In order for the Being (the Innermost) to be born in us, we have to terminate with the process of the human “I.” For this, we must not commit the error of dividing ourselves into a Superior “I” and an Inferior “I.” That which spiritual students call “Superior I” is not the Being, but rather a refined form of the human “I,” a subtle modality of self-defense that the human “I” utilizes in order to persist and remain alive. Yes, that division is just a subtle escape that the human “I” utilizes. It is just a refined concept of Satan.

We have to die in order to live. We have to lose everything in order to win everything. In order to have the right to live, we must die through the death of the cross, because the Being (the Innermost), full of glory and power, is only born upon the cadaver of the human “I.”

Regrettably, our human “I” wants to appear everywhere. Our human “I” wants to be applauded and admired by everyone. The human “I” lets his hair and beard grow and wears strange clothes in order to appear publicly on the streets, so that the naive can call him master, elder brother, etc. Thereafter, like a harlot the human “I” publicly undresses in order to show off his powers, qualities, and lineage.

Yes, the human I’s “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Master, Master” [Matthew 23: 6, 7].

The human “I” has no humility; he boasts about everything, he swaggers about everything, he shows off everything without any modesty whatsoever. The human “I” is an actor who works in order to be applauded and admired by others.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. - Ecclesiastes1: 2

The human “I” is filled with jealousy. This is why the human “I” loves to be disguised with the cloak of Aristippus. Tradition tells how Aristippus, a great Greek philosopher, wanting to show his wisdom and humility, garbed himself with an old cloak, full of patches and holes. Thus, grasping the staff of philosophy and filled with a great humility, Aristippus walked through the streets of Athens, and in this fashion Aristippus arrived at the home of Socrates.

When Socrates saw him coming, he exclaimed, “Oh, Aristippus, I see thy vanity through the holes in thy cloak.”

The human “I” knows how to conceal anger within receptacles made of ice. Yes, within cold receptacles filled with beauty and ineffable perfume, the human “I” hides the fire of anger. This is how when driven by jealousy he declares that he is prudent, and he states that his anger is just confusion and stress, etc. Indeed, crime is hidden within the incense of prayer.

The authentic master never boasts of being a master. The true master is unknown. He dresses like any ordinary citizen and goes around anonymous and unknown.

Therefore, in order for the Being to be born in us, the “I” must completely die. The Being is what is, what has been, and what shall always be. The Being is the life that throbs in each atom, the Most Exalted within us. The Being is impersonal; it is the Innermost, the Most Exalted within. The Being is beyond desire, beyond the mind, beyond the will, even beyond consciousness.

The Being is beyond intelligence. The reason for the Being to be is to be the Being itself. The Being is life. “I Am,” the Being.

Origins of the Human “I”

The human “I” is a monstrous larva that came into existence when we exited Eden. First, the “I” became the gross or vulgar man of the earth. Then the “I” evolved and manifested as a learned, intellectual man. Finally, the “I” makes a last effort in order to subsist; here, it declares itself to be a lofty selected one, a master, and enjoys being called by people, “Master, Master.” The “chosen I” enjoys undressing like a harlot in order to show its figure, qualities, and divine powers to others. Subsequently, that monstrous larva develops into a prophet in order to exhibit its powers and virtues and thus be venerated by others. Thus the “I,” dressed with the robe of Aristippus, goes around boasting of humility as long as no one touches its egocentricity; yet, when this is touched, it reacts filled with sublime anger.

The “I” enjoys boasting about its books and marvelous deeds. Moreover, with an ineffable pride, that monstrous larva disguises itself as a saint and martyr, and boasts of being a master, and even an angel.

In the nights of yore, the “I” was simple. Yet, throughout the centuries it became increasingly complicated and difficult. Some call this complicated process “evolution” and “progress,” yet indeed, the complication and strengthening of that horrible larva called “I” is not evolution.

The human “I” suffers innumerable and subtle transformations. Sometimes it looks like a demon; sometimes it looks like a child-god.

In synthesis, we affirm that the “I” undergoes three successive stages of complication: the first is the gross or vulgar man of the earth, the second is the evolved or learned man who develops the intellect, and the third is the lofty selected or chosen ones who dwell in the highest. This third stage is the most dangerous. When the “I” reaches this third phase, it becomes very subtle and dangerous, since here it transforms itself into a divine or angelic “I.” It adopts the characteristics of an angel and wants everyone to recognize its merits. This angelic “I” is more subtly dangerous than the human “I.”

The “I” disintegrates when it enters into the house of the dead. The gods who want to enter into the Absolute have to kill the “I;” they have to enter into the house of the dead. “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even (the Inner) Christ” [Matthew 23:10].

An authentic guru does not go around boasting about it. The authentic guru is the Inner Christ. A true master goes around everywhere anonymously and unknown. He does not exhibit his deeds or powers, and is filled with modesty. A true master is before anything else an upright citizen. The authentic master is never an intellectual, since the intellect is an animal function of the human “I.” The true master is like a child, pure, holy, simple, and natural. The true master is the Inner Christ “that is the true Light, which lightens every man that comes into the world” [John 1:9].

After death, through successive periods of internal evolution the soul is undressed from the astral and mental bodies. Thereafter, the soul submerges in the ineffable joy of the infinite, where the marvelous harmonies of the fire resound. Unfortunately, at the threshold of mystery, the human “I” (within which linger the roots of evil and suffering) remains waiting for us for our new rebirth.

When the human “I” is about to die, the Being is born in us filled with glory and majesty. Thus, in each initiation, something dies within us, and something is born within us.

This is how the human “I” dies little by little. This is how the Being is born little by little. This is why we call every initiation a birth. Nature does not make any leaps. Thus, it is necessary for the human “I” to die in order for the Being to be born in us. It is urgent for the Being to receive his crown, which is the resplendent and luminous “I Am.”

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." - Revelation 2:10

After receiving the Crown of Life, the “I” metamorphoses itself into a “deity,” then, internally, this dangerous divine “I” enters into the house of the dead, and little by little is definitively disintegrated. “The house of the dead” is an internal school where the human “I” dies little by little.

The Guardian of the Threshold

The Guardian of the Threshold is the human “I” which later metamorphoses into a divine angelic “I.” After death, following the course of his inner development, the Being abandons the astral and mental bodies. Thus, the Being submerges himself in the starry infinite. Unfortunately, the Guardian of the Threshold (which is the “I”) remains at the threshold of mystery. When the Being returns in order to enter into a new womb, the “I” then comes and continues to build our lunar or inferior Astral Body.

Upon his rebirth, the Being is enveloped anew within mental, astral, ethereal, and physical bodies. These four bodies form a new, innocent personality; unfortunately, little by little the human “I” takes over this new personality until totally controlling it.

The Being is pure, yet the human “I” is a horrible larva. The Being is transparent like crystal, yet the human “I” is monstrous like Satan. The Being is never offended by anything, yet the human “I” is offended by everything. The Being is indifferent before pleasure and suffering, before praise and insult, before victory and defeat, yet the human “I” is offended by everything; it suffers and cries, enjoys and seeks pleasures.

The human “I” always seeks for security, yet the Being is never afraid, and this is why he never seeks for securities. The human “I” is afraid of life, afraid of death, afraid of hunger, afraid of misery, etc. The “I” of humans exploit each other because of fear. They go to war because of fear. They steal and accumulate because of fear. They kill because of fear. They arm themselves because of fear.

The Being is beyond desire, beyond attachment, beyond yearning and fears, beyond death and the intellect, beyond human will, beyond intelligence. The Being is the Tree of Life.

The human “I” becomes intellectual and suffers because of its attachments and fears, because its jealousies and passions, its egotisms and hatreds.

Let us not confuse the human “I” with the “I Am” of which Jesus speaks to us. The human “I” is the larva of the threshold, whereas the “I Am” is the Crown of Life, the resplendent Crown of the Being.

The human “I” speaks of honors, seeks satisfactions, is subject to like and dislike. All imperfection in us is related to the horrible human “I.” The Being is beyond like and dislike, pleasure and suffering, intellect and reasoning.

We have to kill our human “I” in order for our Being to be born in us.

The human “I” enjoys exhibiting powers. Wretched are the initiates who go around prophesying to people; they shall die assassinated because of not knowing how to be silent. The clairvoyant must not get involved with the lives of others, because he can be assassinated.

Gradually, the human “I” dies, and the Being is being born according to the ascension of the Kundalini through the spinal canal. Each of the thirty-three spinal vertebrae demands certain virtues. This means the death of specific defects in each vertebra. This is how the Being is being born in each vertebra, and how the human “I” is dying in each vertebra, little by little. In each initiation, something is born within us. In each initiation, something within us dies.

This is why we call every initiation a birth, because to be born is impossible without dying. It is impossible to be born if it is not through sex. Therefore, whosoever wants to be born has to enter into the womb of a woman, and only in this way is the right to be born attained.

The mere knowledge of the process of the human “I” is useless in terminating the “I.” The Being cannot be born without fire, and without sex, fire cannot awaken. The “I” only dies under the blazing edge of the flaming sword. That sword is the Kundalini, and it awakens only by practicing sexual magic with our spouse.

We have to kill our “I” with the terrific sword of cosmic justice. Thus, the majesty of God can be expressed through us only with the death of the “I.” The sword of justice is the Kundalini. Let us awaken the Kundalini with our spouse.

V.M. Samael Aun Weor (excerpt from “The Greater Mysteries”)