Oahspe Study and Faithism
The Essence of 5 Social Orders
[Jehovih:] to the extent that man accumulates virtue, wisdom, patience, love, truth and pure words, he is free; because, in doing so, he follows Me in My works. (Oahspe, Book of Sue; 12/3.2.)
For I have not created a people to be today as their forefathers were, but provided them with perpetual growth in wisdom and virtue; for which reason, the rising generations shall rebel against that which was well and good for their forefathers. All My governments understand this, whether on earth or in heaven. Whatever government does not accept this rule shall go down to destruction. [The same holds true for a Social Order.] (Oahspe, Book of Sue; 12/3.5.)
Let this be a guide to you, O man, in prophesying the change and the overthrow of governments: According to the square of the distance a government is from Jehovih [Whose governance is through Righteousness, and this can only be sustained through virtue] so is accelerated the pace of its coming change or destruction. (Oahspe, Book of Judgment; 32/34.20.)
Republic and Fraternity: Man's Compelling Mandates
At the end of the dan'has prior to Bon the Faithists were severely bound by those in darkness. This would change with the Arc of Bon because a new issue or mandate for those following the light of Jehovih became manifest: Migration from Bondage (27/16.6). This became the new issue for man, particularly in the western regions of Eurasia where Moses and the Israelites went forth under this mandate in their journey out of Egupt. With them came their hangers-on because they too responded (even if from a more corporeal orientation) to this mandate.
Coming through Tae, Son of Jehovih, as it did, as a sort of call, this mandate would be felt by many others as the right thing to do, inviting if not compelling; and sometimes starting with a prod. Particularly affected were those who came of Me-de-an seed that had become widespread in the previous dan'ha of Spe-ta. As a result, at the time the Israelites and hangers-on left Egupt many other Eguptians also migrated (28/50.30) either from bondage or from becoming bound lest Pharaoh press them into the void left by the departing slave population (the Israelites).
By the end of Bon's cycle, this mandate of migration from bondage had extended to include the world's people---most notably those of Me-de-an orientation. And in Western Uropa, the inquisitions intensified the mandate into an issue taken up by the European Enlightenment of circa 1649-1749, which included setting forth philosophies as to what makes the best social order. The fruit of that, in turn, became the basis of thought and education for most of the 1200 men raised up to found the Republic Social Order in North Guatama. And before then this same mandate fueled the desire for religious freedom resulting in the heavenly-inspired European discovery of Guatama that opened the door for the Pilgrims and Quakers among others to migrate to Guatama.
From all that came the chief fruit of Migration-from-Bondage namely the Republic social order in North Guatama. And the 1200 men under inspiration from Jehovih's kingdom of God (29/13.2), being the highest fruit of the Me-de-an order, especially felt the call of the mandate. The tug of that mandate resulted in an attempt to free the American colonies from the bondage of Monarchy and its enforced Gods.
So, hoping to have a system and order where man could have better opportunity to more freely prosper than had been the case under monarchy, those 1200 led a figurative migration from what they considered to be the beastly aspects of state and religion. From their ardent desire came the founding of the Republic Social Order through the U.S. Constitution and its first 10 Amendments. As importantly, by doing so they laid the foundation (inorganic first resurrection) for Jehovih's kingdom. Although the Republic's social order based itself on self-aspiration for its citizens, the sufficient virtue of its early leaders kept it flourishing, kept it from falling wholly into the clutches of the beast. It was a far-from perfect social order but the only one that made it through the gauntlet given the darkness of man at the time---recall that even to the time of the U.S. Civil War some 72 years later God identified pro-slavery proponents, aiders, and abettors as barbarians (being in essence those who in their darkness had fallen back to their druk ancestry, see e.g., 29/20.4; 22/11.13).
A Mandate for our Dan'ha
The Kosmon Era began with the circling of the globe, this event also completed the mandate given to the Arc of Bon (26/4.12,13; 26/10.4.). Since the earth had been circumscribed, there was no more place to which the Faithists could migrate to be free of bondage. Thus a new issue and mandate began with the Kosmon era and is now emerging to grow into ascendancy within man's consciousness. This emergent mandate consists of a compelling and importuning tug steering ever nearer to the front of man's thoughts: Build in Virtue! And the potency of this tug shall continue to grow and manifest in the souls of man, and continually call their spirit to attend to this issue and to attain to its mandate.
For with the beginning of Kosmon, "all the earth [was] circumscribed with men of wisdom and learning" (29/2.25). And this event signaled that man's horizontal or outer foundation has been completed, that all the earth was henceforth to be treated as one person with sufficient men and women of learning and wisdom everywhere to make all in the world as brothers and sisters to each other and together children under one father---Jehovih. Since that time the only way forward for man was to build together. But he cannot at first build outward, that is, in the outer realm man can no longer escape the presence of the beast.
Only through building in virtue can man be safe from (escape from, protected from) the beast in man (see, e.g., 21/9.11-12). Only in that way can man be free (from the beast) so as to truly restore and fulfill the outer realm to the glory intended by Jehovih. By first turning inward, then developing his inner life, man rises along the vertical shaft (see, e.g., 35/D.27), which is the inner realm foundation (foundation of the inner life). And although there are preparatory steps, the only way to rise beyond the grasp of the beast is to build in virtue. That only, gives man the ability to fulfill his soul's desire. Till then, how close man comes to falling irretrievably into the abyss rests entirely in his own choices. In sum, learning to live life from the inner realm so as to improve the outer realm, is now the only way forward for mankind; and to the extent that man builds in virtue so shall he thus advance.
Building in virtue includes, among other things, building in Tae and Es. Tae labors in the outer realm to build toward---and to fulfill---the inner realm, and Es labors in the inner realm to build toward---and to fulfill---the outer realm. And part of building in Tae and in Es includes balancing man's corpor and es. For, though the fundamental nature of Tae is to labor in the outer realm (even if laboring for the benefit of the inner realm), and of Es to labor in the inner realm (even if laboring for the benefit of the outer realm), yet man must find their blend. Lacking this man cannot find his balance. Only in finding the balance can he rise and stay risen in virtue. And as he continues to perfect his person in the presence of Jehovih, as well as in his fraternity, so shall he reach high enough ultimately to fulfill (fill full) as well as partake of, the chalice that contains the vital nectar of life.
That Chalice is a spiritual reality and source of many legends such as the so-called Holy Grail. Other names and descriptors include the lit lamps holding the ever heavenly replenished oil; or the lamp containing answers to one's highest hopes and dreams as in Aladdin's lamp; or the wine flasks that never drained; and so on. Jehovih's kingdom inspired man with these stories of the Chalice to turn his mind upward toward heavenly things and to the possibilities available to the virtuous. For, in all cases, it was only through Virtue that such Chalices (crescents, bowls, moons, cups, anchors, seds, hearts, and so forth) could be approached and its blessings received.
Although the corporeal mind cannot perceive it, the liquid in the Chalice is also real---being heart-generated, clean, concentrated, pure, wholesome, risen-soul virtue. In short it is soul realm water---Life itself---brought up from the depths of the soul to quench ethereal thirsts; but available to those who have attained to it, or to whom it is given. This is the source of the stories of the fountain of youth and of the holy water of baptism. It is real, it is attainable.
The Chalice and its blessings, however, are not attainable in uz and not by uzians; for it is not possible for man to rise sufficiently in virtue while surrounded by those oriented to self and who continually draw downward to the earth and outward in the pursuit of corporeal affairs for self's sake. It rests beyond their present reach, for this nectar is neither corporal nor atmospherean. It comes of the pure soul raised high to etherea---whether that soul is yet in a mortal body (see, e.g., 21/2.4; 30/39.5). Such persons are refreshing to the long-raised ethereans---recall, for instance, the Feast of Spe-ta. Of those in virtue it is the purity of their soul, the freshness of their spirit, and the virtue of their minds that refresh both heaven and the joy of Jehovih within them! With virtue one can rise to the Chalice; without it none have risen. With virtue comes relief for those thirsting for light as well as relief for those requiring the soothing balm of coolness and rest.
Yet coolness and rest are two things the uzian cannot attain to on his own---his meat-eating habit makes his blood run hot with passion and stirs his spirit into restless, ceaseless contentions. Accordingly, from its initial relatively higher estate the Republic fell as the beast took over the social order---see the progression from 35/E.1-6 of i034 Tablet of Bienei. This tablet shows that if man will not choose to build in true virtue then by his surroundings and circumstances he will learn the hard way regarding the desirability of building in virtue as the beast continues to destroy itself. (So that the Faithist may see how such a conclusion in part can be arrived at and how much more can be drawn, an upcoming post will demonstrate how to use that tablet in prophesying.)
As to a fuller meaning of Building in Virtue: to rise in Es while mortal requires Virtue in that person. And in essence, the practice of virtue involves mainly laboring on that path described by Oahspe as to attaining to the Father's Voice. In other words, virtue blossoms best in those choosing to undertake and fulfill the Faithist discipline. Or said more encompassingly, all other paths converge ultimately to the path of the Faithist discipline which itself leads to correctly perceiving and following the Voice of Jehovih as He directly speaks to the soul. And that Path of Virtue must begin with Goodness of Heart, which stands as the foundation for virtue. (This assumes Cleanness, which itself stands below Goodness of Heart---both are necessary but insufficient in and of themselves to attain to Virtue; according to the amount of their deficiency so is their power of virtue diminished as is their ability to effectively deal [i.e., in the ways and means of Jehovih's kingdom] with the beast.)
Yet for man to progress from Goodness of Heart, he must first recognize the need for that Path of Virtue (however he perceives that path to be). Then he must grow to desire it and aspire to it, finding ways to put it into practice as a realistic lifestyle for himself and for his family and fraternity. For, of such quality will be those who shall found the Fraternity Social Order.
Progress through the Five Social Orders
That man may come to recognize and appreciate the need for virtue in reaching and sustaining Jehovih's kingdom on earth in its fullness, Jehovih had bestowed upon man three main social orders through which mankind progresses successively, those three social orders in sequence being monarchy, republic, and Jehovih's kingdom on earth.
Yet progress is never a smooth rise, but a series of cycles---of ups and downs, lefts and rights, slower rates and faster rates, propitious seasons; and all within or across other cycles. And because man in early kosmon has the experience of earlier social orders within his collective soul, he is also capable of relapsing at times into behavior belonging to earlier social orders, and even falling into anarchy. Those times of declension, however, tend to be short-lived affairs. Nevertheless times of declension are to be expected during the course of a social order. If such periods interior to a Main Social Order have proven to be arduous tests for that social order, how much greater then must be the tests for the periods between the main social orders?
Even as the transition zone between a forest and a prairie contains a greater variety of species and is by far wilder and offers less defined bounds and greater opportunities, and hence more freedom than either forest or prairie niche, so too are the two periods of transition between the main social orders of man.
During a Transition social order, a loosening of social strictures thus occurs, allowing for greater slack. That increase in freedom also applies to the beast in man, even if the social order tries to curtail or eliminate it by applying harsh measures against the beast. The times of declension emerge in a social order because one or more factions of man initiate a decline. A faction does so through its own beastly reaction against any number of various factors including some change in type or rate of cultural progression, or change in leadership or direction, etc.
Yet far from being 'wasted opportunities' such periods of declensions actually serve to awaken the social order to its own mistakes. If the social order is rising, it generally makes relatively rapid adjustments to resolve the issues (even if it does so in beastly ways). But as the social order matures, so does the beast within it. With its maturing the beast's cunning increases as the beast-man becomes more adept at how to identify and exploit the social order's weaknesses. So in later stages of a social order when a period of decline quickens in its rate, and because the social order already labors under a pile of unresolved issues weighing it down, slowing it down, so the downward path begins to appear irreversible as the social order becomes diminishingly less able to ward off the beast effectively. Till at last the social order collapses or is given a life extension (usually short) by a period of seemingly true reform.
On the plus side of a social order's periods of declensions, these provide opportunity for laggards in the lower grades of man to catch-up to the understanding of the bulk of humanity. For instance, in the Transition Social Order called Plurarchy (discussed later) collective-man including his lower grades gains a greater freedom and learns some self-responsibility which ultimately increases and matures to become the self-rule of the Republic Social Order. And while the lowest grades cannot support a Republic Social Order on their own, nonetheless they can be brought to see the advantage to themselves of acquiescing to the Republic---especially if they believe it creates more or sustains more freedom for themselves.
As noted, transition times allow greater freedom. The Transition Social Orders between the major social orders thus provide extended periods so that these changes such as growth-in-freedom and uplifting can occur; and especially so that lower grades can be provided for and uplifted. While the Plurarchy is one such Transition, the other example shall be the Fraternity Social Order. Through its setbacks the tail-end of humanity will be awakened to that transcendent need for virtue. And at the forefront of exemplary fraternities shall be the fraternities of the Faithists in Jehovih.
And thus it had come to pass, that in Jehovih's kingdom on earth, man was without a government, such as man's government. And this was the next higher condition that came upon the earth after republics. (39/26.9-10.)
In short, then, to fulfill Kosmon's first-dan'ha mandate of building in virtue, man must progress beyond the Republic model of governance to the Fraternity model of governance. And as importantly, man must progress to become herbivorous men and women of peace. Yet even then man's journey will have only begun rising earnestly in the light as contrasted to man's past progress of slowly rising in light. The slowest rise came over the course of man's long, long journey through the Monarchy Social Order. Such duration created in man a familiarity with the Monarchy social order, and little more need be said of it.
Epitome of Plurarchy
Between monarchy and republic stands the first main Transition Social Order called Plurarchy. As kind of a pluralistic monarchy (hence its name), a Plurarchy signifies more than one ruler, basically meaning that the monarch (king) no longer has either total or final say over every facet of the kingdom. Different from Plutocracy* (rule by the rich, usually many) and Oligarchy (a single rule by a small group; government by top elites) a Plurarchy, structured as it is around a Monarchy, consists of a somewhat dichotomous rule by no more than a few independent or semi-independent competitors, but who nevertheless must cooperate to some extent with each other. Also the Plurarchy social order has elements of a weakened or nominal monarch and generally an in-house oligarchy (retainers, loyalists)---think of the Aristocracy, for example. Compared to the rest of the king's subjects, the alphas within these oligarchies generally have some greater degree of independence sometimes including the power to choose which master in the Plurarchy to support on any particular issue and as to when. (*Although the Alpha-beasts of a Plurarchy tend to be rich, yet that is not its defining characteristic.)
The functioning of Plurarchy tends to give man an alternative choice to an unpopular or strict law of the monarch. The establishing of this alternative was not done for the benefit of the king's or emperor's subjects, however, but meant ideally to weaken the monarch's hand and to strengthen the alternative alpha-beast's hand.
As can be surmised, a Plurarchy can manifest in several forms, the most rudimentary of which might be something akin to a duopoly (rule by two competitors such as church and state). Nevertheless, circumstances being what they are in the plurarchy, each side must in some ways acquiesce to the desires and demands of the other. In order for the plurarchy to be (or remain) stable, usually each alpha evolves to a more or less defined role. These roles are often defined through treaty or legal agreements. And changes in these roles come about through negotiation, trickery, warfare, or by whatever means. Although typically unseen power struggles occur continually between the alphas, an occasional outward struggle for dominance erupts. Each side becomes particularly vulnerable upon the death or succession of their alpha (ruler).
In the course of those power struggles an alternative, socially acceptable way of doing things would arise usually from the midst of a Monarchy (particularly if it were perceived to have a weak king). And sometimes the rising alternative would successfully compete at least to some extent with the Monarch's way of doing things. Of course the alternative would be headed by an alpha-beast-man, himself being generally a baugh-ghan (personal rule) type, but often set up (at least nominally) as the higher Tau-ghan (rule of law) type. This was perhaps most clearly seen in the European Middle Ages when social power was somewhat shared between a monarch and the Christian Church. Separate from and sometimes in competition or conflict with the Monarchy, the Church in many ways acted as and pretended to be a Tau-ghan type theocracy whose pope issued bulls. But it ruled without apology as a Baugh-ghan-beast at times, and always full of well-planned cunning and treachery, especially when the Church felt it necessary. In any event, when church and monarch were at odds, the people in Christian regions such as Europe had some choice between serving the Monarchy or the Church---although it could sometimes prove dangerous for the subject if forced to choose between crown and cross.
As hinted earlier, the demands of an Aristocracy could also act as a semi-independent power in the kingdom (as it did in England, for instance) and sometimes be at odds with the monarch. The rise of the middle class or moneyed class also created interests which could in some ways circumvent or pose an alternative choice to the monarchy, especially a weak monarchy. It happened, too, that some type of arrangement could be agreed upon where specific arenas and limits of power were delineated for each of the alphas (such as between Monarchy and various members of the Aristocracy). Constitutional Monarchy probably represents the highest sort of these arrangements, and is perhaps the culminating or most stable attainment prior to a pure republic social order.
In a Plurarchy the appearance of a widening crack or wedge in the monarchy's power could and did encourage other social classes to demand a better condition. But as history shows monarchies do not readily give up their power. And so, the transition from monarchy to republic was virtually always a very turbulent affair, usually involving much bloodshed and heartache. In fact, the normal course was for a republic to be established only after some sort of violence brought it about such as the unfortunately very common method of confrontational revolution. Typically the monarch would bring that on himself by not yielding to reform calls and instead push harder against the movement. And when the time ripened with man being ready enough, he established the Republic Social Order.
The Importance of Man's Republic Social Order
As a crucial step between the main social orders of Monarchy and Fraternity, the Republic Social Order held another even deeper key unsuspected by man. The Republic Social Order stands as the foundation of Jehovih's Kingdom on Earth (29/13.4)! Although an uzian social order, the Republic established and still supports through its Constitution the first of the resurrections, namely the inorganic first resurrection. Without the freedom of the first resurrection as foundation, neither Fraternities nor Jehovih's Kingdom on Earth can manifest in the governance of mortals.
The Republic Social Order laid in the depth of the earth the cornerstone and foundation for Jehovih's kingdom on earth. For, establishing the Republic required both an initial cornerstone so that from that secure anchorage the foundation could be built. Thus the emerging Republic social order required both an actual cornerstone and a foundation so that the Republic could come forth in sufficient vigor to make irreversible the continued existence of the inorganic first resurrection upon the earth.
Freedom stands as the Cornerstone of that foundation (see e.g., 34/15.6) and the Republic's Constitution---that is to say Responsibility (government's responsibility to the people and the people's responsibility to the government)---stands as the contract between the people and their government. And it is upon the **UNION** of Freedom and Responsibility that the edifice of both the Fraternity Social Order and later the Father's kingdom in its fullness shall be built. Only upon that UNION can the Fraternity Social order build in the light to become the ground floor of the edifice upon which the Father's kingdom on earth shall be established.
Said another way, fraternities are the building blocks of the edifice for the Father's kingdom. And Jehovih's kingdom on earth shall build in a yet higher light rising above and upon that ground floor of the Fraternity social order. By the year 2149 some 300 years after the beginning of Kosmon, the fullness of Jehovih's kingdom on earth shall constitute the roof of the edifice.
Unlike a building, however, all social orders are living things, being comprised of people. And like all newborns, when the Fraternity social comes forth in 2049, it will come forth weak, vulnerable and dependent. And it is likely to grow up side by side with the Republic social order---recall that the Republic social order grew up side by side with monarchies. Nonetheless the Fraternity Social Order shall surpass and supplant the Republic social order. Yet bear in mind that the Fraternity social order per se, while of a higher grade than the Republic social order, nevertheless remains uzian in character---run by Bah-ghans---and sooner or later will evolve its own fall. Meanwhile the fraternities of Faithists shall not fail but evolve toward Jehovih's kingdom on earth, even as outlined earlier in these written works. Despite that, the Bah-ghan led fraternities shall continue to coexist for a season with Jehovih's Kingdom manifested in its fullness on Earth even as foretold in Oahspe's Book of Jehovih's Kingdom on Earth.
Such is the larger picture. Let the Faithist be aware of the mentioned Bah-ghans, for they shall initially be the chief outer realm founders of the Fraternity Social Order. At first, most of the people in the Fraternity Social Order shall tend to follow a higher light if not Jehovih's light. Yet because they reject Jehovih's name and likely Oahspe too, this shows they are not yet free from getting caught up in the beasts' machinations, particularly that of the Bah-ghan-alphas. Bah-ghans rule by charisma and persuasion and if necessary by butting heads. Nevertheless, the "vibes" (the feel, the spiritual sensations) become their talisman and weather vane. But unless they learn to sustain the vibes through the virtues of Faithist discipline, the non-Faithist Fraternities will be at the mercy of any changing wind. Till they espouse the Faithist Discipline they shall not yet be able to attain to His kingdom. Neither shall their fraternities long endure (six generations at most), for they have not yet rid themselves of their beast, which is of the self in man.
Thus as man shall come to discern, the Fraternity Social Order will be at least initially a type of uz, but one embracing harmonious vibes also known as the feeling of spirit, i.e., the aesthetic feel of one's surroundings. Yet these will not at first necessarily know how to sustain the vibes at a high level. In fact, that is one of the purposes of the Fraternity Social Order: to allow man the social freedom to discover how to sustain the vibes at a high level. Part of that involves learning to recognize what is meant by the highest light, and then afterward discovering ways to know who has it. The season for those kinds of apprising has already come upon man and the need for it is currently accelerating as man transitions from Republic social order to a Fraternity social order.
We previously gave some considerable attention to describing the Plurarchy because it is a transition between monarchy and republic, and so, during the Republic's transition toward Fraternity (which we are currently undergoing) the social order may regress to a temporary Plurarchy, as the Republic-alpha-beasts (nominally Tau-ghan-alpha-beasts---enforcers of rule of law) will be tempted to digress toward Baugh-ghan-alpha-beasts (enforcers of personal rule). That can occur because these types get caught up in the trajectory of the beast destroying itself as the transition from Republic to Fraternity continues. So the possibility exists that during the times of fallback that man will at times revert to or try to revert to a type of Plurarchy or even worse. Although if that happens it shall be only for a relatively short season even if in places and times it devolves into sort of a civil war between the tyrannists and the unionists.
Nevertheless we must remember that Jehovih's heavenly kingdom of God is not here to set up the Fraternity social order---man is to do that, but with their Faith in the goodness and wisdom of the All Light, the Fraternalists shall triumph through the higher way of Seffas so that Kosmon, Daughter of Jehovih shall remain available to them. For the higher vibes shall call to them through their growing aesthetic sense. So that even as Baugh-ghan alpha-hierarchy-beast types of man became capable of sustaining a Monarchy, and the Tau-ghan types capable of sustaining a Republic with their rule of law, so Bah-ghan types shall become capable of sustaining a Fraternity with their preference for persuasion and a higher vibes orientation. (These three types of beast-man are shown in the Tablet of Bienei (i034, which tablet we hope to speak more about in later posting).
The next and final post on the social orders as a whole sets forth in table form, a summary of differences between the five social orders of man so that their contrasts become plain to the eye.
All Oahspe references are from the modern language edition: Oahspe Standard Edition
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Some Traits of the Five Social Orders of Man