This Via Crucis that is our miserable existence begins in infancy and youth with mental disorders due to intimate family tragedies, difficulties at home and at school, etc.

It is clear that during childhood and youth all these problems do not manage to really affect us—with few exceptions—in such a profound manner; however, when we become adults we start questioning: “Who am I? Where do I come from? Why do I have to suffer? What is the purpose of our existence?” etc.  

On the path of life we all have asked ourselves these questions. We all have wanted at sometime to investigate, inquire, find out the “why” of so many sorrows, troubles, struggles, and sufferings, yet unfortunately, we always seem to end up caged within some theory, or within some opinion, or within some belief, or within what the neighbor stated, or within what some decrepit old fogy told us, etc.  

Thus, since we have lost our true innocence and the peace of a tranquil heart, we are incapable of experiencing the truth directly, in all of its harshness, given that we depend on what others might say; so, because of this, we are obviously on the wrong path.

Capitalist society radically condemns the atheists, those who do not believe in God, whereas the Marxist-Leninist society condemns the theists, those who do believe in God; nevertheless, in essence, both beliefs are the same, a matter of opinions or caprices of people, their mental projections. Not credulity, incredulity, or skepticism signify the experience of the truth.

The mind can give itself the luxury of believing, doubting, of forming opinions, conjecturing, etc.; however, these are not experiences of the truth.

The blind can also give themselves the luxury of believing in the sun or not believing in it, and even doubting about its existence, nevertheless the king star will continue to give its light and life to everything that exists, without giving the slightest value to their blind opinions.

Many shades of false morality and many mistaken concepts of false respectability are hidden behind blind beliefs, behind incredulity and skepticism; the psychological “I” strengthens itself within those shadows.

Capitalist society and communist society each have—in their own manner and according to their caprices, prejudices, and theories—their special type of morals. Thus, what is moral within the capitalist society is immoral within the communist society, and vice-versa.

Morals depend upon customs, upon the place, upon the epoch. What is moral in one country is immoral in another country, and what was moral in one epoch becomes immoral in another. Morals do not have any essential value whatsoever; when they are analyzed in depth, they are revealed as one hundred percent stupid.

A fundamental education does not teach morals. A fundamental education teaches revolutionary ethics, and this is what the new generations need.

Since the terrifying night of ancient times, in every age, there have always been those who withdrew from the world in order to seek the truth.

Yet, to withdraw from the world in order to seek the truth is an absurdity, because the truth is found here and now, within the world and within the man.

The truth for the mind is the unknowable from moment to moment; yet, the way to discover it is not by withdrawing ourselves from the world or by abandoning our fellowmen.

To state that any truth is half-truth and thus any truth is half error is an absurdity. The truth is radical: the truth is or is not. The truth can never be half-truth, it can never be half error.

Likewise, it is an absurdity to state that the truth is of time and what was true at one time is not in another time. The truth has nothing to do with time; the truth is not temporary.

Yet, the “I” is time and therefore it cannot know the truth. Therefore, to adopt conventional, temporary, relative truths is an absurdity.

People mistake concepts and opinions for that which is the truth, yet the truth has nothing to do with their opinions or with their so-called conventional truths, because these are only irrelevant projections of the mind.

The truth for the mind is the unknowable from moment to moment; therefore it can only be experienced in the absence of the psychological “I.”

The truth is not a matter of beliefs, sophisms, concepts, opinions. The truth can only be known through direct experience.

The mind can only formulate opinions, yet opinions have nothing to do with the truth, because the mind can never conceive the truth.

Teachers of schools, colleges, and universities must attain the experience of the truth and thereafter expound the path to their students; they must explain to them that the truth is a matter of direct experience, and not a matter of theories, opinions, or concepts.

We can and we must study, but it is essential to experience—by ourselves and in a direct manner—the truth within each theory, concept, opinion, etc. Yes, we must study, analyze, inquire, but we also need with an unpostponable urgency to experience the truth contained within all the subjects that we study.

The experience of the truth is impossible as long as the mind is disturbed, convoluted, distressed by opposed opinions.

The experience of the truth is only possible when the mind is quiet, when the mind is silent.

Teachers of schools, colleges, and universities must point out to their students the path of profound internal meditation, because the path of profound internal meditation leads to the quietude and silence of the mind.

When the mind is quiet, when the mind is silent—that is, when the mind is empty of thoughts, desires, opinions, etc.—then, the truth comes into us.

This chapter is from Fundamentals of Gnostic Education (1970) by Samael Aun Weor. The print and ebook editions by Glorian Publishing (a non-profit organization) are illustrated to aid your understanding, and include features like a glossary and index. Buy the book, and you benefit yourself and others.

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