The Sacred Symbol

 

He (Gurdjieff) said that from time to time from another world - 'from above' - a Sacred Individual is incarnated in human form with a very high and special mission, the working of which is not visible in this world and which can only be perceived by the disciples or companions who are specially prepared. This mission is not performed in this world except in so far as the being who is engaged in it is incarnated in human form. A certain possibility is introduced from a realm where the impossible doesn't exist. It is something new which doesn't belong to the cause and effect of this world, and therefore changes the whole situation. The doing of this and how it is done is unseen; but in general, it is then necessary that something should be seen, manifested, so that the particular new thing should be able to operate in the visible world amongst people with ordinary perceptions. It is to fulfil that second part of the mission that the Sacred Image is created and this Sacred Image has unlimited power in it, because its source is beyond the existing world. That Sacred Image we see as the founder of a new religion, as a prophet, or as an incarnation of God, who introduces a new Hope into the life of man.'

J.G. Bennett.

Gurdjieff is telling us here that a Sacred Individual is incarnated in human form, coming from 'another world' - 'from above', i.e. from a Higher World, the World of the Gods. We are told the following about this Avatar -

• His Divine Mission can only be understood by his disciples or followers, who have been specially prepared for this mission.
• This mission is really performed in the 'Other-World' because it is 'not visible in this world', i.e. this is being played out in the Other-World, and is thus performed in this physical world where it is reflected.
• This is something entirely new to this world and does not belong to the 'cause and effect' of this world, because it works outside the laws of the physical world. It thus creates a great change.
• Since the workings are done in the Other-World something has to be manifested in order that people with 'ordinary perceptions' can see it being done. Thus, a Sacred Image is created, and this has unlimited power because its source is from a Higher World.
• This can be a Sacred Image (Symbol), the founder of a new religion, a seer or prophet, or it can be an Incarnation of a God who brings a New Hope into the physical world. 

I have mentioned before how the word symbol means 'to unite' and is the opposite to diabolos which means 'to divide'. However, there is another level to this meaning of the word symbol which can be found in its source, the IE Root *g(w)ela- meaning 'to throw', 'to reach', or 'to pierce'. We can here deduce that the idea of a symbol is such that this can 'pierce' the veil between the worlds, i.e. it can work in both worlds, having its source in the Higher Worlds. Through symbolism we can move between the Nine Worlds. 

We have many cases of the appearance of an Avatar who can appear as the founder of a new religion, a seer or prophet, or the actual Incarnation of a God on Earth. Gurdjieff believed, like many others, that we are living in a 'Dark Age', one of ignorance rather than enlightenment, and that the ancients had themselves anticipated that this would happen in our times. He taught that the ancients had encoded their Secret Knowledge in legominisms which were sometimes material structures such as temples or pyramids, playing cards, nursery rhymes etc. In his book Meetings with Remarkable Men he tells of his search for the Sarman (or Sarmoung) Brotherhood which he believed was founded around 2,500 BCE in Babylon. The name Sarman seems to refer to the Fylfot-Swastika.

The word Sarman derives from sar meaning 'head', thus the 'Head-Man', i.e. an Enlightened Man. It means also The Bee no doubt linked to the 'Nectar of the Gods'. It appears that it was the Yerzidis whom he saw as the source of his knowledge about the Sarman. It is very interesting, in view of the Sajaha Prophecies, that this ancient brotherhood originated in Babylon.

I think that it is important to understand the role of symbols and symbolism, since these act upon the Right-Brain rather than the Left-Brain which is today far more dominant. The power of a Sacred Symbol can arise from a Higher World - 'from above' - and become manifested upon Earth as a catalyst for great change, something that can indeed introduce New Hope into the world. 

At this point in time a unifying symbol must be used to unite the Sons of Ingus, and that must be the Ing-Rune. This symbol is also that of the DNA Code and, as such, can be made to work upon the task of altering the DNA Code as part of the upward-evolution of our Folk. It is also the Twin-Serpents associated with the Kundalini-Force and can thus awaken the Fire-Serpent, a powerful energy associated with Ingus - the Inga-Force (Agni-Inga). This is the energy of new life, new growth and resurrection. It represents the vegetative growth that permeates Nature and the Natural Order - that which the Gods gained for themselves. There is a stirring here amongst the English, an awakening of a long-lost God and Divine Ancestor.