Theosophy is this direct knowledge of God; the search after this is the Mysticism, or Esotericism, common to all religions, thrown by Theosophy into a scientific form, as in Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman Catholic Christianity, and Sufism. Like these, it teaches in a quite clear and definite way the methods of reaching firsthand knowledge by unfolding the spiritual consciousness, and by evolving the organs through which that consciousness can function on our earth –once more, the methods of meditation and of a discipline of life.
Hence it is the same as the Science of the Self [Atma-vidyä], the Science of the Eternal [Brahma-vidyä] which is the core of Hinduism; it is “the Knowledge of God which is Eternal Life” which is the essence of Christianity. It is not a new thing, but is in all religions, and hence we find the late eminent Orientalist, Max Müller, writing his well known work on Theosophy, or Psychological Religion.
THE SECONDARY MEANING
Theosophy, in a secondary sense –the above being the primary –is the body of doctrine, obtained by separating the beliefs common to all religions from the peculiarities, specialities, rites, ceremonies and customs which mark off one religion from another; it presents these common truths as a consensus of world-beliefs, forming, in their entirety, the Wisdom-religion, or the Universal Religion, the source from which all separate religions spring, the trunk of the Tree of Life from which they all branch forth.
The name Theosophy, which as we have said, is Greek, was first used by Ammonius Saccas, in the third century after Christ, and has remained ever since in the history of religion in the West, denoting not only Mysticism, but also an eclectic system, which accepts truth wherever it is to be found, and cares little for its outer trappings.
It appeared in its present form in America and Europe in 1875, at the time when Comparative Mythology was being used as an effective weapon against Christianity, and, by transforming it into Comparative Religion, it built the researches and discoveries of archaeologists and antiquarians into bulwarks of defence for the friends of religion, instead of leaving them as missiles of attack for its enemies.
THE MYSTERIES.......by Annie Besant
This inner, or esoteric, side of religion is found in all the great faiths of the world, more or less explicitly declared, but always existing as the heart of the religion, beyond all dogmas which form the exoteric side. Where the exoteric side propounds a dogma to the intellect, the esoteric offers a truth to the Spirit; the one is seen and defended by reason, the other is grasped by intuition –that faculty “beyond the reason” after which the philosophy of the West is now groping. In the religions that have passed away it was taught in the “Mysteries”, in the only way in which it can be taught –by giving instruction how to pursue the methods which unfold the life of the Spirit more rapidly than that life unfolds in natural and unassisted evolution; we learn from classical writers that in the Mysteries the fear of death was removed, and that the object aimed at was not the making of a good man –only the man who was already good was admissible –but the transforming of the good man into a God.
Such Mysteries existed as the heart of the religions of antiquity, and only gradually disappeared from Europe from the 4th to the 8th centuries, when they ceased –for want of pupils.
We may find many traces of the Christian Mysteries in the early Christian writers, especially in the works of S. Clement of Alexandria and of Origen, under the name of “The Mysteries of Jesus”.
The condition of high morality was made here, as in the Greek Mysteries: “Those who for a long time have been conscious of no transgression … let them draw near”. Indications of their origin and existence are found in the New Testament, in which the Christ is said to have taught His disciples secretly –“Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to others in parables” –and these teachings, Origen maintains, were handed down in the Mysteries of Jesus; S. Paul also declares that “we speak ‘wisdom’ among them that are ‘perfect’ –two terms used in the Mysteries.
Islam has its secret teachings –said to have been derived from Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed –to be found by meditation and a discipline of life, methods taught among the Sufis.
Buddhism has its Sangha, within which again by meditation and a discipline of life, the inner truth is to be found.
Hinduism, both in its scriptures and its current beliefs, asserts the existence of the supreme and the lower knowledge, the latter to be gained by instruction, the former, once more, by meditation and a discipline of life. It is this which makes the supreme knowledge “esoteric”; it is not deliberately veiled and hidden away, but it cannot be imparted; it can only be gained by the unfolding of a faculty, of a power to know, of a mode of consciousness, latent in all men, but not yet developed in the course of normal evolution.
This shows itself sporadically in the Mystic, often in erratic fashion, often accompanied with hysteria, but even then, is none the less an indication –for the clear-sighted and unprejudiced –of a new departure in the long evolution of human consciousness. It is brought to the surface sometimes by exceptional purity: “the pure in heart …shall see God”.
Startling eruptions of it into ordinary life are seen in such cases of “sudden conversion” as are recorded by Prof. James. [Varieties of Religious Experience]. The spiritual consciousness is a reality; its witness is found in all religions, and it is stirring in many today, as it has stirred in all ages. Its evolution in the individual can only be gently and deliberately forced, ahead of normal evolution, by the meditation and the discipline of life alluded to above. For esotericism in religion is not a teaching, but a stage of consciousness; it is not an instruction, but a life. Hence the complaint made by many, that it is elusive, indefinite; it is so to those who have not experienced it, for only that which has been experienced in consciousness can be known to consciousness.
Esoteric methods can be taught, but the esoteric knowledge to which they lead, when successfully followed and lived, must be won by each for himself. We may help to remove obstacles to vision, but a man can only see with his own eyes.
Such Mysteries existed as the heart of the religions of antiquity, and only gradually disappeared from Europe from the 4th to the 8th centuries, when they ceased –for want of pupils.
We may find many traces of the Christian Mysteries in the early Christian writers, especially in the works of S. Clement of Alexandria and of Origen, under the name of “The Mysteries of Jesus”.
The condition of high morality was made here, as in the Greek Mysteries: “Those who for a long time have been conscious of no transgression … let them draw near”. Indications of their origin and existence are found in the New Testament, in which the Christ is said to have taught His disciples secretly –“Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to others in parables” –and these teachings, Origen maintains, were handed down in the Mysteries of Jesus; S. Paul also declares that “we speak ‘wisdom’ among them that are ‘perfect’ –two terms used in the Mysteries.
Islam has its secret teachings –said to have been derived from Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed –to be found by meditation and a discipline of life, methods taught among the Sufis.
Buddhism has its Sangha, within which again by meditation and a discipline of life, the inner truth is to be found.
Hinduism, both in its scriptures and its current beliefs, asserts the existence of the supreme and the lower knowledge, the latter to be gained by instruction, the former, once more, by meditation and a discipline of life. It is this which makes the supreme knowledge “esoteric”; it is not deliberately veiled and hidden away, but it cannot be imparted; it can only be gained by the unfolding of a faculty, of a power to know, of a mode of consciousness, latent in all men, but not yet developed in the course of normal evolution.
This shows itself sporadically in the Mystic, often in erratic fashion, often accompanied with hysteria, but even then, is none the less an indication –for the clear-sighted and unprejudiced –of a new departure in the long evolution of human consciousness. It is brought to the surface sometimes by exceptional purity: “the pure in heart …shall see God”.
Startling eruptions of it into ordinary life are seen in such cases of “sudden conversion” as are recorded by Prof. James. [Varieties of Religious Experience]. The spiritual consciousness is a reality; its witness is found in all religions, and it is stirring in many today, as it has stirred in all ages. Its evolution in the individual can only be gently and deliberately forced, ahead of normal evolution, by the meditation and the discipline of life alluded to above. For esotericism in religion is not a teaching, but a stage of consciousness; it is not an instruction, but a life. Hence the complaint made by many, that it is elusive, indefinite; it is so to those who have not experienced it, for only that which has been experienced in consciousness can be known to consciousness.
Esoteric methods can be taught, but the esoteric knowledge to which they lead, when successfully followed and lived, must be won by each for himself. We may help to remove obstacles to vision, but a man can only see with his own eyes.
Jesus passes the second brotherhood test, and receives the second degree, JUSTICE.
THE Logos did not care to rest; he said, Why wait in this luxurious room? I need not rest; my Father's work upon me presses hard. 2 I would go on and learn my lessons all. If there are trials, let them come, for every victory over self gives added strength. 3 And then the guide led on, and in a chamber, dark as night, was Jesus placed and left alone; and days were spent in this deep solitude. 4 And Jesus slept, and in the dead of night a secret door was opened, and, in priest's attire, two men came in; each carried in his hand a little flickering lamp. 5 Approaching jesus, one spoke out and said, Young man, our hearts are grieved because of what you suffer in these fearful dens, and we have come as friends to bring you light, and show the way to liberty. 6 We once, like you, were in these dens confined, and thought that through these weird, uncanny ways we could attain to blessedness and power; 7 But in a luckful moment we were undeceived, and, making use of all our strength, we broke our chains, and then we learned that all this service is corruption in disguise. These priests are criminals just hid away. 8 They boast in sacrificial rites; they offer to their gods, and burn them while alive poor birds, and beasts; yea, children, women, men. 9 And now they keep you here, and, at a certain time, may offer you in sacrifice. 10 We pray you, brother, break your chains; come, go with us; accept of freedom while you may. 11 And Jesus said, Your little tapers show the light you bring. Pray, who are you? The words of man are worth no more than is the man himself. 12 These temple walls are strong and high; how gained you entrance to this place? 13 The men replied, Beneath these walls are many hidden ways, and we who have been priests, spent months and years within these dens, know all of them. 14 Then you are traitors, Jesus said. A traitor is a fiend; he who betrays another man is never man to trust. 15 If one has only reached the plane of treachery, he is a lover of deceit, and will betray a friend to serve his selfish self. 16 Behold, you men, or whatsoe'er you be, your words fall lightly on my ears, 17 Could I prejudge these hundred priests, turn traitor to myself and them, because of what you say when you confess your treachery? 18 No man can judge for me; and if I judge till testimony all is in I might not judge aright. 19 Nay, men; by whatsoever way you came, return. My soul prefers the darkness of the grave to little flickering lights like these you bring. 20 My conscience rules; what these, my brothers, have to say I'll hear, and when the testimony all is in I will decide. You cannot judge for me, nor I for you, 21 Begone, you men, begone, and leave me to this charming light; for while the sun shines not, within my soul there is a light surpassing that of sun or moon. 22 Then, with an angry threat that they would do him harm, the wily tempters left, and Jesus was again alone. 23 Again the white-robed priest appeared, and led the way, and Jesus stood again before the hierophant; 24 And not a word was said, but in his hands the master placed a scroll on which the word suggestive, JUSTICE, was inscribed. 25 And Jesus was the master of the phanton forms of prejudice and of treachery. ................from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ....
Gautama's Teachings....
His first teaching took place at the Deer Park in Benares. It was there that he expounded his "Four Noble Truths," which are the foundation of all Buddhist belief:
1.) All human life is suffering (dhukka ).
2.) All suffering is caused by human desire, particularly the desire that impermanent things be permanent.
3.) Human suffering can be ended by ending human desire.
4.) Desire can be ended by following the "Eightfold Noble Path": right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
1.) All human life is suffering (dhukka ).
2.) All suffering is caused by human desire, particularly the desire that impermanent things be permanent.
3.) Human suffering can be ended by ending human desire.
4.) Desire can be ended by following the "Eightfold Noble Path": right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
The Doctrine of “No Soul” in Buddhism by Dylan Bragg
Buddhism teaches that there is no soul because the concept of soul is not compatible with its teachings. Buddhism teaches impermanence yet soul is permanent. Buddhism teaches that everything is subject to death, yet the soul or Atman of traditional Hinduism is immortal. Buddhism does not allow the existence of an eternal, unchanging, universal soul that remains essentially the same throughout the course of many reincarnations. Even to wonder about the soul serves no purpose in Buddhism, for the goal of Nirvana is beyond soul.
Discussion of the soul begins with the discussion of its nature. Yet Buddhism believes it is useless to speculate on the nature of the soul because no such speculation will ever lead to a single indisputable conclusion, and such speculation is irrelevant to the goal of Buddhism. In the Dīgha Nikāya, the Buddha says “it is possible to make four propositions concerning the nature of the soul” (Embree, Sources of Indian Tradition, 104). One can speculate whether the soul is finite or infinite, with or without form. Yet the Buddha then says, “there are as many ways of not making propositions concerning the soul, and those with insight do not make them” (Embree 104). It is better to say nothing at all about the nature of the soul, because nothing absolutely certain can be said about it. Every statement about the soul’s nature is equally impossible to prove. Therefore all such statements are equally uncertain. Furthermore, in the same text the Buddha says that each of these propositions about the soul is “not acceptable” (Embree 104).
Even if one could say something definite about the soul, speculation on its nature would still be useless because in Buddhism the soul itself is not relevant to Nirvana. The soul (if it exists and whatever its nature) is a part of life and death, of Samsara, of the world. It is that which links one life to the next, which endures multiple deaths and rebirths. Yet when one attains to Nirvana, there are no more incarnations and the soul ceases to be of use. Thus Buddha says:
[The monk who has attained to Nirvana]…knows that rebirth is at an end, that his goal is reached, that he has accomplished what he set out to do, and that after this present world there is no other for him (Embree 104).
This statement implies that the defining characteristic of a “soul” is that it lives on after the death of the body. However, since the goal of Buddhism is to be free of life and death, all questions concerning such a soul are irrelevant.
Another defining characteristic of “soul” is its permanence and immortality. Yet Buddhism teaches that nothing is permanent or immortal, that all life is subject to death. Therefore the traditional notion of Atman in Hinduism is contrary to Buddhist thought. The Atman’s unchanging, eternal nature is at odds with Buddhism’s perception of the universe as ever changing. The world often appears to remain the same but the Buddhist knows it to be always in flux. This idea appears in Hesse’s Siddhartha, when the hero, contemplating the river, sees that it is always the same river, yet the water in it is never the same water.
It is similar with human lives. As demonstrated in the Milindapañha, when a human being reincarnates, “he neither remains the same nor becomes another” (Embree 107). This paradox is likened to the grown man who was once a child. The man is quite different in both appearance and behavior from the child, yet somehow the two are the same person. Likewise, the flame of a lamp is never the same flame, and yet “the same lamp gives light all through the night” (Embree 107). Like the lamp and the river, the world is ever changing yet somehow always the same. When these metaphors are applied to the question of reincarnation and transmigration, the implication is that there is a flow of energy from one body to the next but nothing so permanent as to be called a soul.
This brings us to the inevitable question that results from Buddhism’s assertion that “nothing transmigrates, and yet there is rebirth” (Embree 108): how can there be rebirth if no soul transmigrates? The only answer can be that the soul is not reborn, but something else is. The Milindapañha tries to answer the question of what is reborn. The text shows that rebirth is like the passage of a candle flame from one candle to another. This simile suggests that it is energy rather than personality that travels from one body to the next. This energy is all that is left after the death of one human being, and it ignites into life another human being.
According to Narada Thera’s Buddhism in a Nutshell,[1] this energy is kamma or karma, and it is karma alone that passes from one being to another. “When life ceases the Kammic energy re-materializes itself in another form” (53). When one is free from karma, good or bad, one is therefore free from the cycle death and rebirth. This state is Nirvana, the goal of Buddhism.
In summary, according to the Buddha, there is no acceptable definition or description of what the soul actually is. There is debate and constant questioning over the issue. Also, since the nature of the soul has no bearing on the goal of Buddhism, the question of the soul is ultimately irrelevant to the Buddhist. The idea of soul is eternal, yet for the Buddhist all is impermanent. The Buddhist doctrine of No Soul affirms the Hindu doctrine of reincarnation, but denies that there is any soul that transmigrates from one body to another. Yet to say there is rebirth with no soul seems at first a contradiction. For how could one be reborn if the soul does not transmigrate? The Buddhist would answer that one’s karmas are all that are reborn, and that the personality is always changing
Discussion of the soul begins with the discussion of its nature. Yet Buddhism believes it is useless to speculate on the nature of the soul because no such speculation will ever lead to a single indisputable conclusion, and such speculation is irrelevant to the goal of Buddhism. In the Dīgha Nikāya, the Buddha says “it is possible to make four propositions concerning the nature of the soul” (Embree, Sources of Indian Tradition, 104). One can speculate whether the soul is finite or infinite, with or without form. Yet the Buddha then says, “there are as many ways of not making propositions concerning the soul, and those with insight do not make them” (Embree 104). It is better to say nothing at all about the nature of the soul, because nothing absolutely certain can be said about it. Every statement about the soul’s nature is equally impossible to prove. Therefore all such statements are equally uncertain. Furthermore, in the same text the Buddha says that each of these propositions about the soul is “not acceptable” (Embree 104).
Even if one could say something definite about the soul, speculation on its nature would still be useless because in Buddhism the soul itself is not relevant to Nirvana. The soul (if it exists and whatever its nature) is a part of life and death, of Samsara, of the world. It is that which links one life to the next, which endures multiple deaths and rebirths. Yet when one attains to Nirvana, there are no more incarnations and the soul ceases to be of use. Thus Buddha says:
[The monk who has attained to Nirvana]…knows that rebirth is at an end, that his goal is reached, that he has accomplished what he set out to do, and that after this present world there is no other for him (Embree 104).
This statement implies that the defining characteristic of a “soul” is that it lives on after the death of the body. However, since the goal of Buddhism is to be free of life and death, all questions concerning such a soul are irrelevant.
Another defining characteristic of “soul” is its permanence and immortality. Yet Buddhism teaches that nothing is permanent or immortal, that all life is subject to death. Therefore the traditional notion of Atman in Hinduism is contrary to Buddhist thought. The Atman’s unchanging, eternal nature is at odds with Buddhism’s perception of the universe as ever changing. The world often appears to remain the same but the Buddhist knows it to be always in flux. This idea appears in Hesse’s Siddhartha, when the hero, contemplating the river, sees that it is always the same river, yet the water in it is never the same water.
It is similar with human lives. As demonstrated in the Milindapañha, when a human being reincarnates, “he neither remains the same nor becomes another” (Embree 107). This paradox is likened to the grown man who was once a child. The man is quite different in both appearance and behavior from the child, yet somehow the two are the same person. Likewise, the flame of a lamp is never the same flame, and yet “the same lamp gives light all through the night” (Embree 107). Like the lamp and the river, the world is ever changing yet somehow always the same. When these metaphors are applied to the question of reincarnation and transmigration, the implication is that there is a flow of energy from one body to the next but nothing so permanent as to be called a soul.
This brings us to the inevitable question that results from Buddhism’s assertion that “nothing transmigrates, and yet there is rebirth” (Embree 108): how can there be rebirth if no soul transmigrates? The only answer can be that the soul is not reborn, but something else is. The Milindapañha tries to answer the question of what is reborn. The text shows that rebirth is like the passage of a candle flame from one candle to another. This simile suggests that it is energy rather than personality that travels from one body to the next. This energy is all that is left after the death of one human being, and it ignites into life another human being.
According to Narada Thera’s Buddhism in a Nutshell,[1] this energy is kamma or karma, and it is karma alone that passes from one being to another. “When life ceases the Kammic energy re-materializes itself in another form” (53). When one is free from karma, good or bad, one is therefore free from the cycle death and rebirth. This state is Nirvana, the goal of Buddhism.
In summary, according to the Buddha, there is no acceptable definition or description of what the soul actually is. There is debate and constant questioning over the issue. Also, since the nature of the soul has no bearing on the goal of Buddhism, the question of the soul is ultimately irrelevant to the Buddhist. The idea of soul is eternal, yet for the Buddhist all is impermanent. The Buddhist doctrine of No Soul affirms the Hindu doctrine of reincarnation, but denies that there is any soul that transmigrates from one body to another. Yet to say there is rebirth with no soul seems at first a contradiction. For how could one be reborn if the soul does not transmigrate? The Buddhist would answer that one’s karmas are all that are reborn, and that the personality is always changing
The Illusion of the Ego by Inner Frontier...
What in us blocks our connection with the spiritual depths? If heaven is real, why am I not in contact with it? All religions and paths address this central question, under a variety of names, the most common today in the West being “ego.” The term ego, in this context, alludes to our deeply ingrained self-referential, self-seeking disposition, our well-hidden and highly adaptable attitude that life revolves around me and mine. Ego cuts us off from other people, from Nature, from God, from our authentic self, from our true responsibility, and from fulfilling our destiny. Our ego is the great usurper. It focuses on our local independence, falsely presuming it to be a global independence. The ego convinces us that we are truly separate beings with ultimately separate will, having no inherent connection with other people or with God.
Our ego installs us at the center of the universe, separate from all and enslaved by time. Dwelling on our past history, our conditioning, our grudges, our manufactured identity, our personality, or on our future hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties, desires, and pressures, ego creates a constant torrent of mental structures, each of which proclaim “This is me.” In childhood we become so involved and enamored with the growing arsenal of our ego, that we unquestioningly assume it is who we are. That insidious assumption constitutes the ego's iron grip on us.
This ego, this false pretender, whenever it arises grabs the seat of honor at the core of our being. It purports to speak for the whole of us, even though our various parts lack integration. It adopts the voice and desires of whatever part of us pushes itself temporarily to the top of the heap. So for example, our ego, under the influence of one part of us, “decides” to do something, but later under the influence of another part, we find ourselves doing just the opposite. I may think “I am going to quit smoking tomorrow.” But tomorrow my hand, not caring what my mind thought yesterday, reaches for a cigarette. The pretender to the throne does not bear the royal seal, does not have the power it ascribes to itself.
Why is it that the ego, or separate self, produces such a major difficulty in the spiritual path, indeed THE major difficulty? The answer can be found in the subtlety of the place occupied by ego and I. That place is not readily visible, even to our inner eye. It lies in the realm of Will, beyond all thought, emotion, and sensory experience, beyond awareness or consciousness itself, beyond our mind. Ego and I reside in the place of who we are, that in us which chooses and decides, or abdicates choosing and deciding. A thought that says, “I will …,” masquerades as the source of decision. When this does represent an actual decision, the true source is will itself. Our will, however, usurped by the self-centered ego, an aberration of will, enters into a wrong and self-referential mode of working. Our true I does not act by force, but rather by cooperation. The uncooperative ego can thus come and stand in the place of the I, hiding and splitting off our authentic I from the rest of us. Under the influence of ego, we believe ourselves to be our own source. It turns out that, although we are indeed our own source, that very source is the Source of All.
Religions and paths portray the nature of our egoism and how to deal with it in one of two quite distinct modes. Usually, and to our misfortune, the ways reify and solidify ego into a something, an enemy, which must be overcome, which must die, which inherently resides in our tainted nature, which must be purified. True enough. One cannot argue with the accumulated wisdom of great religions. For our modern culture, though, the notion that our ego must die seems frightening. More importantly, the notion that we harbor inherent spiritual taints gets interpreted by our self-bashing, insecure psychology to mean that we are bad ¾ something that we in the West have been trained to believe since childhood. We believe we are not good enough. So we don the knowledge of being corrupt to our core as a mantle of supposed wisdom, and flock to those that teach it. Then the religious teaching about egoism simply gets co-opted by the self-denigrating side of our ego, eagerly adopted and accepted as yet another weakness. We hang our heads and beat our breasts and feel the better (or worse) for it. Unfortunately, all this only strengthens our egoism and leads us into an endless cycle, akin to a dog chasing its tail.
Casting our ego as the enemy in a holy war and winning that battle is an exceedingly difficult proposition, primarily because the ego proves to be a most subtle adversary. In fact, the ego will even join the battle against itself. It will take it on and say “this is wonderful, I’m going to battle against ego, I will become free, I will be wonderful, I will be better than I am now, and I will be better than other people, because I will be a highly evolved spiritual being.” The ego joins our forces. As an enemy, it infiltrates our lines, wearing our own uniform, its soldiers and officers indistinguishable from ours. How does one fight a battle against such a devious and resourceful enemy? For most of us, it comes to nothing but an increased layer of suffering as we merely fight ourselves in the name of spirituality and sink more deeply than ever into the morass of self-centeredness. Only the rarest of souls find a way through this conundrum.
An alternative, but also traditional view casts ego in an entirely different perspective, not as an enemy, but as an illusion, and invites us to see our ego for what it is: an empty, ephemeral sham, a hall of mirrors, a self-referential web. The rise of Buddhism in the West is, in no small part, due to this kinder yet no less incisive and perhaps more tractable formulation of the problem of egoism.
Our belief in our ego, or separate self, is to a large extent learned from society. All the people around us labor under a self-centered perspective on life, which naturally devolves to impressionable children. Repeatedly shining the light of awareness directly on this sense of separateness gradually disperses it. But i f we look carefully for our ego, for this separate self that we think we are, we shall not find it.
Am I my body? I can control my body, I can be aware of my body, and my awareness is greater than my body. So I am probably not my body.
Am I my feelings? I can be aware of my feelings and have some rudimentary influence on them, so I am probably not my feelings.
Am I my thoughts? My thoughts claim the title of I, thinking “I think,” “I am hungry.” But that “I” is just a thought, having no more substance than any other thought. It fools me though, this thought “I.” I believe in it. I believe it refers to something real and substantial, to the real me. But if I look at it clearly, I see it as only a thought with no real referent. At best, I may have a vague idea that I am some combination of my thoughts, feelings, and body. Again it proves empty to the perspicacious observer.
Am I my knowledge and experience, my habits and desires, my style - in short, my personality? But I can see all this at work in myself. And clearly, the one who sees seems closer to me than this whole complex of acquired patterns and inherited predispositions that I call my personality. So no, I am not my personality. I need my personality because only through it can I function in life, but I also need to remember that this personality is not who I am.
How about my awareness? Am I my awareness? Two problems here. First, I have some control over what I am aware of. So there must be something deeper. Second, the deeper I go into awareness, the less it is centered in me, so how can that be me as a separate entity, as an ego?
How about my attention? How about that in me that decides, my will? This is the subtlest of all. Yet again, the deeper I look into my will, the less it is centered in me, and the more it opens beyond me.
So wherever we look, we do not find this self, this separate person that takes our name, this self-important actor on the stage of our life. The more we engage in spiritual inner work, the more carefully and persistently we are able look into ourselves, and the more this once-compelling ego, this self disappears. Or perhaps we see that it never existed to begin with. Gradually, our belief in our ego assumes a porous quality, which rather than cutting us off from others, merely clouds our relationships intermittently. This separate self never was. Our devotion to it shrivels and we are left to truly be ourselves, to play our unique role in the larger story of our common life. When moments come in which we fall back into that trance of selfness, we feel uncomfortable, like in a shoe that no longer fits, and we let it go.
Our ego, this illusory pattern, however, endures with remarkable resilience and persistence. Complete freedom from ego comes only at a very high station of spiritual development, something to which we may aspire and work for with diligence. The best approach lies somewhere between the two outlined above. Seeing and letting go can only work insofar as we are able to see. The depth and subtlety of our seeing must increase. For this, efforts of various kinds are necessary. These efforts may include grappling with some of the propensities of our separate self. Doing so can illumine the tentacles of egoism, while creating energy for seeing more. Only we must not have the idea that such struggles will, by themselves, reform our recalcitrant self-centeredness. A project of reform by force is doomed to fail. Efforts at reform can only be useful to the extent that they help us to see. Sensing the energy body and working at presence also help us see. And seeing, it is said, leads to liberation: liberation from the illusion of the ego and into the freedom of interconnectedness.
Our ego installs us at the center of the universe, separate from all and enslaved by time. Dwelling on our past history, our conditioning, our grudges, our manufactured identity, our personality, or on our future hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties, desires, and pressures, ego creates a constant torrent of mental structures, each of which proclaim “This is me.” In childhood we become so involved and enamored with the growing arsenal of our ego, that we unquestioningly assume it is who we are. That insidious assumption constitutes the ego's iron grip on us.
This ego, this false pretender, whenever it arises grabs the seat of honor at the core of our being. It purports to speak for the whole of us, even though our various parts lack integration. It adopts the voice and desires of whatever part of us pushes itself temporarily to the top of the heap. So for example, our ego, under the influence of one part of us, “decides” to do something, but later under the influence of another part, we find ourselves doing just the opposite. I may think “I am going to quit smoking tomorrow.” But tomorrow my hand, not caring what my mind thought yesterday, reaches for a cigarette. The pretender to the throne does not bear the royal seal, does not have the power it ascribes to itself.
Why is it that the ego, or separate self, produces such a major difficulty in the spiritual path, indeed THE major difficulty? The answer can be found in the subtlety of the place occupied by ego and I. That place is not readily visible, even to our inner eye. It lies in the realm of Will, beyond all thought, emotion, and sensory experience, beyond awareness or consciousness itself, beyond our mind. Ego and I reside in the place of who we are, that in us which chooses and decides, or abdicates choosing and deciding. A thought that says, “I will …,” masquerades as the source of decision. When this does represent an actual decision, the true source is will itself. Our will, however, usurped by the self-centered ego, an aberration of will, enters into a wrong and self-referential mode of working. Our true I does not act by force, but rather by cooperation. The uncooperative ego can thus come and stand in the place of the I, hiding and splitting off our authentic I from the rest of us. Under the influence of ego, we believe ourselves to be our own source. It turns out that, although we are indeed our own source, that very source is the Source of All.
Religions and paths portray the nature of our egoism and how to deal with it in one of two quite distinct modes. Usually, and to our misfortune, the ways reify and solidify ego into a something, an enemy, which must be overcome, which must die, which inherently resides in our tainted nature, which must be purified. True enough. One cannot argue with the accumulated wisdom of great religions. For our modern culture, though, the notion that our ego must die seems frightening. More importantly, the notion that we harbor inherent spiritual taints gets interpreted by our self-bashing, insecure psychology to mean that we are bad ¾ something that we in the West have been trained to believe since childhood. We believe we are not good enough. So we don the knowledge of being corrupt to our core as a mantle of supposed wisdom, and flock to those that teach it. Then the religious teaching about egoism simply gets co-opted by the self-denigrating side of our ego, eagerly adopted and accepted as yet another weakness. We hang our heads and beat our breasts and feel the better (or worse) for it. Unfortunately, all this only strengthens our egoism and leads us into an endless cycle, akin to a dog chasing its tail.
Casting our ego as the enemy in a holy war and winning that battle is an exceedingly difficult proposition, primarily because the ego proves to be a most subtle adversary. In fact, the ego will even join the battle against itself. It will take it on and say “this is wonderful, I’m going to battle against ego, I will become free, I will be wonderful, I will be better than I am now, and I will be better than other people, because I will be a highly evolved spiritual being.” The ego joins our forces. As an enemy, it infiltrates our lines, wearing our own uniform, its soldiers and officers indistinguishable from ours. How does one fight a battle against such a devious and resourceful enemy? For most of us, it comes to nothing but an increased layer of suffering as we merely fight ourselves in the name of spirituality and sink more deeply than ever into the morass of self-centeredness. Only the rarest of souls find a way through this conundrum.
An alternative, but also traditional view casts ego in an entirely different perspective, not as an enemy, but as an illusion, and invites us to see our ego for what it is: an empty, ephemeral sham, a hall of mirrors, a self-referential web. The rise of Buddhism in the West is, in no small part, due to this kinder yet no less incisive and perhaps more tractable formulation of the problem of egoism.
Our belief in our ego, or separate self, is to a large extent learned from society. All the people around us labor under a self-centered perspective on life, which naturally devolves to impressionable children. Repeatedly shining the light of awareness directly on this sense of separateness gradually disperses it. But i f we look carefully for our ego, for this separate self that we think we are, we shall not find it.
Am I my body? I can control my body, I can be aware of my body, and my awareness is greater than my body. So I am probably not my body.
Am I my feelings? I can be aware of my feelings and have some rudimentary influence on them, so I am probably not my feelings.
Am I my thoughts? My thoughts claim the title of I, thinking “I think,” “I am hungry.” But that “I” is just a thought, having no more substance than any other thought. It fools me though, this thought “I.” I believe in it. I believe it refers to something real and substantial, to the real me. But if I look at it clearly, I see it as only a thought with no real referent. At best, I may have a vague idea that I am some combination of my thoughts, feelings, and body. Again it proves empty to the perspicacious observer.
Am I my knowledge and experience, my habits and desires, my style - in short, my personality? But I can see all this at work in myself. And clearly, the one who sees seems closer to me than this whole complex of acquired patterns and inherited predispositions that I call my personality. So no, I am not my personality. I need my personality because only through it can I function in life, but I also need to remember that this personality is not who I am.
How about my awareness? Am I my awareness? Two problems here. First, I have some control over what I am aware of. So there must be something deeper. Second, the deeper I go into awareness, the less it is centered in me, so how can that be me as a separate entity, as an ego?
How about my attention? How about that in me that decides, my will? This is the subtlest of all. Yet again, the deeper I look into my will, the less it is centered in me, and the more it opens beyond me.
So wherever we look, we do not find this self, this separate person that takes our name, this self-important actor on the stage of our life. The more we engage in spiritual inner work, the more carefully and persistently we are able look into ourselves, and the more this once-compelling ego, this self disappears. Or perhaps we see that it never existed to begin with. Gradually, our belief in our ego assumes a porous quality, which rather than cutting us off from others, merely clouds our relationships intermittently. This separate self never was. Our devotion to it shrivels and we are left to truly be ourselves, to play our unique role in the larger story of our common life. When moments come in which we fall back into that trance of selfness, we feel uncomfortable, like in a shoe that no longer fits, and we let it go.
Our ego, this illusory pattern, however, endures with remarkable resilience and persistence. Complete freedom from ego comes only at a very high station of spiritual development, something to which we may aspire and work for with diligence. The best approach lies somewhere between the two outlined above. Seeing and letting go can only work insofar as we are able to see. The depth and subtlety of our seeing must increase. For this, efforts of various kinds are necessary. These efforts may include grappling with some of the propensities of our separate self. Doing so can illumine the tentacles of egoism, while creating energy for seeing more. Only we must not have the idea that such struggles will, by themselves, reform our recalcitrant self-centeredness. A project of reform by force is doomed to fail. Efforts at reform can only be useful to the extent that they help us to see. Sensing the energy body and working at presence also help us see. And seeing, it is said, leads to liberation: liberation from the illusion of the ego and into the freedom of interconnectedness.
The Evilness of the Ego...
A simple psychological definition of the ego is something like the "self-organizing principle," that all-important command center in the psyche that coordinates the different aspects of the self. And that command center must be in good working order for a human being to be able to function in the world with any reasonable degree of competency. The ego as self-organizing principle is neither positive nor negative; its function is mechanistic, and in that, it has no self nature. But there is another definition of ego, and the ego in that definition has self nature. The human face of that ego is pride; is arrogant self-importance; is narcissistic self-infatuation; is the need to see oneself as being separate at all times, in all places, through all circumstances—and that ego is the unrelenting enemy of all that is truly wholesome in the human experience. When this ego is unmasked, seen directly for what it is, finally unobscured by the other expressions of the personality, one finds oneself literally face-to-face with a demon—a demon that thrives on power, domination, control and separation, that cares only about itself and is willing to destroy anything and everything that is good and true in order to survive intact and always in control. This demon lacks any capacity for empathy, compassion, generosity or love; delights in its perfect invulnerability; and, worst of all, will never ever acknowledge that which is sacred.
But I knew none of this when I began teaching the path to liberation fourteen years ago. At that time, I had no idea of the magnitude of the battle I had taken on by daring to lead others to the yonder shore. In those days I thought spiritual experience, tasting the miraculous and unlimited depth of the Self beyond time and mind, would instill enough reverence and awe in the seeker to empower them to face whatever needed to be faced and bear whatever needed to be borne in order to be free. But oh how wrong I was! I didn't realize then that for most seekers, enlightenment experiences were not the end of the path but only the beginning. It's true that without that depth of spiritual experience, it is very difficult for a seeker to take the possibility of their own liberation seriously—but even when one has experienced that depth of Self, when push comes to shove, when our back is against the wall, when like Jesus or the Buddha we must face directly into the darkest regions of the human soul, how many among us will have such love for the truth alone that we will courageously remain unmoved and immovable?
I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed the shocking and often frightening transformation of a human personality when faced squarely with the truth of its own division, hypocrisy and deceit: in an instant, a warm, intelligent, sensitive, apparently caring personality can change, becoming the face of pure ego, glaring with narcissistic rage because it has been exposed. It is because of many experiences like this that I have spent countless hours thinking about the questions: What is the personality? Who is the individual? It seems that in the end it really is black-and-white, simply because who we are depends upon where our allegiance lies. Is it with the narcissistic ego? Or is it with the spiritual heart? Of course, we can only really find out the answer to that question when we are tested because otherwise it's inevitable that the truth of our own condition will remain obscured, masked by self-concepts that are based on the ego's need to always see itself in a positive light—even if it sees itself as a victim.
Who we are and how we perceive our own experience and the world around us depend upon where our allegiance lies. The perspective of the individual who has surrendered the will of their own ego to their spiritual heart is drastically different from the perspective of one who has not. But it is important to understand that because the ego can usurp any calling of the human soul in order to remain in control—even the longing for liberation—it's usually impossible to tell exactly who it is who is claiming they want to be free until that moment when their faith and love for truth alone are put to the test. It is only then that we can actually find out who we really are and what part of our self is pulling the strings of our own destiny.
To walk the spiritual path in earnest is to find out what we're made of and how much we are truly willing to give up in order to come to the end of division within ourselves. The price for that kind of profound and deeply liberating simplicity is too high for most, because that price is ego death. What does that mean? That means endeavoring with all our being to purify ourselves from any and every attachment, gross and subtle, to the narcissistic ego, that demon of false individuality that masquerades as our own self and whose task it is to keep us, at all costs, separate from our own heart.............Andrew Cohen
But I knew none of this when I began teaching the path to liberation fourteen years ago. At that time, I had no idea of the magnitude of the battle I had taken on by daring to lead others to the yonder shore. In those days I thought spiritual experience, tasting the miraculous and unlimited depth of the Self beyond time and mind, would instill enough reverence and awe in the seeker to empower them to face whatever needed to be faced and bear whatever needed to be borne in order to be free. But oh how wrong I was! I didn't realize then that for most seekers, enlightenment experiences were not the end of the path but only the beginning. It's true that without that depth of spiritual experience, it is very difficult for a seeker to take the possibility of their own liberation seriously—but even when one has experienced that depth of Self, when push comes to shove, when our back is against the wall, when like Jesus or the Buddha we must face directly into the darkest regions of the human soul, how many among us will have such love for the truth alone that we will courageously remain unmoved and immovable?
I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed the shocking and often frightening transformation of a human personality when faced squarely with the truth of its own division, hypocrisy and deceit: in an instant, a warm, intelligent, sensitive, apparently caring personality can change, becoming the face of pure ego, glaring with narcissistic rage because it has been exposed. It is because of many experiences like this that I have spent countless hours thinking about the questions: What is the personality? Who is the individual? It seems that in the end it really is black-and-white, simply because who we are depends upon where our allegiance lies. Is it with the narcissistic ego? Or is it with the spiritual heart? Of course, we can only really find out the answer to that question when we are tested because otherwise it's inevitable that the truth of our own condition will remain obscured, masked by self-concepts that are based on the ego's need to always see itself in a positive light—even if it sees itself as a victim.
Who we are and how we perceive our own experience and the world around us depend upon where our allegiance lies. The perspective of the individual who has surrendered the will of their own ego to their spiritual heart is drastically different from the perspective of one who has not. But it is important to understand that because the ego can usurp any calling of the human soul in order to remain in control—even the longing for liberation—it's usually impossible to tell exactly who it is who is claiming they want to be free until that moment when their faith and love for truth alone are put to the test. It is only then that we can actually find out who we really are and what part of our self is pulling the strings of our own destiny.
To walk the spiritual path in earnest is to find out what we're made of and how much we are truly willing to give up in order to come to the end of division within ourselves. The price for that kind of profound and deeply liberating simplicity is too high for most, because that price is ego death. What does that mean? That means endeavoring with all our being to purify ourselves from any and every attachment, gross and subtle, to the narcissistic ego, that demon of false individuality that masquerades as our own self and whose task it is to keep us, at all costs, separate from our own heart.............Andrew Cohen
The Ego....
An Anti-Evolutionary Force
There is a profound contrast between the enlightened perspective, which is the absolute, universal, and impersonal view of the Authentic Self, and the unenlightened perspective, which is the relative, separate, and personal view of the narcissistic ego. It is literally the difference between heaven and hell.
When I speak about ego, I am not using the term in the psychological sense, which usually refers to what we could call a self-organizing function in the psyche. In an enlightenment context, the word ego refers to something else altogether. Ego is the deeply ingrained, compulsive need to remain separate and superior at all times, in all places, under all circumstances. In contrast to the inherent freedom of the Self Absolute and the fearless passion of the Authentic Self, ego is experienced as an emotional quagmire of fear and attachment. It is the part of you that has no interest whatsoever in freedom, feels victimized by life, avoids anything that contradicts its self-image, is thoroughly invested in its personal fears and desires, and lives only for itself. Ego is an anti-evolutionary force of powerful inertia in human nature—attached to the past, terrified of change, and seeking only to preserve the status quo.
Ego is the one and only one obstacle to enlightenment. If we want to be free, if we want to be enlightened, we have to pay the price. The great wisdom traditions have always told us that the price is ego death, and in evolutionary enlightenment it is no different: if the Authentic Self is going to act through us as the uninhibited expression of evolution in action, then our attachment to ego must be transcended.....................Andrew Cohen
There is a profound contrast between the enlightened perspective, which is the absolute, universal, and impersonal view of the Authentic Self, and the unenlightened perspective, which is the relative, separate, and personal view of the narcissistic ego. It is literally the difference between heaven and hell.
When I speak about ego, I am not using the term in the psychological sense, which usually refers to what we could call a self-organizing function in the psyche. In an enlightenment context, the word ego refers to something else altogether. Ego is the deeply ingrained, compulsive need to remain separate and superior at all times, in all places, under all circumstances. In contrast to the inherent freedom of the Self Absolute and the fearless passion of the Authentic Self, ego is experienced as an emotional quagmire of fear and attachment. It is the part of you that has no interest whatsoever in freedom, feels victimized by life, avoids anything that contradicts its self-image, is thoroughly invested in its personal fears and desires, and lives only for itself. Ego is an anti-evolutionary force of powerful inertia in human nature—attached to the past, terrified of change, and seeking only to preserve the status quo.
Ego is the one and only one obstacle to enlightenment. If we want to be free, if we want to be enlightened, we have to pay the price. The great wisdom traditions have always told us that the price is ego death, and in evolutionary enlightenment it is no different: if the Authentic Self is going to act through us as the uninhibited expression of evolution in action, then our attachment to ego must be transcended.....................Andrew Cohen
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen......chap.1
The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called "spontaneous" and "unpremeditated" as to those which are deliberately executed.
Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.
Thought in the mind hath made us. What we are By thought we wrought and built. If a man's mind Hath evil thoughts, pain comes on him as comes The wheel the ox behind . . . If one endure in purityof thought joy follows him as his own shadow - sure.
Man is a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.
Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master.
Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this - that man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.
As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills.
Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state; but in his weakness and degradation he is the foolish master who misgoverns his "household." When he begins to reflect upon his condition, and to search diligently for the Law upon which his being is established, he then becomes the wise master, directing his energies with intelligence, and fashioning his thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master, and man can only thus become by discovering within himself the laws of thought; which discovery is totally a matter of application, self-analysis, and experience.
Only by much searching and mining are gold an diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul. And that he is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove: if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances; if he will link cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself. In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that "He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"; for only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge.
As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called "spontaneous" and "unpremeditated" as to those which are deliberately executed.
Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.
Thought in the mind hath made us. What we are By thought we wrought and built. If a man's mind Hath evil thoughts, pain comes on him as comes The wheel the ox behind . . . If one endure in purityof thought joy follows him as his own shadow - sure.
Man is a growth by law, and not a creation by artifice, and cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. A noble and Godlike character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with Godlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.
Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master.
Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this - that man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.
As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills.
Man is always the master, even in his weakest and most abandoned state; but in his weakness and degradation he is the foolish master who misgoverns his "household." When he begins to reflect upon his condition, and to search diligently for the Law upon which his being is established, he then becomes the wise master, directing his energies with intelligence, and fashioning his thoughts to fruitful issues. Such is the conscious master, and man can only thus become by discovering within himself the laws of thought; which discovery is totally a matter of application, self-analysis, and experience.
Only by much searching and mining are gold an diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul. And that he is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove: if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances; if he will link cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself. In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that "He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"; for only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge.
Hidden Gospels by Neil Douglas-Klotz
"A good tree brings forth good fruit, an evil tree brings forth evil fruit" (Matthew 7:17).
When or if Jesus spoke these words, he spoke them in a Middle Eastern language, Aramaic. In Aramaic and in all the Semitic languages, the word for good primarily means ripe, and the word for evil primarily means unripe. When heard with Aramaic ears, this sentence might sound more like this:
"A ripe tree brings forth ripe fruit, an unripe tree brings forth unripe fruit."
This makes a world of difference. The tree is not morally bad, but rather unripe: this is not the right time and place for it to bear. The saying gives an example from nature. Rather than imposing an external standard of goodness, the lesson has to do with time and place, setting and circumstance, health and disease.
Likewise, whenever a saying of Jesus refers to spirit, we must remember that he would have used an Aramaic or Hebrew word. In both of these languages, the same word stands for spirit, breath, air, and wind. So "Holy Spirit" must also be "Holy Breath." The duality between spirit and body, which we often take for granted in our Western languages, falls away. If Jesus made the famous statement about speaking or sinning against the Holy Spirit (for instance, in Luke 12:10), then somehow the Middle Eastern concept of breath is also involved.
The Hidden Gospel explores these simple yet radical differences that reveal the spirituality behind the sayings of Jesus from a Middle Eastern viewpoint. The differences stem from the nature of Middle Eastern languages themselves as well as the worldview behind them, that is, the ways in which they divide and make sense of reality. The book also invites the reader to participate in the wisdom revealed by this approach as a direct, personal experience.Another World The German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, "The limits of my language are the limits of my world." This especially holds true for the translation and interpretation of the words of Jesus. For one thing, Middle Eastern languages allow for many different interpretations, and even different literal translations, of the words of a prophet or mystic.
If I were writing about the words of Moses or Isaiah, a Jewish audience would easily understand what I am doing in this book as midrash, a type of spiritual translation-interpretation that uses the possible meanings of Hebrew words as a basis for contemplation, devotion, and spiritual practice. In midrash one attempts through contemplation to make a scriptural passage or a saying of a holy person into a living experience that can meet the challenges of the present. Likewise, most Sufi Muslims would understand my efforts as tawil, a style of translation-interpretation that again considers the possible multiple meanings of a sacred text in order to cultivate wisdom for one's everyday life. As we shall explore later, in both traditions each person is free to do this interpretation in her or his own way.
In the Christian Church, especially as it evolved in the West, it became more important to determine what Jesus represented as "Christ" or "Messiah" than to look at his sayings in a Middle Eastern sense. In addition, up until the last fifty years, most Western Christian churches blamed the people they identified with "the Jews" of the Gospels for the death of Jesus. So for the Western Christian church at least, facing the question of Jesus' own Jewishness was definitely off the agenda.
At the same time, in scholarly circles over the past hundred years, researchers began to look at Western textual or historical evidence for who Jesus was and what he said. In some extreme viewpoints, the factual existence of Jesus was considered a myth and presumed to have no reality outside the text. In others, presuppositions about the nature of early Christianity prejudiced the opinions of scholars about which strands of text were the oldest and so the most historically accurate. In addition, since the primary Western and Orthodox church texts were in Greek, scholars saw no point in looking at Aramaic or Hebrew versions. To do so would have underlined Jesus' Jewishness. Most often, scholars interpreted Jesus according to Greek or Hellenistic influences of his time, rather than Middle Eastern ones. The "historical Jesus" emerged as a multitude of conflicting figures, varying according to the disposition of the scholar and the facts she or he selected.
Over the past generation, much of this has changed. There has been a concerted effort in some quarters of the Christian church to review and reinterpret the sections of the Gospels (particularly in John) that seem to demonize the people called "the Jews." One Christian scholar has made a convincing case that one cannot even speak of distinct groups called Christians or Jews in the biblical era.(1) As we shall see, the earliest so-called "Jesus movements" represented a multiplicity of practices and beliefs. The same was true for what we call "Judaism," which also did not begin to take the organized shape we recognize today until after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 C.E. So the word translated as "Jews" in the Gospels should more accurately be translated "Judaeans"-the inhabitants of the area called Judaea by the Romans.
When or if Jesus spoke these words, he spoke them in a Middle Eastern language, Aramaic. In Aramaic and in all the Semitic languages, the word for good primarily means ripe, and the word for evil primarily means unripe. When heard with Aramaic ears, this sentence might sound more like this:
"A ripe tree brings forth ripe fruit, an unripe tree brings forth unripe fruit."
This makes a world of difference. The tree is not morally bad, but rather unripe: this is not the right time and place for it to bear. The saying gives an example from nature. Rather than imposing an external standard of goodness, the lesson has to do with time and place, setting and circumstance, health and disease.
Likewise, whenever a saying of Jesus refers to spirit, we must remember that he would have used an Aramaic or Hebrew word. In both of these languages, the same word stands for spirit, breath, air, and wind. So "Holy Spirit" must also be "Holy Breath." The duality between spirit and body, which we often take for granted in our Western languages, falls away. If Jesus made the famous statement about speaking or sinning against the Holy Spirit (for instance, in Luke 12:10), then somehow the Middle Eastern concept of breath is also involved.
The Hidden Gospel explores these simple yet radical differences that reveal the spirituality behind the sayings of Jesus from a Middle Eastern viewpoint. The differences stem from the nature of Middle Eastern languages themselves as well as the worldview behind them, that is, the ways in which they divide and make sense of reality. The book also invites the reader to participate in the wisdom revealed by this approach as a direct, personal experience.Another World The German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, "The limits of my language are the limits of my world." This especially holds true for the translation and interpretation of the words of Jesus. For one thing, Middle Eastern languages allow for many different interpretations, and even different literal translations, of the words of a prophet or mystic.
If I were writing about the words of Moses or Isaiah, a Jewish audience would easily understand what I am doing in this book as midrash, a type of spiritual translation-interpretation that uses the possible meanings of Hebrew words as a basis for contemplation, devotion, and spiritual practice. In midrash one attempts through contemplation to make a scriptural passage or a saying of a holy person into a living experience that can meet the challenges of the present. Likewise, most Sufi Muslims would understand my efforts as tawil, a style of translation-interpretation that again considers the possible multiple meanings of a sacred text in order to cultivate wisdom for one's everyday life. As we shall explore later, in both traditions each person is free to do this interpretation in her or his own way.
In the Christian Church, especially as it evolved in the West, it became more important to determine what Jesus represented as "Christ" or "Messiah" than to look at his sayings in a Middle Eastern sense. In addition, up until the last fifty years, most Western Christian churches blamed the people they identified with "the Jews" of the Gospels for the death of Jesus. So for the Western Christian church at least, facing the question of Jesus' own Jewishness was definitely off the agenda.
At the same time, in scholarly circles over the past hundred years, researchers began to look at Western textual or historical evidence for who Jesus was and what he said. In some extreme viewpoints, the factual existence of Jesus was considered a myth and presumed to have no reality outside the text. In others, presuppositions about the nature of early Christianity prejudiced the opinions of scholars about which strands of text were the oldest and so the most historically accurate. In addition, since the primary Western and Orthodox church texts were in Greek, scholars saw no point in looking at Aramaic or Hebrew versions. To do so would have underlined Jesus' Jewishness. Most often, scholars interpreted Jesus according to Greek or Hellenistic influences of his time, rather than Middle Eastern ones. The "historical Jesus" emerged as a multitude of conflicting figures, varying according to the disposition of the scholar and the facts she or he selected.
Over the past generation, much of this has changed. There has been a concerted effort in some quarters of the Christian church to review and reinterpret the sections of the Gospels (particularly in John) that seem to demonize the people called "the Jews." One Christian scholar has made a convincing case that one cannot even speak of distinct groups called Christians or Jews in the biblical era.(1) As we shall see, the earliest so-called "Jesus movements" represented a multiplicity of practices and beliefs. The same was true for what we call "Judaism," which also did not begin to take the organized shape we recognize today until after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 C.E. So the word translated as "Jews" in the Gospels should more accurately be translated "Judaeans"-the inhabitants of the area called Judaea by the Romans.
The Upanishads by Sri Chinmoy...
Each Upanishad is the unfoldment of the Supreme Knowledge which, once spiritually attained, is never lost. The entire universe of action, according to the Upanishads, with its ephemeral means and ends, lives in the meshes of ignorance. It is the knowledge of the supreme Self that can destroy the human ignorance of millennia and inundate the earth-consciousness with the Light and Delight of the ever-transcending and ever-manifesting Beyond.
43
As we have the heart, the mind, the vital, the body and the soul, so also the Upanishads have a heart, a mind, a vital, a body and a soul. The heart of the Upanishads is self-realisation, the mind of the Upanishads is self-revelation, the vital of the Upanishads is self-manifestation, the body of the Upanishads is self-transformation, and the soul of the Upanishads is self-perfection.
44
What is of paramount importance right now is self-realisation. For self-realisation we need only four things. First we need the help of the scriptures, then a guide, then yogic disciplines, and finally, the Grace of God. The scriptures tell the seeker, “Awake, arise, it is high time for you to get up. Sleep no more.” The spiritual Master tells the seeker, “My child, run! Run the fastest! I am inspiring you. I have already kindled the flame of aspiration within you. Now you can run the fastest.” Yogic disciplines tell the seeker, “You are practising the spiritual life, and I am giving you the result of your practices. I have made the road clear for you. Now you can run the fastest on a road that is empty of danger.” Then something more is required, and that is God’s Grace. One may run the fastest, but one may not reach the Goal even if there is no obstacle on the way, because human beings very often get tired. Before they reach the Goal they feel that they are totally exhausted. At that time what is required is God’s Grace. Without God’s Grace one cannot complete the journey. God’s Grace tells the seeker, “Lo, the Goal is won.”
45
To be sure, God’s Grace starts right from the beginning. When we study the scriptures, God’s Grace has already dawned on us. Had there been no Grace from God, we could not have launched into the spiritual path in the first place. And had there been no Grace from God, we could not have found our spiritual Master. It is out of His infinite Bounty that God brings a seeker to the Master. Then the seeker and the Master must play their respective roles. The Master will bring down God’s Compassion, but the seeker has to practise spiritual disciplines. His task is to aspire, and the Master’s task is to bring down Compassion.
43
As we have the heart, the mind, the vital, the body and the soul, so also the Upanishads have a heart, a mind, a vital, a body and a soul. The heart of the Upanishads is self-realisation, the mind of the Upanishads is self-revelation, the vital of the Upanishads is self-manifestation, the body of the Upanishads is self-transformation, and the soul of the Upanishads is self-perfection.
44
What is of paramount importance right now is self-realisation. For self-realisation we need only four things. First we need the help of the scriptures, then a guide, then yogic disciplines, and finally, the Grace of God. The scriptures tell the seeker, “Awake, arise, it is high time for you to get up. Sleep no more.” The spiritual Master tells the seeker, “My child, run! Run the fastest! I am inspiring you. I have already kindled the flame of aspiration within you. Now you can run the fastest.” Yogic disciplines tell the seeker, “You are practising the spiritual life, and I am giving you the result of your practices. I have made the road clear for you. Now you can run the fastest on a road that is empty of danger.” Then something more is required, and that is God’s Grace. One may run the fastest, but one may not reach the Goal even if there is no obstacle on the way, because human beings very often get tired. Before they reach the Goal they feel that they are totally exhausted. At that time what is required is God’s Grace. Without God’s Grace one cannot complete the journey. God’s Grace tells the seeker, “Lo, the Goal is won.”
45
To be sure, God’s Grace starts right from the beginning. When we study the scriptures, God’s Grace has already dawned on us. Had there been no Grace from God, we could not have launched into the spiritual path in the first place. And had there been no Grace from God, we could not have found our spiritual Master. It is out of His infinite Bounty that God brings a seeker to the Master. Then the seeker and the Master must play their respective roles. The Master will bring down God’s Compassion, but the seeker has to practise spiritual disciplines. His task is to aspire, and the Master’s task is to bring down Compassion.
Jesus stands by a healing fountain. Reveals the fact that faith is the potent factor in healing and many are healed by faith.
FLOWING spring that people called the Healing Fount, was near Persepolis. 2 And all the people thought that at a certain time of the year their deity came down and gave a virtue to the waters of the fount, and that the sick who then would plunge into the fount and wash would be made whole. 3 About the fount a multitude of people were in waiting for the Holy One to come and potentise the waters of the fount. 4 The blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, and those obsessed were there. 5 And Jesus, standing in the midst of them, exclaimed, Behold the spring of life! These waters that will fail are honoured as the special blessing of your God. 6 From whence do healing virtues come? Why is your God so partial with his gifts? Why does he bless this spring to-day, and then to-morrow take his blessings all away? 7 A deity of power could fill these waters full of healing virtue every day. 8 Hear me, you sick, disconsolate: The virtue of this fount is not a special gift of God. 9 Faith is the healing power of every drop of all the waters of this spring. 10 He who believes with all his heart that he will be made whole by washing in this fount will be made whole when he has washed; and he may wash at any time. 11 Let every one who has this faith in God and in himself plunge in these waters now and wash. 12 And many of the people plunged into the crystal fount; and they were healed. 13 And then there was a rush, for all the people were inspired with faith, and each one strove to be among the first to wash, lest all the virtue be absorbed. 14 And Jesus saw a little child, weak, faint and helpless, sitting all alone beyond the surging crowd; and there was none to help her to the fount. 15 And Jesus said, My little one, why do you sit and wait? Why not arise and hasten to the fount and wash, and be made well? 16 The child replied, I need not haste; the blessings of my Father in the sky are measured not in tiny cups; they never fail; their virtues are the same for evermore. 17 When these whose faith is weak must haste to wash for fear their faith will fail, have all been cured, these waters will be just as powerful for me. 18 Then I can go and stay a long, long time within the blessed waters of the spring. 19 And Jesus said, Behold a master soul! She came to earth to teach to men the power of faith. 20 And then he lifted up the child and said, Why wait for anything? The very air we breathe is filled with balm of life. Breathe in this balm of life in faith and be made whole. 21 The child breathed in the balm of life in faith, and she was well. 22 The people marvelled much at what they heard and saw; they said, This man must surely be the god of health made flesh. 23 And Jesus said, The fount of life is not a little pool; it is as wide as are the spaces of the heavens. 24 The waters of the fount are love; the potency is faith, and he who plunges deep into the living springs, in living faith, may wash away his guilt and be made whole, and freed from sin. ...............this is from the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ"....
Change by Peter Farley
The hardest thing mankind does is change . . well it's easier then we think. We can have almost anything our heart's desire, as long as we do not get attached to things. Practice releasing attachment to at least one thing each and every day.
Nirvana in Buddhism is The End of All Suffering By Thich Nhat Hanh
In Buddhism, we speak of nirvana which is the cessation of all suffering. Nirvana, first of all, it means the cessation, the extinction of all suffering. But our suffering come from our wrong perceptions. And that is why the practice of meditation, the practice of looking deeply has the purpose of removing wrong perceptions from us.
The Best Teachers Are Your Own Mistakes by Swami Satchidananda
If you make mistakes it doesn’t matter. Make mistakes and learn. The best teachers are your own mistakes. You learn even faster by your mistakes. Remember, though, you should not keep on making the same mistakes.
The Buddha's Guidelines to Proper Speech by Spiritual Now Editor...
"Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech; he speaks truth, adheres to truth, is trustworthy and reliable, one who is no deceiver of the world. Abandoning malicious speech, he abstains from malicious speech; he does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide [those people] from these, nor does he repeat to these people what he has heard elsewhere to divide [these people] from those; thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of friendships, who enjoy concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech; he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, and loveable, as go to the heart, are courteous, desired by many and agreeable to many. Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter; he speaks at the right time, speaks what is fact, speaks on what is good, speaks on the Dhamma (Buddha's teachings) and the Discipline (moral guidelines); at the right time he speaks such words as are worth recording, reasonable, moderate, and beneficial."
Our Peace is Within by Sri Chinmoy
No price is too great to pay for inner peace. Peace is the harmonious control of life. It is vibrant with life-energy. It is a power that easily transcends all our worldly knowledge. Yet it is not separate from our earthly existence. If we open the right avenues within, this peace can be felt here and now.
One Message Runs Through All Faiths by Spirituality Now Editor..
It is only at the human level that we make divisions
A desktop or laptop can connect us instantly to vast knowledge sources. A computer can link us to the news, stock reports, airline bookings, shopping, medical breakthroughs, and information in almost every other sphere of knowledge.The information connectedness that we experience with computers is a small sample of the potent connections we can make with our empowered soul. The empowered soul experiences universal connection with all beings. Becoming aware of this unifying force can help us realize our essential unity. Walls of division separate people.If we are born in one part of the world we say, "I am a citizen of this country, or that country". If we are born into a certain religion, we say, "I am a follower of such and such religion". Religions are man-made. There was no Buddhism before Buddha. There was no Christianity before Jesus.It was the followers of the great saints, mystics, and prophets who organized their teachings into a religion. Most often, we become a member of a religion based on our parents' beliefs. A Hindu infant who is orphaned and who is later adopted by a Christian may become Christian.Similarly, the way we live is dictated by the peculiarities of the region we live in. Many people worship God through prayer. But the way they pray is different. In some warm climates, it is customary to remove shoes before entering a holy place; in colder climates, going barefoot may be impractical.Over time, customs that originate for climatic reasons become sanctified and become part of religious law. People tend to use those differences as a basis for prejudice and hatred. Another dividing factor is language.When people in different religions use different words for the same concept, it becomes an excuse for thinking the other religion is not as good as one's own. Each religion has its own name for God, based on the language or culture in which the religion originated.God is Allah to Muslims, Wahe Guru to Sikhs, Paramatma to Hindus, God to Christians. Whichever the language, the words refer to the same God. Yet we make these language differences a source of contention and separation.We forget that God existed before language was created. By drawing boundaries we limit ourselves. The soul, however, is limitless. There is a unifying force beyond the physical plane, connecting all life. We are full of the love of God. It is only at the human level that we make divisions.The soul is a part of the Creator. For us to be able to truly understand ourselves, we need to recognize all the divisions as walls that surround our true self. These walls keep us from truth.Sant Darshan Singh spoke of Oneness: "What does it matter if I am called a man, In truth, I am the very soul of love. The entire earth is my home, And the universe my country".Through lack of self-know-ledge, we create separation. Through our soul, we can experience connectedness and create more peace and harmony among the inhabitants of this planet.
A desktop or laptop can connect us instantly to vast knowledge sources. A computer can link us to the news, stock reports, airline bookings, shopping, medical breakthroughs, and information in almost every other sphere of knowledge.The information connectedness that we experience with computers is a small sample of the potent connections we can make with our empowered soul. The empowered soul experiences universal connection with all beings. Becoming aware of this unifying force can help us realize our essential unity. Walls of division separate people.If we are born in one part of the world we say, "I am a citizen of this country, or that country". If we are born into a certain religion, we say, "I am a follower of such and such religion". Religions are man-made. There was no Buddhism before Buddha. There was no Christianity before Jesus.It was the followers of the great saints, mystics, and prophets who organized their teachings into a religion. Most often, we become a member of a religion based on our parents' beliefs. A Hindu infant who is orphaned and who is later adopted by a Christian may become Christian.Similarly, the way we live is dictated by the peculiarities of the region we live in. Many people worship God through prayer. But the way they pray is different. In some warm climates, it is customary to remove shoes before entering a holy place; in colder climates, going barefoot may be impractical.Over time, customs that originate for climatic reasons become sanctified and become part of religious law. People tend to use those differences as a basis for prejudice and hatred. Another dividing factor is language.When people in different religions use different words for the same concept, it becomes an excuse for thinking the other religion is not as good as one's own. Each religion has its own name for God, based on the language or culture in which the religion originated.God is Allah to Muslims, Wahe Guru to Sikhs, Paramatma to Hindus, God to Christians. Whichever the language, the words refer to the same God. Yet we make these language differences a source of contention and separation.We forget that God existed before language was created. By drawing boundaries we limit ourselves. The soul, however, is limitless. There is a unifying force beyond the physical plane, connecting all life. We are full of the love of God. It is only at the human level that we make divisions.The soul is a part of the Creator. For us to be able to truly understand ourselves, we need to recognize all the divisions as walls that surround our true self. These walls keep us from truth.Sant Darshan Singh spoke of Oneness: "What does it matter if I am called a man, In truth, I am the very soul of love. The entire earth is my home, And the universe my country".Through lack of self-know-ledge, we create separation. Through our soul, we can experience connectedness and create more peace and harmony among the inhabitants of this planet.
Ego is the absence of true knowledge By Rigpa Fellowship
Ego is the absence of true knowledge of who we really are, together with its result: a doomed clutching on, at all costs, to a cobbled together and makeshift image of ourselves, an inevitably chameleon charlatan self that keeps changing, and has to, to keep alive the fiction of its existence. In Tibetan, ego is called dakdzin , which means “grasping to a self.” Ego is then defined as incessant movements of grasping at a delusory notion of “I” and “mine,” self and other, and all the concepts, ideas, desires, and activities that will sustain that false construction. Such grasping is futile from the start and condemned to frustration, for there is no basis or truth in it, and what we are grasping at is by its very nature ungraspable. The fact that we need to grasp at all and to go on grasping shows that in the depths of our being we know that the self doesn’t inherently exist. From this secret, unnerving knowledge spring all our fundamental insecurities and fears.
Jesus and Barata. Together they read the sacred books. Jesus takes exception to the Buddhist doctrine of evolution and reveals the true origin of man.
AMONG the Buddhist priests was one who saw a lofty wisdom in the words that Jesus spoke. It was Barata Arabo. 2 Together Jesus and Barata read the Jewish Psalms and Prophets; read the Vedas, the Avesta and the wisdom of Gautama. 3 And as they read and talked about the possibilities of man, Barata said, 4 Man is the marvel of the universe. He is part of everything for he has been a living thing on every plane of life. 5 Time was when man was not; and he was bit of formless substance in the moulds of time; and then a protoplast. 6 By universal law all things tend upward to a state of perfectness. The protoplast evolved, becoming worm, then reptile, bird and beast, and then at last it reached the form of man. 7 Now, man himself is mind, and mind is here to gain perfection by experience; and mind is often manifest in fleshy form, and in the form best suited to its growth. So mind may manifest as worm, or bird, or beast, or man. 8 The time will come when everthing of life will be evolved unto the state of perfect man. 9 And after man is man in perfectness, he will evolve to higher forms of life. 10 And Jesus said, Barata Arabo, who taught you this, that mind, which is the man, may manifest in flesh of beast, or bird, or creeping thing? 11 Barata said, From times which man remembers not our priests have told us so, and so we know. 12 And Jesus said, Enlightened Arabo, are you a master mind and do not know that man knows naught by being told? 13 Man may believe what others say; but thus he never knows. If man would know, he must himself be what he knows. 14 Do you remember, Arabo, when you were ape, or bird, or worm? 15 Now, if you have no better proving of your plea than that the priests have told you so, you do not know; you simply guess. 16 Regard not, then, what any man has said; let us forget the flesh, and go with mind into the land of fleshless things; mind never does forget. 17 And backward through the ages master minds can trace themselves; and thus they know. 18 Time never was when man was not. 19 That which begins will have an end. If man was not, the time will come when he will not exist. 20 From God's own Record Book we read: The Triune God breathed forth, and seven Spirits stood before his face. (The Hebrews call these seven Spirits, Elohim.) 21 And these are they who, in their boundless power, created everything that is, or was. 22 These Spirits of the Triune God moved on the face of boundless space and seven ethers were, and every ether had its form of life. 23 These forms of life were but the thoughts of God, clothed in the substance of their ether planes. 24 (Men call these ether planes the planes of protoplast, of earth, of plant, of beast, of man, of angel and of cherubim.) 25 These planes with all their teeming thoughts of God, are never seen by eyes of man in flesh; they are composed of substance far too fine for fleshy eyes to see, and still they constitute the soul of things; 26 And with the eyes of soul all creatures see these ether planes, and all forms of life. 27 Because all forms of life on every plane are thoughts of God, all creatures think, and every creature is possessed of will, and, in its measure, has the power to choose, 28 And in their native planes all creatures are supplied with nourishment from the ethers of their planes. 29 And so it was with every living thing until the will became a sluggish will, and then the ethers of the protoplast, the earth, the plant, the beast, the man, began to vibrate very slow. 30 The ethers all became more dense, and all the creatures of these planes were clothed with coarser garbs, the garbs of flesh, which men can see; and thus this coarser manifest, which men call physical, appeared. 31 And this is what is called the fall of man; but man fell not alone for protoplast, and earth, and plant and beast were all included in the fall. 32 The angels and the cherubim fell not; their wills were ever strong, and so they held the ethers of their planes in harmony with God. 33 Now, when the ethers reached the rate of atmosphere, and all the creatures of these planes must get their food from atmosphere, the conflict came; and that which the finite man ahs called, survival of the best, became the law, 34 The stronger ate the bodies of the weaker manifests; and here is where the carnal law of evolution had its rise. 35 And now man, in his utter shamelessness, strikes down and eats the beasts, the beast consumes the plant, the plant thrives on the earth, the earth absorbs the protoplast. 36 In yonder kingdom of the soul this carnal evolution is not known, and the great work of master minds is to restore the heritage of man, to bring him back to his estate that he has lost, when he again will live upon the ethers of his native plane. 37 The thoughts of God change not; the manifests of life on every plane unfold into perfection of their kind; and as the thoughts of God can never die, there is no death to any being of the seven ethers of the seven Spirits of the Triune God. 38 And so an earth is never plant; a beast, or bird, or creeping thing is never man, and man is not, and cannot be, a beast, or bird, or creeping thing. 39 The time will come when all these seven manifests will be absorbed, and man, and beast, and plant, and earth and protoplast will be redeemed. 40 Barata was amazed; the wisdom of the Jewish sage was a revelation unto him. 41 Now, Vidyapati, wisest of the Indian sages, chief of temple Kapavistu, heard Barata speak to Jesus of the origin of man, and heard the answer of the Hebrew prophet, and he said, 42 You priests of Kapavistu, hear me speak: We stand to-day upon a crest of time. Six times ago a master soul was born who gave a glory light to man, and now a master sage stands here in temple Kapavistu. 43 This Hebrew prophet is the rising star of wisdom, diefied. He brings to us a knowledge of the secrets things of God; and all the world will hear his words, will heed his words, and glorify his name. 44 You priests of temple Kapavistu, stay! be still and listen when he speaks; he is the Living Oracle of God. 45 And all the priests gave thanks, and praised the Buddha of enlightenment................................this is from the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ".....
The Gospel of Buddah....chapter five...by Paul Carus circa 1894
When Siddhattha had grown to youth, his father desired to see him married, and he sent to all his kinsfolk, commanding them to bring their princesses that the prince might select one of them as his wife. [1]
But the kinsfolk replied and said: "The prince is young and delicate; nor has he learned any of the sciences. He would not be able to maintain our daughter, and should there be war he would be unable to cope with the enemy." [2]
The prince was not boisterous, but pensive in his nature. He loved to stay under the great jambu-tree in the garden of his father, and, observing the ways of the world, gave himself up to meditation. [3]
And the prince said to his father: "Invite our kinsfolk that they may see me and put my strength to the test." And his father did as his son bade him. [4]
When the kinsfolk came, and the people of the city Kapilavatthu had assembled to test the prowess and scholarship of the prince, he proved himself manly in all the exercises both of the body and of the mind,and there was no rival among the youths and men of Indiawho could surpass him in any test, bodily or mental. [5]
He replied to all the questions of the sages; but when he questioned them, even the wisest among them were silenced. [6]
Then Siddhattha chose himself a wife. He selected Yasodhara, his cousin, the gentle daughter of the king of Koli. And Yasodhara was betrothed to the prince. [7]
In their wedlock was born a son whom they named Rahula which means "fetter" or "tie", and King Suddhodana, glad that an heir was born to his son, said: [8]
"The prince having begotten a son, will love him as I love the prince. This will be a strong tie to bind Siddhattha's heart to the interests of the world, and the kingdom of the Sakyas will remain under the sceptre of my descendants." [9]
With no selfish aim, but regarding his child and the people at large, Siddhattha, the prince, attended to his religious duties,bathing his body in the holy Ganges and cleansing his heart in the waters of the law. Even as men desire to give happiness to their children, so did he long to give peace to the world. [10]
But the kinsfolk replied and said: "The prince is young and delicate; nor has he learned any of the sciences. He would not be able to maintain our daughter, and should there be war he would be unable to cope with the enemy." [2]
The prince was not boisterous, but pensive in his nature. He loved to stay under the great jambu-tree in the garden of his father, and, observing the ways of the world, gave himself up to meditation. [3]
And the prince said to his father: "Invite our kinsfolk that they may see me and put my strength to the test." And his father did as his son bade him. [4]
When the kinsfolk came, and the people of the city Kapilavatthu had assembled to test the prowess and scholarship of the prince, he proved himself manly in all the exercises both of the body and of the mind,and there was no rival among the youths and men of Indiawho could surpass him in any test, bodily or mental. [5]
He replied to all the questions of the sages; but when he questioned them, even the wisest among them were silenced. [6]
Then Siddhattha chose himself a wife. He selected Yasodhara, his cousin, the gentle daughter of the king of Koli. And Yasodhara was betrothed to the prince. [7]
In their wedlock was born a son whom they named Rahula which means "fetter" or "tie", and King Suddhodana, glad that an heir was born to his son, said: [8]
"The prince having begotten a son, will love him as I love the prince. This will be a strong tie to bind Siddhattha's heart to the interests of the world, and the kingdom of the Sakyas will remain under the sceptre of my descendants." [9]
With no selfish aim, but regarding his child and the people at large, Siddhattha, the prince, attended to his religious duties,bathing his body in the holy Ganges and cleansing his heart in the waters of the law. Even as men desire to give happiness to their children, so did he long to give peace to the world. [10]
Darwin's theories are being disproven: by David Wilcock
The theory of the Evolution of Species is being disproven because the DNA molecule is just too complicated to have arisen by "natural mutations." Dr. Crick, one of the original discoverers of the DNA molecule, later proved mathematically that it is absolutely impossible for evolution to have ever even begun to produce DNA in the short amount of history that we have as a planet.4
We are "moving on up" energetically
So now, we are moving into a new position. Microbiology experts tell us that 97 percent of our DNA is apparently un-used,5 but I have been told that more and more of the chain is "unzipping" for those who are able to handle the new fourth-density energy structure. These people may not physically look any different, except perhaps more attractive in subtle ways, but internally they will develop greater depths of emotion, perception, intuition, and sensitivity.
Some of the younger people will actually develop telekinesis or the ability to "see dead people." Many others often find that their bodies will no longer tolerate foods of lower vibration, and they are impelled to eat diets high in fresh organic fruits and vegetables.
So as you drift farther away from your parent star, your planet enters into different vibrational energies and will support life in higher densities."
We are "moving on up" energetically
So now, we are moving into a new position. Microbiology experts tell us that 97 percent of our DNA is apparently un-used,5 but I have been told that more and more of the chain is "unzipping" for those who are able to handle the new fourth-density energy structure. These people may not physically look any different, except perhaps more attractive in subtle ways, but internally they will develop greater depths of emotion, perception, intuition, and sensitivity.
Some of the younger people will actually develop telekinesis or the ability to "see dead people." Many others often find that their bodies will no longer tolerate foods of lower vibration, and they are impelled to eat diets high in fresh organic fruits and vegetables.
So as you drift farther away from your parent star, your planet enters into different vibrational energies and will support life in higher densities."
The Galaxy and Harmonic Resonance: by David Wilcock
We know that the Sun is actively pumping out spiraling energy waves that drive the planets and moons in their respective orbits. Both Bode's Law and the new Stoneking Resonance theories show that the planets are spaced out in the natural Diatonic musical proportions relative to each other.1 The very first extra-solar planetary system that we discovered, which was around pulsar B1257+12, also shows these same proportions.2 The proportional phenomenon supports the idea that every star is pumping out energy waves that create similar planetary systems, as this kind of resonance obviously could not be caused by random groupings of gas and dust.
Then, just like the principles of a hologram or a fractal, within the larger waves from the Sun are subtler, smaller waves. And these are also based on the same musical principles. They all branch out, forming waves upon waves and getting smaller and smaller.
The Galaxy is "tuned" to form DNA
In the optimal planetary system, where there are no major cataclysms or interruptions, there is a specific distance from the Sun where the tiniest spiraling waves will gather a planet's natural materials together to form the DNA molecules of life. The DNA is the wave, and the wave is the DNA.
That DNA is formed in the process of planetary evolusion may sound ridiculous, but it can effectively be proven by something known as the DNA Phantom effect. Dr. Vladimir Poponin put DNA in a tube and shone a laser through it, and to his surprise he realized that it actually captured the light and caused it to spiral through the helix, as if it were a crystal. Even more amazingly, when Dr. Poponin removed the DNA, the light continued spiraling on its own!3
For light to form a DNA helix on its own should of course be impossible; unless the light itself had become harmonically tuned to some naturally existing frequency in the energy of space around it. To me, this says that the spiraling light energy of DNA was there first, and the physical molecules simply formed around the spiraling energy once the planet was at the proper frequency position. The Galaxy is "tuned" to form human DNA in planetary systems wherever it gets the chance.
Then, just like the principles of a hologram or a fractal, within the larger waves from the Sun are subtler, smaller waves. And these are also based on the same musical principles. They all branch out, forming waves upon waves and getting smaller and smaller.
The Galaxy is "tuned" to form DNA
In the optimal planetary system, where there are no major cataclysms or interruptions, there is a specific distance from the Sun where the tiniest spiraling waves will gather a planet's natural materials together to form the DNA molecules of life. The DNA is the wave, and the wave is the DNA.
That DNA is formed in the process of planetary evolusion may sound ridiculous, but it can effectively be proven by something known as the DNA Phantom effect. Dr. Vladimir Poponin put DNA in a tube and shone a laser through it, and to his surprise he realized that it actually captured the light and caused it to spiral through the helix, as if it were a crystal. Even more amazingly, when Dr. Poponin removed the DNA, the light continued spiraling on its own!3
For light to form a DNA helix on its own should of course be impossible; unless the light itself had become harmonically tuned to some naturally existing frequency in the energy of space around it. To me, this says that the spiraling light energy of DNA was there first, and the physical molecules simply formed around the spiraling energy once the planet was at the proper frequency position. The Galaxy is "tuned" to form human DNA in planetary systems wherever it gets the chance.
We're Free by Hal Urban...
We're free to choose our character, the type of persons we become. We can allow ourselves to be molded by others and our environment, or we can commit ourselves to self-development. We can become less than we're capable of, or we can become all that were capable of. We're free to choose our values. We can let the media tell us what's important, or we can decide for ourselves. We can base our standards on what others are doing, or we can base them on what we know is right and good. We're free to choose how to treat other people. We can put them down, or we can lift them up. We can be self-centered and inconsiderate, or we can be respectful, kind, and helpful. We're free to choose how to handle adversity. We can allow ourselves to be crushed, to give up, and to feel sorry for ourselves. Or we can choose to look for a source of strength within us, to persevere, and to make the most out of what life deals us. We're free to choose how much we'll learn. We can look upon learning as an unpleasant duty or as a great opportunity for bettering ourselves. We can be close-minded or open-minded; we can be stagnant, or we can grow. We're free to choose what we'll accomplish in life. We can allow our circumstances or other people to determine what we make of ourselves, or we can choose our own direction and goals. We can be undisciplined and lazy, or we can be self-disciplined and hardworking. We're free to choose our own belief system. We can ignore our spiritual nature, or we can accept it as an important dimension of life. We can worship pleasure and the world's material things, or we can look for something thats ultimately more important. We're free to choose our own purpose. We can wander aimlessly, or we can search for a meaning in life, and then live according to it. We can live to please only ourselves, or we can find a cause that's greater, one that helps us understand and appreciate life more fully. We're free to choose our attitude regardless of circumstances. This is the most important choice we'll ever make because it affects everything we do in life. We're Always Choosing, Much of our potential goes to waste simply because its never used, just like the battery that corrodes or the muscle that atrophies after lying dormant for too long. Most of the time, we fail to exercise our choices because we're not aware of having them. Yet, those choices are available to us every day of our lives. We can make changes in minor aspects of our life, or we can change our entire lifestyle just by making different choices. We can teach ourselves to deal more effectively with both circumstances and with people. In fact, we can change almost anything we do, if we're aware of our choices and if our desire is strong enough.
The Life of a Mystic...
Be your own palace, or the world is your jail. (John Donne, 1572-1632 British Metaphysical Poet)
Only the False Ego Suffers....
Whatever is false within us can suffer, and our true nature resembles pure air, which attacking arrows cannot strike because there is nothing there for them to strike......The Mystic Aurelius spoke about this when he said ;" The ruling faculty does not disturb itself, I mean , it does not fighten itself or cause pain... The guiding principle in itself wants nothing, unless it makes a want for itself, and therefore it is free ".....
Self-righteousness....
The cure for Self-righteousness was mentioned by the Mystic Plautus, when he said;" Do you never look at yourself when you criticize another person"...
The Truth of the Tree....
The tree teaches us about Honesty for the tree is able to move the nutrients from the roots to the uppermost branches. The sap moves through the tree just as we must learn to allow truth to move through us. For each human there is a tree that is just like you. If you are acting as though you carry the whole world upon your shoulders, you will see a tree that is bowed down. Some trees appear to be tall, straight and handsome, yet that same tree may be rotten on the inside. Some people are like that. Crooked people will see crooked trees, just like them. We must strive to be tall, straight and honest and grounded with a “good root system” and to know that just as each tree is an individual and a member of a family, so are we.
Obstacles to Meditation....by the Dalai Lama
Buddhist texts speak of four principal obstacles that one must overcome for meditation to be successful. The first is mental scattering or distraction, which arises at the coarse level of mind and refers to the tendency for our thoughts to be scattered. The second obstacle is dullness and drowsiness, or the tendency to fall asleep. The third is mental laxity, which means that our mind is unable to retain sharpness and clarity. Finally, at a more subtle level, there is mental excitement, or agitation which stems from the fluctuating, changeable nature of our mind.
When our mind is too alert it becomes excitable and easily agitated, and then our thoughts go chasing after different ideas or objects which make us feel either elated or depressed. Too much excitement leads to all kinds of moods and emotional states. By contrast, when laxity arises it brings a sense of respite, so it can feel quite pleasant because it is restful. Despite this, however, it is actually an obstacle to meditation. I have noticed that when birds and animals are well fed they are completely relaxed and contented, so when we hear a well-fed happy cat purring away, we could say that it is in a state of mental laxity.
Mental dullness occurs at a coarser level of the mind, whereas mental laxity, which is in a sense a result of dullness, is experienced on a much more subtle level. In fact, it is said that it is difficult for a meditator to distinguish between genuine meditation and mental laxity. This is because in mental laxity there is still a degree of clarity. You have not lost the focus of your attention in the meditation, but there is no alertness. So although you have a kind of clarity in your perception of the object, there is no vitality in that state of mind. For a serious meditator, it is very important to be able to distinguish between subtle laxity and genuine meditation. This is all the more critical because there are said to be different degrees of mental laxity.
The other obstacle we spoke of is a scattered, distracted state of mind, and this refers to the very general problem we have as soon as we try to focus on a particular object. We find that our mind very quickly loses its power of attention, and gets distracted and carried away by ideas or memories that can be pleasant or unpleasant.
The fourth obstacle, mental excitement, is a subcategory of distraction, but it refers more specifically to distractions associated with pleasant objects. The reason for specifying this as a separate class is because pleasant thoughts are what distract us most from meditation. They can be recollections of a past experience or of something that we have enjoyed, or thoughts about something we would like to experience. Memories and thoughts of this kind are often major factors which interfere with successful meditation,
Of these four obstacles, the two principal ones are distraction and mental laxity.
When our mind is too alert it becomes excitable and easily agitated, and then our thoughts go chasing after different ideas or objects which make us feel either elated or depressed. Too much excitement leads to all kinds of moods and emotional states. By contrast, when laxity arises it brings a sense of respite, so it can feel quite pleasant because it is restful. Despite this, however, it is actually an obstacle to meditation. I have noticed that when birds and animals are well fed they are completely relaxed and contented, so when we hear a well-fed happy cat purring away, we could say that it is in a state of mental laxity.
Mental dullness occurs at a coarser level of the mind, whereas mental laxity, which is in a sense a result of dullness, is experienced on a much more subtle level. In fact, it is said that it is difficult for a meditator to distinguish between genuine meditation and mental laxity. This is because in mental laxity there is still a degree of clarity. You have not lost the focus of your attention in the meditation, but there is no alertness. So although you have a kind of clarity in your perception of the object, there is no vitality in that state of mind. For a serious meditator, it is very important to be able to distinguish between subtle laxity and genuine meditation. This is all the more critical because there are said to be different degrees of mental laxity.
The other obstacle we spoke of is a scattered, distracted state of mind, and this refers to the very general problem we have as soon as we try to focus on a particular object. We find that our mind very quickly loses its power of attention, and gets distracted and carried away by ideas or memories that can be pleasant or unpleasant.
The fourth obstacle, mental excitement, is a subcategory of distraction, but it refers more specifically to distractions associated with pleasant objects. The reason for specifying this as a separate class is because pleasant thoughts are what distract us most from meditation. They can be recollections of a past experience or of something that we have enjoyed, or thoughts about something we would like to experience. Memories and thoughts of this kind are often major factors which interfere with successful meditation,
Of these four obstacles, the two principal ones are distraction and mental laxity.
Meditation by The Dalai Lama ....
What do we understand by meditation? From the Buddhist point of view, meditation is a spiritual discipline, and one that allows you to have some degree of control over your thoughts and emotions.
Why is it that we don't succeed in enjoying the lasting happiness that we are seeking? And why are we so often faced with suffering and misery instead? Buddhism explains that our normal state of mind is such that our thoughts and emotions are wild and unruly, and since we lack the mental discipline needed to tame them, we are powerless to control them. As a result, they control us. And thoughts and emotions, in their turn, tend to be controlled by our negative impulses rather than our positive ones. We need to reverse this cycle, so that our thoughts and emotions are freed from their subservience to negative impulses, and so we ourselves, as individuals, gain control of our own minds.
The idea of bringing about such a fundamental change in ourselves may at first sight seem impossible, yet it is actually possible to do this through a process of discipline such as meditation. We choose a particular object, and then we train our minds by developing our ability to remain focused on the object. Normally, if we just take a moment to reflect, we will see that our mind is not focused at all. We may be thinking about something and, all of a sudden, we find that we have been distracted because something else came into our head. Our thoughts are constantly chasing after this and that because we don't have the discipline of having a focus. So, through meditation, what we can achieve is the ability to place our minds and to focus our attention at will on any given object.
Now of course, we could choose to focus on a negative object in our meditation. If, for example, you are infatuated with someone, and if you focus your mind single-pointedly on that person, and then dwell on their desirable qualities, this will have the effect of increasing your sexual desire for that person. But this is not what meditation is for. From a Buddhist point of view, meditation has to be practiced in relation to a positive object, by which we mean an object that will enhance your ability to focus. Through that familiarity you become closer and closer to the object and feel a sense of intimacy with it. In the classical Buddhist literature this type of meditation is described as shamatha, tranquil abiding, which is a single-pointed meditation.
Why is it that we don't succeed in enjoying the lasting happiness that we are seeking? And why are we so often faced with suffering and misery instead? Buddhism explains that our normal state of mind is such that our thoughts and emotions are wild and unruly, and since we lack the mental discipline needed to tame them, we are powerless to control them. As a result, they control us. And thoughts and emotions, in their turn, tend to be controlled by our negative impulses rather than our positive ones. We need to reverse this cycle, so that our thoughts and emotions are freed from their subservience to negative impulses, and so we ourselves, as individuals, gain control of our own minds.
The idea of bringing about such a fundamental change in ourselves may at first sight seem impossible, yet it is actually possible to do this through a process of discipline such as meditation. We choose a particular object, and then we train our minds by developing our ability to remain focused on the object. Normally, if we just take a moment to reflect, we will see that our mind is not focused at all. We may be thinking about something and, all of a sudden, we find that we have been distracted because something else came into our head. Our thoughts are constantly chasing after this and that because we don't have the discipline of having a focus. So, through meditation, what we can achieve is the ability to place our minds and to focus our attention at will on any given object.
Now of course, we could choose to focus on a negative object in our meditation. If, for example, you are infatuated with someone, and if you focus your mind single-pointedly on that person, and then dwell on their desirable qualities, this will have the effect of increasing your sexual desire for that person. But this is not what meditation is for. From a Buddhist point of view, meditation has to be practiced in relation to a positive object, by which we mean an object that will enhance your ability to focus. Through that familiarity you become closer and closer to the object and feel a sense of intimacy with it. In the classical Buddhist literature this type of meditation is described as shamatha, tranquil abiding, which is a single-pointed meditation.
The Colors of the Aura...
The chart shown below is offered to help in determining what you are seeing when you view the colors in your aura or in another's. NOTE: the information in the following chart comes from various sources, and may vary according to each source.BLACK when black appears in various layers of the aura, it can indicate damage to either the emotions, self-esteem or organs. GRAY this color normally represents depression, which is a suffocation of energy. BROWN - Amber shows the courage that a person has when being tested. Orange represents careless attitude. Copper indicates a connection with the earth's minerals. Chocolate Brown denotes an affinity with Nature. Dark Brown reflects common sense. PURPLE - Imperial purple it's the color of Spiritual Awakening. Lavender the color of developing psychic abilities. Lilac the color of spiritual balance. Magenta the color of adaptation and/or integration. Mauve the color of humility. Violet the color of Spiritual Wisdom. BLUE - Indigo it's the color of psychic abilities. Navy Blue indicates an evaluation of ethics. Pale Blue the color representing energized emotions or imagination. Sky Blue represents the unconscious intuition that a person has. GREEN - Apple Green the healing force of a new life.Bright Green represents the friendly nature of a person. Dark Green reflects mental stress. Emerald Green indicates a release of stress through practical wisdom. Jade the color of charity and self-sacrifice. Lime indicates a deceitful person. Olive Green reflects the distrust that a person has in those around them. Sage indicates spiritual growth through the awareness of other realities. YELLOW generally, yellow represents the intellect of a person. Buttery Yellow reflects that a person is mentally focused on a problem. Golden Yellow reflects the evolvement of the mind to a higher level of awareness. Mustard this color represents the mind games that a person plays in order to deceive others. It's normally around lime color. Pale Yellow reflects that a person is a dreamer with no results. Primrose Yellow indication of new learning. GOLD It is the color of the highest degree of evolvement. This color is used in representing holy people such as Buddha, Jesus Christ, saints and others. It is said that when a child is born it has a golden halo as the child hasn't yet been influenced by any man-made doctrine. ORANGE represents the balance of mental and physical states. Apricot represents gentle expressions. Orange-red reflects a weak will. Orange-yellow reflects excessive thinking. RED represents quick temper, aggression or anger. As well as other strong emotions such as love and passion. Pink the color of lust or seduction. Dusty Pink reflects immaturity. Pink the color of Universal Love. Scarlet reflects an egocentric personality. SILVER represents the guide energy from higher entities such as Spirit Guides. WHITE represents the purification of the mind, body and spirit.
The Aura....
The Aura or electromagnetic field that surrounds and interpenetrates with the human body is ovoid in shape. The widest part is around the head and the narrowest beneath the feet. It comprises seven layers, each layer slightly larger then it's predecessor.The seven layers constitute the physical body; the etheric sheath or energy body; the astral sheath or emotional body; the mental body; the higher mental; the casual and the bodyless body.The bodyless body establishes that Divine part of us which has no beginning and no ending; which through practices such as meditation, enables us to realize and become one with it. From the moment of birth we are subject to conditioning. Through this, we forget our life's purpose. We then become like travelers working our way across a strange country without a map. Apart from conditioning, we are also given free will. This enables us to choose which path we take. Unfortunately, we do not always choose the correct one. How many times can you remember sitting at one of life's crossroads. Intuitively you know which way you should travel but insight reveals it to be a very stony and difficult path, so you take what looks to be the easier way. This may prove to be correct for a time but gradually you will be brought back by your higher self to the path which you intuitively felt to be correct. Our true self knows its chosen way and will, at all costs, continually confront us with it until we find the courage to take it.The higher mental body could be called the voice of our intuition. If we learn to "tune in" to this part of our self, we are able to receive Divine inspiration. The answers to life's problems will be revealed and we will be taught spiritual truths and cosmic law. The law which creation adheres to and works with.The mental body is connect with thought. Each thought that we think creates a pattern or form. These accumulate in the mental body and can be projected out into the environment, surrounding us with thought forms which we and other individuals have created.These thought forms also attract the thought forms surrounding us that are of a similar nature. Therefore, if we think negative thoughts we will attract negative thought forms; likewise, positive thoughts attract positive thought forms. It is therefore important to have a positive outlook on life, especially when working with self-healing.When working with absent healing, the mental body is part of the aura with which we work. We visualize the person who has requested healing lying in peaceful surroundings. We then create beautiful healing forms and project them to the patient. The greater the control we have over the mental body, the greater the strength of healing. When we have acquired the power of thought, it must only be used for the good of others. Remember the law of karma; what ever good you do be repaid with good; what ever evil, retribution will follow. In other words, "what you send out, returns to you."The emotional or astral sheath is our "feeling" body. In those people who have not learned to be the master over their emotions, this body is in a state of imbalance. Because it is interspersed with the other layers of the aura and the physical body, these too are affected. It is similar to one of the organs of the physical body being diseased and the rest of the body being affected through trying to compensate for it.The sheath nearest to the physical body is the etheric. The etheric and physical body are closely interwoven and disintegrate together at death. Every physical particle has its etheric counterpart, which is a perfect replica of the physical form. This is why it is known as the etheric double, and why people who have had a limb amputated can still feel pain or sensation from it - it is still present in it's etheric form. The etheric lays down the basic pattern upon which the physical body is directly related to the tone and quality of the etheric body. Apart from containing the nadis, it contains seven major and twenty-one minor chakras plus numerous acupuncture points. A major chakra is defined by the crossing of twenty-one energy lines, a minor chakra constitutes fourteen energy lines, and an acupuncture point is seven. The Nadis are the very fine energy channels that are within the same sheath or "Chuchumna" or chakra tube, through which pranic energy flows. This network of infinitely intricate nadis constitutes the counterpart of the entire nervous system which forms an important part of the human mechanism. The number of nadis are numerous. Some ancient documents state there to be 72,000, while others say there are as many as 350,000.
Jesus receives from the hierophant his mystic name and number. Passes the first brotherhood test, and receives his first degree, SINCERITY.
THE master took down from the wall a scroll on which was written down the number and the name of every attribute and character. He said, 2 The circle is the symbol of the perfect man, and seven is the number of the perfect man; 3 The Logos is the perfect word; that which creates; that which destroys, and that which saves. 4 This Hebrew master is the Logos of the Holy One, the Circle of the human race, the Seven of time. 5 And in the record book the scribe wrote down, The Logos-Circle-Seven; and thus was Jesus known. 6 The master said, The Logos will give heed to what I say: No man can enter into light till he has found himself. Go forth and search till you have found your soul and then return. 7 The guide led Jesus to a room in which the light was faint and mellow, like the light of early dawn. 8 The chamber walls were marked with mystic signs, with hieroglyphs and sacred texts; and in this chamber Jesus found himself alone where he remained for many days. 9 He read the sacred texts; thought out the meaning of the hieroglyphs and sought the import of the master's charge to find himself. 10 A revelation came; he got acquaited with his soul; he found himself; then he was not alone. 11 One night he slept and at the midnight hour, a door that he had not observed, was opened, and a priest in sombre garb came in and said, 12 My brother, pardon me for coming in at this unseemly hour; but I have come to save your life. 13 You are the victim of a cruel plot. The priests of Heliopolis are jealous of your fame, and they have said that you shall never leave these gloomy crypts alive. 14 The higher priests do not go forth to teach the world, and you are doomed to temple servitude. 15 Now, if you would be free, you must deceive these priests; must tell them you are here to stay for life; 16 And then, when you have gained all that you wish to gain, I will return, and by a secret way will lead you forth that you may go in peace. 17 And Jesus said, My brother man, would you come here to teach deceit? Am I within these holy walls to learn the wiles of vile hypocrisy? 18 Nay, man, my Father scorns deceit, and I am here to do his will. 19 Deceive these priests! Not while the sun shall shine. What I have said, that I have said; I will be true to them, to God, and to myself. 20 And then the tempter left, and Jesus was again alone; but in a little time a white- robed priest appeared and said, 21 Well done! The Logos has prevailed. This is the trial chamber of hypocrisy. And then he led the way, and Jesus stood before the judgement seat. 22 And all the brothers stood; the hierophant came forth and laid his hand on Jesus' head, and placed within his hands a scroll, on which was written just one word, SINCERITY; and not a word was said. 23 The guide again appeared, and led the way, and in a spacious room replete with everything a student craves was Jesus bade to rest and wait.
The Wisdom of Meister Eckhart
Here in time we celebrate because the eternal birth that God the Father bears unceasingly in eternity is born now, in time and human nature. According to St. Augustine, this birth is always happening. But what does it profit me if it does not happen in me?A wise man said: “When all things lay in the midst of silence, then there descended into me from on high, from the royal throne, a secret word.” This sermon concerns that word. First we will consider the phrase: “In the midst of silence, there was spoken in me a secret word.”—“But, sir, where is the silence and where is the word spoken?”It is in the purest, noblest part of the soul, in her ground and very essence. That is the silent center where no creature or image has ever penetrated. There the soul has no activity or understanding, and thus no image of herself or any creature. Here alone is rest and habitation for this birth, where God the Father can speak his Word, for it is intrinstically receptive of nothing save the divine essence. Here God enters the soul with his all, not merely with a part. Creatures cannot enter the soul, nor can the soul know anything about a creature the image of which she has not willingly absorbed. An image is a thing that the soul creates with her powers, by means of which she approaches creatures. But an image received in this way must enter from without through the senses. Consequently there is nothing so unknown to the soul as herself. As one philosopher says, the soul can neither create nor absorb an image of herself.Now you must know that the interior of the soul is free from both means and images; that is why God can unite with her freely without form or appearance. Surely, any power we might attribute to a master, God possesses without measure. The wiser and more powerful the master, the more immediately and simply his work is effected. Man requires many instruments for his external works, and much preparation is needed before he can bring them forth as he has imagined them. More exalted are the angels, who need fewer means and images for their works. The highest Seraph has but a single image. He seizes as a unity all that his inferiors regard as manifold. But God needs no image and has no image: God works in the soul without image, likeness or means. This no creature can do.--“How does God the Father give birth to his Son in the soul: like creatures, in image and likeness?”No, by my faith! It occurs just as he gives him birth in eternity, and not otherwise.—“Well, but how does he give him birth there?”See. God the Father has perfect insight into himself, profound and thorough knowledge of himself through himself, not by means of any image. Thus God the Father gives birth to his Son in the very oneness of the divine nature. In the same way, God the Father gives birth to his Son in the ground and essence of the soul, and thus he unites himself with her. Were any image present there would not be real union, and in real union lies our beatitude.Now you might say: “But there is nothing innate in the soul but images.” This is not true! If it were, then the soul could never be happy, for no creature can provide us with perfect happiness. Union with God is the highest happiness and final goal; it is his will and nature to be the alpha and omega of all. Therefore you must dwell in the ground of your soul, where God will join you to his essence without the medium of any image. The second point to consider is what you should do to bring this birth to pass in yourself. Is it better to take action by imagining and thinking about God, or should you keep still and wait so that God can speak and act in you? At the same time, note that only the good and perfect, who have so absorbed the essence of virtue that it emanates from them naturally, are fit to receive this act of God. Above all there must live in them the worthy life and lofty teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such know that the highest attainment in this life is to remain still and let God act and speak in us. When the soul withdraws her powers from bodily forms and functions, then this Word is spoken. The more completely you can withdraw your faculties and forget the things and images you have taken in, the more susceptible you are to this act. If only you could be suddenly unaware of things, and even of your very existence, as was St. Paul when he said: “Whether in the body or out of the body I know not; God knoweth!” His spirit had so entirely absorbed the faculties that it had forgotten the body. Memory no longer functioned, nor understanding, nor the senses; vital heat and energy were suspended so that the body was sustained during the three days that he neither ate or drank. God works without instruments or images. The freer you are from images, the more receptive you are to his interior operation. God scorns to work among images.
Supreme Secret of Divine Knowledge....
A lot has been said and written by spiritual gurus and religiously inclined persons on how to attain the ultimate goal of self-realisation and holistic well-being. Despite advancement, both technological and economic, we are still groping to achieve peace, tranquility, universal brotherhood and tolerance.
The confused and wavering mind of Arjuna calmed down only after having gained divine knowledge from Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna called this divine knowledge the supreme secret of God. In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna how divine knowledge was handed down from the dawn of creation. In the beginning of this universe, He taught the immoral karmayoga to Vivasvan. Vivasvan in turn conveyed it to Manu and Manu imparted it to his son Iksvaku. Sri Krishna told Arjuna that only the wise seers and perfect masters who have known and seen God can impart this knowledge and not those who possess just scriptural knowledge. A sadguru who can make us see that divine light within us is an enlightened soul.
Mere bookish knowledge does not make one an enlightened soul. Kabir and Mira were not scholars. Even their worst critic would acknowledge that they were intiated into brahm gyan by their gurus namely Swami Ramanand and Sant Raidass. Since inception, the world has witnessed so many avatars and perfect masters. None of them advocated just recitation of mantras and chanting of hymns as a means of self-realisation. It is true that chanting of hymns in praise of God is a sure way of stabilizing the mind. The perfect master imparts the devotee with a methodology for knowing and seeing God. There is immediate and instant realisation of God within us when he places his holy palm on the fore-head. Brahm Gyan is energy transmitted by the perfect master on to the seeker of God....
When a seeker of truth receives brahm gyan, he or she instantly experience divine light within. Divine knowledge comprises instant and immediate practical experience of divine light, the holy name, inner music and holy nectar. God has been described as the divine light by holy scriptures like the Vedas, Shastras, the Upanishads and the puranas. As there is fire hidden in wood and it can be produced only through a technique, there is divine light hidden in every particle. A perfect master can show us that divine light within us. Our scriptures profusely emphasise that our bhakti starts only after we see and experience that divine light within us. The simran or smaran or remembrance of that eternal name which is already present in our inner-self can be done with neither tongue not with the lips. That holy name is inexpressible and hence beyond any language. The simran of this holy name makes us pure, take us on the path of true bhakti and salvation. Divine music or the anhad vani echoes in our inner-self and awakens feelings of forgiveness, morality, satisfaction, compassion and truth within us and through constant practice, we attain eternal peace and pleasure. Amrit or holy nectar is present in plenty in the human body. Amrit keeps the child alive in the womb of his mother. On taking birth, the child cries as he gets detached from God.
The role of the perfect master is to link us with the inner world which has been forgotten by us. Attainment of supreme knowledge is the right of every human being, whosoever he or she may be. It is only after we see divine light within our inner-self that self-transformation and holistic well-being shall become reality.”
The confused and wavering mind of Arjuna calmed down only after having gained divine knowledge from Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna called this divine knowledge the supreme secret of God. In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna how divine knowledge was handed down from the dawn of creation. In the beginning of this universe, He taught the immoral karmayoga to Vivasvan. Vivasvan in turn conveyed it to Manu and Manu imparted it to his son Iksvaku. Sri Krishna told Arjuna that only the wise seers and perfect masters who have known and seen God can impart this knowledge and not those who possess just scriptural knowledge. A sadguru who can make us see that divine light within us is an enlightened soul.
Mere bookish knowledge does not make one an enlightened soul. Kabir and Mira were not scholars. Even their worst critic would acknowledge that they were intiated into brahm gyan by their gurus namely Swami Ramanand and Sant Raidass. Since inception, the world has witnessed so many avatars and perfect masters. None of them advocated just recitation of mantras and chanting of hymns as a means of self-realisation. It is true that chanting of hymns in praise of God is a sure way of stabilizing the mind. The perfect master imparts the devotee with a methodology for knowing and seeing God. There is immediate and instant realisation of God within us when he places his holy palm on the fore-head. Brahm Gyan is energy transmitted by the perfect master on to the seeker of God....
When a seeker of truth receives brahm gyan, he or she instantly experience divine light within. Divine knowledge comprises instant and immediate practical experience of divine light, the holy name, inner music and holy nectar. God has been described as the divine light by holy scriptures like the Vedas, Shastras, the Upanishads and the puranas. As there is fire hidden in wood and it can be produced only through a technique, there is divine light hidden in every particle. A perfect master can show us that divine light within us. Our scriptures profusely emphasise that our bhakti starts only after we see and experience that divine light within us. The simran or smaran or remembrance of that eternal name which is already present in our inner-self can be done with neither tongue not with the lips. That holy name is inexpressible and hence beyond any language. The simran of this holy name makes us pure, take us on the path of true bhakti and salvation. Divine music or the anhad vani echoes in our inner-self and awakens feelings of forgiveness, morality, satisfaction, compassion and truth within us and through constant practice, we attain eternal peace and pleasure. Amrit or holy nectar is present in plenty in the human body. Amrit keeps the child alive in the womb of his mother. On taking birth, the child cries as he gets detached from God.
The role of the perfect master is to link us with the inner world which has been forgotten by us. Attainment of supreme knowledge is the right of every human being, whosoever he or she may be. It is only after we see divine light within our inner-self that self-transformation and holistic well-being shall become reality.”
Kahlil Gibran - The Vision
When night fell and slumber draped its mantle over the face of the earth, I left my bed and walked toward the sea, saying to myself,"The sea sleeps not. And in the wakefulness of the sea is a balm for the spirit that does not rest." I arrived at the shore, where the mists had rolled down from the mountain peaks and enveloped that locale the way a grey veil cloaks the face of a beautiful girl. I stood staring at the armies of waves, listening to their jubilant shouts, contemplating the eternal, clandestine powers that lay behind them -- the powers that race with storms, rage alongside volcanoes, smile with the mouths of roses, and lilt with brooks. After a little while I looked around to find three apparitions sitting on a nearby boulder, the mists concealing yet not concealing them. I walked slowly toward them, as if some force in their being attracted me and subdued my will. When I had come within a few footsteps of them, I halted and stood staring at them fixedly, as though sorcery pervaded that place, blunting my determination and awakening the imagination latent in my spirit. At that very moment one of the three arose and, in a voice that seemed to issue from the depths of the sea, he said, 'Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. Love without beauty is like flowers without fragrance and fruit without seeds... Life, love, and beauty -- three persons in one substance,independent, absolute, accepting no change or separation.' Having spoken these words, he sat down again in the same place. Then the second phantom stood and, in a voice like the roar of flood waters, he said, 'Life, without rebellion is like the seasons without spring. Rebellion without truth is like spring in a bleak, arid desert... Life, rebellion, and truth -- three persons in one substance, accepting no separation or alteration.' The third specter now gained his feet and, in a voice likea thunderclap, he said, 'Life without liberty is like a body without spirit. Liberty without thought is like a disturbed spirit... Life, liberty, and thought -- three persons in one substance, eternal, never-ending, and unceasing.' All three apparitions now arose, and with horrifying voices they said unanimously, 'Love and what generates it. Rebellion and what creates it. Liberty and what nourishes it. Three manifestations of God. And God is the conscience of the rational world.' A silence fell then, replete with the rustling of unseen wings and the trembling of ethereal bodies. I closed my eyes, listening to the echo of the words I had heard. When I opened them and looked again, I saw only the sea, wrapped in a shroud of mist. I drew near to the boulder where the three apparitions had been sitting, and descried only a column of incense rising into the sky.
Jesus with Elihu and Salome in Egypt. Tells the story of his journeys. Elihu and Salome praise God..
AND Jesus came to Egypt land and all was well. He tarried not upon the coast; he went at once to Zoan, home of Elihu and Salome, who five and twenty years before had taught his mother in their sacred school. 2 And there was joy when met these three. When last the son of Mary saw these sacred groves he was a babe; 3 And now a man grown strong by buffeting of every kind; a teacher who had stirred the multitudes in many lands. 4 And Jesus told the aged teachers all about his life; about his journeyings in foreign lands; about the meetings with the masters and about his kind receptions by the multitudes. 5 Elihu and Salome heard his story with delight; they lifted up their eyes to heaven and said, 6 Our Father-God, let now thy servants go in peace, for we have seen the glory of the Lord; 7 And we have talked with him, the messenger of love, and of the covenant of peace on earth, good will to men. 8 Through him shall all the nations of the earth be blest; through him, Immanuel. 9 And Jesus stayed in Zoan many days; and then went forth unto the city of the sun, that men call Heliopolis, and sought admission to the temple of the sacred brotherhood. 10 The council of the brotherhood convened, and Jesus stood before the hierophant; he answered all the questions that were asked with clearness and with power. 11 The hierophant exclaimed, Rabboni of the rabbinate, why come you here? Your wisdom is the wisdom of the gods; why seek for wisdom in the halls of men? 12 And Jesus said, In every way of earth-life I would walk; in every hall of learning I would sit; the heights that any man has gained, these I would gain; 13 What any man has suffered I would meet, that I may know the griefs, the disappointments and the sore temptations of my brother man; that I may know just how to succour those in need. 14 I pray you, brothers, let me go into your dismal crypts; and I would pass the hardest of your tests. 15 The master said, Take then the vow of secret brotherhood. And Jesus took the vow of secret brotherhood. 16 Again the master spoke; he said, The greatest heights are gained by those who reach the greatest depths; and you shall reach the greatest depths. 17 The guide then led the way and in the fountain Jesus bathed; and when he had been clothed in proper garb he stood again before the hierophant.
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