Spiritual Development Must Progress Logically and Naturally, Like any other Education

“It is the object of contemplative prayer, as it is the object of all education, to discipline and develop certain growing faculties. Here, the faculties are those of the ‘transcendental self,’ the ‘new person’—all those powers which we associate with the ‘spiritual consciousness.’ The ‘Sons of God,’ however, like the sons of men, begin as babies, and their first lessons must not be too hard. Therefore the educative process conforms to and takes advantage of every step of the natural process of growth: as we, in the education of our children, make the natural order in which their faculties develop the basis of our scheme of cultivation. Recollection, Quiet, and Contemplation, then, answer to the order in which the mystic’s powers unfold. Roughly speaking, we shall find the forms of spiritual attention which is called ‘Meditative, or ‘Recollective’ go side to side with the purification of the Self; that ‘Quiet’ tends to be characteristic of illumination, that contemplation proper—at any rate in its highest forms—is most fully experienced by those who have attained, or nearly attained, the United Way. At the same time, just as the self in its ‘first mystic life,’ before it has passed through the dark night of the spirit, often seems to run through the whole gamut of spiritual states, and attain that immediate experience of the Absolute which it seeks—though as a fact, it has not reached those higher levels of consciousness on which true and permanent union takes place.” ~Evelyn Underhill

Discipline and Development

Ms. Underhill is correct in linking together discipline and development in any educative process. With virtually any type of education, self-discipline goes together with developing the skills or knowledge of that education. This is probably more important with our spiritual development than with any other form of education. A person who gains spiritual knowledge without also developing the discipline to handle and control that knowledge can harm themselves or others, and either negate into developing the dark side or become frightened and stop their spiritual development entirely. So the smart spiritual school or teacher helps the student develop discipline at the same time they are learning spiritual development techniques. Think of Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel in the original (1984) version of “The Karate Kid”. He made Daniel develop patience and discipline before learning Karate.

The New Person

I have taken the liberty here of modernizing Underhill’s statement which originally read “new man” because I want it to be clear that it applies to women as well. What Underhill is saying here is that with proper spiritual development, we don’t just become better educated, we become a new person, a transcendental person who is greater than before such development. You are not just educating yourself, as with studying math, for example, but literally changing yourself.

Sons and Daughters of God

Just as our physical self begins as a baby, so does the newly awakened spirit. While a spirit is never a baby, it is similar to one in that it is uneducated, so its education must start with the basics. You wouldn’t put an infant in a college physics class. Likewise, you don’t start teaching spiritual development with advanced methods and knowledge. It might not have to be as basic as stacking blocks and coloring in color books, still, the concept applies. The beginning student must start at the beginning and progress slowly, with very few exceptions. And a good school will allow each student to progress at his or her own speed, and not forde them to go too fast or slow them down so much that they lose interest.

The Order in Which Powers Unfold

While we are all individuals, and some may develop differently than others, there is a general order in which spiritual development happens. So a good spiritual education takes that into account and teaches in the order in which things usually develop. And it isn’t just the order in which they develop, but the order in which they can be understood. It is also true that some people develop certain spiritual gifts while others don’t. As a dog owner, I have been disappointed at times in my limited ability to communicate with animals, yet this is an advanced gift that few develop until a very late stage, so I accept that now, and make use of those spiritual abilities that have developed. It should be noted that spiritual abilities and psychic abilities are not the same, so try not to confuse the two.

Dark Night of the Spirit

The Dark Night of the Spirit (or Soul) is something mentioned often in regard to spiritual development. Some express the idea that without going through such a period of great difficulties and depression, spiritual development cannot happen. Fortunately, that is not true. While we all go through some difficulties, something as deep as the Dark Night of the Spirit doesn’t always happen, nor does it have to. Just as some people are easier to wake from deep physical sleep than others, so too some are easier to awaken from the deep sleep of spirit than others. And having a Dark Night of the Soul does not guarantee a spiritual awakening. Many have such an experience and do not develop spiritually at all. So don’t seek out such an experience on the idea that it will awaken your spiritual faculties. Following the techniques of a spiritual school like Cosolargy is a better and safer way to do it.

The Views of the Spiritualist and the Materialist

“Neither the occultist generally, nor the Theosophists, reject as erroneously believed by some, the views and theories of the modern scientist. Only because these views are opposed to Theosophy. The first rule of our society is to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Theosophists, therefore, are the first to recognize the intrinsic value of science. But when its high priests resolve consciousness into a secretion from the grey matter of the brain, and everything else in nature into a mode of motion, we protest against the doctrine as being unphilosophical, self-contradictory, and simply absurd, from a scientific point of view, as much and even more than from the spiritual view. Truly, the astral Light of the derided Kabalists has strange and weird secrets for those who can see it; and the mysteries concealed within its waves are there, the whole body of materialists notwithstanding. These secrets, along with many other mysteries, will remain non-existent to the materialists of our age, in the same way as America was a non-existent myth for Europeans during the early part of the medieval ages, whereas Scandinavians and Norwegians had actually reached and settled in that very old ‘New World, several centuries before.” ~H. P. Blavatsky

Theories of Modern Science

Some people think that being spiritual means you oppose the theories and teachings of modern science, but that is not true. While spiritual people question the theories of science, we do not reject them outright. Science has given us much in modern society. Discoveries in science and engineering have made modern buildings, bridges, and roads possible. Discoveries in modern medicine may have made many of us too dependent on drugs for healing, but it has also cured many diseases. And modern science has given us conveniences like electric washing machines, television, and automobiles. Granted, there is a negative side to all of those things, as it is with everything in the realm of matter, but there is a positive side as well. The old Yin-Yang symbol illustrates this truth quite well.

Theosophy

Madame Blavatsky founded the spiritual school known as Theosophy, so she tends to relate to all things spiritual in terms of Theosophy. We should simply replace Theosophy with spiritual development to get a more general idea of what she is saying.

Render Unto Caesar

I think most spiritual schools, including Cosolargy, would agree with Blavatsky when she says that the first rule of the Theosophist is to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. Spiritual people do not reject the material world as useless, or evil. We do not reject all material comforts and live naked in a cave, as some did in ancient times. We are allowed to enjoy material comforts for the sake of our physical body and mind, as long as we don’t get too attached to them. If you agree with those who refuse to leave their homes when told to evacuate because of wildfires, floods, or tornadoes, then you have become too attached to matter, and you need to work on that. The reason the spiritual student needs to avoid such attachments is that they can be used by the forces of darkness to pull us away from spiritual development.

Consciousness in the Brain

I recently wrote a lengthy article for the Cosolargy Blog on the subject of consciousness (click here to read the article), so I won’t go into it much here. Suffice it to say that the views of consciousness are changing rapidly today. Many scientists no longer accept that it is merely a creation, or as Blavatsky calls it, a secretion of the brain. Indeed, we are getting to the point where some are starting to accept what is called “Biocentrism,” which says that it is consciousness that is creating the material universe around us, or at least our view of it. This goes along with the studies in Quantum Physics that find that things are affected by the viewer of those things. That works in both directions, of course.

The Astral Light of the Kabalists

What Blavatsky is calling the astral Light of the Kabalists, we would say is the Spiritual Light that comes from God, and reaches us through the intermediary of the Spiritual Sun. This light does indeed have “strange and weird secrets” for those who learn to absorb it and the knowledge hidden within it. It is, in fact, the best link available to us between the realm of spirit and the realm of matter, so we should make use of it properly, and with humility and reverence.

Follow the Brightness of God Back to Our Origin

“Out of our highest feeling, the brightness of God shines into us, which teaches us Truth, and moves us toward every virtue and in eternal love towards God. If we follow this Brightness without pause, back into that Source from whence it came forth, there we feel nothing but a quenching of our spirit and an irretrievable sinking into simple and fathomless Love. Could we continue to dwell there with our simple gaze, we should always so feel it; for our immersion and transformation in God continues without ceasing in eternity, if we have gone forth from ourselves, and God is ours in the immersion of Love. If we possess God in the immersion of Love—that is, if we are lost to ourselves—God is our own, and we are His. This immersion is essential and is closely bound up with the state of Love: and so it continues whether we sleep or whether we wake, whether we know it or whether we know it not. … And this down-sinking is like a river, which without pause or turning back ever pours into the sea, which is its proper resting place. So likewise when we possess God alone.” ~John of Ruysbroeck

God’s Brightness Shines in Us

When we seek the Light of God, his brightness will shine in us. As Ruysbroeck says, that brightness will bring us Truth and Knowledge. Not the kind of knowledge we get from books or college classes, but the Divine Knowledge that the Gnostics called Gnosis.

Follow the Brightness

Just seeking God’s Brightness (or Light) isn’t enough. We must seek it always, every day, and go deeper and deeper into it with time and practice. As we do, using the techniques taught in Cosolargy, we gradually increase our level of consciousness until we reach the highest level, which is God. When we reach that level, we become one with God, one with Love, one with All. We are then a true child of the universe, but the immortal spiritual universe, not the mortal one of matter.

Sinking Into Love

I would not have chosen to call it “sinking into love,” but the idea is correct. When we enter the brightness of God’s Light, we experience the feeling of universal Love. This is not a love for an individual or for humans only. Universal Love is for all beings. It is an all-consuming Love. People who have had a Near Death Experience (NDE) often mention briefly experiencing this and it usually leaves them permanently changed. They can no longer see other beings as slaves or tools of man but as spirits in a physical form that just happens to be different from our own physical form.

Immersion in God

Ruysbroeck says that total immersion in God is essential, and he is correct. To become one with God, we must become immersed in God, immersed in His Light. Ruysbroeck’s comparison of this process to a river that forever flows into the sea is an apt one. That is how we must connect with God. Of course, it will start with connecting briefly and temporarily, but advance over time until it is a permanent connection. Of course, rivers and seas are not truly eternal, yet the comparison makes the point well. So practice techniques as taught and soon you too will be connecting with the Brightness of God’s Light, even if you are not consciously aware that it has happened.

Living In a World of Change and Corruption

“All parts of the world (all things I mean that are contained within it), must of necessity at some time or another come to corruption. Alteration I should say, to speak truly nd properly; but that I may be better understood, I am content at this time to use the more common word. Now say I, if so be that be both hurtful unto them, and yet unavoidable, would not, thinkest thou, the whole itself be in a sweet case, all the parts of it being subject to alteration, yea and by their making itself fitted for corruption, as consisting of things different and contrary? And did nature then either of herself thus project and purpose the affliction and misery of her parts, and therefore of purpose so made them, not only that haply they might, but of necessity they should fall into evil; or did not she know what she did when she made them? For either of these two to say is equally absurd. But to let pass nature in general, and to reason all things according to their own particular natures; how absurd and rediculous it is, first to say that all parts of thw whole are, by their natural constitution, subject to alteration; and then when any such thing doth happen, as when one doth fall sick or dies, to wonder as though some strange thing had happened?” ~Marcus Aurelius

Everything Changes

Aurelius is correct in saying that all things in this world change, and that change generally means becoming corrupt, rotten, sick, or dead. There are a few exceptions, but even those are usually signs of aging which eventually leads to death or destruction. It seems a beautiful thing when a caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly, but it also means that the animal has reached the last stage of its life and will soon die if it doesn’t get eaten first.

Don’t Blame Nature

Mother Nature, of Gaia, the governing mind of planet Earth is not to blame for this problem of everything rotting or falling apart. The one who is really to blame is the false god that the Gnostics call the Demiurge. The true God created a world without rotting, decaying, or dying. But the false god created with imperfections, so his creation, the universe of matter, is flawed. When the Demiurge saw how his creation was corrupt, full of death and disease, and beings that must live by killing and eating other beings, he was shocked but had no way to correct the problem. Only the real God can, and will, correct the error.

Don’t Expect Permanency in Material Things

Aurelius is telling us that since the very nature of the realm of matter is change and change which is usually in the form of decay and destruction, we should not be surprised or angry when it happens. That is easy to say, but I know from personal experience that it is not easy to avoid getting angry or upset when a refrigerator stops working, a pet dies, or a tire only a few months old has a blowout. I must work to remind myself that such is the nature of the corrupt world of matter, as must all of us.

Another Way to Look at Change

While it is true that change is almost always in the direction of decay, death, and destruction, we must remind ourselves that there is another side to it. All beings, all things, have a spirit, and spirits never die. While it is not true that all people go to Heaven simply because they have physically died, still, they all have an immortal spirit. When animals and plants die, their spirits usually enter another life form being born and therefore continue. Eventually, all spirits return to the Spiritual Realm where there is no death or decay, no illness, no pain. So when things are falling apart around you, remind yourself that you are only here temporarily, so don’t let it get to you.

Solving the Problem

Just because everything decays here, doesn’t mean there is nothing we can do about it. There are things we can do, and should. We can avoid littering and wasting. We can contribute to growth in the world by planting gardens or trees. We can adopt, or otherwise care for one or more animals. Most of all, we can try to keep ourselves physically and mentally healthy and slow down our personal decay and corruption. And we can aid God in redeeming this realm of matter and returning it to the realm of spirit where there is no corruption.

The Geothermal Rising Conference is Coming to Reno

Reno’s Peppermill Resort

The 2023 Geothermal Rising Conference will be held in Reno, Nevada October 1st through October 4th with some pre-conference events starting on September 29th. The event will be held at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. A tour of our Steamboat Springs Healing Center & Spa will be offered to the group by Steamboat. Here are the details:

Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa is Reno, Nevada’s only mineral hot springs. A registered state historic landmark, the day spa features geothermal water for soaking combined with the relaxation of a spa getaway. Considered a local treasure, Steamboat’s famous natural volcanic waters are chock-full of rare, health-boosting minerals found nowhere else in North America. Guests have the option of soaking indoors in private spring-fed tubs with complimentary aromatherapy and color therapy options or can unwind in the outdoor geothermal hot tub. In addition to soaking, Steamboat Hot Springs offers guests an array of luxurious spa services, such as therapeutic massage treatments—including those using CBD oil—sauna, mud treatments, lymphatic stimulation, cupping and hot stone therapy, exfoliation scrubs, chakra alignment therapy, vibrational therapeutics and Naturopathic consultations, to highlight just a few items on their comprehensive spa menu.

Field Trip Schedule

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

The cost is $125 per person and includes transportation to/from the hot springs, a tour of the facility, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of one of the soaking options listed above. Additional products and services would be at the expense of the participant.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required

About the 2023 GRC!

The GRC is the geothermal industry’s flagship annual conference, reflecting the global nature of the geothermal industry and bringing together people in industry, academia, government, and the general public.

Conference Agenda

Date	Start Time	End Time	Event Name
09/29/23	8:00 AM		Lassen Field Trip Departure (overnight Field Trip)
09/30/23	8:00 AM	1:00 PM	Workshop Registration (all workshops require separate registration)
09/30/23	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	Workshop: Geothermal 2.0: New Technology and Ideas Helping to Scale Geothermal Developments
09/30/23	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	Workshop: Synergies with Other Renewable Energies to Accelerate Geothermal Project Development
09/30/23	8:00 AM	5:00 PM	Workshop: The Hunt for Superhot Geothermal
09/30/23	9:00 AM	12:00 PM	Field Trip: Ormat Steamboat Hills
09/30/23	12:00 PM	5:00 PM	Workshop: Purpose and Process of Underground Injection Control Permit Applications in Nevada
09/30/23	1:30 PM	4:30 PM	Field Trip: Ormat Steamboat Hills
09/30/23	6:00 PM	7:00 PM	Workshop Reception (Workshop Participants & GR Board Members Only)
10/01/23	6:45 AM	4:30 PM	Golf Tournament
10/01/23	12:00 PM	8:00 PM	Registration
10/01/23	12:30 PM	3:30 PM	20-Minute Sponsor Hosted Technical Sessions
10/01/23	1:00 PM	2:00 PM	Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/01/23	3:00 PM	4:00 PM	Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/01/23	4:00 PM	6:00 PM	Geothermal 101
10/01/23	6:30 PM	8:30 PM	Opening Reception and Exhibit Hall
10/01/23 10/01/23	7:00 PM 6:30 PM	8:00 PM 8:30 PM	GR DEI Task Force 2024 Goal Setting Meet Up Poster Session
10/01/23	8:30 PM	10:30 PM	GRC23 After Hours Networking Reception
10/02/23	6:00 AM	7:00 AM	Women in Geothermal (WING) Yoga
10/02/23	6:30 AM	7:30 PM	Registration
10/02/23	7:00 AM	8:00 AM	Breakfast
10/02/23	7:00 AM	6:00 PM	Speaker Ready Room
10/02/23	8:00 AM	10:00 AM	Opening Plenary Session
10/02/23	10:00 AM	10:30 AM	Break
10/02/23	10:00 AM	10:30 AM	GR Student Members Icebreaker
10/02/23	10:00 AM	11:00 AM	Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/02/23	10:30 AM	12:30 PM	Plenary Session II
10/02/23	12:00 PM	1:00 PM	GR Student Committee Resume Building Workshop & Professional Headshots
10/02/23	12:30 PM	2:30 PM	Lunch in Exhibit Hall
10/02/23	12:30 PM	2:30 PM	Poster Session
10/02/23	12:30 PM	5:00 PM	Exhibit Hall Open
10/02/23 10/02/23	2:00 PM 3:00 PM	4:00 PM 4:00 PM	How the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI) Can Contribute to Accelerating Geothermal Power Innovation and Commercialization Workshop is complimentary but pre-registration is required. Limited space available. Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/02/23	3:00 PM	5:00 PM	Panel Session 1A: Closed-Loop Geothermal at Scale: Demonstrations and Deployments
10/02/23	3:00 PM	5:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions
10/02/23 10/02/23	3:00 PM 7:00 PM	5:00 PM 9:00 PM	Panel Session 1G: Growth of Geothermal Energy Networks in the US and Throughout the World Monday Night Mixer (included in full conference registration fee)
10/03/23	7:00 AM	7:00 PM	Registration
10/03/23	7:00 AM	6:00 PM	Speaker Ready Room
10/03/23	7:30 AM	9:30 AM	Plenary Session III
10/03/23	9:30 AM	10:00 AM	Break
10/03/23	9:30 AM	8:30 PM	Exhibit Hall Open
10/03/23	10:00 AM	11:00 AM	Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/03/23	10:00 AM	12:00 PM	Panel Session 2A: Geothermal Everywhere? The Role of Subsurface Characterization in Advancing Geothermal Technology
10/03/23	10:00 AM	12:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions
10/03/23 10/03/23	10:00 AM 10:00 AM	12:00 PM 5:30 PM	Panel Session 2G: Translating Oil and Gas Industry Experience into Hot Geothermal Industry 20-Minute Sponsor Hosted Technical Sessions
10/03/23	12:00 PM	1:30 PM	Lunch in Exhibit Hall
10/03/23	12:00 PM	1:30 PM	Women in Geothermal (WING) Core Value Awards & Panel Session
10/03/23	2:00 PM	4:00 PM	Panel Session 3A: Do Non-Conventional Geothermal Developments Need a Specialized Legal Framework?
10/03/23	2:00 PM	4:00 PM	Concurrent Sessions
10/03/23	3:00 PM	4:00 PM	Peppermill Resort Direct Use Tour
10/03/23	4:00 PM	4:30 PM	Break
10/03/23	4:00 PM	4:30 PM	GR Mentor-Mentee Meetup
10/03/23	4:30 PM	6:30 PM	Panel Session 4A: Critical Minerals, Mineral Commodities, and Geothermal Systems: Past, Present, and Future
10/03/23	4:30 PM	6:30 PM	Concurrent Sessions
10/03/23	6:30 PM	8:30 PM	Networking Reception in Exhibit Hall
10/03/23	6:30 PM	8:30 PM	Poster Session
10/03/23	7:00 PM	8:00 PM	GR Student Committee Trivia Contest
10/04/23	6:00 AM	7:00 AM	Women in Geothermal (WING) Fun Run/Walk
10/04/23	7:30 AM	12:00 PM	Registration & Information
10/04/23	7:30 AM	9:30 AM	Annual Meeting Meeting & Awards Breakfast
10/04/23	9:30 AM	10:00 AM	Break
10/04/23	9:30 AM	2:00 PM	Exhibit Hall Open
10/04/23 10/04/23 10/04/23	10:00 AM 10:00 AM 10:00 AM	11:00 AM 5:30 PM 12:00 PM	Peppermill Direct Use Tour PIVOT Panel Sessions Concurrent Sessions
10/04/23	12:00 PM	1:30 PM	Lunch in Exhibit Hall
10/04/23	1:30 PM	3:30 PM	Concurrent Sessions
10/04/23	3:30 PM	4:30 PM	Closing Networking Break
			*Schedule is subject to change.

One Wolf Bites the Other Wolf as they Both Follow a False Path

“The spirit of the stout beast is the hellish worm; the crowned bride that sits upon it is the false Woman (or Whore) Babel: She drinks only out of the cup of Whoredom and Abomination, her drink in that cup is the fierceness of the Anger of God of which the people drink, and become drunk, and so in their drunkenness they become murderers, robbers, thieves, mockers, jesters, scorners, proud, high-minded, self-honorers, stern malicious people. There is no end to the number of those that hate one another; everyone supposes his way is right, and that he walks in the right path; if his brother and sister go not in the same way with him, he scorns them and calls them heretics, and so one Wolf bites another; his Way is in his own opinion, as his Master teaches him, who yet never regrets anything. Thus one hypocrite deceives the other, and they are scorners and prosecutors one of another among themselves and one is a Wolf as much as another; and the poor Able who stands in true resignation, and relies upon God) must continually be their footstool, and is continually murdered in a twofold manner.

“One is that he is deceived [by the Wolfs], and goes along into Babel, and is murdered, as to the Kingdom of Heaven. The other is that, if he remains constant, then the Devil (with Cain) will not endure him, but murders him outwardly, as to the body, or takes away his good name and credit, and covers him so that he may not be known, that so the Kingdom of Cain and the Antichrist may remain in Babel of which we know well by our own experience. But it fares well with our Abel, and our being scorned springs up in the Blosominf of the lily, whereat we will rejoice when we return from Jerico to Jerusalem and to our Father. ~Jacob Boehme

The Hellish Worm

hellish worm

Calling the spirit of The Beast a Hellish Worm is an interesting way to put it. I think in Boehme’s day, worms were thought of as filthy creatures because they lived in dirt. Many early descriptions of dragons refer to those beasts as great worms rather than giant lizards as they are generally depicted today. The addition of the “crowned bride” who is the whore of Babel is a new addition to the tail. First, it tells us that this is no ordinary garden worm, but one of great size like a dragon. But why is a woman wearing a crown riding it? I think the idea is that she is a very vain woman, that is why she wears a crown, one she has probably awarded herself. She drinks from the cup of abomination and becomes “drunk” on the lies of the dark beings and forces who supply that allegorical drink.

Anger of God of Which the People Drink

Sadly, the woman on the hellish worm is not alone in drinking from the cup of abomination, allegorically speaking, of course. Many people drink from that cup regularly, while others drink it only occasionally. There are very few who never drink from that cup. Drinking from this cup often makes people angry with God, because God doesn’t do what they want him to, as if God was their servant and not the other way around. Others lose all belief in God because God doesn’t answer their prayers. They don’t understand that God is all about the spiritual and answers spiritual prayers, but not materialistic ones.

Wolf Bites Wolf

Because those who drink from the cup of abomination usually think that their path of religion or spirituality is the one true path, for no particular reason except that it is the path they have chosen, they often argue, fight, and even wage war against those whose beliefs are different. They don’t realize that the ones they are fighting are also ones who drink from that cup, so it is a case of a wolf fighting another wolf.

The Poor Able

Here Boehme is using Cane and Able as examples of good and bad people, with Able representing the good ones who believe in God and who practice spiritual development as Jesus taught the apostles to do. Cane represents those wolves who have lost The Way and are either making no effort to find it, but embracing materialism instead, or they are clinging to a false path as taught by a materialistic church that has lost its way.

If you think war is a good thing, if you think some people should be hated because of their religion or nationality, if you think some people are better than others, you are one of the wolves, one of the tribe of Cain. Hopefully, more of us will awaken and turn to the truth of the tribe of Able.

The Divine Ethics of The Oneness of All

“This is what I have read in the faces of men and women, in the book of the world, and in the scroll of the heavens, which is writ with stars The great lesson to be learned is the truth of the Oneness of All. This knowledge carries with it all the rest.

“It causes one to follow the precept of the Son of Mary, who said: ‘And thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength;’ and ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ When Man grows into a consciousness of the truth that All is One – that when one loves God he is loving the Whole Thing that his neighbor is indeed himself – then he has but a few more classes to pass through before he passes into the ‘High School’ of Spiritual Knowledge.

“This conviction of the Oneness of All, carries with it certain rules of action – of Divine Ethics – which transcend all written or spoken human laws. The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man become a reality rather than a mere repetition of meaningless words. And this great lesson must be learned by all – and all are learning it by degrees. And this is the aim of the present stage of Spiritual Evolution – to know God as He is: to know your relationship with others – to know what we are. There are greater schools, colleges, and universities of Spiritual Knowledge beyond us, but these are the lessons taught in the grades in which we are at present.” ~William Walker Atkinson (aka Yogi Ramacharaka)

Scrolls of Heaven

Scroll of Heaven

When Mr. Atkinson speaks of a Book of the World and the Scrolls of Heaven that are “writ in the stars,” it is an obvious allegory. Studying the world, the stars, or both, will very likely not gain you much spiritual knowledge. Not much real spiritual knowledge is found in books or any other worldly things unless you can look beyond the physical and the literal to see the spiritual meaning hidden in allegory. Even then, the knowledge is only partial. So there are no actual scrolls in Heaven, but there is great Spiritual Knowledge to be found there. To gain such knowledge, we must raise our levels of consciousness. We must also practice Divine Ethics by at least trying to practice the truth that All is One and we are part of that All.

A Consciousness of Truth

It is the goal of spiritual development to reach that level of consciousness where Truth is known and the most important part of that Truth is that we are all part of the One. When we reach that level of consciousness, even temporarily, we don’t just believe that All is One and we are part of The One, we Know that we are. There is a big difference between believing something and knowing that it is true. Many of us often behave in ways that are contrary to such beliefs, but when they become Knowledge instead of beliefs, acting in violation of such Divine Knowledge is unthinkable.

Love Thy Neighbor

It is hard to love thy neighbor when thy neighbor robs us or is a rapist or murderer. We know we should love everyone, but we often find we can’t love those who do evil things. We also find it difficult to love those in a foreign country who wage war against us. But when we have truly become One With The All, there are no foreign countries, there are no enemies, there are no species of being that is against us because we are One with all of them. So just as we continue to love ourselves when we do something wrong, we will love all people, all beings, all of The One, because it is ourselves doing all those things.

“Seek not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” ~John Donne

John Donne was talking about the bell at a church that would ring when someone died. The general interpretation of what he said is that we are all going to die eventually, so that is why the bell tolls for thee. That is not quite correct. What it really means is that we are all part of The One, so when any person dies, a part of us dies. When we reach the level of consciousness that allows us to Know that Truth, we will understand. Until then, we must practice ethics, live in peace and love as much as possible, and also practice our spiritual development techniques to help us move closer and closer to that level of consciousness.

A Quote From Psalm 19 With Commentary

“The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

Yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens, he has set a tent for the sun,

Which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure,

making wise the simple;

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true

and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” ~Psalm 19: 1 – 14

The Heavens Tell the Glory of God

The author of the Psalms was a spiritual person and was not writing about the physical, so when he says “the Heavens,” he doesn’t mean the stars and planets of the physical realm, but the true Heavens, the spiritual dimensions above us here in the third dimension of matter. Likewise, “the firmament” sounds like something solid, something material, but it isn’t. You could replace “firmament” with “permanent” and get a better idea of what is meant. The realm of matter is not permanent but is constantly changing, so the real firmament is spiritual.

Pours Forth Speech and Knowledge

The Spiritual Realm is full of Knowledge and those who raise their consciousness to those levels—even if only briefly—gain some of that knowledge. If you have read some Near Death Experience (NDE) books, you know that in those realms, when you mentally ask a question, it is answered immediately. It is not speech in the physical sense but a more direct spiritual kind of hearing that doesn’t require ears, but consciousness. This is the kind of Knowledge that ancient Gnostics knew to be the true Gnosis, and not something found in books, as some modern Gnostic groups believe. That’s why the Psalm says there is speech, but it isn’t heard. It cannot be heard at all by the physical ears, but only by the awakened spiritual senses.

Laws and Ordinances Of God

The Laws and Ordinances of God are the supreme Laws and all must obey them if they are to be saved. But those Laws are now found in the Commandments or in other writings that are more the opinions and interpretations of men rather than the Law of God. This Law isn’t about what you eat, on Friday, Sunday, or any other day. It isn’t about what clothing you wear or who you have sex with. They are not about physical acts at all, but spiritual ones. That includes Love and living in peace with all, which may seem like physical things, but they are more spiritual than physical. Most of all, the Law of God is about awakening and developing the spiritual faculties now, while you are still in the physical realm.

Great Reward

Yes, there is a great reward in keeping the Law of God. That reward is to return in spiritual form to Heaven for all eternity. Many believe that reward goes to everyone when they die, but they are wrong. Do you really think Hitler or Ghenghis Khan went to Heaven when they died? If that were the case, Heaven would not be a place of Great Reward, but just another level of the mess we have here. So only the ones who have turned away from all forms of evil and embraced peace, love, humility, and spiritual growth earn that reward.

To Seek the Good is to Seek Unity

“The integral omnipresence of a unity numerically identical is in fact universally received; for all people instinctively affirm the God in each of us to be one, the same in all. It would be taken for certain if no one asked how, or sought to bring the conviction to the test of reasoning. With this effective in their thought, people would be at rest, finding their stay in that Oneness and identity, so that nothing would wrench them from this unity. This principle, indeed, is the most solidly established of all, proclaimed by our very souls; we do not piece it up item by item, but find it within beforehand; it preceeds even the principle by which we affirm unquestionably that all things seek their good; for this universal quest of good depends on the fact that all aim at unity and possess unity and that universal effort is toward unity.

“Now the unity, in going forth, so far as it may, towards the Other Order must become manifest as multiplicity and in some sense become multiple; but the primal nature and the appetition of the good, which is appetition of unity, leads back to what is authentically One; to this every form of being is urged in a movement towards ots own reality. For the good to every nature possessing unity is to be self-belonging, to be itself, and that means to be a unity.” ~Plotinus

Omnipresent Unity

It is true that there is an omnipresent Unity, but few of us are aware of it, and many don’t believe it. We have descended so far into the fractured realm of matter, that many think that each being is entirely an individual with no connection to any other. Nonetheless, the unity exists.

God in Each of Us

God is in each of us, or at least in our spirits, but few are truly aware of it. Some say that they know God is in them, but they don’t act as if they believe it. And like the omnipresence unity, many don’t believe it at all. Even some who believe in God don’t believe that God is in each of us. That is mostly because we come into this world of matter with our spirits in a dormant state. Until they are awakened, we cannot know that God is present in us, yet He is. And as Plotinus says, if no one questioned it, we would all take it for granted. Unfortunately, many do question it and use the logic that if we can’t prove that God is in us, then it isn’t true. They even question that God exists at all based on the same logic. The problem is, they expect material proof that God is in us, but God is spiritual, and nothing spiritual can be proven in the same way that you prove something of matter.

In studies done by quantum physicists, it has been proven that twin particles can react to each other, even when separated by a great distance. That proves to some degree that all things are connected, part on one Unity. That Unity is God, so God is in each of us.

Seeking Good

I don’t think it is true that all people seek the good. I think that there are those who seek good, and know what is good. There are others who seek good but are confused about what is really good for them and others. Then there are others who don’t seek good at all, but truly desire to bring evil into the world. And when it comes to doing the actual seeking, there are now four basic groups. There is the group that knows what is good and is seeking it in the proper ways; those who seek good, but do so in improper ways; those who seek good, but don’t know what is good, so they also seek in the wrong way; and those who don’t seek good and do it only by accident. But as Plotinus tells us, if you want the good, you must seek Unity, and that means seeking God and awakening our spiritual faculties so that we can connect with the Unity, which is God. As Jesus said, “Only God is good.” So if you are not ready to enter a spiritual development program like Cosolargy, at least try to do good.

Manifests a Multiplicity

Plotinus says that when we “go towards the other order,” which is to say, toward the separateness of the Demiurge and the realm of matter, we become “in some sense,” a multiplicity. The key to that sentence is, “in some sense”. That is because it is illusion. The separateness of material beings and material objects is an illusion. All are connected in the Good, all are part of the Unity, but all has to awaken and realize the truth of that Unity.

A Reading From the Prophet Isaiah with Commentary

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.

“He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoner:

“To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and day of our God.

“To comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn, to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

“They will be called “oaks of righteousness”, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

“They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations, they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

“Strangers shall stand and feed your flock, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; but you shall be called the priest of the Lord.

“You shall enjoy the wealth of nations, and in their riches, you shall glory.

“Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, they shall possess a double portion, everlasting joy shall be theirs.

“For I the Lord love justice, I will faithfully give them their recompense and will make an everlasting covenant with them.

“Their descendants shall be known among nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

“So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” ~Isaiah 61:1- 11

The Spirit is On Me

Isaiah says that “ The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,” which seems to many to be an odd way to word it. Most would say that the spirit is in me, not on me. But Isaiah may be saying it better than most because a spirit is not something that can be trapped inside the body like a bird in a cage. Spirits exist outside of the limits of time and space, so his spirit is just as much on him as it is in him. As for saying that it is the spirit of God that is on him, he means that his awakened spirit is aware that it is part of God and is linked to God. That does not mean he should call himself God, and Isaiah is too wise to do so.

Good News to the Oppressed

God always sends good news to the oppressed. He sends good news to all, but especially to the oppressed. Those who are oppressed, pushed aside, and ignored on earth, are often the ones who are failures at the false religion of materialism. That is a good thing, as far as God is concerned. Those who have earthly success and abundance rarely bother to even consider developing their spiritual Self. It is the downtrodden, the sick, and the poor who will probably turn to God and seek spiritual enlightenment.

Day of Our God

When Isaiah wrote this, he may have been talking about something in his own time, but this could have been written today. We are living in the End Times and are now under the Sun of Righteousness—the Spiritual Sun with the Presence of God. This is the time that the prophet Malachi wrote about. It is a time for spiritual awakening. It is the last chance for humanity to save itself. And the sooner we do so, the better, because those who do so early, will be able to help and lead others in the coming Golden Age.

Rejoice in the Lord

We should rejoice that God continues to love and forgive us and give us the opportunity to save ourselves. Of course, it is God who does the actual saving, but we must each turn to him and seek it. Then God will cover us with the robes of righteousness, and eventually, we will have a world of peace, love, and righteousness where there will be no place for materialists, warmongers, and other soldiers of Darkness, for darkness will have been defeated.