Honor: The value of truth
(The mark of worth)

Honor, (sometimes known by many spellings, among which are: honour, honor, onour, onur, hounor, onor, ounour, and honos) is a very difficult quality to explain to another of one's own kind. Usually, if one has it, explanations are unnecessary; and, if one does not have it, explanations are not possible.

A good dictionary will explain it from the viewpoint of a quality and a type of behavior. An example might be:

1. The esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; reverence; veneration (a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country--Matt. xiii. 57);
2. a testimony or token of esteem; any mark of respect or of high estimation by words or actions; as, military honors, civil honors. (Their funeral honors claimed, and asked their quiet graves--Dryden.);
3. dignity; exalted rank or place; distinction; noble appearance (Godlike erect! with native honor clad--Milton);
4. reputation; good name; as, his honor is unsullied.
5. a sense of what is right, just and true; dignified respect for a character springing from probity, principle, or moral rectitude; scorn of meanness.

In all, there are at least 31 levels to the definition of honor. While it is not within the scope of this writing to give so many definitions of honor, it is within the scope of this writing to show the place that honor has as a guide to the twin species: Human. To the wise, honor rests comfortably beside Maat and Genesu.

According to the ancient Magi (they measured the cut of a man by the degree to which the man demonstrated the presence of godliness--Honor, Maat, Genesu), a man could not be called a man if he was not possessed of any of the three graces. If a man did not possess all three, he was not considered worthy; he was but an animal seeking to become human.

Honor, however, must allow the animal free speech. Also, for he who possesses honor, in one's mind one must also allow animals the right of their opinion. This means that one should not think them inferior or stupid if they hold an opinion that is different from what could be expected from a human. To think of someone, even an animal, as being inferior because of his thoughts would mean that the listener has stopped viewing the speaker as a person, and now looks at them as the idea that they presented. In any case, this thought pattern is not honorable; it is not indicative of a mind that truly feels that each is entitled to his own opinion.

Emotions are another stumbling block to truly honoring one's beliefs. In the above example, one might begin to dislike or even hate the proponent of what you feel is an inappropriate ideal. Again, this is not indicative of a mind that truly honors the belief that all are entitled to their own opinion. It is indicative of a mind that honors the belief that all are entitled to their own opinion as long as the opinion that is presented agrees with one's own.

If anyone would know the meaning of honor, let them study the following discourse:

1. do your own thinking, and never do anything that you feel or think is wrong; such that, always be true to your own inner values; such that, as you live your life, do as little harm to others as is possible;
2. never claim victories that you know in your heart are not truly victories; such that, grieve always the loss of innocence that lies within;
3. Regardless of how the outside world perceives your victories or losses, your behavior must always be true to your own perceptions; such that, it gains you not honor to let the excessive ego claim what is not his;
4. Always remember that to be an instrument for another's pain or death does no one honor--regardless of the circumstances; such that, what you view in your enemy that causes dislike, you truly view in yourself, as, each in his time will play the same role.

Further, realize that there will always be some more capable and some less capable than yourself in all things, in any given activity. In time, each will occupy all points along the continuum of beingness. Therefore, think not in terms of victory and loss, but think in terms of an interaction where both have the opportunity to learn and grow--remember, the greatest gift that can be given another is the gift of self, the gift of understanding, the gift of a recognition of being of one's own kind.

The attitude of victory or loss, if held incorrectly, and/or the lack of honor will bar all doors leading to the higher realms. However, the attitude of interactions for growth's sake, by itself, will not necessarily open all doors.

Let the true seeker create high ideals for himself/herself and begin to live by these ideals. Bend them for no one, but however great these ideals may be, force them not upon another.

To maintain honor and other ideals, it is necessary to attach the highest value to the value system's Maat, Genesu, and Honor; as, it is they who will be the seeker's true guide into life's Predestiny. The higher the value, the quicker change will be accomplished. Just as money is only paper until Man places a great value on it, wisdom is just words until the seeker places great value on those words.

When all is said and done, no individual can escape from the cares of Honor with respect to The Alliance of The Rule. Upon this level of Honor, we discover that the boarders of honor are respect and love.

In the strictest sense of the concept's job, the presence of, or, the absence of honor in an individual's illusions is, indeed, the gateway, the Karmic Key which activates the powers of the Ankh, whose powers allow travel between this plane of existence and the Astral planes.

There is an old saying, "Honor dies where interest lies". This is not to say that one's interest in things will automatically destroy one's honor. It does not even mean the process of having self-interests will destroy one's honor. It means only that an individual must be ever alert to make sure that self-interest becomes not more important than the interest of the whole. Unfortunately, the many subtle ways self-interest obtains a foothold into the concerns of life demand that the individual become a Sentinel of the highest order.

A Sentinel of the highest order dictates that an individual be forever on guard against one's deception--honor is quite fragile, at best. There is no time when honor can safely be sacrificed and still be retained in the name of rest; nor is there a time when honor can be safely set aside for a moment because of the special needs required by the service to the dutiful demands of the Sentinel. The Sentinel must drive a steady course through the mire of life's currents and eddies. While keeping a watchful eye upon self-interest, a more penetrating eye must be kept upon the needs of others--one of the prime sources for self-deception.

However, self-interest is extremely important for an individual's well being. Success in anything requires the presence of not only self-interest, it requires the presence of self-motivation, as well. The point is to not lose sight of goals which will indeed benefit all concerned in favor of goals that will only serve the self. Still, the individual has to look out for himself, but not at the expense of his honor. The Sentinel must always remember that the best working definition for honor is: the value that is applied to truth.

Like an elaborate cobweb, the threads of honor go in many directions. Threads of honor govern many levels of understanding. While they might seem backwards, the following are the six points of power that are assigned to honor:

1. The first level of honor must, by necessity, go to one's self (all that is, all that could be must, by the very nature of creation, be experienced within the envelope of self, if it is to be experienced at all).
2. The second level of honor must go to one's commitments (both said and implied by behavior. There is indeed truth to the old saying that an individual is only as good as his/her word).
3. The third level of honor must go to the interactions one has with the needs of the planet upon which one lives; this level will not only care for the needs of the other members of one's species, it will determine the quality of life for all who share the living planet--it must be served before any other following levels if the species is to come to know peace.
4. The fourth level of honor should be to one's parents (remember, there's a big difference between honoring one's parents and being one's parents' slave. An offspring always owes one's parents honor; albeit, respect must be earned).
5. The fifth level of honor should be placed within the Fellowship of Man; caring for the welfare of all who reside in your city will make for a better place for all to live. If one individual is denied rights that are enjoyed by others, than no one's rights are secured from prejudice--it is only a matter of time before the rights that the favored enjoy will be removed; then, each can expect to receive what they gave to others. In other words, what goes around, comes around. When an individual casts bread upon the waters, for weal or for woe, the deed shall return a thousand fold.
6. The sixth level of honor should be placed upon the needs of your country--the best strength a country can have is made stronger by the bonds of trade that exist between the different parts of that country. The free trade between countries will make each country stronger, still. It must be remembered that the less need there is to migrate from one country to another to enjoy a quality life, the more secure the countries' borders become. If each can enjoy their place in the sun, strife will not reside in that country.

While the first of the six points of the power of honor places the individual first, as species, we must recognize that we all must move forward, not just a select few; if we ignore the special needs of those who are less fortunate, we do ourselves not honor. The honoring of just ourselves results in the destruction the very foundations of honor. Remember, all six points must be present, in balance, if honor is to be present in one's life.

To gain honor is to gain respect. To gain respect is to gain responsibility. No single individual lives in a vacuum; in that, an honorable, respected individual draws in those around him with certain expectations and demands. An individual's responsibilities gain more power with this phenomenon of unity with the whole. The more respect, the more power; the more honor, the more power; the more power, the greater the chances for possible success. As well, the more power, the greater the chances for self-deception--there is a difference between the power one has and the feeling one has of self-importance.

A paradox in its own right, the Triunity of honor, respect, and power wield forces that can swirl an individual into the clutches of the Dark Forces of individuality, if the feeling of self-importance is left unguarded. The force that propels the individual to fame [and thus to destruction] is the same force that allows the individual to be humble in the face of power, thus propelling him/her to even greater heights.

Honor is, at the same time, elusive, yet attainable. Honor is, at the same time, abstract, yet solid. It is not possible for an individual to accidentally sacrifice honor. The limits that separate the boundaries of honor from being self-serving are very clear. The responsibility of each, if they are to remain honorable, lies in not only maintaining those boundaries, but living within them with a contented heart. Sadly, however, honor, if truth would speak, is a simple matter; but, like so many other paradoxical truths, its complexity seems to defy its simplicity.

"An individual who sought to become a Magi once asked his teacher: "Master, what is the good of honor if by being honorable I cannot get the things that I want?"

"To which, the teacher replied: "What is the good of getting all that you want upon this level of experience if you discover that the things that you thought you wanted were but shadows of the things that you really wanted?"

"The Student then replied: "Master, if I discovered this to be true, would I not then discard the shadows of truth to follow the new light... In the discarding of the shadows of truth, would I not then have the ability to recognize the value of truth?"

"To this, the teacher replied: "Grasshopper, how can you know the value of truth if you do not know the value of honor?"

"The student thought for awhile, then replied: "Master, why would I need honor? Is it not sufficient for me to know what I feel? It is not true that to ascend to a greater level of wisdom one only needs to know the value of truth?"

"The teacher smiled, then replied: "Grasshopper, why have you come here?"

The student replied: "I seek to escape the trap that binds my Karma to the lower levels of the Earth experience..."

"The teacher again smiled: "Is it possible to gain passage from one level to another and still hold onto the cravings of the lower level?"

"The student replied: "No, Master. To enter a higher realm, one must leave the cares of the lower world behind...," There was a moment's silence, "I must leave the shadows behind... I must recognize truth in all its forms... Is it then true that the price for passing through the desired door is to know... honor is but the value of truth!"

"The teacher replied: "You have gained wisdom, Grasshopper, you have gained wisdom."