"Know thyself" - Inscription above the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

In the remote past, sacred schools  were established by Master Teachers. It was in these schools that master teachers provided instruction  to well-qualified individuals, who were in search of enlightenment, about the secret mysteries of the physical and
spiritual worlds. These schools have come to be known as the ancient mystery schools. The individuals who were granted admittance into these mystery schools were referred to as Initiates.

Although many men and women applied for admission into these mystery schools, only a few were accepted. The master teachers first weeded-out the applicants who were seeking admission simply out of "curiosity". Next, they eliminated those applicants who were considered to be either too lazy, or simply unable, to dedicate themselves to understanding and mastering the knowledge and wisdom that these sacred institutions had to offer.

The applicants who were accepted into the mystery schools were, indeed, the well-qualified and dedicated few who would invest the time and energy necessary to learn the knowledge and Wisdom that the master teachers were about to impart to them.

Two important facts must be remembered regarding these ancient mystery schools:

First: Admission into the mystery schools was open to both men and women. The gender of the person was not important. What was important was whether the applicant was well-qualified, dedicated, and able to handle the years of spiritual and mental
disciplines that lay before them.

Second: application for admission into these mystery schools was completely voluntary. In addition, the Initiate was free to leave the school should he, or she, determine that the way of the school was not in harmony with their personal path. Needless to say, very few
initiates chose to quit these mystery schools.

But who were these initiates of the remote past? And why did they voluntarily dedicate years of their lives in order to understand, and master, sacred and secret mysteries ...mysteries that were considered ancient even during their lifetimes?

These ancient initiates were seekers of truth and wisdom. It was their Divine calling to seek out, understand, and master the knowledge and Wwsdom that govern the the eternal cycles of man and spirit. These initiates, these seekers, did not look upon the teachings of these mystery schools as an obligation they must endure. Instead, they looked upon their lessons and disciplines as an adventure that was in harmony with their divine nature. They appreciatively, and enthusiastically, embraced the knowledge and wisdom that the master teachers of these mystery schools were pleased, and honored, to bestow upon them.

Upon being admitted into an Ancient Mystery School, theinitiate was trained and instructed in the lessons and disciplines that govern our physical and spiritual worlds. These lessons and disciplines took the form of spiritual and physical instruction
which took many years for the Initiate to master.

Spiritual Instruction: These were the lessons that helped to develop the initiate's internal world: The World of Wisdom.

Through these Lessons the Initiate learned how to focus his, or her, mind through the disciplines of silence and meditation.

Silence taught the Initiate how to listen for, hear and communicate with their god within, their atman. Through silence the initiate mastered the power of Intuition which acted as the initiate's inner guide.

Spiritual Instruction also involved the discipline of meditation. Meditation taught the initiate how to focus on symbols, mantras and silence.

It was through meditating on symbols that the initiate was able to un-veil their secret, esoteric meanings. It was through meditating on mantras (sounds and phrases) that the initiate was able to understand the hidden meanings and harmonies contained within these sacred sounds and phrases. It was through meditating on silence that the initiate learned the art of calming and grounding oneself.

Physical Instruction: These were the lessons that helped to develop the initiate's external world: The World of Knowledge.

Although other lessons were involved, the initiate's physical instruction mainly focused on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, which are: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy.

Grammar taught the initiate how to use symbols and letters to form words.

Rhetoric taught the Initiate how to use words to form sentences which could be used in communicating with others.

Logic taught the initiate how to use sentences in order to debate and evaluate arguments and ideas.

Arithmetic taught the initiate the use of numbers.

Geometry taught the initiate how to use numbers to measure the shapes and angles that prevail in the universe. These are the same shapes and angles that are used in the science of engineering and construction.

Music taught the initiate how to recognize and appreciate harmony. For what better way is there to understand harmony than by hearing a well-composed piece of music?

Astronomy taught the initiate how to understand, measure and predict the movements of the heavens. This included the movements and appearances of planets, comets, eclipses and seasons; along with all the other celestial phenomena.

Once the lessons of the spiritual and physical disciplines were completed, the initiate was recognized as a master of both their inner and outer domain. At this time the initiate was elevated to the well-earned title of master teacher. It was at this point that
this new master teacher was able to instruct other initiates in the Secret and Sacred Mysteries of the Physical and Spiritual Universes. This was how knowledge was passed down, from generation to generation, since the earliest beginnings of time.

The ancient mystery schools, along with their method of teaching, faded into history somewhere near the end of the Age of Aries and the beginning of the Age of Pisces (about 2,100 years ago).

However, although these mystery schools no longer exist, their knowledge and wisdom can still be found in the mythologies, symbols and sacred teachings found everywhere on our planet. These timeless mysteries, that lie all around us, simply await some modern-day Initiate (seeker) to uncover and awaken their secrets.

Joseph "Joe" Panek   http://www.aseekersthoughts.com/2009/02/instruction-of-initiate.html