Impatience and Self-Justification

Restlessness, uneasiness, the lack of patience and serenity are a hindrance, obstacle, impediment for the esoteric work and the Intimate Self-Realization of the Being. The ‘I’ is impatient, restless by nature; it has always the tendency to become enraged, angry, furious, fiery, irritated, upset. The Ego does not know how to wait; therefore, it is unquestionable that it fails.

Parsifal Unveiled, 1970 also in Anger

As a rule, those who have recently entered Gnosis are full of impatience; they want immediate phenomenal manifestations, instantaneous refolding, illumination, wisdom etc.

The Perfect Matrimony, 1950 (ed. 1966) also in Anger

The systems of the Revolution of the Dialectic will seem very lengthy to impatient people. However, another way does not exist. Those who want fast and immediate changes, in the psychological and social order, create rigid norms, dictatorships of the mind, they do not ‘aspire to others knowing how to think but rather dictate what has to be thought.

The Revolution of the Dialectic

The Gnostic needs much patience because any act of impatience leads him to failure. On the path of the Revolution of the Dialectic, one needs patience, will and absolutely conscious faith.

The Revolution of the Dialectic

Impatience, in these studies, is prejudicial to our neophytes. If they want to make serious progress, they must become serious. A serious man who has not acquired patience cannot be conceived. Jesus the Christ said: “In patience you will possess your souls”. A good dose of patience is needed when we get stuck with this and that “I”. It is urgent to become more conscious of ourselves, in thoughts, in feelings, in words.

The Fifth Gospel Of the False Personality also in Anger

The impatient ones remain stagnated and fail forever. I am not saying that you will not go through processes of stagnation. Obviously, those processes will be there, but if you arm yourself with patience, you will get out of such states.

The Fifth Gospel Of the False Personality

When we get home, we must immediately concentrate profoundly on the fact of the incident, and if we delve into the underlying motives that made us act in that way and in that manner, and that made us scold the employee, the lad, because he did not bring us what we had asked for, we come to discover our own self-importance, that is, we have come to think that we are very important.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in Anger, Pride, The Science of Meditation, Vanity

Obviously, we had within us that which is called conceit, pride, irritability, impatience. Therein lies several defects. Impatience is a defect, conceit is another defect; self-importance, feeling that we are very important, therein lies another defect; pride, feeling that we are grand and looking down on the lad who was serving us. All these reasons made us behave in an inharmonious way.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in Anger, Pride

Today, for example, when repeating one of those events in my life, I am sure that I would no longer go to the stake nor to the execution wall nor anything like that. Why? Because today, by not having those “I’s” of anger, of impatience anymore, I would listen to the inquisitor serenely, impassively; I would comprehend the state in which he is, I would keep complete silence, no reaction would come out of me; and as a result, nothing would happen, that is clear; I could leave calmly, without problems.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in Anger

Possessing the soul is something very different. But it is written: “In patience you shall possess your souls”. There are “I’s” which are very difficult to eliminate, terrible defects, “I’s” that are in relation to the Law of Karma. When we get to this, it seems as if we stop advancing, and obviously, we do, but with infinite patience, eventually, the elimination of these “I’s” is achieved.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in The Law of Karma

Patience and serenity are extraordinary faculties or magnificent virtues necessary to advance on this path of radical transformation. In my book The Three Mountains, I speak precisely about the matter of patience and serenity.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE

One day, being in the monastery, one group of impatient brothers waited for the Abbot, for the Hierophant, but he was late; and the hours passed by, and he was late, everyone was anxious. There were some Masters there; Masters, I clarify, very respectful ones, but full of impatience. They paced inside the hall; they came and went, they pulled their hair, they scratched the head, and they pulled their beards impatiently. I remained serene, calm, patiently waiting. Those little impatient brothers only made me curious; I remained calm.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in Anger

Everybody was left perplexed. Immediately after, the Master had brought an orange –which is a symbol of hope– and gave it to me, approv-ing me; I was approved to enter the Second Mountain which is the one of the Resurrection. The others, the impatient ones, were postponed.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE

I was then summoned to another monastery to sign some papers that I had to sign, and I did so. Later on, I went to that monastery, signed the papers, esoteric instructions were given to me and I was admitted to the studies of the Second Mountain. And those companions, at this time, are still struggling to achieve patience and serenity, for they did not have it.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE

You see how important it is to be patient, to be serene. Thus, when one is working on the dissolution of an “I”, and in no way does he succeed in dissolving it, it is because it has become very difficult –there are “I’s” like that, which are related to karma– there is no other choice but to multiply his patience and serenity until he succeeds. But many are impatient, they want to immediately eliminate this or that “I”, without paying the corresponding price, and this is absurd.

The Fifth Gospel The Exercise of SELF-KNOWLEDGE also in Anger, The Law of Karma

At lunch a friend brought me a copy of the defence that has been presented by my lawyer, asking for my immediate freedom. The defence is magnificent, and I believe I will triumph. However, I am not impatient, I have reached the conclusion that serenity is a true armour that makes us strong and powerful. Anxious to know my immediate future, I open the Bible, and read the following verse: “ But now the Lord says, “In three years, like the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who survive will be very few and feeble.”” (Is.16: 14).

Secret Notes of a Guru, 1952

Only the one who knows how to be serene, to work and to be patient can be saved. Only the Intimate Lord can deliver Israel, which means, deliver all the independent and Self-conscious parts far away from all afflictions.

Pistis Sophia Unveiled, 1983 also in The Intimate Christ

Self-conscious teachers teach their students with supreme patience, helping them to comprehend their individual difficulties, so that in comprehending they are able to transcend all their errors and successfully progress.

Fundamental Education, 1970

People have their consciousness asleep and do not realize that they are envious, cruel, covetous and jealous, and if they happen to realize all of this they justify themselves, they condemn and look for excuses, but do not comprehend.

Fundamental Education, 1970 also in Envy

It does not matter what devilry people perform, each person believes that what he is doing is good. People find justification even for the worst of crimes. If the drunkard is sad, he drinks because he is sad. If the drunkard is happy, he drinks because he is happy. The drunkard will always justify the vice of alcoholism. All people are like this; they find justification for every crime, nobody considers oneself perverse, all people claim to be upright and honest.

Fundamental Education, 1970

Young people, reckless, impetuous and irresponsible, abound like weeds. The profligate ego always justifies its pleasures.

Fundamental Education, 1970

The Being loves always equity, righteousness. He is impartial, upright, just. He wants legality, that which is legitimate. He cultivates virtue and sanctity. He is precise in all things, faultless, complete. He longs for precision, punctuality. On the other hand, the Ego always try to justify and to excuse its own crimes, it is never punctual, it has a fervor for subornation, it is accustomed to bribing and corrupting the tribunals of human justice. 25. Hail, thou, Spirit, who comest forth from Unes, thou with sharp speech, I have not stirred up strife.

Parsifal Unveiled, 1970 also in The Being Is the Being

By means of the mechanisms of fantasy, we always justify our worst infamies, we elude responsibilities, we look for escapes, we indulge ourselves, we consider ourselves to be the best and we believe ourselves to be just and perfect.

The Secret Doctrine of Anahuac, 1974 also in Hypocrisy, Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition

The majority of us ostensibly find such excuses, and it is because of this, under the stubborn and subtle activity of justifying the self with the complicity of mechanical imagination, that, in reality, we would never suspect the innermost existence of these very natural psychological errors.

The Secret Doctrine of Anahuac, 1974 also in Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition

Such a person will consider each thought, sentiment, desire, emotion, passion, affection, etc. as different and unchangeable functionalisms of his own nature and will even justify himself before others saying that such and such personal defects are of a hereditary nature.

Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, 1975

The mind can never annihilate a psychological defect. The mind can hide the psychological defect from itself, justifying it, condemning it, hiding it from the others, and labeling it with distinct names. However, it can never fundamentally alter the defect. If we want to atomically disintegrate the psychic aggregates, which we carry within our interior, then we need a power that is superior to the mind.

Pistis Sophia Unveiled, 1983 also in The Mind, Whose Veil No Mortal Has Lifted

But with this which I am saying, it could happen that immature people say: “Well, I leave my wife and I go with that woman because it is right, is it not? It is a question of karma.” There is always the tendency to take wisdom and adapt it to one’s way; everyone wants to adapt the doctrine to their way to justify their crimes.

The Fifth Gospel The Hidden Facets of our Lunar Psychology Third Chamber – Mexico City – 1976

I know very well my friends, the diverse forms of intellectualization that you have, your escape routes, your evasives, your distinct justifications, your reactions, your resistances, the desire of always making everything that has the flavor of Ego stand out.

Yes, There Is a Hell, a Devil and Karma, 1973 also in The Secret Weapon of the Ego

Thus, I told you that the Ego of each one of you in no way wants to cease to exist. I am amazed that you have the patience to be listening to me; I am even surprised, because the Ego of each one of you must be seeing me as a terrible demon. It is obvious: I am “death” for you, my true name is “death” for the Ego of each one of you; that cannot please the Ego. Obviously, you receive the words and say: “Well, this is no time to die; a little later on.” “We have to be patient, someday I’ll get there.” “Perhaps the Master is right; perhaps he is blowing things out of proportion.” That is, the Ego tries in many different ways to evade what is coming for it: death. The Ego does not like that skull of death; it wants to live, in no way is it willing to cease to exist.

The Fifth Gospel Seriousness in the Esoteric Work Third Chamber – Mexico City also in Psychological Death

But if you observe all the excuses they give, you will realize that they have only one cause, one reason: to justify. Because, of course, Maithuna implies, in fact, a terrible series of super-efforts, and the animal Ego does not like that kind of super-efforts, and much less when it comes to the terrain of pleasure. The animal Ego wants to continue enjoying lust, fornication. What does the Ego do then? It finds an excuse: “That this is very dangerous; that you should not enter this path.”

The Fifth Gospel Practical Solutions Against Collective Hypnotism Third Chamber – Mexico City – 1976 also in Lust and Chastity

Why does the Ego talk like that? Well, to justify its own weakness. The Kundalini? No, no, developing the Kundalini is extremely dangerous! What do they want with that? To justify weakness, fear.

The Fifth Gospel Practical Solutions Against Collective Hypnotism Third Chamber – Mexico City – 1976 also in Fear

Karma is a medicine that is applied to us for our own good; unfortunately, people instead of bending down reverently before the living eternal God, protest, blaspheme, they justify themselves, they excuse themselves foolishly and they wash their hands like Pilate. With such protests, karma is not modified; on the contrary it becomes harsher and more severe. We demand fidelity from the spouse when we ourselves have been adulterers in this life or in previous lives.

Yes, There Is a Hell, a Devil and Karma, 1973 also in The Law of Karma

Pilate, the demon of the mind, always washes his hands, always declares himself innocent, is never to blame, constantly justifies himself to himself and to others, he seeks excuses, means of evading his own responsibilities, etc.

The Great Rebellion, 1975 also in Hypocrisy, The Great Rebellion, The Three Traitors

If we comprehended all this, if we were capable to eliminate the undesirable elements that we carry within us, life would be very different. But we do not want to see our own errors, we unfortunately always find justification for any bad action. We are like Pilate, we live washing our hands incessantly and saying: “No, I am not to blame.” We never want to acknowledge our errors, we are never to blame.

The Fifth Gospel The Mind and Ethics of Resurrected Masters Third Chamber – Mexico City – December 31. 1975 also in The Three Traitors

When the multiplicity of our errors is accepted as something factual, yet one discards the necessity of study and direct observation of the errors, it is an evasion or escape, an escape from oneself, a form of self-deceit.

Treatise of Revolutionary Psychology, 1975 also in Lying, The Many I’s

This is the harsh reality of the facts. We are full of contradictions, and what is most serious is that we know that we are full of contradictions, and we managed to hide from ourselves. We do a multitude of acrobatics there, with the thought, to try to always justify our contradictions.

The Fifth Gospel Magic and Experimental Psychology Public Lecture – 1976

If we say that we are going to do a business and then we say no, we justify ourselves: “Yes, well, it is not for me, it is that after reflecting well on it, no, it does not work for me.” But why did he not reflect on it before? That does not occur to him to think about that. The harsh reality is that the “I” that had thought about the business was displaced by another that has nothing to do with the business.

The Fifth Gospel Magic and Experimental Psychology Public Lecture – 1976 also in The Many I’s

The mind can label a defect with different names, it can call it jealousy, or it can even afford to say: “No, it is not jealousy. It is only preven-tion, precaution. No, what happens is that I have to take care of her. She is very delicate and, suddenly, there is someone who deceives her.” Well, it is nonsense that the mind uses it to justify itself. At any given moment, jealousy can justify itself in multiple ways, but if we leave aside justifications and evasiveness and we reflect and understand, we comprehend better.

The Fifth Gospel Magic and Experimental Psychology Public Lecture – 1976 also in Jealousy

The disciple –let us now symbolically call him Justinian– how many times has he justified himself? He is convinced that he is doing very well, maybe lately he has improved somewhat. Has he not perhaps protested at certain moments? Has he not perhaps protested in front of the altar of sacrifice? He feels undefeated; he is sure that he has never protested and that he has always done everything in favor of the Great Cause, without ever failing.

The Fifth Gospel Fantasy as Illness also in Hypocrisy

Naturally, the only cause of all of these words of self-consolation and self-consideration is their own self-justification.

Runic Magic, 1969 also in Hypocrisy, Pride

Unfortunately, people –as I have told you– live only in a small part of themselves. They do not see the whole picture, they only see a comer of it. Each one has forged a depiction of oneself: the depiction of the honorable man, the depiction of the virtuous lady –even if she is not, but she believes she is virtuous–, the depiction of the charitable gentleman, etc. According to that depiction, one conditions one’s existence, and from there he acts and reacts incessantly. There lies all of his pettiness, criticism and censure, but he believes he is perfect.

The Fifth Gospel The Hidden Facets of our Lunar Psychology Third Chamber – Mexico City – 1976 also in Criticism of Others, Hypocrisy

Unfortunately, the Ego exerts an extraordinary fascination upon our own Consciousness. Listening to me, many of you will say that I am too pessimistic, you will put your hand on your heart to say: “Well, I’ve made some progress”. Each one will look for some justification for his conduct, for his way of being, because no one wants to recognize the truth, to recognize that he is a wretch.

The Fifth Gospel The Verticality of Existence First Gnostic Youth Encounter – Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico – July 10. 1975 also in Fascination, Identification

The terms good and evil always serve to justify or condemn our own errors.

Fundamental Education, 1970

To justify or condemn does not mean to comprehend.

Fundamental Education, 1970

Now, there is a marked tendency toward self-consideration. Many people who apparently live a chaste life, suddenly fornicate due to self-consideration, and justify themselves by saying: “Yes, it was a necessity to have to fornicate”, etc.

The Fifth Gospel The Two Sides of Human Virtues Lecture – Interview – Mexico City – 1977 also in Lust and Chastity, Pride

A certain woman who committed adultery – who committed the crime of adultery–, on some occasion justified her crime by saying: “Yes, it’s just that my husband did not satisfy me sexually, right? And I had to find another person with whom I could satisfy a very natural, very normal need.” In other words, she justified her crime, and it seemed to her that she had not committed any fault.

The Fifth Gospel The Two Sides of Human Virtues Lecture – Interview – Mexico City – 1977 also in Lust and Chastity, Pride