DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to the men
and women who serve their God by activating the good resident in their hearts.
To the promotion of the ideal of true love and the
consolidation of families through the fostering of family ethics and
traditional moral values. To the furtherance of all things conducive to the
betterment of individuals and the advancement of humankind.
To the enhancement of the spirit of goodwill inherent
in the human race and the preservation of all the qualities from the past which
continue to serve the Cause of Good.
To this end, the sincere efforts of the Publishers
and Distributors, and all profits from this book, are dedicated.
FOREWORD
What is presented in this book is a reproduction of one of
several versions which have existed in similar form since World War II, first
in handwritten form and then in typewritten. What is given here was never
intended for multiple or commercial circulation, and there are valid reasons
derived from experience why this should be so. However, believing it to be in
the public interest, it has lately been decided that it should be made
available now, subject to explicit conditions. As far as is known it faithfully
follows the authenticated copy of a handwritten version reproduced early in
this century. This was resurrected in a very dilapidated condition, but has
been transcribed fully as found.
Undoubtedly, in transmission some personal colourations may
have crept in, but the whole, as it stands now, with its imperfections, is,
nevertheless, a reliable and validated medium for bringing a body of spiritual
truths into concrete being. It is the spirit behind the facade that is the all
important factor.
The value of what has been salvaged and preserved here is
not for the present compilers to determine, research or edit. Their obligation
is seen as being true recorders of what is there, others better able may assess
its worth. It is known, however, that some items, which at their face value and
in their context seem of little import, contain within themselves something of
intrinsic value to the spiritually aware. There are hidden depths which
superficial reading will not reveal.
The Kolbrin is tendered for acceptance at its face value
or, more importantly, for its content of spiritual truths which, in any religion,
are presented in a form peculiar to particular faiths. It is the degree of
spiritual content expressed in any religion which establishes its status on the
scale of human spirituality. The lifestyle of its adherents, their accepted
precepts and practices, their moral standards, ethics and social concern are
what determines the worth of any spiritual philosophy.
There have been and may still be, associations of people
who accepted the Kolbrin as the pivot point of their lives, and it is
noteworthy, from what is known, that their lifestyle and the quality of their
lives were enhanced through doing so. People who conduct their lives according
to the precepts of the Kolbrin, in association with others of like mind, will
know just where they stand in relation to these others. Relationships
established among people who are committed to such precepts, whatever their
religious inclinations, are far more firmly founded than others which are based
on philosophies established on patronizing doctrines derived from cheap
products obtained from the spiritual supermarket.
One difficulty has been the fact that the guardians of the
Kolbrin have never been literary folk but simple craftsmen and people far
removed from the scholastic and even commercial world. Although it formulates a
distinctive spiritual philosophy, this book is not claimed to be anything other
than a transmitter of ageless wisdom. It serves the common cause, the common
good and the common man through presentation in a particular form.
The earlier preservation and subsequent compilation of the
Kolbrin was the outcome of independent individual efforts. No one can claim
authorship and the present reconstructors who have compiled the book in its
present form are no more than transmitters who accept in good faith what has
been passed on to them.
Sufficient funds have been received to ensure the
production of the Kolbrin and its subsequent continuance. It is incumbent on
the compilers to ensure the conservation of these funds and to take adequate
steps to entrust them. Irrespective of origins or contributors, the Kolbrin as
a whole and in its present form has been adequately validated and endorsed by
Higher Authorities as being a body of wisdom conducive to spiritual enlightenment.
It embodies essential spiritual truths irrespective of the
manner of presentation. If there are a few extraneous items they are not such
as to affect the intrinsic value of the whole.
Ethically the Kolbrin holds its own with any other body of
literature and it is now offered to persons or groups seeking a philosophical
focal point. This book enters the arena of life at a crucial stage in
humanity's progress towards its destiny, at a time when the average family is
becoming dysfunctional; when traditional values and standards, the concept of
true love and the development of spirituality are under siege. These are the
days of decision, when humankind stands at the crossroad. The Kolbrin will
prove a worthy companion to those who choose to follow the more inspiring and
virile road leading to ultimate enlightenment in the realms of truth and
reality.
May the God of Your Heart be with you along the way.
INTRODUCTION
The Kolbrin, in its present production, incorporates a body
of enlightened teachings which are the treasure of the centuries, a light on
the path of Truth, and as applicable to the world today as they were in the
past. There has, however, been a considerable amount of reconstruction, as the
original writings survived only precariously. Most of what is presented here
was actually salvaged from a pile of discarded manuscripts and was partially
burned and damaged by the weather before being reconstructed into a manuscript
from which this is rewritten. Undoubtedly, additional material has been
incorporated with good intent, to fill gaps and elaborate on the original.
Something may have been lost in the modernization of various parts. The
important point, however, is that this is not intended to be a historical
record, an intellectual work or literary effort, it falls short of these and is
rather a coherent and
consistent body of spiritual teachings. It is on this
aspect alone that it stands or falls. The spiritual truths presented here are
all that matters, the rest can be regarded as an embellishment, a vehicle for
presentation and conveyance.
The message conveyed, whatever its form of presentation, is
always the essential core, and ethically, morally and spiritually the Kolbrin
concedes nothing to other works of a like nature. It should be seen as an
inspirational work, the substance of which can be accepted with confidence and
trust.
While great care was exercised in the past, to ensure that
these transcriptions would be transmitted through the centuries in a form as
unadulterated and unaltered as possible, little is known about the actual
persons or body of people concerned. From what is known, the name 'Kolbrin' was
originally applied to a collection of manuscripts which were salvaged from
Glastonbury Abbey at the time of its burning. The fire, which was arson, was
intended to destroy those manuscripts, but they were secretly housed otherwise
than in the scriptorium and library at the time of the fire. In any event, it
was believed that these 'heretical works' were destroyed, and as it happened
the fire proved to be a good cover for their preservation.
Some of the manuscripts were transcribed, at some time, on
to thin metal plates and, collectively, these were known as 'The Bronzebook of
Britain'. This designation was carried forward when they were written out in
book STITCH from in the seventeenth century. The subject matter was then
divided into chapters and the paragraphs were numbered. The whole was modernized
in the latter part of the nineteenth or early part of the twentieth century.
Incorporated in the modern Kolbrin are manuscripts which were traditionally
clamed to have been copied from salvaged manuscripts which were not transcribed
on to metal plates and formed a work known as 'The Coelbook'.
During the second and third decades of this century these
books were in possession of a religious group in England which was never very
powerful, because requirements for membership were too restrictive. It would
seem that throughout history the Kolbrin has always been on the brink of
extinction, yet it has survived, safeguarded by a few who barely knew what it
was all about, who were neither intellectual nor wealthy and for whom the
practicalities of life took precedence.
Originally, there were twenty-one books, which were said to
be twelve books of Britain, eight books of Egypt and one of the Trojans, but of
their names there is little certainty. Only a portion of these books remains
and it seems that much of historical nature has been trimmed away.
It is known that at the beginning of the fourteenth century
there was a settled community in Scotland under the leadership of one John
Culdy. The old Culdians, who were guardians of what they called 'The Treasures
of Britain', were never numerous and loosely organized, membership being
maintained by itinerant smiths and other craftsmen. They seem to have
previously been loosely known as 'Koferils'. The Kolbrin makes mention of 'Wise
Strangers' and there is a tradition to the effect that these were the original
Culdians (Kailedy). There are other explanations, but the writer is in no
position to express any positive or worthwhile opinion. Does it really matter
anyway? We are told that the Ferilmaster (a word of uncertain meaning) was
Nathaniel Smith, martyred in the beginning of the seventeenth century. This
appears to mark the end of the Old Culdians as a coherent body, but steps were
taken to preserve the Kolbrin. For a long time it was buried or otherwise
hidden, but some time during the early part of the last century, copies were
written out in 'biblical English' and two of the books were in existence just
before the first World War. Since then the various books of the Kolbrin have
suffered many vicissitudes and what remains is only part of the original.
During the last world war the old books were thrown out as
'worthless junk', saved and again discarded as 'heathen works of the Devil',
but luckily, again salvaged before irreparable damage was done. It has not been
easy to reconstitute them, even with the assistance of a more knowledgeable
co-worker who filled in a few gaps with compatible references to modern works.
No doubt, in its present form the Kolbrin leaves much to be
desired. The contents could perhaps have been condensed and much irrelevant
matter deleted, but the compiler considered it his prime duty to preserve and
retain every possible fragment and leave it to others better qualified to sift,
revise and condense.
Obviously, some of the proper names are spelled wrongly,
and some of the original correct ones may have been replaced by others, for it
seems that in the past there was a biased selection of material to be included.
No claim is made regarding historical accuracy, for the compiler is totally unqualified
to voice any opinion in this respect; but, as stated before this is not an
historical work but the corpus of a doctrine and way of life. Whose hands
originally wrote its many parts is unimportant and it is even less important to
know who transcribed it later, though some details appear in the modern
section. The phraseology may be cumbersome and even ungrammatical, because of
the manner in which the biblical form of English has been modernized by one who
has no scholarly pretensions whatsoever. It may be argued that this work should
have been presented in its archaic form, to preserve its authenticity, but the
compiler disagrees, and we concur. The criterion by which any literary work
should be judged is its message and intent, not its format. The words, of
themselves, are sterile, it is the spirit of the whole that give the Kolbrin
meaning and life. What is presented here is an attempt to pass on, as near as
possible in its original form, with all its defects and shortcomings in style
and presentation, something which will be of benefit to all. The original
writers attempted to make words convey something beyond inherent meaning, they
endeavoured to build an edifice of glory out of common clay.
The importance of what is given here lies in what is projected
out of the past into the present lamentable spiritual vacuum; in the help it
can offer to the ordinary man and woman, not in what it offers to the literary
world. On this basis alone these writings must stand to be judged. The worth of
any knowledge is in its value here and now, in present day circumstances. We
know, from the later books of the Kolbrin, that for centuries its contents had
to be kept secret because they may have been misunderstood or found
unacceptable. Perhaps they will fare better now.
This book is resurrected with the sole intent of ranging it
alongside the Forces of Good. Its publication will undoubtedly be difficult,
for such a work can scarcely be deemed to have popular appeal. It deals with
goodness and virtue, courage and mortality, with spiritual ideals and human
aspirations, all unpopular and despised fare in these the Days of Decision. It
seeks to enshrine love in a place beyond clamour and craving of the mortal
flesh, and this alone may be sufficient to call down derision upon it. The same
effort as was put in the piecing together and reconstruction of the Kolbrin,
put into a book pandering to the moral weaknesses of society and exploiting the
jaded, degenerate appetites of modern life, would undoubtedly prove more
popular. But can it be said, even in these morally unwholesome times, that the
value of a publication depends solely on its popular appeal? In the Kolbrin,
the Masters can record only the outcome of their own searching. They found
assurance but cannot convey it directly to others. If others want it they too
must tread the path the Masters trod, a long weary road not for the
faint-hearted. The first step along that road is the study of the moral code
and standard of conduct required.
The next step is to put these into practice, making them
the rule of life. They are the disciplines which enabled the truly enlightened
ones of the past to awaken inner perception and make direct contact with The
Universal Source of Truth. Only by following in their steps can anyone be assured
of a path certain of reaching the desired goal.
Originally, the Kolbrin was in two parts, 'The Open Book'
and 'The Closed Book', the latter being more properly called 'The Great Book of
Eternity', the former being "The Great Book of life". What is presented
here is "The Open Book". Actually, this book contains nothing not
already known, for mankind has never been without guidance. Truth and wisdom
can be no one's monopoly, therefore many things expressed therein are to be
found elsewhere.
Superficially the Kolbrin may appear to be just a jumbled
collection of maxims and old stories, some incomplete, but to judge it from
this standpoint is like analyzing the pigments of the paint in a painting and
counting and classifying the brushmarks to discover what an artist wants to
convey. To understand it fully one must stand off and view it as a whole, even
then comprehension must flow from the heart and mind, not from the eyes.
A society progresses through social evolution, not
revolution, but the woes displayed by present day society indicate that the
evolutionary trend has taken a wrong direction. The standards of the past,
formulated to stabilize society, have been spurned, without any adequate
substitutes being put in their place. That is the tragedy of the times.
To get a more comprehensive view of where our society is
heading, perhaps a better understanding of where we have been is needed. It is
in this context that the Kolbrin is launched, to take its place in the greater
scheme of things.
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