By Chief (Dr.) Kenneth Idiodi, FRC
We live in a dynamic world of change. A world that has become a global village if not indeed a global family. It is also a world of political instability, social malaise and economic depression in many countries-especially the developing nations. Living and functioning as we do in today’s rather hostile environment, a question is often asked: In what way does the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC serve society, serve people in general and contribute to nation building a better world?
This question arises out of a popular notion that in order to serve society, an organization must itself provide some tangible good to each individual, or at least to a large majority of them, as does the Red Cross, the Boys Scouts, the Girls Guide, or the various service clubs. It must be emphasized that these various groups are doing a marvelous job according to their respective missions.
However, it is not necessarily the nature of an educational institution to provide such services. The nature of an educational organization is to develop the hearts and minds of students; to provide society with artisans, technicians, knowledgeable parents, teachers, leaders, public servants or professionals, and especially build character and integrity in these students. These students then touch the rest of society, and bring the benefits of their learning.
Education is perhaps the principal ingredient in the development of a free and enlightened society. As a former Nigerian Head of State the Owelle of Onitsha Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, repeatedly emphasized “show the light and the people will find the way”.
AMORC is an educational organization, so stipulated and defined by its Articles of Incorporation, and by its recognition as such by every government of every land in which it operates. Its educational programme serves to build character and integrity and bring practical knowledge to its members in the following ways:
1) By emphasizing self-reliance: Rosicrucian students are acquainted with natural laws; primarily the law of compensation – that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. There is no getting without giving. There is no reward unearned. There is no achievement without effort. There is no magic nor supernatural power that can override their own determination.
2) By emphasizing the here and now: Rosicrucian students are trained to concentrate on the matters of the day, not to dwell on the past, nor on tomorrow. If today’s responsibilities are properly tended to, tomorrow will take care of itself.
3) By emphasizing positive thinking and open mindedness: Rosicrucian students are encouraged to carry positive and constructive thoughts in all their endeavors; to carry in their hearts, thoughts of goodness, love, kindness, health, and justice. These thoughts emanate from their open mindedness or at least broad mindedness. We have repeatedly said that “the mind is like an umbrella because it functions best when it is open”. Only an open mind can comprehend the modus operandi of the Cosmic laws and principles pervading the Universe. An appropriate understanding of these laws and their practical application make for tolerance, harmony and peace in the general community of which we are a part.
4) By emphasizing the preservation of harmony: Rosicrucian students are taught that harmony is man’s supreme goal; that it is their obligation to bring harmony into their lives and into the lives of those with whom they live; to find harmony through discussion, learning, and sharing with others.
5) By stressing virtue and morality: Rosicrucian students are instructed in the value of right living, based on natural and spiritual laws. The discipline of Nature itself is demonstrated, and again, the natural principle of compensation is emphasized. This instruction provides a clearer picture of universal justice. The student acts rightly because he knows why he must.
6) By its nationwide presence: The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC has several affiliated bodies throughout Nigeria as indeed in many countries, with temples that have facilities such as libraries that are open to members as well as non-members for educational purposes and public enlightenment. The word “lodge” which unfortunately has to some persons become an opprobrium has been used by the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC for several centuries to designate simply a meeting place for the mutual exchange of ideas and intelligence relating to the proper assimilation and practical application of the principles released by correspondence through the official Monographs.
7) By exalting the virtues of service: Rosicrucian students are extolled to serve God and Humanity, that by so doing they serve themselves; that in serve to family, neighbor, and state, they work for the common good, and from the common good they derive sustenance and happiness. This is the basis for our daily, weekly and monthly medifocus sessions as humanitarian programmes. We know that with good thoughts, good words and good deeds we assist God to create a better nation and a better world. We are able to create in our own small sphere as we have been created by God in a larger sphere.
We all know that in recent years and especially due to the falling standards in education as well as the social and economic turbulence of the times, we have been passing through an era when many Nigerians as well as the rest of humanity have become increasingly concerned if not even disenchanted with the trend of human civilization. The erosion of decent customary and traditional practices. The decline in cultural values as well as the ardor and enthusiasm with which shamelessness is paraded in the name of so-called fashion are worrisome trends. On the positive side, our local experience of a depressed economy is exciting the creativity of Nigerians who have now mutually agreed that hitherto we have wasted, misused or underrated the tremendous natural and human resources that the Supreme Intelligence has endowed us with.
The Order is primarily a cultural, educational and philosophical organization and although we are not traditionally identified with the erection of elaborate physical edifices for the general or formal type of education, it must be emphasized that our main purpose is to build creative, resourceful, self-reliant and altruistic human beings who in turn will exercise their Rosicrucian training and initiative constructively in building a better Nation today and tomorrow through their spiritual and material contributions to the larger community of which they are a part. It is now generally acknowledged that the primary, secondary and university education we receive is not only inadequate but regretfully sometimes irrelevant in our practical daily application in terms of self mastery or self-reliance when it comes to squarely facing the problems of life.
Our Rosicrucian programmes of instruction, through the graded monographs and affiliated bodies temple activities such as forum, symposia, workshops, convocations, conclaves and conventions are so enlightening and pragmatic that they fill the gaps in our formal education to provide the Nation with developed soul-personalities who have a wholistic appraisal of factors that are conducive to societal welfare and development. Our intimate attunement with the creative, constructive Cosmic forces and the consciousness of God offers us the unique insight, foresight and intuition for effectively tackling human problems at personal, communal, national and global levels especially with our ready understanding that there is a solution to every problem. Rosicrucians build human beings to build the Nation and promote a better world.
There can be no greater contribution than that really because the best assets of any Nation are its citizens – the individual units that make up the whole. From all the foregoing, it is evident that Rosicrucians are DEPENDABLE NATION BUILDERS and the architects, builders and promoters of a better world Order for humanity.
