The Word of Eternal Silence. 49 Steps of Spiritual Ascent

The Word of Eternal Silence

49 Steps of Spiritual Ascent

Gertcel David

© Gertcel David, 2026

ISBN 978-5-0067-3739-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

INTRODUCTION

We all have moments when we’re happy, when worries recede, everything works out, and we live in harmony with ourselves and the world around us. At such moments, Silence awakens within us. A person may not be aware of it, but it’s precisely its presence that allows us, at least for a while, to experience this incomparable state.

Sages of the past asserted that Silence resides within each of us, albeit dormant. Reaching and awakening it is not easy, but this is the meaning of human life. Literature often features the motif of a knight setting out in search of a sleeping princess, as well as stories of a princess or maiden seeking her betrothed, a prince, or a brother. Despite similar motifs rooted in the depths of centuries, all these stories speak not of the heroes’ external journeys, but of their inner explorations; in other words, the protagonists search within for their other half, the sleeping princess or prince. The plots of all these stories are intended to remind young men and women of their primary mission on earth. But on a deeper level, they speak of the need for self-knowledge, of immersion in one’s inner world, where the key to salvation lies.

By changing our attitude toward our spiritual processes, we transform everything we see around us. Esoteric teachings say that man is a microcosm; everything we see around us in the material world, the macrocosm, is a mirror, a reflection of our internal processes, our emotional state. By eliminating vices in the inner realm, we will see their disappearance in the external, material world as well. This is an ancient rule that has been in effect for millennia. It states: «Transformations on the outside follow changes on the inside.» Enlightened thinkers of the past asserted that all treasures lie within, and the external is a reflection of the internal.

Yes, according to secret teachings, everything important lies within, and by embarking on the path of spiritual development, a person can tap into hidden resources and unlock their potential. Only when a person is imbued with the wisdom of ancient knowledge and embarks on the path of self-development does the realization dawn that they are like the protagonist of another well-known story: a hero who spent his entire life searching for treasure in distant lands, only to find it buried in his own garden. It’s especially worth noting that even if a person achieves success, it’s not the result of external circumstances — it’s a reward for inner work. Many receive this reward unconsciously, having worked off part of their karmic debt or having endured some inner trial.

Unfortunately, the potential of 99.9% of people remains unrealized because their inner world remains unexplored. Sages assert that within each of us lies a spiritual seed that must be nurtured throughout life, but because we have forgotten about it, the seed remains in its infancy.

In some mystical traditions, inner Silence is considered one of the highest attributes of the Creator, a Wisdom that grants harmony and well-being to humanity. This is why the well-known saying goes: «Big money loves Silence.» People of the past knew this, and over time, this ancient knowledge was lost, but fragments of it were preserved in mystical teachings.

Since ancient times, it has been known that to become more successful, a person must find Silence, learn to swim against the current, and dive deeper than others. While most people float on the surface, the most valuable pearls are hidden at the bottom of the sea. This is the path chosen by every successful person, every enlightened one. They persistently pursued their goal, overcoming obstacle after obstacle, and at the right moments, luck was with them.

In addition to financial well-being, the eternal Silence grants its followers a sense of comfort and tranquility. It cares for those who have reached its gates, and at the right moment, it will surely show them how to escape the labyrinth and find spiritual harmony.

«Live in harmony. Don’t look for it outside. Don’t look outside for what can only be within you. Harmony is peace of mind, and it begins with you.»

(Shakyamuni Buddha, founder of Buddhism)

It must be acknowledged that the path to Silence is long and arduous, but those who have completed it are rewarded with everything they desire. However, the hero should be careful with their desires and turn to Wisdom only for important matters, the resolution of which will benefit not only them but all of humanity. Desires should not be abused, for, upon seeing signs of self-interest, the eternal Silence may abandon the spiritual hero or heroine, return to the cave, or disappear into the depths of the sea, like a goldfish.

Let me quote the words of the monk Silouan the Athonite (1866—1938) about eternal Silence:

«There is an eternal Silence, which is also called the Great Silence. It always abides in the world, but the world does not abide in It, for it has forgotten what Silence is. The Great Silence is constant, It is always full and fills all that exists.

This Secret Silence lies at the foundation of all existence. It is always humble and quiet, but in Its presence all restless thoughts, desires, and passions subside. Earthly attachments vanish, all vanity fades, and all pride is humbled.

Silence is meant to create, to make the world a better place, and so it helps those who have managed to curb their vain desires and ambitions. Ancient teachings say that the main obstacle to Wisdom is egoism, vain desires, and vanity. It was precisely with the ego that legendary heroes struggled on their journey to the inner princess, as well as the biblical prophets in the desert before receiving revelations.

To illustrate the importance of eliminating the Ego, I would like to tell the following story.

One day a man came to Buddha and said:

— I want Happiness!

Buddha replied:

— First, remove the «I» — that’s the Ego. Then remove the «I want» — that’s desire. See? Now you’re left with Happiness.

The ego separates a person from true happiness, replacing it with momentary pleasure, which ultimately leads to suffering. Happiness, however, leads to peace. Spiritual seekers must learn to distinguish between these concepts. Pleasure and consumption are what modern society cultivates, while happiness is the product of spiritual work. Happiness is inner Silence; it is not a synthetic product, but a natural one. The more Silence and divine Light a person possesses, the happier they are — that’s the formula.

Hearing the voice of Silence isn’t as easy as it might seem. The barrier, or, as they say, the screen to Silence, are the millions of thoughts swirling in the head. All these thoughts are servants, products of the omnipresent Ego, since the Ego evokes desires and ambitions, and thoughts supposedly suggest how to achieve them. They are like clouds obscuring the sun, so a spiritual seeker must learn to manage their thoughts, and ideally, completely turn them off for a certain period of time in order to hear the Voice of Silence.

«Everything we are is the result of our thoughts.» (Buddha)

As you can see from the quotes above, all who have known the Truth speak of the saving Silence that lies dormant within us. It’s the same voice we don’t hear amidst the endless stream of thoughts and words. Having embarked on the path of enlightenment, the spiritual seeker connects directly with their inner Wisdom, and it, like a guiding star, guides them to their goal, choosing the optimal route, like a GPS on a smartphone.

«When a man does not know to what port he is heading, no wind will be favorable for him.» (Lucius Seneca)

Almost all famous people who achieved recognition without outside help had to travel a difficult path to success. But this is precisely their advantage over others. The effort invested is the path to the top of the pyramid, where eternal Silence resides, or a deep-sea dive to the goldfish that grants cherished wishes. In other words, at some point they received a reward for the distance they traveled. One can inherit both fame and fortune, but in such cases, the principle of «easy come, easy go» often applies. The same applies to inheriting Silence — it can quickly «fall asleep.»

It’s important to know that the path to the top of the pyramid is unique to everyone; no two roads are alike, no formulas apply. Your inner Silence must be found through trial and error. You can read books on the subject, listen to the advice of parents and loved ones, and even spiritual instructors whose advice can shorten your wanderings through the desert, but the main part of the journey must be walked by you; no one else can do it.

As we learn later, according to the secret teaching, it was the forefather Abraham who is considered the first of the great spiritual heroes, since he immediately responded to the call of the Creator and set out on a spiritual journey:

«And the Lord said to Abram, «Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house…«» (Genesis 12:1)

The patriarch Abraham (originally named Abram) did not ignore the Lord’s call. He responded and left his hometown, his community, his father’s house — in other words, he stepped out of his comfort zone to find his purpose in the world, or rather, to fulfill the mission entrusted to him. It’s worth noting that this journey isn’t always physical, but mostly spiritual, a search for one’s inner Light, one’s true self.

Using the example of the first of the patriarchs, Abraham, who believed in a single Creator only at the age of 52, the sages of Kabbalah tell how, even having begun to comprehend the highest wisdom in adulthood, the forefather Abraham was able to correct the mistakes of not only the fifty-two years he had lived, but also those of his previous reincarnations.

On a secret level, this suggests that spiritual seekers should emulate the biblical heroes, elevate their consciousness to a higher level, and climb the pyramid of eternal Silence, symbolized by Mount Sinai in the Pentateuch. As we will learn in subsequent chapters, the path to the summit of Mount Sinai is not easy; it consists of forty-nine spiritual steps.

In ancient Egypt, this was associated with the All-Seeing Eye, the radiant Delta at the top of the pyramid, to which forty-nine spiritual steps led. Other sources, especially ancient Greek and later Roman, particularly the Mysteries of Mithras, speak of seven gates separating seven steps, for a total of forty-nine. It’s no coincidence that the sages of the past spoke of precisely forty-nine steps leading to spiritual enlightenment.

If a person fails to awaken spiritually, they will spend their entire lives wandering the Sinai desert of Holy Scripture. The same fate awaits those in whom the inherited Silence has fallen asleep due to a lack of desire for spiritual development. This is precisely why many wealthy people have stopped leaving their entire fortunes to their heirs, encouraging them to embark on their own path, searching for their own inner divine Light, Silence, and Luck.

«It is absurd to think that anyone other than yourself can make you happy or unhappy.» (Shakyamuni Buddha)

As you will learn later, all enlightened ones strove not for the spontaneous emergence of divine Light, nor for its artificial manifestations, but for the ability to evoke it at their own discretion. It was for this skill in acquiring divine Light that they were called enlightened, in contrast to the ignorant, who wandered in spiritual «darkness.»

What is the advantage of secret knowledge? It allows one to accelerate this process, understand one’s purpose, and navigate the path of many lives within a single one. Without it, the soul of a religious saint and spiritual seeker would require many more reincarnations to escape the cycle of rebirth — the soul, being reborn, would wander the desert for a longer time until it had completed all the stages of spiritual ascent.

It’s important to understand that there are no easy paths to spiritual enlightenment, and anyone who promises to guide you along them is lying. There is only one path — the one trodden by the biblical heroes and other great teachers of humanity. Without careful self-improvement, self-knowledge, and self-control, achieving any results is extremely difficult. The whole world is within us, and most importantly, everything is in our hands.

The book will feature quotes from famous sages of the past, as well as passages from the Bible that explicitly or implicitly speak of divine Silence and its crucial importance in the lives of not only spiritual heroes but also their significant others. Despite the fact that patriarchy predominates in traditional religion, a literal interpretation of Scripture, the secret teaching, as we will later learn, speaks of the exceptional role of women in the destiny of not only men but also the future Savior.

The secret of eternal Silence is revealed to us not only in Scripture; the sages of the East also sought to understand the mystical Light, to hear the Voice of Silence within themselves; we will also become acquainted with their practices on the pages of this book.

As soon as a person embarks on the path of seeking Silence within themselves, changes begin to occur in their outer life. These processes are interconnected. If they previously wandered in the dark, over time they will acquire a candle, then a lantern, and finally a spotlight. One day, the clouds of negative thoughts will clear, and a bright sun will emerge from behind the clouds. Everything around them will bring joy, and they will be imbued with peace.

«Peace is within you, do not look for it outside.» (Shakyamuni Buddha)

As you’ve already understood, a person can inherit Silence, discover it within themselves accidentally, or rely on external factors. But the goal is to do this intentionally, consciously. Only then will it always be there, and at the right time, it will be able to give you valuable advice and show you the right path in the stormy sea of reality.

* * *

Before moving on to the first chapter, let me make a brief digression and tell the background of the manuscript.

The first thing I want to say is that the knowledge presented in this book is intended for spiritual seekers; for those who believe that beyond the material world, there are also higher spiritual worlds. As we will learn in subsequent chapters, the primary difference between the spiritual worlds and the material world is that there is no war or suffering there. Knowing this, enlightened people of all ages renounced violence so that the ideals they extolled would, at a certain moment in history, become dominant on this planet farthest from the Infinite Light (Hebrew: Or Ein Sof).

Aware of the existence of another reality, the enlightened claimed to be guests in the material world and did everything they could to draw a clear line between the soul, the true self, and the body, the shell the soul receives upon arrival in the material world. The great spiritual teachers of humanity asserted that their kingdom was not of this world, since the values they professed — a world equal and just for all — belonged to a higher spiritual world.

It’s especially worth noting that in the book «The Word of Eternal Silence: 49 Steps of Spiritual Ascent,» many excerpts and prophecies from 13th-century esoteric treatises are published for the first time in 800 years. Sages of the past asserted that secret knowledge about the inner world of man does not belong to any one people, but is the heritage of humanity. This knowledge was known in ancient Egypt and the East many millennia ago. Speaking of the Jewish people, after the Exodus from Egypt, they were honored as the guardians of various levels of Holy Scripture, which, of course, included hidden knowledge.

This is why one of humanity’s great teachers says, "...for salvation is of the Jews,» meaning by «salvation» the secret teaching, the custodian of which is the Jewish people. Only this teaching, as happened 2,000 years ago, is capable of reawakening the Savior.

In modern terms, Kabbalah is the best exercise for the mind. This teaching awakens those parts of the mind that remain dormant in most of humanity.

For millennia, earthly rulers persecuted humanity’s spiritual teachers, just as Pharaoh once persecuted the prophet Moses, for their desire to share secret knowledge with the people. The rulers of this world sought to keep humanity in ignorance, at best allowing them only access to religious teachings, which, as history shows, are incapable of awakening the Messiah on their own.

From the following chapters, we learn that, according to enlightened scholars of all ages, esoteric knowledge does not contradict religious knowledge, but rather complements it. They are two parts of a whole, and one without the other cannot develop or awaken the Savior. In other words, they are not enemies, but steps toward spiritual awakening. This is stated in virtually all secret teachings, and elsewhere:

«It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is also a spiritual body.» (1 Corinthians 15:44)

It is no coincidence that all the biblical prophets, great kings, and the twelve apostles were adherents of the same religion, and the main role in this was, of course, played by access to the esoteric interpretation of Scripture.

But, as we’ve said, geniuses are found in virtually every culture, and they are predominantly those who have developed a level of consciousness higher than others. It’s important to understand that without spiritual and mental development, a person will not be able to rise above the conventional «crowd,» climb the steps of the pyramid, and continue wandering in the desert with the rest. Even with the reading of numerous books, the level of one’s consciousness will still not provide any significant advantage. This has been emphasized by enlightened minds throughout history, since spiritual knowledge, unlike intellectual knowledge, is based on personal experience, inner awakening, and self-development.

The need for individual spiritual awakening, the choice of the path of the minority, is spoken of in all true religions, sometimes allegorically, sometimes literally. And if we return to the discussion of the Messiah, as the sages of Kabbalah say, and as the Book of Zohar (Hebrew for «Radiance») alludes to, the key to the revelation of the Savior is the «well» — true, profound knowledge, which all the enlightened find allegorically along their path. The motif of the well appears in the lives of all the patriarchs, as well as the prophet Moses in the land of Media.

The well is an allegory of secret knowledge, a storehouse of profound truths hidden from the uninitiated. Ancient sages paid particular attention to the arrival of biblical heroes at the well, as it marked the beginning of a new stage in their spiritual development. By absorbing the ancient truths, that is, by drinking from the well, the biblical hero or enlightened one elevated their consciousness to a new level, after which they began to awaken the consciousness of those around them.

As we will learn later, secret knowledge symbolizes the highest divine Light. Kabbalah states that this knowledge, as a harbinger of a new era (chariot, retinue), will appear before the arrival of the King of Heaven, preparing the world and humanity for His descent after the Queen, the world soul. In the Gospels, the symbol of this light is John the Baptist (the Forerunner, the Predecessor), who in his sermons instructed the people and foretold the imminent descent of the Savior.

Enlightened people of all nations agreed that the literal interpretation of Holy Scripture is only the first stage in the development of the future Savior of humanity, a spiritual revelation, and the secret teaching is a spiritual awakening.

«Nevertheless, what is spiritual is not first, but what is natural; then what is spiritual.» (1 Corinthians 15:46).

It’s important to note that all the methods described in the book are based on secret teachings and the lives of biblical heroes. The main difference between this mystical knowledge and conventional wisdom is that it is designed to transform the inner world of the spiritual seeker, and subsequently bring about changes in the outer world.

The sages of the past asserted that the purpose of man is to fulfill his mission on Earth and escape the cycle of reincarnation. This is what is spoken of in the allegory of the people of Israel’s arrival in the Promised Land. But everything that pertains to the people also pertains to the individual, as a microcosm.

Let me say a few more words about the future Savior of humanity. Each faith awaits its own Messiah, but esoteric schools teach that this will be a single Savior for all, who will stand against the forces of darkness. Kabbalah emphasizes that no one knows from what people he will come, what his skin color will be, or what his religious affiliation will be, but it is said that he will succeed in defeating the forces of darkness, establishing an equal and just world on earth.

Another important point I’d like to draw your attention to: the secret teaching, unlike traditional religion, states that the Messiah will not be superhuman and will not perform miracles, as many imagine. He will be made of flesh and blood, but at some point, imbued with true ancient knowledge and developing his divine potential, he will lead the people.

CHAPTER ONE

The Path to Eternal Silence

We live in an age of technological progress, and there’s no escaping it. The daily flood of information bombarding us from TV screens and smartphones causes anxiety and worry. As a result, people tire more quickly, have trouble sleeping and resting, and feel a sense of inner emptiness. Over time, self-control becomes increasingly difficult, affecting relationships with friends and family and interfering with daily activities.

Why do anxiety and other unpleasant emotional experiences arise? What is the reason for this? The whole problem is that a person has distanced themselves from their inner Divine Mother, Silence. This can be compared to a young man’s boat sailing away from the quiet harbor of his parents and heading into the unknown, which evokes fear. In other words, the further a person moves away from the Divine Mother dwelling within them, the more anxious they become.

It’s important to note that even wealthy people, who are closer to Silence than others, are not immune to anxiety. While they may not worry about financial matters like the vast majority of the world’s population, they still have many fears. Wealthy people’s concerns are primarily related to the future, the stability of their financial well-being, and how to maintain the standard of living they’ve achieved. But because successful people are closer to Silence, they are less susceptible to the anxieties that ordinary people experience.

The path to the top of the pyramid is open to everyone. The most important thing is to awaken spiritually and follow your earthly mission. This is the only path to happiness and harmony. All other solutions are short-lived or ineffective. Only inner salvation will lead to the transformation of your life in the outer world. This truth is thousands of years old.

It’s important to understand that, in addition to the mother who gave birth to a person, their soul also has a Divine Mother, whom it deeply misses while in the body. This is what causes sudden sadness in people, an inner restlessness without any apparent cause. The root of all problems and anxieties stems from the separation that occurred at the moment of our birth.