Author J. van Rijckenborgh (from the Golden Rosycross) writes a commentary on the daily death in his work, Dei Gloria Intacta. The phrase, “dying daily,” is from a Biblical passage where Paul speaks to proverbially mortifying the flesh daily. By this Paul refers to the negation of the carnal mind, so that the spiritual essence may predominate one’s existence.
Dying daily means breaking up one’s biological consciousness, giving up one’s self-maintenance and one’s lower and speculative desires, disappearance of all animalistic functions, and if the underlying laws of life are then strictly observed, a healthy functional life will result, to last as long as it is necessary. The pupil must be able to make a daily practice of this dying, in order to achieve the resurrection of the heavenly system of vehicles.
Dei Gloria Intacta pg 15
Unless the sheath of the carnal and materialistic nature is removed, one’s consciousness will draw downward into the realm of distraction. There are only two points of view, upwards or downwards, and dependent upon which direction one chooses, that is either their ascent to the spirit, or descent to the martial world. What is not possible is the embodiment of both carnal mind and heavenly mind, as one can not look upwards and downwards simultaneously.
This truth is not something to take as dogma. Sit with our own state of mind after a time of materialism and feel where we are spiritually. We may feel we’re “fine,” but then spend time in separation from the material world (starve it out for a week) and re-evaluate the same question. Certainly there is a difference between one state of mind and the other.
In a prior post (linked below), the notion of awakening the soul was discussed. The Universal Principal (Soul) happens in its own time. Once awakened, it begins the path out of the prison of the life-death-birth cycle.
The process of awakening the Universal Principal is through the daily death. One must begin a process of removing the carnal nature, which feeds into the lower self’s wants and desires. While the material self will remain active as long as we have a body, there is a tipping point of control. As long as the lower self has dominance, one’s consciousness is focused downwards into the material realm.
To align with the magnetic radiation of Spirit, we must life our gaze and turn away from the distractions. If this weren’t the case, than every person who spends 50 hours a week watching TV, or sitting at a bar, would find enlightenment. These activities aren’t evil in themselves, but the focus on the body experience, over the spiritual, will lead to a materialist view.
J. van Rijckenborgh describes this awakening as the resurrection of the real dead man – meaning, not the bodily resurrection, but the sleeping one within. This aspect of self is our true Self and it holds the vehicles of change. For this to rise (resurrection), the materialistic mind must fade away.