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Thoughts on what I believe on 2000-08-29
Maths is one of the few things we can be sure about,
Fractals prove infinity - they go on forever. This forever is
eternity.
They show how a simple formula can make apparently complicated
things.
As one zooms in and out of them they seem to contain parallel
universes, which are all similar, yet are also different. A point
in it is repeated infinitely and everywhere.
They show there is such a thing as eternity and the infinite.
In the same way God is at the centre of everything, and yet is
everywhere.
Most of what we call "us" is subconscious. We are only
aware of the small amount that rises to the surface.
We, like everything else, have emanated from God, like sparks
or bubbles. Could it be that if we become too distant from God,
the Source, we then begin to be so different as to "sin" ?
The remedy, then, is to get closer again by returning to the Source
and aim to come into union with God again. This is not fully complete
until the death of our material parts frees us to be only spirit
again.
This is not to say that material or matter is evil, as some Gnostics
have said. How could it be if it is the materialisation of the
mind of God? It is more likely to be our spirits that drift away
too far as to become out of contact with the divine.
Does God then seek us out, and we in our exploring of spirituality
realise what was always there?
God allows us some separateness, like a parent with a child, but
it must be balanced by a constant returning to union and wholeness.
Lack of union with God means a lack of proper relationship towards
others and creation.
Judeo-Christianity concentrates on the God out there, and the
eastern religions on the God within. Each lacks something and can
gain from the other
My latest testimony as of 14th January 2002.
After reading the comments the Dalai Lama makes on the Gospels
in a dialogue with Christians [recorded in a book called Good Heart]
I had a profound change of view and experience of the love of Jesus
towards God.
I received new insights that did not contradict the way I have
been travelling for a while.
A few weeks ago I was given the impression that I was going to
receive more instruction.
Below is a summary of what I now believe about Jesus.
1. God is Spirit and can be known only by the spirit in
a person through love.
2. All we know in the material universe and our own world
has come from energy emanating from God that condenses into matter.
This is confirmed by the Eastern religions and modern physics and
is explained very well in F. Capra's book "The Tao of Physics" ].
This happens as the result of the love of God and which that all
we know and experience with our senses is the materialisation of
the mind of God.
3. Jesus was fully human with DNA from both a human father
and mother. He had "that which is of God" [a Quaker term]
in him as do all humans, BUT in his case there was a special emanation
making him different from others for a purpose. A Hindu would call
him an avatar.
4. He was brought up as an orthodox Jew of his day, but he mixed
with Gentiles and their beliefs in Galilee. He realized there were
truths in their teachings too [there are parallels in Hindu and
Buddhist scriptures already in existence at his time] which pointed
him back to
the first principles of his own faith. He saw that orthodox Judaism
of his day was far from what God intended and that there is a
spiritual law of love to God first and then toward your neighbour
that is greater than the rigid foundation of the Law of the Torah.
He became a radical - healing on the Shabbat, treating all as
equals [especially women and outcasts].
5. The transfiguration [to change to another form] describes
him becoming fully enlightened and the three disciples chosen to
be there saw it but did not understand it at the time. [Puzzling
that if John's gospel was written by the disciple John why is it
the only gospel not to speak of this amazing event if he was there?]
Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets [whose
bodies also disappeared or were removed to another place, or "translated" ]
appear. Jesus prevents the building of tabernacles, or shelters
for them, because they are not staying. His face and clothes shine
with light, as did the Buddha. Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus
about his departure.
Then a cloud envelops all of them, symbolizing the presence of
the visually unknowable God, and then they are gone and only Jesus
remains.
Jesus is shown to be a better way, gate or door to a relationship
and eventual union with God. It is a visual aid to all I've said
in no. 4.
6. Jesus then willingly took on the role of a martyr to
die for his people [not as a substitutionary sacrifice]. His life
[blood] given to God did cover [atone] for their sins and in his
DNA all the sin of past generations of kings and priests. This
was acceptable to God for the entire world as we all share in common
DNA. Every Jewish male was in the old covenant by the shedding
of his blood from the organ of life giving in circumcision [and
not by choice!]. Jesus brought the new covenant of circumcision
of the heart by choice, yet as a result of the calling of God.
[Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36].
What we need to do is to apply his life [blood] to ours.
This defeats the adversary of ourselves. This is salvation, which
means to apply a salve to heal or mend that which is sick.
We can then have life more abundantly: walk, speak and see correctly
and be in our right minds.
7. At the resurrection Jesus' body was transformed further
into an intermediate state, which was different. He later ascended
in a spiritual body to be in union with God, and able to be with
us now anywhere. These three states of being are recognised in
Buddhism.
His enlightened consciousness [understanding] and union with God
is available to us to bring us into a continuing life abundant
["eternal life" ] by surrendering our own life entirely
to God.
Jesus is our example, guru, and teacher.
He asked us to remember this at a love feast. He asked us to become
as little children - innocent [pure of heart], trusting and egoless.
This to me means he did not believe in original sin.
Paul took all this [ the points made in 6 and 7] and adapted it
to Mithraism and the church has followed Paul not Jesus.
8.By prayer and meditation we may come to the realisation
of one's true self. What we call ourself is not the true self
The divine spark within is the true self and this is what can
come into union with God because it dwells in God, flows from and
returns to God.
It cannot be separated from God and is our naked eternal nature.
When this realised it is very humbling.
Jesus had realised it -"I only do and say that the Father
tells me - I and the Father are one" .
When one comes to this state of being then one has the "Christ" spirit
within, as it is identical.
One cannot then claim reward for good deeds because they do not
belong to one's self.
Doing the will of God is just being an instrument of this Greater
Self within which is part of the Supreme Self.
9.The word in John chapter one is the divine energy through
which everything is and was created, or materialised. So it is
the expression of the mind of God.
So one could put “mind” in place of “word” in
John one.
The Logos is then the thought of God.
This was all Jesus was in a man.
He was the mind of God in purity without man's ego.
This came about at the temptation [ see no 10 below] where he
left his ego behind.
The mind of God is the light that illumines all humans to some
degree.
Moses, the prophets and all great spiritual teachers have this
light, but Jesus shows it to perfection.
Man and God were united in him, not that God was incarnate, but
because Jesus became united with God - "I and the Father are
one."
Jesus was "sent" after that point of union, or enlightenment,
had begun.
He then shows us the way, gate, door, light, etc .to union with
God.
10.Temptation. This was Jesus' Peniel [the place where
Jacob wrestled { Genesis 32 v 22-32}] If one substitutes "ego" for "devil" then
it becomes a battle with self, the lower self - the part of us
we call selfish.
Jesus always called himself the “son of man” - others
called him the “son of God“. So his ego said to him: “ If
they are right you could do miracles for yourself.
You can promote yourself and put yourself above and before everything,
everybody and God
and so become very powerful in the world, and be rich and famous.”
The splendour and powers of the “world” come from man's
ego.
Jesus overcame the ego's desire to use the power he had been given
in the wrong way.
He learned that his “food” was doing the will of God
[John 4 v34].
To repent means to change one's mind - to rethink. Jesus calls
us to do this.
11. Resurrection. The prodigal son was "dead" when
away from the father and "alive" when "found" on
his return.
It is the same as was said of Jesus : that he came alive again.
Also Jonah who was "brought up from the pit" after three
days in the whale. He went on to complete his mission.
Neither the prodigal son, nor Jonah, was really dead; but both
had been disobedient.
They were dead spiritually and then made spiritually alive.
Jesus was obedient unto death. He died for holding to the truth.
He died for others in that his death probably prevented riots and
a massacre. He died because he was totally given over to living
in the will of God. This makes his death different and acceptable
to God
12 The fruit of such a life as that of Jesus:
That of God is known by its fruit - it is of the tree of life
and everlasting.
That which is of "us" , the ego, is known also by its
fruit. It is of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. It goes
rotten.
The fruit of the vine [John 15] ripens and is used when in the
kingdom of egoless Self.
The wood of the vine is useless. Its only purpose is fruit bearing.
13. Adam, Eve and Jesus. If Adam was created perfect and
in the image of God what was it that made Adam and Eve disobey
God? [This is assuming the two creation stories in Genesis 1 and
2-3 are compatible!]. It could be that was the part sentenced to
death. The body was to die anyway because as they multiplied there
would soon be big problems otherwise. The spirit was the image
of God [because God is Spirit], so we are left with something in
the mind - the egotistical side of it.
So ego, self, deceived them and they lost their childlike innocence,
and trust in God's wisdom and will. The knowledge they acquired
spoilt everything.
Adam and Eve did not see themselves as separate until after eating;
then they lost their unity, wholeness. Oneness with each other,
and God, was gone too.
Surely this is what is to be regained? Promotion of self does
the opposite: it emphasises differences.
"Solitary" as used in the Gospel of Thomas, which is
a collection of the sayings of Jesus, could mean "one" in
the sense of unity, or united, because the word in Hebrew for one, "yahad" ,
means unity also.
In the "Lord's prayer" , and at Gethsemane, Jesus said "Your
will be done" . This brought him into union and at one with
the will of God.
"The sermon on the Mount" is anti selfishness and against
hypocrisy.
Although Jesus was a Jew he must have come to believe and preach/teach
something different that the religious leaders could not accept
and saw as blasphemy. They accused him of making himself as God.
Probably they misunderstood him and he did not caste anymore pearls
before them by trying to explain it at his trial. Union with God
was an anathema to the orthodox Jews who saw God as Holy [separate]
and totally "other" .
Did Jesus learn from Hinduism? Well, in Kabbalah [the Jewish
mysticism] there is the idea that God pervades creation and the
aim is union through realisation of this and moving through the
heavens by ascending Jacob's ladder.
Kabbalah and Taoism have the idea of balance of two opposing poles
of force and form, positive and negative, light and dark, male
and female, etc.
When this balance is achieved there is wholeness. The Tao Te Ching
says everyone knows what beauty is and by this they also know that
is ugly; and so with good and evil.
The sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas that seem to be referring
to the ego, or self as the problem are: no. 3, no 4 [because a
very young child has no ego], no 14, no 21, no 22 no 35, no 37,
no 54, no 97, no 98, and no 99.
No 70 says you will saved by bringing forth that which is in yourself,
so how can it be outside and lost?. Is it not that it has to be
realised to be within?
14 The Death of Jesus : was it a surety for us?
Jeremiah 31 v 30 says everyone shall each die for their own sin.
Taken in context I think Jeremiah is saying the children will
not be punished anymore for the sins of the fathers and the whole
nation, including the innocents, go into exile again. The innocent,
not by choice, had suffered for the sins of the guilty by being
exiled to Babylonia.
Even so, maybe it was the blood of those innocent ones that was
why the Jews returned from exile, despite not having changed and
acquiring ideas like angels, demons, Satan, heaven and hell from
the Babylonians.
God forgave them and the new covenant spoken of by Jeremiah and
Ezekiel was promised.
Isaiah. 45 v25 -44 v5 " The Lord removes the sins of Israel."
Isaiah. 53 is about an innocent one who suffers for the sins of
others, and also was probably written at the time of the northern
exile to Assyria.
Why did not the gospel writers quote Jesus speaking about this
passage which seems to portray accurately what happen to him? Nor
do they use it to prove his was a substitutionary sacrificial death.
Perhaps the spiritual corruption in Jesus' day was forgiven by
his death.
If that is so, what does the holocaust mean? It certainly led
to the return of Jews to the land of Israel.
Jesus was a scapegoat in that he was put to death because he was
thought to be a threat to both Romans and Jews. His death was a
warning to others.
He went Jerusalem to keep the feast, as any good Jew, knowing
he would die for the lies men spoke about him [that he was an insurrectionist
and a blasphemer - what each nation feared and hated most] In that
sense he certainly died for the sins of men.
Having said that; why would Jesus' death be any different from
those murdered and crucified before in the Maccabean uprising for
their stubborn holding to religious beliefs and practises, for
example?
next section : Conclusion
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