Harmony Consciousness:
The Secret of the Great Work

The esoteric traditions of ancient wisdom advise us that we must reconcile all appearances of duality on every level of experience. The teachings also state that mastering the equilibration of forces is the secret to accomplishing the Great Work of spiritual enlightenment. The concepts of reconciliation and equilibration refer to the same process. To reconcile is to restore to harmony by resolving differences. To equilibrate is to balance opposing forces. When we are able to achieve balance in this world of opposing forces, we are thereby restored to a state of harmony and joy.

Balance, or equilibration, does not mean replacing one force with its opposite. It implies finding the middle ground, and blending the two into one in that process. The seeming differences between the two must be fully resolved. One aspect or force cannot outweigh the other, or be perceived as superior or inferior to the other. In the act of reconciliation, the two become one. Their essences are dissolved into unity, and each one must contribute its unique energy to that process.

A common dilemma involving seeming opposites is the illusion that love and truth are mutually exclusive. Sometimes people feel that it is not possible to behave in a loving way without being less than truthful. It is easy to see how such an erroneous idea can become deeply imbedded in the emotional nature. Children are often taught not to speak the truth because it is "not nice" to do so. Whenever we spoke the truth, we may have been told that we were cruel, insensitive, or unloving. Consequently, many people have come to believe that it may be more loving to stand back in silence, and watch someone we love struggle with an emotional or mental issue in blindness. Our fear of being unloving thereby prevents us from actually being loving enough to speak out about what we see in another’s process of struggle and growth.

Part of this dilemma stems from misunderstandings about truth. It is a common belief that speaking the truth is the same as issuing a judgment. Judgment is a decision that convicts according to the dualistic principles of right and wrong. Judgement is an act or a belief that implies that the presence of certain human traits or behaviours necessarily means that one is a bad or less enlightened person. Judgment is especially prevalent in exoteric religious structures, which condemn humans to a variety of visions of heaven or hell based upon whether they have been good or bad in life.

The pure expression of truth is never judgmental. In the process of truthfulness, we must use our powers of discernment and discrimination to determine the nature of any particular situation or action. Having ascertained the qualities of the circumstance, we then see the truth. However, making a conclusion based upon that truth leads one directly into the dualities of right or wrong, bad or good, black or white. Observing the truth without any judgment is the way of the wise.

In reality truth and love are one. When we keep these two expressions separated, we limit love’s power to overcome all obstacles and errors. Love combined with truth creates an opportunity for the expansion of consciousness. If we look at every circumstance honestly, and have sufficient love to speak the truth we have derived from that objective appraisal, we bring more light into the world. Yet, this truth must be expressed from the center of love, or we risk falling into dualism once again. We must be on guard not to speak the truth in order to feel superior or to condemn. Just because we have had the discrimination and grace to perceive the truth, there is no guarantee that we have full understanding of why that truth is what it is. To reconcile truth and love means that we must realize in our deepest being that the truth that has been revealed to us is a part of the perfection of the One Love.

One example of the working of truth is the observation that many humans appear to be caught up in the materialistic desires of the lower nature. When we view this truth with love, we understand that the glamour of the material plane exists so that humanity may have endless opportunities to transcend lower desires, and awaken to their true spiritual nature. We can see how this reconciliation brings the power of truth and love into perfect balance without condemnation or judgement. This same equilibrating process must be applied to every aspect of the inner self and the outer world until we become liberated from all illusions of dualism.

Truth as a potency exists within the Sphere of Geburah on the Tree of Life. Geburah means Severity, and also Power, Will, and Intensity. Another title for Geburah is Pachad, meaning Fear. This title associates to fear as the conditioned human response to power. At the moment of our birth into this world, other people have power that we do not have. The infant cannot survive unless those with the power to do so care for their needs. From that first experience of power, the emotional nature learns to associate power with fear. From that day forward, whenever presented with a circumstance of great power, most humans will feel that power as fear. This erroneous association will continue to be provoked in situations involving truth, power, will, and intensity of every kind. Through the unconscious working of this conditioned response, many will continue to believe that truth precludes the possibility of love because all they can feel is the fear of truth’s power.

There are many other opposing forces that present themselves to us for reconciliation. One pair that has always been with us is the apparent separation of matter and spirit. The lack of reconciliation of these two forces in the human race has historically led to such severe judgement that one result was the persecution and killing of thousands of people over hundreds of years during the inquisition in Europe. Even today, whoever speaks honestly of the oneness of body and spirit may still be judged as "evil" by those entrenched in duality. In truth there can be no separation of matter and spirit, for spirit is the essence of all creation and therefore is matter as well.

As we evolve into spiritual humanity and expand in the consciousness of unity, we will continue to be challenged in the work of reconciliation. In the higher levels of functioning, we must learn to reconcile Humility and Power, Wealth and Poverty, and Life and Death. We remain humble by acknowledging that the source of our power is far beyond the ego. The more humility we develop, the greater the power that can come through us. We must learn to open to great wealth so that we may become instruments in alleviating poverty. And we must know that ours is the Eternal Life, which flows in and through the endless changes of birth and death. Through this ongoing reconciliation, we are led into the accomplishment of the Great Work, and into the peace that surpasses understanding.

Every day we are presented with limitless opportunities to reconcile forces that appear to oppose one another. Whether these be the great truths and tests touched upon here, or the every day disagreements between loved ones or neighbours, we must meet the challenge and reconcile all things in the oneness that is the eternal truth. By aligning ourselves with this ultimate oneness, our presence in this manifest world becomes a blessing of harmony to all we meet, and our hearts offer a serene resting place for the Spirit of Peace.