Edgar Cayce, Reading 3976-8 1/15/32
11. Man’s answer to everything has been POWER - power of money, Power of position, Power of wealth, Power of this, that or the other. This has NEVER been GOD’S way, will never be God’s way. Rather little by little, line upon line, here a little, there a little, each thinking rather of the other fellow ...
The fact is that in order to exist in the physical form a certain amount of “power” is required. Be this physical, mental and spiritual. Obviously, everyone is using this kind of power to some degree or other all of the time. But, what Cayce is talking about and what developing power through meditation is about is something different. The key to this kind of power lay in the fact that you will not be allowed to destroy God’s creation and there is a distinct possibility that you might do this if you have not developed the capacity to use the “higher power” responsibly.
The catch 22 of using this kind of power is that you will only be allowed to use it if you are doing so for the betterment of the Creation. If you attempt to use it solely for personal gain it will not be allowed. Anything you do which is for personal gain where the use of power is involved would be called “personal power”. Some people including many spiritual leaders have developed a substantial amount of personal power. The only problem with using personal power is that it has karmic consequences.
Karmic consequences is in effect the greater nature of using any kind of energy in the lower worlds which inevitably follows the law of physics; by which for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. On a personal level, if you initiate any kind of energy towards anything or anyone, there will be an equal and opposite response which can come in some uncomfortable forms. In the use of the “higher powers” they are used in response to this law and not initiated. Thus, there are no consequences.
In addition, to know the power of the Father for instance you must merge with the Father. Since His power is so much greater than yours you cannot attain to it without being in complicity with it. What his means is that you have to give up any personal notions about how things are supposed to be or what is the right or wrong thing to do. This state can be difficult to but it should also be quite obvious that His Wisdom is very much greater than yours. And whatever it is That shall be done by His Will, it will always be way beyond anything you could ever come up with.
Thus, another aspect of meditation is to reach a state and be able to summon a state whereby you are totally clear of all thought, fear, and conceptions about what reality is supposed to be like, what God is supposed to be like, or what is needed in this world.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
The Abomination of Desolation
The abomination of desolation is first mentioned in the Book of Daniel and then Jesus uses this terminology in the Book of Mathew. In Daniel, the Archangel Gabriel comes to him and tries to clarify what the Son of Man has been trying to explain to him about the Second Coming, the wars, the Second Temple and so forth. Gabriel first mentions two major aspects of what will happen when the abomination of desolation is unleashed upon the world. There will be “a flood and even unto the end shall there be war.” Jesus talks about the floods and wars that are supposed to come at the “time of the end” in Mathew with a reference to the Flood of Noah and state of affairs where nation is against nation.
Gabriel continues by telling Daniel that before the “desolation,” “He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week.” “He” is most times believed to be the “Anointed One” but recent visionaries say that it is the Father who will convey a “Day of Grace” upon the world. When this day comes it will “cause the sacrifice and the oblation (death and suffering) to cease.” After this, “On the wing of an abomination shall come one who shall make them desolate.”
On the “wing of an abomination” seems to describe a great bird of some kind what would be seen in the sky. The legends of the earliest Native American Indian tribes tell of a giant vulture or a huge bat that changed the land with the flap of its wings. One of these stories holds that the Appalachian Mountains were formed when a giant vulture flapped its wings too hard as he landed on the coast of what is now Virginia. Regardless of how it is described the “desolation” will be manifested by something that will appear in the sky.
One thing appears to be certain from Gabriel’s explanation; Daniel’s vision of the abomination of desolation does not comply with the idea of a pagan statue being set up in the Third Temple of Israel—as it is stated in Luke. It is a global cataclysm unleashed by a celestial object striking the Earth. “And even unto the full end, as it has been determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.” There will be complete and utter destruction over the whole Earth.
Jesus probably refers to the story of Noah in relation to the abomination of desolation for two reasons; first, because there will be a great flood as all the coastlines around the world are inundated by mile high waves of water and second, because it is the only place in the Bible where it clearly states that a global destruction is associated with the passing of an age. In Noah’s day, there was a race of giants as well as a group of Neanderthal type people. There were ferocious carnivores and perhaps the remnants of other prehistoric creatures. God was not pleased with these primitive life forms. Noah, his family and a group of animals were selected to be preserved at the end of that age. All the Biblical inferences about the end of this age relate to this kind of cleansing happening once again.
Michael is only mentioned in the Books of Daniel, Jude, Revelations and the narratives of Jesus in Mathew. Daniel was the first to introduce him to the scriptures. According to Daniel’s visions, Michael is the one who unleashes the abomination of desolation. If so, then he must be one of the most powerful beings on Earth. What Moses called the pillar of fire; the Son of Man has given a name, “At that time Michael will stand up.”
Most interpretations of these passages consider Michael as an Archangel and the abomination of desolation as something he creates. In some verses it appears as though the abomination is an act of transgression which causes the desolation to be unleashed. However, a fire ball rising up from the Earth on a pillar of smoke, looking like a huge rose blossoming in the sky, could also be considered as the physical representation of Michael.
I think that it is worth adding here that the Mother Mary does not prefer to use the term abomination of desolation to describe what is to come. In Her vernacular it is a Chastisement, or as She put it to me “there are those in the world who need a good spanking.”
Gabriel continues by telling Daniel that before the “desolation,” “He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week.” “He” is most times believed to be the “Anointed One” but recent visionaries say that it is the Father who will convey a “Day of Grace” upon the world. When this day comes it will “cause the sacrifice and the oblation (death and suffering) to cease.” After this, “On the wing of an abomination shall come one who shall make them desolate.”
On the “wing of an abomination” seems to describe a great bird of some kind what would be seen in the sky. The legends of the earliest Native American Indian tribes tell of a giant vulture or a huge bat that changed the land with the flap of its wings. One of these stories holds that the Appalachian Mountains were formed when a giant vulture flapped its wings too hard as he landed on the coast of what is now Virginia. Regardless of how it is described the “desolation” will be manifested by something that will appear in the sky.
One thing appears to be certain from Gabriel’s explanation; Daniel’s vision of the abomination of desolation does not comply with the idea of a pagan statue being set up in the Third Temple of Israel—as it is stated in Luke. It is a global cataclysm unleashed by a celestial object striking the Earth. “And even unto the full end, as it has been determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.” There will be complete and utter destruction over the whole Earth.
Jesus probably refers to the story of Noah in relation to the abomination of desolation for two reasons; first, because there will be a great flood as all the coastlines around the world are inundated by mile high waves of water and second, because it is the only place in the Bible where it clearly states that a global destruction is associated with the passing of an age. In Noah’s day, there was a race of giants as well as a group of Neanderthal type people. There were ferocious carnivores and perhaps the remnants of other prehistoric creatures. God was not pleased with these primitive life forms. Noah, his family and a group of animals were selected to be preserved at the end of that age. All the Biblical inferences about the end of this age relate to this kind of cleansing happening once again.
Michael is only mentioned in the Books of Daniel, Jude, Revelations and the narratives of Jesus in Mathew. Daniel was the first to introduce him to the scriptures. According to Daniel’s visions, Michael is the one who unleashes the abomination of desolation. If so, then he must be one of the most powerful beings on Earth. What Moses called the pillar of fire; the Son of Man has given a name, “At that time Michael will stand up.”
Most interpretations of these passages consider Michael as an Archangel and the abomination of desolation as something he creates. In some verses it appears as though the abomination is an act of transgression which causes the desolation to be unleashed. However, a fire ball rising up from the Earth on a pillar of smoke, looking like a huge rose blossoming in the sky, could also be considered as the physical representation of Michael.
I think that it is worth adding here that the Mother Mary does not prefer to use the term abomination of desolation to describe what is to come. In Her vernacular it is a Chastisement, or as She put it to me “there are those in the world who need a good spanking.”
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Whether you choose to acknowledge or not, the spiritual journey as I have taken it inherently involves learning about personal and divine power. In fact certain powers must be mastered before moving to a higher level. Although the use of power usually has negative connotations and is usually associated with the dark side of things, it is also a part of the Light as well.
Also, oddly enough everyone is using many of these powers all of the time. They simply reject the notion that they are doing it. This is mostly the result of conditioning and fear. It is far better in fact if you are consciously aware of the fact that you are using these powers. At least this way you some chance of controlling them and thus, not creating bad Karma.
Although most of these powers become available in specific situations you can “ask for them,” facilitate the use of them, or become aware of them through meditation.
The Personal Powers
See the future
Read Minds
Put your awareness in another body
Sustain the body without food water or air
Move beyond physical sensations
"See" anything, anyone, anywhere at anytime
Change your size or appearance
Modify Maya to your personal needs
Overcome the cycle of rebirth
Reanimate the dead
Modify a physical form to another form
Become invisible
Manifest physical objects from the ether
Speak and hear in Tongues (this is probably not what you think it is)
LevitateHeal any diseaseDirect "rays" of energy
"See" all of the worlds that exist at different vibration levels.
Translocation - project yourself anywhere or in multiple places at the same time.
Astral Travel
The Higher Powers
There are three levels of this kind of power that I am aware of. This kind of power however cannot be described in the context of words. So, I will offer a couple of stories that you might be able to use to get the jest of it.
Knowledge
If you use the personal powers for the sake of knowledge instead of for the sake of power you will gain a certain knowledge of existence which is symbolized in the Hindu stories as the escapades of Hanuman.
Power over Nature
At some point after mastering the powers and the Knowledge you will be approached by the Lord of Nature. Shiva in the Hindu context, Satan in the Christian context. And He will offer you His Bow. If you are able to string the bow He will give you dominion over His domain which includes that of all of the elements, Wind, Earth, Water and Fire as well as all of the elementals nature spirits, and basically all forms of elemental life on the planet. If you should be able to string the bow you would be invincible on this planet. In Hindu lore only Rama could string the bow and He became the Messiah of the last age. In this age there were kings who were also considered as gods. This was the case for Rama.
In order to string this bow you have to sacrifice something. It is something most priests, Shamans, Yogis, are not whiling to sacrifice.
Power over Heaven
When Krishna was young, Shiva came to him and presented his bow. Krishna took it, tried to string it and broke it. When Shiva asked Him why he did that, Krishna responded "because this is my destiny". Essentially, this happened to Jesus as well. Satan offered his bow to Him and Jesus just refused it. He didn't need it. God had created these beings to be the beginning of a new generation that would transcend the elemental world. I will leave to you consider how the power over heaven manifests on Earth and what is possible if you can do this.
Also, oddly enough everyone is using many of these powers all of the time. They simply reject the notion that they are doing it. This is mostly the result of conditioning and fear. It is far better in fact if you are consciously aware of the fact that you are using these powers. At least this way you some chance of controlling them and thus, not creating bad Karma.
Although most of these powers become available in specific situations you can “ask for them,” facilitate the use of them, or become aware of them through meditation.
The Personal Powers
See the future
Read Minds
Put your awareness in another body
Sustain the body without food water or air
Move beyond physical sensations
"See" anything, anyone, anywhere at anytime
Change your size or appearance
Modify Maya to your personal needs
Overcome the cycle of rebirth
Reanimate the dead
Modify a physical form to another form
Become invisible
Manifest physical objects from the ether
Speak and hear in Tongues (this is probably not what you think it is)
LevitateHeal any diseaseDirect "rays" of energy
"See" all of the worlds that exist at different vibration levels.
Translocation - project yourself anywhere or in multiple places at the same time.
Astral Travel
The Higher Powers
There are three levels of this kind of power that I am aware of. This kind of power however cannot be described in the context of words. So, I will offer a couple of stories that you might be able to use to get the jest of it.
Knowledge
If you use the personal powers for the sake of knowledge instead of for the sake of power you will gain a certain knowledge of existence which is symbolized in the Hindu stories as the escapades of Hanuman.
Power over Nature
At some point after mastering the powers and the Knowledge you will be approached by the Lord of Nature. Shiva in the Hindu context, Satan in the Christian context. And He will offer you His Bow. If you are able to string the bow He will give you dominion over His domain which includes that of all of the elements, Wind, Earth, Water and Fire as well as all of the elementals nature spirits, and basically all forms of elemental life on the planet. If you should be able to string the bow you would be invincible on this planet. In Hindu lore only Rama could string the bow and He became the Messiah of the last age. In this age there were kings who were also considered as gods. This was the case for Rama.
In order to string this bow you have to sacrifice something. It is something most priests, Shamans, Yogis, are not whiling to sacrifice.
Power over Heaven
When Krishna was young, Shiva came to him and presented his bow. Krishna took it, tried to string it and broke it. When Shiva asked Him why he did that, Krishna responded "because this is my destiny". Essentially, this happened to Jesus as well. Satan offered his bow to Him and Jesus just refused it. He didn't need it. God had created these beings to be the beginning of a new generation that would transcend the elemental world. I will leave to you consider how the power over heaven manifests on Earth and what is possible if you can do this.
I'm Different
Most of the people of the world will claim to be a unique in God’s creation. In many ways this is so especially on the lower side of things. However, in the effort to rise upwards to a higher awareness one should find that those aspects of ourselves which are “different” are those which keep use “separate” from the greater nature of the divine. Thus, if you want to become aware of the “One” and the “Universal Connection” everyone talks about, the only way I know how to do it is to give up the idea that you are different from everyone else.
In order to appreciate what this means we might first consider the nature of our body. Although no two bodies are exactly identical, less than 1% of the chromosomes in our DNA are responsible for that difference. What this means in practical terms is that if you consider yourself to be a human being, then your body is supposed to function like every other human being. So, in essence you are no different than anyone else who is a human being in that respect.
The same thing applies to your higher make up. In order to function in this universe somewhat effectively while in the physical form you will have a body, an ego, an angel, and a spirit. All of these parts will be connected to the original creative force. You also will have an; Attention, a Will, and Awareness, A Silver Cord, a Third Eye, Charkas (which need clarification), Perception among other things. All of these things are necessary in order for you to perpetrate your existence. Thus, once again, in this regard you are no different than anyone else. In addition, besides your physical form you are
actually no different than any living creature, dog, cat rat mouse or ameba.
So, what is it that makes you “Different?” In the higher sense you are simply a distinct awareness in that you are able to identify yourself as an aspect of something greater which can perceive things from a unique perspective. In this world it is mostly the ego and the personality of the angel that causes you to believe that all of your wants and needs and the way you have to perceive things is “Different” from everyone else.
During your meditations you may come to be aware of these different parts of yourself. You may eventually find yourself talking to yourself. Believe it or not, for the most part this is a very good idea. You should also try to make the effort to listen to yourself. Pay particular attention to those words that come out which appear to be coming from out of the Blue. This is your higher self talking to your lower self. But, as you “listen” also be aware of the fact that when you are in the presence of others, you will tend to say things that they want to hear. So, be careful.
(See ego and angels)
In order to appreciate what this means we might first consider the nature of our body. Although no two bodies are exactly identical, less than 1% of the chromosomes in our DNA are responsible for that difference. What this means in practical terms is that if you consider yourself to be a human being, then your body is supposed to function like every other human being. So, in essence you are no different than anyone else who is a human being in that respect.
The same thing applies to your higher make up. In order to function in this universe somewhat effectively while in the physical form you will have a body, an ego, an angel, and a spirit. All of these parts will be connected to the original creative force. You also will have an; Attention, a Will, and Awareness, A Silver Cord, a Third Eye, Charkas (which need clarification), Perception among other things. All of these things are necessary in order for you to perpetrate your existence. Thus, once again, in this regard you are no different than anyone else. In addition, besides your physical form you are
actually no different than any living creature, dog, cat rat mouse or ameba.
So, what is it that makes you “Different?” In the higher sense you are simply a distinct awareness in that you are able to identify yourself as an aspect of something greater which can perceive things from a unique perspective. In this world it is mostly the ego and the personality of the angel that causes you to believe that all of your wants and needs and the way you have to perceive things is “Different” from everyone else.
During your meditations you may come to be aware of these different parts of yourself. You may eventually find yourself talking to yourself. Believe it or not, for the most part this is a very good idea. You should also try to make the effort to listen to yourself. Pay particular attention to those words that come out which appear to be coming from out of the Blue. This is your higher self talking to your lower self. But, as you “listen” also be aware of the fact that when you are in the presence of others, you will tend to say things that they want to hear. So, be careful.
(See ego and angels)
The Days Were Shortened
From Mathew
22And if the days had not been shortened, (in the time of Daniel) no flesh would survive what is to come: but for the mercy of God those days were shortened.[1]
A day is the length of time it takes the Earth to make one rotation around its axis. The only way the days can be shortened is if the Earth is made to spin faster. The only way this could happen is if a celestial object struck the Earth near the equator, with an inbound trajectory in the same direction as the Earth’s rotation. In the spiritual context, it would be like the Hand of God slapping the Earth in a manner similar to someone balancing a basketball on their finger and making it spin faster by hitting it in the same direction as the spin.
It is hard to accept the idea of the Earth being moved in any manner. Perhaps this is why the true nature of the abomination of desolation and the shortening of the days has been written out of the Bible. The general populous has barely come to grips with the fact that the Earth is still prone to impact situations. But few people have ever seriously considered how the world might be moved by one of these events. The idea of something like this happening during the life of Daniel (in 500BC) is out of the question.
The shortening the days is not specifically mentioned in the Book of Daniel, these words are found no where else in the Bible except in the Book of Mathew. The Gospels were originally written in Greek. It is logical to assume that they were pinned by early followers of Jesus who were from that area. The Greek author Herodotus has come to be known as the father of history due to his efforts to record all the legacies of the major cultures living around the Mediterranean. Great thinkers like Socrates also lived in the same era. Records of the shortening of the days in 500BC were probably available in the libraries of Athens at the time the Gospels were written.
The story of the exile of the Jews to Babylon is only told in the Book of Daniel. This book is essentially about how Daniel survived under the rule of several Babylonian kings and his visions of the Son of Man. It is a very important book to the Christians and the Jews because he is apparently the first prophet to communicate with the great soul who would in incarnated as Jesus. And, Jesus told him what was going to happen while Daniel was alive up until the Second Coming. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line the Hebrew scribes rearranged the Book of Daniel to negate the words of Jesus about Michael standing up and unleashing the abomination of desolation while Daniel was alive.
Both the Jews and the Christians agree that there will be a New Covenant. For the Christians, it will be Jesus who ushers in this Covenant at the end of the age. The Jews acknowledge Jesus as a prophet but are waiting for another Messiah to appear at the dawn of the next age. For those who hold to the second view about the coming of the Son of Man, the Bible was apparently altered at some point to reflect only two age ending transitions. One occurred at the time of Noah when beasts and sub-humans were eliminated from the Earth. The other is still to come and will be instigated by a Messiah who has not come to Earth as of yet. All other references to the passing of ages were removed, including the shortening of the days during the life of Daniel.
There is however, a fair amount of scientific evidence to support the occurrence of a global cataclysm around 500 BC. So far, most of it is circumstantial and no one has put the pieces together. This evidence includes the destruction of the First Temple, the destruction of west coast of South America and Mexico, the loss of written records throughout the world and geological upheavals that occurred around this time. However, without the effort to identify the impact site the truth about what caused all of these events and the shortening of the days will never be acknowledged.
[1] Ibid, Chapter 24, Verse 22.
22And if the days had not been shortened, (in the time of Daniel) no flesh would survive what is to come: but for the mercy of God those days were shortened.[1]
A day is the length of time it takes the Earth to make one rotation around its axis. The only way the days can be shortened is if the Earth is made to spin faster. The only way this could happen is if a celestial object struck the Earth near the equator, with an inbound trajectory in the same direction as the Earth’s rotation. In the spiritual context, it would be like the Hand of God slapping the Earth in a manner similar to someone balancing a basketball on their finger and making it spin faster by hitting it in the same direction as the spin.
It is hard to accept the idea of the Earth being moved in any manner. Perhaps this is why the true nature of the abomination of desolation and the shortening of the days has been written out of the Bible. The general populous has barely come to grips with the fact that the Earth is still prone to impact situations. But few people have ever seriously considered how the world might be moved by one of these events. The idea of something like this happening during the life of Daniel (in 500BC) is out of the question.
The shortening the days is not specifically mentioned in the Book of Daniel, these words are found no where else in the Bible except in the Book of Mathew. The Gospels were originally written in Greek. It is logical to assume that they were pinned by early followers of Jesus who were from that area. The Greek author Herodotus has come to be known as the father of history due to his efforts to record all the legacies of the major cultures living around the Mediterranean. Great thinkers like Socrates also lived in the same era. Records of the shortening of the days in 500BC were probably available in the libraries of Athens at the time the Gospels were written.
The story of the exile of the Jews to Babylon is only told in the Book of Daniel. This book is essentially about how Daniel survived under the rule of several Babylonian kings and his visions of the Son of Man. It is a very important book to the Christians and the Jews because he is apparently the first prophet to communicate with the great soul who would in incarnated as Jesus. And, Jesus told him what was going to happen while Daniel was alive up until the Second Coming. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line the Hebrew scribes rearranged the Book of Daniel to negate the words of Jesus about Michael standing up and unleashing the abomination of desolation while Daniel was alive.
Both the Jews and the Christians agree that there will be a New Covenant. For the Christians, it will be Jesus who ushers in this Covenant at the end of the age. The Jews acknowledge Jesus as a prophet but are waiting for another Messiah to appear at the dawn of the next age. For those who hold to the second view about the coming of the Son of Man, the Bible was apparently altered at some point to reflect only two age ending transitions. One occurred at the time of Noah when beasts and sub-humans were eliminated from the Earth. The other is still to come and will be instigated by a Messiah who has not come to Earth as of yet. All other references to the passing of ages were removed, including the shortening of the days during the life of Daniel.
There is however, a fair amount of scientific evidence to support the occurrence of a global cataclysm around 500 BC. So far, most of it is circumstantial and no one has put the pieces together. This evidence includes the destruction of the First Temple, the destruction of west coast of South America and Mexico, the loss of written records throughout the world and geological upheavals that occurred around this time. However, without the effort to identify the impact site the truth about what caused all of these events and the shortening of the days will never be acknowledged.
[1] Ibid, Chapter 24, Verse 22.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Questions
I found nothing in the ministry of the protestant denomination I was raised in to be of comfort. There were too many inconsistencies and contradictions. Too many questions answered by the need for blind faith. Why would Jesus present a message no one could grasp or only partially understand? Neither could I buy the idea of everyone except Jesus being a hopeless sinner. If this was the case, what was the point of any saint coming to Earth and wasting their time trying to save us? So what if He could forgive our sins by opening your heart to Him or at confession? As soon as you walk out into the sinful world again you are consumed once more.
And exactly what is sin anyway? Is it my body that sins or my soul? How can I prepare myself for heaven when I don’t know what part of me is going there? How could anyone “Love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, soul and mind” if they don’t know what Love, the soul and the mind are? How does Love the Lord, compute with sermons about fearing God? How do you Love a God you are supposed to be scared to death of? Was this the real message of Jesus? I wanted a belief that made sense; with a message that was consistent not a faith where there was nothing but questions.
When I was around 23 years old I became confined to bed by a rather debilitating disease. To fill the time, I decided to read the Bible all the way through. After completing this reading I was more confused as ever. I hadn’t received any inspirations that would clarify the basic questions that haunted me. So, I said a very firm prayer to Jesus. It appeared to me that the only way I was going to understand the message was to ask Him to come to me directly and explain it. So, I demanded that He do this and gave up pretty much completely on the Christian faith while waiting for His reply.
In the mean time I began a quest for the truth that would end up immersing me in the traditions of the east. After first reading numerous books on various faiths I decided to seek out masters who could perform the same kind of miracles Jesus did. In my travels I witnessed numerous amazing demonstrations of personal power which confirmed my belief that at least some of the things Jesus did were an example of what each of us has the capacity to do at some level as well.
Another revelation was that even though these masters were all affiliated with a different religious base, for the most part they had absolutely no prejudice against those who pursued any other faith. I believe this was because they had all come to the realization that there was only one Father and all paths eventually lead to Him. Perhaps the most powerful yogi I met was Sai Baba who would continually say that the only difference between him and anyone else was his ability to “see” the divine.
Through all of these experiences and even in the process of finding my own personal power there was again something lacking. It seemed as though all of these masters had fallen victim to the use of personal power. By this I mean that although acknowledging a higher power, there was no demonstration of that higher power. For instance, the Hindus speak of the ultimate forms of god as being Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. The current Messiah is Krishna. Yet none of these masters seemed to be able to summon these forms for me to “see”.
My first teacher was a follower of Shiva. He was also very powerful in that form. It is said that this path which is tantric based is the fastest way to God. Once again however, I found it peculiar that although chanting to Shiva a lot, I never saw Shiva while I was with him. In fact, he seemed to believe that all forms of God were actually a creation of man. That these forms were originally generated by masters who could manifest something that they called “God” but in reality, these forms were manifested by their personal power.
And exactly what is sin anyway? Is it my body that sins or my soul? How can I prepare myself for heaven when I don’t know what part of me is going there? How could anyone “Love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, soul and mind” if they don’t know what Love, the soul and the mind are? How does Love the Lord, compute with sermons about fearing God? How do you Love a God you are supposed to be scared to death of? Was this the real message of Jesus? I wanted a belief that made sense; with a message that was consistent not a faith where there was nothing but questions.
When I was around 23 years old I became confined to bed by a rather debilitating disease. To fill the time, I decided to read the Bible all the way through. After completing this reading I was more confused as ever. I hadn’t received any inspirations that would clarify the basic questions that haunted me. So, I said a very firm prayer to Jesus. It appeared to me that the only way I was going to understand the message was to ask Him to come to me directly and explain it. So, I demanded that He do this and gave up pretty much completely on the Christian faith while waiting for His reply.
In the mean time I began a quest for the truth that would end up immersing me in the traditions of the east. After first reading numerous books on various faiths I decided to seek out masters who could perform the same kind of miracles Jesus did. In my travels I witnessed numerous amazing demonstrations of personal power which confirmed my belief that at least some of the things Jesus did were an example of what each of us has the capacity to do at some level as well.
Another revelation was that even though these masters were all affiliated with a different religious base, for the most part they had absolutely no prejudice against those who pursued any other faith. I believe this was because they had all come to the realization that there was only one Father and all paths eventually lead to Him. Perhaps the most powerful yogi I met was Sai Baba who would continually say that the only difference between him and anyone else was his ability to “see” the divine.
Through all of these experiences and even in the process of finding my own personal power there was again something lacking. It seemed as though all of these masters had fallen victim to the use of personal power. By this I mean that although acknowledging a higher power, there was no demonstration of that higher power. For instance, the Hindus speak of the ultimate forms of god as being Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. The current Messiah is Krishna. Yet none of these masters seemed to be able to summon these forms for me to “see”.
My first teacher was a follower of Shiva. He was also very powerful in that form. It is said that this path which is tantric based is the fastest way to God. Once again however, I found it peculiar that although chanting to Shiva a lot, I never saw Shiva while I was with him. In fact, he seemed to believe that all forms of God were actually a creation of man. That these forms were originally generated by masters who could manifest something that they called “God” but in reality, these forms were manifested by their personal power.
In God's Image
It is said in the Bible that we were created in God’s Image. Does this mean that God is floating around up there somewhere in the shape of a man? It should be fairly obvious that this is not so. Does God have any kind of body? The answer to this would have to be yes, but since God is not singular, he must then exist in all bodies. And all bodies would have to include everything that is of the physical nature.
As such there has to be certain qualities that must be in every form that exists in this universe simply because it all originally came from a single source. Either that or there is only one practical combination of energies that can be sustained as “life” in any universe and thus all forms of “life” which exist are limited to what can be done within this combination. Either way, That which came into existence which knows that it exists and is able to effect Creation must be defined as “Life.” And as this “Life” exists in many different greater and lesser forms there is in a sense a hierarchy to it.
In order to understand this greater aspect of existence perhaps we should start from the beginning. In the beginning there was nothing but the Infinite. In the east this form is called Brahma. In essence this is the form we exist in. Thus, it is our reference point or you might say the definition of the greater space in which we live. Eventually, there came to exist what some refer to as the I Am. The I Am is that form which observers.
The next thing to come was the Mind. The Mind is sometimes called the Consciousness. This is the form from which all things can be considered, evaluated, and known. After this came the Reason. The Reason is that form which can deduce an appropriate action based on what the Mind considers. After this came the Imagination. The Imagination is that form which can “visualize” an action. After this came the Will. The Will is that form which can act upon the things of the Infinite in order to produce form.
These basic constituents constitute the foundation of all life. They are aspects of God and they are aspects of us and they do not require a physical body to exist. Thus, as it is taught in the east, in the beginning there was nothing physically visible in the Infinite. It was only after the development of the Observer, who first assessed the state of the universe in His Mind, then developed the Reason which would figure out how to Create something of the Infinite which was at first only visualization in the Imagination, which was finally manifested into a physical form by the force of Will.
Even to this day this process is still alive in the universe. And we engage in the same process every day in our own lives. It is these higher qualities within us that make us in the Image of God. But, who is God, and how did he come to create us?
As such there has to be certain qualities that must be in every form that exists in this universe simply because it all originally came from a single source. Either that or there is only one practical combination of energies that can be sustained as “life” in any universe and thus all forms of “life” which exist are limited to what can be done within this combination. Either way, That which came into existence which knows that it exists and is able to effect Creation must be defined as “Life.” And as this “Life” exists in many different greater and lesser forms there is in a sense a hierarchy to it.
In order to understand this greater aspect of existence perhaps we should start from the beginning. In the beginning there was nothing but the Infinite. In the east this form is called Brahma. In essence this is the form we exist in. Thus, it is our reference point or you might say the definition of the greater space in which we live. Eventually, there came to exist what some refer to as the I Am. The I Am is that form which observers.
The next thing to come was the Mind. The Mind is sometimes called the Consciousness. This is the form from which all things can be considered, evaluated, and known. After this came the Reason. The Reason is that form which can deduce an appropriate action based on what the Mind considers. After this came the Imagination. The Imagination is that form which can “visualize” an action. After this came the Will. The Will is that form which can act upon the things of the Infinite in order to produce form.
These basic constituents constitute the foundation of all life. They are aspects of God and they are aspects of us and they do not require a physical body to exist. Thus, as it is taught in the east, in the beginning there was nothing physically visible in the Infinite. It was only after the development of the Observer, who first assessed the state of the universe in His Mind, then developed the Reason which would figure out how to Create something of the Infinite which was at first only visualization in the Imagination, which was finally manifested into a physical form by the force of Will.
Even to this day this process is still alive in the universe. And we engage in the same process every day in our own lives. It is these higher qualities within us that make us in the Image of God. But, who is God, and how did he come to create us?
A Matter of Words
English is probably one of the most spiritually inept languages available when trying to convey the nature of the divine. There just are not any words in this language available to define the higher aspects of god or even those divine aspects of our own nature.
For example, the Bible is filled with words for God that are actually not His name but express various aspects of Him. The Greek language from which the original cannons were derived is far more inclusive in the conveyance of these concepts which must have been a part of the Hebrew traditions as well. Most of the time however, the translators avoided using words that had no meaning in English by simply inserting the word God. The result of this practice is a general misunderstanding of the true nature of the Being that Jesus affectionately called the Father.
Paul for instance used many different words for the divine that ended up being translated as God. One exception might be the term “the Holy Spirit” which Paul used frequently with regard to that aspect of the divine which inspires miracles, healings and other “supernatural” occurrences. Today, most preachers use the term “the Anointing” to describe what Paul called the Holy Spirit. When “the Anointing” comes over you, you are “in the spirit” and amazing things can supposedly happen. In the mean time “the Holy Spirit” has been elevated to refer to a greater supreme God, or something nobody really knows, other than it is a name for God.
In the eastern traditions there are many many names for the divine attributes. Some people mistake this to mean that these people worship many different idols. In fact, it is more like the Catholic tradition of appealing to various saints who have been allocated specific gifts, or blessings which can be manifested upon the believer. One thing you might keep in mind though is that all of the gifts and talents everyone possesses have been allocated to us by the Father. And, as Jesus said about the nature of making an offering – be careful to whom you make your offering if you are doing so in an appeal for help.
Do you make it to an individual? Do you make it to a priest? Do you make it to a church? Or, do you place it on the Alter of the Father and make it unto Him. In the practical sense however, it does not matter in what form you make your offering or request as long as you “see” the Father behind that form.
For example, the Bible is filled with words for God that are actually not His name but express various aspects of Him. The Greek language from which the original cannons were derived is far more inclusive in the conveyance of these concepts which must have been a part of the Hebrew traditions as well. Most of the time however, the translators avoided using words that had no meaning in English by simply inserting the word God. The result of this practice is a general misunderstanding of the true nature of the Being that Jesus affectionately called the Father.
Paul for instance used many different words for the divine that ended up being translated as God. One exception might be the term “the Holy Spirit” which Paul used frequently with regard to that aspect of the divine which inspires miracles, healings and other “supernatural” occurrences. Today, most preachers use the term “the Anointing” to describe what Paul called the Holy Spirit. When “the Anointing” comes over you, you are “in the spirit” and amazing things can supposedly happen. In the mean time “the Holy Spirit” has been elevated to refer to a greater supreme God, or something nobody really knows, other than it is a name for God.
In the eastern traditions there are many many names for the divine attributes. Some people mistake this to mean that these people worship many different idols. In fact, it is more like the Catholic tradition of appealing to various saints who have been allocated specific gifts, or blessings which can be manifested upon the believer. One thing you might keep in mind though is that all of the gifts and talents everyone possesses have been allocated to us by the Father. And, as Jesus said about the nature of making an offering – be careful to whom you make your offering if you are doing so in an appeal for help.
Do you make it to an individual? Do you make it to a priest? Do you make it to a church? Or, do you place it on the Alter of the Father and make it unto Him. In the practical sense however, it does not matter in what form you make your offering or request as long as you “see” the Father behind that form.
About the Mysteries
The “mysteries” are those things that are usually found in orthodox teachings where what is contained in the scriptures does not make sense. The term is used frequently in the Catholic faith in relation to many of their ceremonies and the apparent contradictions contained in the Bible. Personally, I believe that the “mysteries” are there to encourage us to seek an answer to them. They should not be accepted as part of a proof of faith, nor should it be supposed that we are incapable of understanding them.
For better or worse, we have a tendency to want to believe that a religion must contain some mysterious aspect to it which more or less demonstrates that God knows more than we do. Or, that if there are not miracles or some other happenings that appear to be divinely inspired God is not involved. In fact the “truth” is a kind of scary proposition. And like the proverb about the “Truth” coming in a brightly colored robe, only to be met with sticks and stones, so it seems that it is much easier to live in delusion than in reality.
The usual answer to the unanswerable questions is that you must have “faith.” In other words, the things of God are beyond our understanding so we must just accept these quandaries as a fact of life. This however begs the question; if they were not meant to be understood why did those like Jesus even bother to try to present them to mankind? So, let’s explore some of the “mysteries” and see if we can find some answers that make sense.
For better or worse, we have a tendency to want to believe that a religion must contain some mysterious aspect to it which more or less demonstrates that God knows more than we do. Or, that if there are not miracles or some other happenings that appear to be divinely inspired God is not involved. In fact the “truth” is a kind of scary proposition. And like the proverb about the “Truth” coming in a brightly colored robe, only to be met with sticks and stones, so it seems that it is much easier to live in delusion than in reality.
The usual answer to the unanswerable questions is that you must have “faith.” In other words, the things of God are beyond our understanding so we must just accept these quandaries as a fact of life. This however begs the question; if they were not meant to be understood why did those like Jesus even bother to try to present them to mankind? So, let’s explore some of the “mysteries” and see if we can find some answers that make sense.
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