"We ask not that the way be easy, but rather that we live so as to enjoy the difficult." C.VI
When we seek the reason for out being, we will do well to
try to find the answer WITHIN ourselves. In the ultimate, ONLY
we can know what we desire and only we can prove to ourselves
that one great desire has been the motivating force for our extisence.
The fact that the answer must be found within ourselves does not mean that we cannot find guidance and encouragement in the experiences and the writings of others. "Experience is the greatest teacher," but it is by no means the ONLY way to learn. One need not walk on an icy road to know that it is icy. A little observation of others can tell one much. With this in mind, we have gathered the thoughts, teachings and writings of great minds that it has been our privilege to know, personally or through their writings.
Introduction to: "A Reason For Being" by Emerson M. Clymer
The Inner Story
Basic Principles
Exercises
Mysticism
Metaphysical Bible Interpretation
About The Spiritual Venturer and Catalog
From the Humanitarian Society
Healing Research Center
Here are writings from the pages of "For You, Naturally" by Dr. G.E. Poesnecker, Director of Healing Centers for the Investigation and Implementation of God's Healing Gifts.
"All true healing must be three-fold: body, mind and soul. _Dr. Poesnecker
A Course in Healing
Music Hath Clamor to Inflame the Savage Beast
Within
Arthritis Diet
Dangers
of Fluoridation
Has it ever occurred to you that the myths and folk tales of our cultural heritage contain hidden wisdom? Perhaps that is why we love to hear the stories over and over again. There are fundamental truths expressed in these stories that may give us valuable insight.
My intent is the uncovering of a deeper meaning that may have gone unnoticed heretofore. A meaning that has practical implications for us today. Perhaps these are really about us. You may have heard that the hero or heroin represents us in these stories. But, have you considered that all of the characters may represent aspects of our thoughts and feeling; that they all may reside within us.
I hope that this will be the beginning of a new way of looking at the world of Fairy Tales for you.
Has it ever occurred to you that the myths and folk tales of our cultural heritage, contain hidden wisdom? Perhaps that is why we love to hear the stories over and over again. There are fundamental truths expressed in these stories that may give us valuable insight. Consider the following:
In the beginning, Cinderella, (who was called Ella until she took up residence on the fireplace hearth), was a happy child in a normal family. As a young child, we are naive, full of faith and love. Our problems begin as we grow more wise and sophisticated and lose that childlike innocence, that sense of faith in the goodness of everything. Our "mother" dies and is replaced by a "wicked" stepmother.
We all recognize this stepmother. She is what psychologists call our "critical parent", who is never happy with what we do, and is always concerned with what other people think. We have separated from our inner self through painful experiences. We learn to put our faith outside of ourselves. It's called growing up. We gradually replace our naiveté, faith and hope with skepticism and what Karen Horney, a noted psychologist, called "the tyranny of the shoulds."
In the process, we disconnect from our inner self, (Cinderella), our Soul and abandon her, even deny her. She is left in sadness, huddled in a corner, trying hard to be enough for us to acknowledge and love. (In the mystery schools and symbolism of the ancients, the Soul is virginal, pure, beautiful and clothed in white or light. But, until discovered and awakened by the conscious mind, she is helpless.)
We also have stepsisters. They represent internal thoughts as well. They are the voices that tempt us to vanity, to desire wealth and popularity. They don't want to work, they want everything easy. And most of all, they don't want us to listen to our Cinderella, our conscience or Soul.
Then, something happens, and for a brief time the Prince comes into contact with Cinderella. Our Prince (mind) gets a glimpse of Cinderella, (our heart or soul. If we are wise, we recognize that she is the one we NEED. She is the one with whom we must spend our lives. For, without her, we are incomplete. We have started on The Path.
But, knowing this and accomplishing it are two different things. We still have to deal with and overcome the stepmother, the stepsisters and all they represent. Our Soul does not trust us and runs away. After all, we (as stepmother and stepsister) have spent years pushing her into the corner.
Notice the part played by the Fairy Godmother. She represents the help available from the hierarchies, the elementals, the powers of the universe which will help us in the quest. But, only the Prince can save us.
It takes time and effort for the Prince to find her again. In our story, the search doesn't take very long. In most stories, it becomes the focal point, for it is "the narrow way", the Great Work, the battle against all enemies, (within us of course), that would divert us from our goal. In making the quest, the Prince proves his worthiness and his love for the Soul. For without both he will not succeed.
We are told that, when we succeed, when we come into conscious contact with our Soul, bringing a pure heart and true love, we will have found the Kingdom of Heaven and live happily ever after. We can accomplish this only through the experience of overcoming, of growing up. We begin in a naive state, travel through experience, pain and suffering, to arrive at a state of peace within.
Remember, Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. The players, the problems, the solutions and Heaven itself are all within us.
This is the second of a series of retellings of classic
fairy tales, with the intent of uncovering a deeper meaning that
may have practical implications for us today. My basic assumption
is that all of the players reflect internal characteristics of
each of us.
Once upon a time, (which means that this is a story about truths
not facts), there lived a king and queen who wanted very much
to have a child. Finally, their wish came true and they became
the parents of a beautiful baby girl. In most of these stories,
the birth of a baby refers to the birth of the soul, which dwells
in our sub-conscious. In honor of the birth, they held a great
banquet, to which they invited all their relatives, friends and
acquaintances. In addition, they invited three fairies (twelve
wise women in the original). There were four fairies (thirteen
wise women) in the kingdom, but alas, they did not invite the
last one. We all have some negative aspect of ourselves which
we deny.
As the feast came to a close, the fairies each bestowed their gifts upon the new princess. Each gave her a different attribute until the third fairy was about to offer her gift. The fairies represent the different positive attributes we have. Suddenly, the forth fairy, who was not invited, appeared. And to everyone's dismay, in her anger at being left out, she pronounced that on the princess' fifteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. With this, she left the gathering.
The third fairy then stepped forward and modified the curse, for she wasn't powerful enough to eliminate it. Instead of dying, the princess would sleep for one hundred years and would awaken to the kiss of love. We should not destroy the negative, but with time and effort we can overcome it by transmuting it into good.
Life went on, and the child grew to be all the wonderful things that her benefactors had envisioned. The king ordered all the spinning wheels in the kingdom to be burned. Finally, her fifteenth birthday arrived. She was left alone in the castle. We must always face our spiritual challenges alone. She wandered all over the castle, until, at last, she came to a small room. She opened the door, to find an old woman spinning on a spinning wheel. All of our precaution will not help us to avoid our facing the negativity within us. Curious, she reached for the spindle and pricked her finger.
Immediately, she fell to the bed asleep. In fact, everyone in the castle fell asleep. She, our soul, never dies, for it is an eternal spark of God. She will lie sleeping until we have overcome our negativity and through love have awakened her. Gradually, over the years a great brier hedge grew all around the castle. Eventually, it was impossible to pass. The fame of the sleeping princess spread far and wide. From time to time a prince would come by and try to rescue the beautiful princess. But each time, he died in the attempt. All attempts to locate and come into contact with the soul are doomed to failure until we have thoroughly prepared ourselves.
After one hundred years, a completed period of spiritual unfoldment, the prince, our mind or conscious self, came to this country, (meaning that we have come to a spiritual state of consciousness) and heard about the Sleeping Beauty. He decided to try to rescue her. We decide that the awakening of the soul is our goal. We have started on the spiritual path. An old man attempted to discourage him, an aspect of our old self which wants us to continue the status quo, but the prince persisted. "I am not afraid", he said. If we are to be successful, we must overcome fear.
Then, the prince rode to the castle and engaged the briar hedges, which in the Disney version, also included the evil fairy in the guise of a dragon. This is the same inner dragon which tries to keep us from the soul - the negative passions and emotions that do not want to loose power. Ultimately, the prince was successful. He entered the castle and found Sleeping Beauty. He leaned over and gave her love's first kiss, a symbol of true, spiritual love. She opened her eyes and they immediately fell in love. The soul is Love and when found, the whole person is immersed in the Love of God.
The entire castle came alive. The entire being becomes alive and immortal, for we are alive in a sense that is above the mortal. The Prince and Sleeping Beauty were soon married and lived happily ever after. The soul and the mind dwell together in the Kingdom of Heaven, wherein is found the peace that passes all understanding.
To retell the story:
Once upon a time, there is us. Inborn in us is the spark which is the embryonic soul. However, this soul is a part of the unconscious. We are not aware of it. As we go through life, we may develop many positive attributes. But we have other attributes which are negative. The negativity may prove fatal if we don't wake up. For we are asleep, unaware of the presence of the soul. Our soul is also asleep, but it cannot die, for it is of God.
We come to a decision to seek after spiritual goals. It is through our difficulties, which at first we try to hide and avoid, that we are finally able to start on the path to spiritual awakening. In the beginning, our old self tries to discourage us and tells us we are foolish. After a time, a completed period of spiritual development, we overcome our fear and face our dragons. For only when we have faced the negative will we realize that it is not real. Thereupon we awaken the soul with love and in love. For when the soul awakens, we know that all there is, is love. We become truly alive for the first time, and come into the knowledge of eternal life. Our Conscious Soul and conscious mind dwell together in harmony. "I and my Father are One". This is the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus said is within us. This is the place of the peace which passes all understanding.*
This is the third in a series of retellings of classic fairy tales, rewritten with the intent of uncovering a meaning that may have gone unnoticed. Perhaps these stories are really about us. What if we are not just the main characters, but all of the characters?
Once upon a time, (another story with a timeless message), there lived a pretty young princess named Snow White. In the original story written by the Brothers Grimm, she was as white as snow. This is hard to imagine for a person, but it works well if we are talking about the Soul. Like many of our fair tale heroines, she has a wicked stepmother. This again is our materialistic mind or ego. Show White is required to serve this stepmother who is very concerned with her looks. Until we allow the soul to rule our kingdoms, our materialistic mind is in control and very concerned about material qualities of life; here represented by vanity. The evil stepmother owns a magic mirror which regularly tells her who is the fairest one of all. Of course, all is well as long as the mirror answers that the stepmother is the fairest.
In Disney's version, Snow White daydreams of a handsome prince who might rescue her. She makes a wish that someday her dream will come true. If we are ever to progress, we must have a desire for things to change. As she is making her wish she is glimpsed by a passing prince. The prince represents our mind as it awakens to the existence of the soul. The mind's pursuit of spiritual goals is the Great Work, the Path to spiritual truth. Though she takes flight, she sends a kiss to the prince, and then disappears.
Coincidentally, on that day, the magic mirror's response to the traditional question is that Snow White is now the fairest in the land. The wicked stepmother, flies into a jealous rage and orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her. The ego part of us is always in fear of losing control at this stage and will use any means to maintain its rule.
But, the huntsman can't bring himself to do the deed, and
so tells her to hide in the forest. Until brought into consciousness,
the Soul is always hidden in the forest under a bushel. As she
spends her first night in the forest she is frightened by strange
noises and sights. But after awhile, she realized that there is
nothing to fear. When we seek after truth, we will fear no evil.
She is comforted by the forest creatures which here represent
the angelic, spiritual forces which will come to our aid, when
our aims are good. Finally, they lead her to the forest home of
the seven dwarves for shelter. But, in Disney's version, the home
is very dirty and unkempt and she works hard to clean it up. In
the original, it is very neat and she agrees to keep it that way
to earn her room and board. Orderliness is a very important aspect
of the path. It must be established and maintained to be successful.
In both versions, she is warned against the wicked stepmother.
As we start our spiritual quest, we must be vigilant.
Of course, the mirror tells the stepmother that Snow White still lives in the home of the dwarves and is still the fairest in the land. She disguises herself and goes to the home of the dwarves to find and destroy Snow White with a poisoned comb. Once in Snow Whites hair, the poisoned comb renders her unconscious. But, the dwarves return, remove the comb, and Snow White revives. The battle with the ego is fiercely fought.
Once again, the dwarves warns her, and go off to work. The
wicked stepmother returns in a different disguise and offers Snow
White a poisoned apple. The ego is not easily subdued. Though
her animal friends try to warn her, Snow White accepts the poisoned
apple. We don't always listen to the warnings we receive. When
the girl bites into it, she drops to the floor as though dead.
The Soul appears to be dead but in fact cannot die. This time
the dwarves cannot revive her. Only true love and devotion can
revive the Soul.
The dwarves place Snow White in a glass coffin for they can not
bear to hide her beauty. One day, the prince happens to ride by
and see Snow White. In the original Grimm Brothers' story, the
prince begs for the glass coffin with such fervor that the dwarves
let him take it. As it is carried off, it is jostled. The result
is that the apple drops from Snow White's mouth and she revives.
In Disney's version, the prince kisses the lifeless mouth of Snow
White, dislodging the apple, with the same result. The revival
of the Soul comes because of the depth of the devotion, the determination
of the prince to find her. And the true love expressed to the
Soul.
In both stories, the wicked stepmother meets a fatal end, and the prince and Snow White marry and live happily ever after.
To retell the story:
Each of us comes into the world with a beautiful spark, which is the embryo of the Soul. It is pure and white, the "woman clothed with the sun." But, as we grow up, we are dominated by our material mind, who in league with our internalized "critical parent" is concerned only with material goals and what other people think of us. But these do not satisfy us and in our misery, our conscience yearns for something better and we begin to have a strong desire for things spiritual. We have begun the quest. The trail leads us through all kinds of difficulties and finally the greatest enemy, our own ego. It is this material mind which does not want to give up control. We have help from the angels, but in the end, only we alone can win the battle. For we have free will and God himself will not interfere with it.
When we finally find the Soul and awaken it with the kiss of Love, it comes to consciousness and in union with the conscious mind takes its place as the co- ruler of our lives. Fully illumined, it becomes the conscious or illuminated soul. The Christ within.
We venture into a modern classic. A story that has titillated
the imagination of many children and adults alike. Although this
story is obviously making comments about the perils of growing
up and the incongruities of language and our perceptions of reality,
I believe it also speaks to us on a deeper level.
The story begins with Alice following a white rabbit into a hole
in the ground. This is telling us that our story is taking place
in the unconscious; That level below consciousness. It is a transition
from the conscious world to the dream world; a descent into the
land of the goddess, beneath the forests and streams.
She falls very slowly and passes cupboards and bookshelves,
perhaps to indicate that we are going deep into the unconscious,
where order is left behind. Throughout her experience, Alice continually
has a problem determining which of her two worlds is real. The
answer may be that they both are real.
Her first challenge is to pass through a door in order to follow
the White Rabbit. The door can only be opened by a golden key.
A golden key may allude to a spiritual key, for gold is a symbol
for spiritual truth. In the process of trying to get through the
door, Alice endures several drastic changes in size. Each time,
it is caused by something she eats. To eat something may mean
to receive information from outside the self. A person's size
is related to one's sense of self. Who am I? And this question
is asked many times in the story.
When she is very large, she cries a great quantity of tears, and
later when she becomes very small, she finds herself drowning
in her own tears; and age old expression that reveals a practical
truth. The pool of tears, or water may represent an initiatory
experience of some kind; a baptism. In any event, she is aided
by an animal, a mouse, and joined by several other animals. They
represent natural allies and remind us that we are animals; a
part of nature, not separate from it.
Soon, Alice makes her way to the home of the White Rabbit, and goes inside to fetch gloves and a fan for the rabbit. She, again, eats something, and grows to fill the house. We are preoccupied with her shifting sense of self. Perhaps we all try to wear too many hats. Sometimes we feel 'too big for our britches' and other times little and weak. Eventually, she eats something else, shrinks and is able to get out of the house and safely away.
Now, she finds a caterpillar perched on a mushroom. He asks her "Who are you?" She has trouble giving an answer. "...At least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then." After eating from the mushroom, she attains a size she is comfortable with, and she seems to give up having definite sense of size.
During her journeys, Alice comes into contact with a Cheshire Cat. He points out the obvious and appears to have magical powers, but their effect isn't always in Alice's best interest. Though 'magical' powers do exist within us, they need direction and control. He reminds us that we all have a little chaos within us.
Her next adventure is at the party of the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. The hat may be a reminder that the intellect unchecked and unbalanced by judgment and the love nature leads us in the wrong direction. Though there are many seats at the party table, Alice is told that there is no room for her. Sooner or later, we tell ourselves that we can't do this or that because someone else is already doing it or there is no room for what we want to do. There are always more seats. There is always a place for us.
Eventually, Alice plays croquet with the Queen, who represent the part of us that doesn't want us to succeed and tries to hold us back. "Off with her head." And sure enough everything she does and says seems to anger the Queen, until finally, she finds herself on trial. Just when everything appears darkest, she begins to grow again. We do learn from our experiences and eventually succeed in overcoming the chaos, the internal doubts and ignorance. She sees the Truth, that "You're nothing but a pack of cards." And, as soon as she realizes this, she regains full control of her senses and returns to the conscious world.
This story tells us about the Path to spiritual development in great detail. It represents the middle part of the Pilgrim's Progress. It has to do with clearing the stable and making ready for the birth of the Christ consciousness. The overcoming of chaos is the beginning, and why we are told to know ourselves. The stories we have dealt with before mentioned the struggle required but did not go into detail.*
God is Love. God is Mind. God is all there is. As Love,
God is the Absolute Father and Mother. Out of His/Her Love came
the seed of all things which are manifested. As Mind, the idea
developed from that seed into the plan for manifestation and the
Divine Law by which it operates. And God "spoke" the
Word and creation began. The idea, born of Love, created all there
is, by Divine Law, out of what already was, that is, Love, Mind
or God Itself. All of creation is the manifestation of God...is
God. Nothing that is, was created out of nonGod stuff. There isn't
any.
God is the Supreme Being, the Universal All, a Deity that is omnipresent,
omnipotent, omniscient. God is the Divine Essence, the creative,
regenerative and sustaining power, the Supreme Intelligence and
Infinite Love Wherein we live and move and have our being, of
which we are all a part and of which all who desire and so Will
may partake freely and abundantly.
God has no single sex. We have called God, "He", and
emphasized the Father and masculine principles of Power, intelligence
and creation. We are coming to a time when we shall acknowledge
the feminine side of God as well, and include the Mother and love,
compassion and intuition.
God is in us and we are in God. There is no separation from God,
except in our thought. That is why Illumination (Salvation) requires
a change in consciousness. We must change our consciousness to
accept the truth about who we are and our relationship to God.
The Divine Law operates through Love and that love begets
wisdom, which brings forth all that is good and holy. The law
is the operative truth of all creation. The Law is natural justice.
It operates through the principles of Cause and Effect.
Divine Laws or natural laws differ from all other laws in that
they are inviolable. They work inevitably and constantly, whether
we know and understand them or not. They work the same for everyone
and everything in the Universe, they are no respecters of persons.
There are two types of Divine Laws, physical laws and nonphysical
or mental/spiritual laws. You can prove physical laws by experimentation.
They are the domain of science. You can prove mental/spiritual
laws by experience and intuition. They are the domain of philosophy
and religion.
Some of the more important of the Divine Laws are:
1. The law of cause and effect. There are no accidents. As you
sow, so shall you reap. This is the key to changing the future.
Everything begins with thought. We create our future by what we
think and do in the present.
2. The law of correspondence. As within, so without. As above,
so below - the great Hermetic Law. As the Bible says, "By
their fruits shall ye know them," This is true in all areas,
health, wealth, relationships and so on.
3. The law of belief. Whatever you believe will become your reality.
Jesus said "According to your faith it is done unto you."
And, "As you believe, so shall it be unto you." We see
what we believe, not we believe what we see, as is so often said.
4. Law of attraction. We are magnets and attract people and situations
that reflect our habitual thoughts. Our entire world is of our
own making. (See the law of cause and effect above.)
5. The law of mental equivalents. Thoughts manifest themselves.
Our thoughts enlivened and charged with reality become our lives.
Thoughts are things. Earl Nightingale said, "You become what
you think about." Ernest Holmes said, "If you change
your thinking, you change your life." R. Swinburne Clymer
said, "The thoughts man thinks, the desires to which he gives
birth, always return to him heavily laden with fruits of their
own nature."
The microcosm is an exact duplication of the macrocosm.
The ‘Father' and ‘Son' are one, and the axiom, "as
above, so below," is true. All created things and attributes
of Nature were made for our benefit. All is good that is properly
used and in nowise abused. For God created the world and ‘God
saw every thing that he had made and, behold, it was very good."
All that we call evil is ignorance or misuse. The only sin we
may commit is that which injures ourselves or others.
There are two forms of sin (which means missing the mark):
1. Acts or omissions which you commit knowing that they are harmful.
The greater your knowledge, the greater the sin of disobeyance.
2. Acts or omissions which you commit ignorant that they are harmful.
Though still a sin, the consequences are related to the intent.
These acts are recorded on the Soul which will retain these records
until all the consequences rendered under the law of exact justice
are meted out. The punishment for sin is justice either here or
hereafter. For "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."
The word Christ means anointed, the anointed; the Messiah.
The Christ of God invisible is the I Am or Jehovah of the Old
Testament. The Messiah is the promise of the physical manifestation
of the I Am or Christ and Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that
promise. The Christ is the physical incarnation of the Divine.
Christ is the only begotten Son of God, the perfect expression
of the Divine in man.
In studying the life and teachings of Jesus the most unique individual
in history, we find a few ideas which form the basis for his teachings.
He believed in God as a universal Spirit. Jesus located God in
his own Soul so completely that He and the Father were as one.
He tried to teach us that Christ is the likeness of the Father
the Son of God.
The Christ is not limited to any individual for it is an external
principle. Each of us has within him the potential Christ. It
is the birth of this Christic spirit that is the second birth.
It resides in the temple not built with human hands, in the Kingdom
of Heaven which Jesus said is WITHIN.
Peter said, regarding Jesus Christ, "Thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God." Flesh and blood cannot reveal
the Christ to us. Christ is the Light that must come to every
Soul if it is to be "saved." It is the Spirit WITHIN
and this is the idea that the Master gave to all those who were
capable of understanding. To know the Christ, to demonstrate the
Christ, is possible only when we become conscious of, and in unity
with, our Spiritual selfhood.
Jesus preached Love and divinity WITHIN man. No one ever lived
before who so clearly taught and demonstrated that we are responsible
to ourselves for our own deeds. For as we sow, so shall we reap.
Our salvation is the development of the Christ consciousness within
ourselves. This is the Great Work. The Soul of God, the Universal
Christ, is Love, both personified and transfused throughout humanity.
The Soul that has become Christic is truly the Son of God.
The Soul is the spark of Deity which resides in the heart of all mankind, and through which each person is one with God, the All Father-Mother. Therefore, the possibilities of all men and women are infinite and limited only by their lack of knowledge, desire, Will and effort to develop the powers within the Soul.
Every person is both mind (male) and soul (female). The mind must first find the Soul and gently blend with it. It is the mind in each person that must be regenerated. To be born of water (baptism), the mind must enter the Soul, for these are the waters of life.
The soul is so much greater than the mind, that it cannot be comprehended by mental effort. As one comes into consciousness of the Soul, it begins to reveal itself as infinite. The Soul expands as the light of mind increases.
To enter the Soul is to enter into Love and it is the work of the intelligence to find the Soul and know the Love therein. It is a flame of sacred Love. When this flame is kindled you know that you have a Soul within; the next effort is to blend and become one in mind and Soul. When in the Soul, which is Love, you are in God.
The Will is omnipotent. The Will of humankind is the supreme
and all-conquering force. When properly used for good ends and
with righteous intentions, nothing can withstand its force. Goodness
is power.
"The directive force or power of the mind. The changing or
transformation of the Will from the purely human to that of the
higher or Spiritual nature is by means of the desire or love nature;
the desire taking on the nature of love and functioning as Will."
In metaphysical symbolism, the Will may be represented by
a knife or sword. (See the preceding story.) The Will is the controlling
power of the mind without which the overcoming of our lower nature
would not be possible.
It is the development of the Will that is the most important part
of spiritual training.
Love is patient and kind, is not jealous or haughty, is never rude, selfish or resentful. Love is gladdened by goodness, believes the best about everyone and is eager to assist. Such a Love is always hopeful, cheerful and filled with good fellowship.
Love is the basis of all culture. Through Love, we relate to all creation. Through Love, we relate to God. The greater the Love, the greater we are, and the nearer we are to God. It is through Love that we are linked to the infinite. For God is Love.
Love in the heart does not discriminate. For the heart full of Love loves all of creation, knowing that it is of God. It neither approves nor condemns for it is beyond judgment. The heart full of Love, bestows its Love on all alike. That which is evil will not accept it. That which is good will return it many times over. And so Love grows. Love is the Light that Illuminates the Soul...and the world.
There is one religion, only one, though there may appear to be many. When understood according to their mystical or true meaning, they are basically the same, proclaiming the Truth and teaching the relation of God to His creation. All sound religious creeds are valid and rather than condemning each other, their followers should be reconciled.
Unfortunately, people have used religion to advance their
claim to superiority and promote separation rather than to advance
peace, harmony and inner growth.
Perhaps if people realized that when religious books tell us to
destroy unbelievers. We are actually being told to eliminate negative,
materialistic and doubting thoughts and ideas within us. For truly,
they are our enemies and must be destroyed if we are to reach
our spiritual fulfillment.
The world is our home, and our brothers and sisters are all humankind.
Charity is a basic tenant of all true religious teachings. In the earliest Egyptian manuscripts of Ptah Hotep which date to 5500 years ago, it was promulgated, "If thou be among the people, make for thyself love the beginning and end of the heart.
In 1070 B.C.E. the Greeks wrote, "Do not that to they neighbor which thou would take ill from him."
In an early Hebraic writing we find the following words attributed to Rabbi Hillel, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole law, the rest is commentary."
At about the same time the law of Rome stated, "The law imprinted on the hearts of all men is to love the members of society as themselves."
Also in this era, is found the foundation of Zoroastrian teachings "Do as you would be done by."
In 466 B.C.E., the first Buddhistic Council enunciated "One should seek for others the happiness on desires for oneself."
About 2000 years ago Jesus said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
And on and on...
This expression of love for others is charity. Our brethren require our kindness. As Dr. R. Swinburne Clymer says, "If we feed those who are hungry and incapable of obtaining food then we have done this to God. It may be true that under the Divine Law they have brought their misfortune upon themselves, but this fact is not an excuse for our neglect of indifference, for we have not the right to judge."
Charity is considerate, sympathetic, encouraging and helpful. We should extend the helping hand to every human and spiritual need. Respectful of others, we should help those who ask - if they are able - who can not help them selves, and only when we can render aid without neglecting our own responsibilities.
By helping others, we help ourselves, for truly everything we do, we do to ourselves.
Of healing, Dr. Gerald Poesnecker said,
"There is within the body a force at work, constantly striving to preserve and strengthen or being...This force is sufficient to correct the infirmities that may affect the body. It is for us to discover and remove the impediments to his force in order for healing to take place...We were not put here to suffer, but to be healthy and useful. Though suffering may come to us, its only purpose is to guide us to the proper use of the laws of God and Nature."
Whether we find this realization within or through the help of a care provider, it is the same principle at work. It is required that we have absolute faith in whatever healing methods we have chosen if we are to be permanently healed. For, "As ye believe, so shall it be unto you."
We must know that the All-Powerful Spirit is ever present and able to heal any discordant condition of body, mind or affairs, but we must never look outside ourselves to find this Spirit, since It is indwelling. Healing takes place to the degree that we send the right kind of thoughts (mind) with deep feeling (heart) to our subconscious. The subconscious mind in turn, produces this idea in the body.
Ernest Holmes described the process as follows:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of the living God?" This power within you is the same that holds the planets in space. The power back of your word is perfect law and is fulfilled and returned to you as your perfect health.
We were given instructions by Jesus to heal the sick. We should begin with ourselves.
An affirmation:
I am filled with the peace, strength, power and love of the Holy Spirit. The forces of life flow through me encompassing every part of my body and mind, The all-powerful Indwelling Christ in me dissipates all negative thinking from my mind and replaces it with health, love and peace, for I dwell in Him and He in me. And so it is.
Each one of us has been created by God as a unique individual. There are no two of us alike. We have a responsibility to express our unique talent. It is our gift to the world. If we refuse to give it, for whatever reason, the world is poorer for it. The one who holds back his gift is like a flower which absorbs the nutrients from the soil, the water from the rain and the energy from the sun, and then refuses to bloom.
It is not just the world which is the poorer for it, but somehow we are never satisfied until we have expressed our uniqueness. Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist called it "seeking our bliss", for good reason. When we express our talent, we find satisfaction available no other way.
It is important that we not bury our talents for we must develop and use them for the improvement of the world and the fulfillment of our life's purpose.
I present this principle as a hypothesis. It is a concept that has been around for a long time. But, I doubt if anyone can prove it to the skeptic.
Is it not reasonable to assume that each of us has had many lives to explain the various situations into which we are born? Have you noticed, the many child prodigies who seem to be born with exceptional talents or knowledge? Doesn't it make sense to accept the idea that we have lived before?
Just as the Word was with God and was God from the very beginning, so was all of creation, though yet in embryo. The world and all that was created by God, was created from God stuff. All God stuff is eternal, for God is eternal. Though it changes in form, from matter to energy and back again, it continues to exist eternally.
We see this constant change going on all around us. When it involves living things, we name one of the forms of change, death. Yet, we see the new life that comes from the death, and the cycle begins again. Why then is it so difficult for some to realize that humankind is made of the same stuff and subject to the same natural laws?
We are told in the Bible that we were created in the image of God, and that we may become as the gods, or the Son of God. Yet, we continue to accept the idea that our entire existence is defined by this one lifetime on earth. How can God be just, if this is true? No one can argue, given the observations of even a few lives, that justice is done here on earth in a single lifetime. Knowing that we have lived before and will live again, either here on earth or elsewhere, should give us pause for thought.
If we are eternal beings, then the message of Jesus and teachers the world over take on a new meaning; a new urgency. The admonition that as ye sow, so shall ye reap, becomes more important than ever.
For what we are today was determined by our prior actions, and what we will be tomorrow is being fashioned by our actions today. We alone have the capability to control our destiny. There is no one to blame but ourselves, no one else who can fix it for us, no matter how well meaning. The message is, Change your thoughts and actions, and change your Life.
We have all been given a wondrous opportunity to learn and grow and become whatever we wish. Our responsibility is to do those things with a positive and loving intent. For we shall surely reap what we sow. We are personally responsible and individually capable of making all the changes we desire in our lives.
From a letter of The Humanitarian Society, undated, but
probably published in the 1970's, we reproduce this information
on the importance of proper breathing.
Breath is life. When you breathe deeply, the lungs grow stronger,
the chest is lifted, the shoulders squared, the complexion radiates
a quickened circulation and the eyes sparkle with animation. Deep
breathing is the most important factor in health and youth culture.
It relaxes the muscles and nerves because at the moment the inbreathed
oxygen touches the cells, it is exchanged for carbon dioxide,
the waste product of respiration. This is put back into the blood
stream to be eliminated through the exhalation of breath.
The three principles of breathing, physical, mental and moral
are interdependent and strengthened by systematic breathing, by
mental imagery and by holding the DESIRE-THOUGHT, or the thought
enhanced by emotionally inspired desire. Whatever power you desire,
direct your thinking toward the materialization of that power,
be it health, strength, courage, peace or the ultimate of love.
The mystery of the power of breathing is that in it will be found
the power to draw in invisible essences of CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE.
Every thing breathes - the plants by the wayside, the trees in
the forest, the birds of the air and even the rocks, evidenced
by their record of ages engraved within their strata.
The atmosphere of the plants is the product of solar radiation.
Apart from the physical elements of the atmosphere, the air we
breathe is charged with nature's finer and more Ethereal Elements,
magnetism and other intrinsic forces. As we breathe in these forces
and utilize them for our every benefit and advancement, they become
a part of us and act as an attracting nucleus for all that we
desire.
There is a mighty affinity between the mental action and respiration.
Every change in the mental state is accompanied by a corresponding
change in power, force and the rhythm of breathing. It is as true
that every change in breathing brings a different thought condition,
for in each there is a corresponding counterpart of the other.
Once you thoroughly understand this law, you will know why breathing
the full breath plays such an important part in your health and
success. When called upon to face danger, the inhalations are
long, deep and vigorous. The lungs are inflated to their capacity.
Dynamic forces of the atmosphere supply the needs, both physical
and mental, with courage to meet the demands of the challenging
circumstances. If instead of holding fast to courage, you allow
fear to overtake you, your breath will come in gasps and defeat
will threaten unless you remember in time that there is protection
in the long, full breath sustained by directed thought.
Hope produces breathing on a par with courage. It relaxes the
diaphragm, freeing it from the tension and spasm that creates
the gasp of fear. Feelings of peace and love produce gentle, long
drawn, receptive respiration that radiates joyful rest and the
ease reminiscent of the delicate aroma of flowers.
Thought is the great governor. It can work negatively as well
as positively. If you think disease constantly and fear the myriad
of ills that beset humanity, your body will respond accordingly
by holding on to the poisons creating these ills. If you desire
health, direct your thinking and feeling positively in the direction
of health. Affirming your desires gives you power to do and be
what you desire to be. THE LAW IS ABSOLUTE. You direct the action
of your life and the law reacts according to your consciously
chosen thought. Choose wisely for the good life!
AND FROM THE RANDOLPH SOCIETY:
Our atmosphere contains a force known as THE BREATH OF GOD.
When this breath is consciously inhaled, it can bring health and
strength to those who make use of it in the right spirit.
When this BREATH is sent out, with thoughts of love and peace,
the resulting vibrations will change the world. We invite you
to work with us in the practice of THE BREATH OF GOD, to help
yourself and those around you, bringing true peace and brotherhood
to all of God's creation. Will you help?
Assume a relaxed, comfortable position. Now slowly draw in a deep
breath from the abdomen holding the thought as you do so: "I
WILL DRAW IN THE OMNIPOTENT BREATH OF GOD."
Retain the breath for five seconds as you hold the thought: "I
SEND THE BREATH OF GOD THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE BEING TO HEAL AND
TO STRENGTHEN."
Lastly, as you slowly exhale, and with all the feeling and dedication
you can muster, hold these thought vibrations: "I SEND OUT
LOVE AND PEACE TO ALL HUMANITY."
The entire exercise may be repeated several times a day if you
desire but to begin with do not force yourself or overdo. Practice
no more than three minutes at a time.
While THE BREATH OF GOD may be used several times a day, one of
those times should be at 12:00 o'clock noon EACH DAY. As we ALL
do this, a powerful wave of love and peace vibrations will immediately
sweep around the world from time zone to time zone.
The power and results possible from following this procedure are
incalculable, and its value and benefits will be quickly proven
if you but give it a TRY. After you have completed the practice,
be at peace with complete trust in your effort, knowing that even
though the world may appear to be on the brink of disaster, WITH
THE BREATH OF GOD THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY.
There are many writers and self-help motivators who are
talking about the power of the mind to change your life for the
better. True as this is, it relates primarily to the part of the
mind that in most of us is unconscious. For this reason, it is
not always easy to achieve the changes we would like. The following
material is very practical and will yield dramatic results, if
you follow instructions.
Your mind will move in the direction of your most dominate thoughts,
and what you expect, you tend to realize. "Imagination is
more powerful than knowledge," according to Albert Einstein.
An idea placed into the subconscious mind will remain there until
it is replaced by another idea. Mental habits must
be changed before outward behavior can be changed.
The exercise we recommend here works partly because handwriting
goes directly to the right brain which is connected to the subconscious
mind. Saying an affirmation or writing it once has little effect.
But, repeated over a period of three weeks, it works.
The 21 X 21 Exercise
1. Develop a positive affirmation. See details below.
2. Hand write the affirmation 21 times each night before going
to bed for 21 nights.
3. Say it aloud while you write it, if possible.
4. Visualize or imagine the completed result you are working for.
5. Imbue your affirmation with as much positive feeling as you
can.
6. Be persistent and watch for the results.
How To Write An Affirmation.
1. Always use positive statements.
2. Use the present tense, not future.
3. Use emotional terms and words whenever possible. Feel it! Experience
it!
4. Be specific and exact.
5. Use obtainable goals, otherwise you will be working against
your own belief system.
6. Act, as if what you want is already true.
"Consciousness informs matter. Matter is but another manifestation of consciousness. Mind and body are not two discreet realms but different expressions of the same underlying being."
Kabbalah is a body of mystical knowledge that provides a pathway toward a true humanity. Through its study and our action we can attain enlightenment and each of us can climb the ladder towards Cosmic Consciousness. Christian Kabbalists prefer the term "Christ Consciousness."
Kabbalah stems from ancient Judaism, influenced by Greek, Egyptian and Chaldean sources. The "tannaim" - teachers of tradition - taught its basic outline centuries prior to the birth of Jesus.
The origins of Kabbalah are clouded. Its beginnings disappear into history. Its earliest work, the Sefir Yetzirah, is even attributed to Abraham, The Bahir, the gates of Light, and the Zohar are all key books. Some believe that Rabbi Moses de Leon, in the 13th century, composed the Zohar. He himself pointed to Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai as the author at the time of the Roman occupation.
Jewish mysticism has flourished and is as old as Judaism itself. It has been referred to by several names but with the publication of the Zohar all Jewish mysticism has been known with but one name, that of Kabbalah (to receive).
Although Jewish in origin, Kabbalah has had a profound effect on Christianity. Paul, who did so much to establish the church, was a disciple of Gamaliel the Elder, a Kabbalistic rabbi. Thus, there was a strong Kabbalistic sentiment in the early church. Throughout history there has been the study of Kabbalah by such Christians as Pope Sextus IV, Copernicus, Dante, Sir Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin.
"Consciousness is the Primary reality." -Nobel physicist Dr. Eugene Winner
Kabbalah is based on a full and balanced state of knowledge. It is neither totally intellectual nor totally intuitive. It requires a balance between intellect and intuitive understanding to achieve Knowledge. Kabbalah begins that awakening with the statement in Genesis, "Adam knew Eve." This was not a simple recognition. It was a physical loving embrace. To the Kabbalist, "to know" is to embrace lovingly.
The Fundamental spiritual concept which Kabbalah opens us to is that of love. The very act of cosmic creation was generated by God out of love and a desire to bestow love upon souls created to receive God's love. The universe was created in love and is sustained in love. Our primary, but not our only task in incarnating is to learn to love. That is the reason for the universe. It is a place where we can learn to love. How often do we utilize this golden opportunity?
Kabbalah, and most esoteric paths, have a firm understanding of reincarnation. Loving, caring and kindness are often too difficult to master in but one incarnation. We have been here many time before trying to achieve this great goal. It should be the focal point of our efforts. Just prior to the Common Era, Hillel the Elder summed it up in one phrase, "to love God and all of God's creatures." Notice, he didn't limit us to loving God or even loving humans. Hillel used the word "creatures." All are created by God and have the spark of God within them. All are deserving of love.
Rabbi Isaac Luria, in the middle ages, wrote an entire book on reincarnation called "The Gates of Reincarnation." Rabbis Steinsaltz and Berg describe it for us today. The understanding of reincarnation provides the glue which enables spirituality to come alive.
A sister concept to reincarnation is that of tikkun. It means "healing" or "purpose" or "mission." Each of us is incarnated with a specific tikkun or purpose based on past incarnations. With such an understanding life is very exciting. We come here with purpose. The healing of the world depends on our deeds. Now is not the time for greed hate or apathy. It is the time for love, for kindness and specific good deeds or mitzvah. Life is too precious to waste!
The Spiritual Venturer is a monthly periodical of Spiritual information.
The content ranges from poems, fairly tale and myth, to metaphysical
Bible interpretation, provocative quotations, and short stories.
Our purpose is to inspire everyone to Venture into the Spiritual
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1. Introduction: The Philosophy of the Rosicrucians. A summary
of our basic beliefs.
2. The Meaning of Lent: A period of preparation for the spiritual experience
to come.
3. Passover & Easter: The deep spiritual meaning of these important
events.
4. Alchemy: How to turn lead into Gold or the real meaning
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5. Pentecost: A clear example of Illumination, and what it
means.
6. Hermeticism: The basis of the great teachings of the Egyptians.
7. Mysteries of Osiris: the message of the Egyptian myth of Isis and
Osiris.
8. Application of Occult
Laws: How metaphysical laws effect
our lives.
9. Mysteries of Mithra: A virtually unknown teaching that underlies
Christianity.
10. The Teachings of the
Rosicrucians: The basic philosophy
of the Western world.
11. The Great Work: The Path of the neophyte.
12. The Kabbalah: The mystical tradition that links Judaism and
Christianity.
13. The Meaning of Christmas: the symbolic and metaphysical explanation of
this important sacrament.
14. Christisis: Soul Consciousness or Illumination.
15. The Rosicrucians: Who Are They? People who have made a difference,
the keepers of the Ancient Wisdom.
16. Success: Occult teachings that contain the true laws
of success both material and spiritual.
17. The Easter Mysteries: More on the esoteric meaning of Easter &
Passover.
18. Spiritual Alchemy: The explanation of duality and how it affects
our spiritual development.
19. Quest for the Holy
Grail: The allegorical meaning of
the legend of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table.
20. The Hidden meaning
in the Bible: The keys to unraveling
the mysteries contained in the Bible.
21. Reincarnation: The explanation of our eternal lives.
22. Spiritual Sexuality: Understanding the most powerful force of mankind.
23. Transmutation: How to change negative to positive.
24. The Religion of Ancient
Egypt: The Hermetic basis of western
thought.
25. The Serpent: Understanding the creative force.
26. Genesis: In the Beginning...the meaning of the story
of creation.
27. The Wisdom of
Dorothy: The spiritual interpretation
of the Wizard of Oz.
28. Reality: What is Real?
29. The Philosopher's Stone:
An explanation of this ancient symbol.
30. Personal Responsibility:
The Source of all true Freedom.
31. Free Will: The Initiate's most Valuable Tool.
32. Reincarnation &
Soul Development
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