide multiple meanings that are distinct but connected. The metaphor of changing lead into gold can be meaningfully applied at multiple levels within alchemy as a whole. For example when the procedure of transforming lead into gold into is examined it can be seen to apply to both inner transformation and to the transformation of what is experienced as outer reality.

It should be clear that there is no way to define the aim of alchemy in concrete and absolute terms. However, I will give several ways to think about it to help orient you in the right direction, because while there is no one correct way to conceive of the goal or goals of visionary heart alchemy (or alchemy in general) there are incorrect ways.

I have already mention that one way to describe the goal is the complete realization of Principle of the Two Truths and as the crucial step to that, coming to direct realization of Absolute Truth. An aspect of this realization is knowing who you actually are.

The most essential transformation that alchemy accomplishes is that of consciousness. The Absolute Truth of who you are can be called Unconditioned Awareness. Consciousness is the conditioned reflection of this into the domain of relative reality. Consciousness is the most fundamental or absolute aspect of your relative self but it is still relative and thus transformable and it is the transformation of this that is root goal of Personal/Visionary Heart Alchemy.

This transformation can be described in many ways. It is the transformation of ignorance of who one is into ‘knowing’ who one is. This knowing is of both the absolute you and the relative you. It is the transformation of bondage to conditioning to freedom from that bondage.

Consciousness is the most fundamental aspect of our relative being and thus the ultimate focus of our transformational efforts. However, the Principle of Interdependence teaches us that all relative phenomena are interdependent, and thus transformation of consciousness can be facilitated by transforming other relative elements including our energetic and physical makeup and even what we experience as outside of ourselves.

So far we have looked at the goal of alchemy in way that is oriented towards the Absolute Truth. This is called the ascending current. There is also a descending current oriented towards the relative. Together, these currents are the AC (alternating current) power source of alchemical transformation. This alternating current is an operant expression of the Principle of Two Truths. That is all I will say for now on this topic.

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Part 2- The Two Truths as antidote

Understanding the Principle of the Two Truths helps pacify these problems. Intellectual understanding alone will not completely prevent dogmatic fixation, because the root of dogmatic fixation is the identity fixation that results from lack of direct recognition of Absolute Truth. Thus only that direct realization will prevent all dogmatic fixation. However, the more deeply we understand the Principle of Two Truths, the weaker and less pervasive the tendency towards dogmatic fixation becomes.

Even intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths increases our capacity to revise the relative truths we hold. Even though the habit of dogmatic fixation will continue to happen to some degree at an unconscious level until complete realization of the Principle of Two Truths has occurred, consciously recalling the principle will dissolve some to that fixation. It will provide opportunity to see when life pushes up against the limits of your relative truths and inspire revision. It will create space for revelation. It will engender open mindedness and the ability to see from multiple view points which will in turn inspire creative responsiveness. Intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths brings to light the otherwise unconscious habit of dogmatic fixation allowing you the opportunity to make a new choice.

Also, intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths increases tolerance. Once you realize that all of your concepts are limited and partial simply by virtue of them being concepts, it becomes harder to remain or become intolerant of someone else’s concepts except in so far as they become demonstrably dysfunctional. One can have deep understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths and still be intolerant of genocide or blowing up buildings full of people. Deep understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths will inspire compassion for those that do such things because they know the result from very entrenched dogmatic fixation are unbearably painful to hold but that in no way prevents one from disapproving of the behavior that results. It will also prevent generalizing the disapproval. I disapprove of Muslims, Serbians, and American (and anyone else who does them) performing acts of terrorism. I don’t disapprove of Muslims, Serbians and Americans in general.

The Principle of the Two Truths is an antidote dogmatic fixation and dogmatic fixation is one the great obstacles to the aims of alchemy. It can be called the antithesis of alchemy. The only way to fully realize the Principle of The Two Truths is by complete and direct realization of Absolute Truth. A partial realization of Absolute Truth could lead to the negation of the validity of relative truth; however, complete realization encompasses the functionality of relative truth. Thus, as I have said in a previous post, one of many ways to define the goal of Alchemy is the realization of the Principle of Two Truths and to that end the realization of Absolute Truth.

I have placed great emphasis on the Principles of the Two Truths in these early posts to the Global Alchemy Blog Matrix both because, as I said in the beginning of this post, even an intellectual understanding of it can prevent some serious errors in understanding, and because it both a result of Alchemy and central to the process for achieving that result. As such it reflected repeatedly throughout the structure of Visionary Heart Alchemy and I will be making constant reference to it.

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Because many alchemical principles are pointing to Absolute Truth and/or extremely vast relative truths, they can not be readily defined nor can they be understood simply through reading descriptions. No amount of description can convey their vastness or their subtlety. Descriptions point to meaning beyond words like, as a traditional axiom states “a finger pointing to the moon. If you fixate on the finger you will not see the moon in all its glory.”

To gain insight into the functionality of many of the Alchemical Principles you must allow the understanding to arise, by letting the descriptions educe the deeper meaning from within yourself. This is facilitated by being repeatedly exposed to the principles from multiple points of focus. Also the principles are mutually informing of each other so exposure to one principle will facilitate the emergence of the deeper meaning of another. This is much like those paintings that, if examined closely, look like a bunch of dots but when viewed from a distance a picture comes into focus. It is impossible to get the meaning of any individual dot until you see it in the context of the whole.

An even more apt simile is that the process is like those “magic eye” paintings that require you to shift into a different kind of focus before the picture comes forth. Simply seeing all the individual dots is not enough; you must have all the dots and then shift focus. Many of the Alchemies (specific alchemical techniques) have this “shift of focus” as their primary intent. In fact one o f the many ways the principle “goal” of alchemy is the transformation in consciousness that makes the meaning and function of the principles self evident. This simile is not exact of course. The Magic eye is an all or nothing deal while understanding and realization of the alchemical principles, more often the not, unfolds gradually with some principles becoming clearer sooner then others.

So far I have made several posts about the Principle of Two Truths and I will make several more follow this one. I am giving so much attention to this principle because it is a central key to understanding how all the principles function. It is mother of all the rest of the principles. While none of these posts can convey the full meaning and function of the Principle of Two Truths, even an intellectual familiarity with it can prevent many errors in understanding and, hopefully they will serve to build an adequate launch pad from which to venture into its vast meaning and function.

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Part of the paradox of the Two Truths is that the presence of Absolute Truth does create an absolute reference point for relative truths even though Absolute Truth is itself without any reference points. The absolute absolutists are partly correct that all reference point of relative truth become false in the context of referenceless Absolute Truth. However the dynamic of the Two Truths is reflected into the domain of relative truth and this creates a continuum of relative truth.

On one end of the continuum is what might be called “relative absolute” truths which are true in the whole domain of relative truth. Many of the Alchemical Principles, especially what I call the Principle(s) of Karma Mechanics, attempt to give expression to some these. These relative truths are so like absolute truth that the share in the inexpressible quality of Absolute Truth. Any attempt to give expression to “relative absolute” truths will be paradoxical and/or incomplete. It is easier, however, to get a touchstone on absolute relative truths than on Absolute Truth itself. That is to say it tends to be easier to derive methods from “relative absolute” truths then direct indications of Absolute Truth. Most attempts to give indication about absolute truth aren’t much good except as sign posts to realizing absolute truth. It is easy to say things like all “phenomena are empty” or “all phenomena are illusory”, both of which are very meaningful indicators towards absolute truth, however, they can’t be utilized except as stepping stones of investigation that lead to realization. Knowing that phenomena is illusory when your lover leaves you doesn’t stop you from suffering, realizing it does. Now, knowing that all phenomena are illusory will allow you to look for the illusion in the midst of suffering which will both lead to realization and a shortening of the suffering cycle. So knowing them can inspire the application of method but they don’t lend themselves directly to understandable method, their true power lies in their realization Relative absolute truths tend to more readily lend themselves to doable methods. For example the principle of cause and effect states that for every effect there is a cause. This easily translates to the method of identifying and initiating the correct cause for any desired effect.

In the other end of the spectrum is what can be considered false. This is ‘truths” that have no genuine functionality or only perverse functionality. Because what is believed to be true becomes at least to some extent, true for the believer, every ‘truth” has some functionality however in some case that functionality is perverse and thus false in relation to the continuum created by the of reflection of the dynamic of the Two Truths within the domain of relative truth. For example someone may believe they are worthless and by virtue of that display the “quality’ of worthlessness but this is a perverse functionality.

In between these two ends of the continuum is diverse range of relative truths of varying scopes of functionality. One very interesting and apparently “objectively” verifiable map of this continuum was created by David Hawkins and is described in his very fascinating and, I believe, very important book, Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior. In it he describes how the map was derived and it application in many different arenas of knowledge. In brief the map was derived from an extensive research project using muscle testing. What he discovered is that muscle testing on the truth of any given statement provide nearly universally the same results (He discovered 3%- I think- of the population would get the opposite results but those got opposite results across the board rather then on specific statements.) It did not matter what the person consciously or even unconsciously believed about a certain statement, everyone tested got the same result about the same statement. If his methods can be verified then this is an astounding result with profound implications and clearly demonstrates the truth that there is functional spectrum of relevance within the domain of relative truth. (There are a few points in his map that I am not certain about and I am looking forward to an opportunity to experiment with the methods and ideas presented)

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