Matthew 14:15-20 informs us that the Apostles went to Jesus and told Him the large crowd which followed Him were hungry: they had no food with them to eat. The Apostles wanted to send them to the towns and villages to buy food (Luke 9:12). The Apostles informed Jesus that a boy there had five barley loaves and two Fish but which was not enough. Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the grass and to bring the loaves and fishes to Him. After blessing them He told the Apostles to distribute the food to the crowd. After all had eaten the Apostles collected the left-over’s which filled twelve baskets. This basically, as we know, is the gist of what is one the Bible’s greatest but least understood allegorical content.
To derive any meaningful understanding from this story it’s necessary, in my view, to read it non-literally, for, to read it literally offers no practical benefit whatsoever. Also, reading it as applying to our individual self rather than to a crowd of people gathered in some field, as portrayed in the scripture, will certainly sharpen our awareness thereby allow for consciousness-based assimilation as opposed to intellectual or surface mind discrimination.
Let us commence this esoteric reflection into the loaves and fish. The Apostles, in this case, are the innately present spiritual aspects, or divine characters, of the awakening soul – the aspects totally committed to the soul’s maturation process into Christ consciousness, hence they’re referred to as followers of Christ within. Generally referred to as the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the twelve baskets which become spiritually filled to express divinely through our consciousness.
The word “crowd” pops up in the Bible repeatedly. In Mark 5:25-30 a woman (symbolizing a soul) wanted to see Jesus in the market place (the mind) and was prevented by the crowd – the crowded thoughts milling around in our head blocking spiritual light. She raised herself above the crowd – entered meditation — thereby touching His cloak, the love nature of the soul. Again, in Luke 19:3 Zacchaeus, a tax collector — one operating out of lower self, a magnet for stress and perpetrator of ignorance, climbed a sycamore tree — transcended his/her thoughts – thereby experience the spiritual Christ presence within. Jesus said to Zacchaeus: Luke 19:5: hurry down Zacchaeus for I must stay in your house today – house meaning dwell within our heart as Presence. In this verse “crowd” is again referring to compulsive thought activity in our head which cloud over our true spiritual nature, thus taking the mind out of present moment awareness thereby compelling it to live out of subconscious thought programs and, in doing so, perpetuating spiritual ignorance. Therefore, “crowd” in this instance symbolizes the multitude of thoughts which swirl around in the head on an hourly basis which are to be calmed, by the expression sitting on the grass – a pasture providing abundance of peace of mind.
Next we’re told a young boy had five barley loaves and two fish with him. The young boy here symbolizes the non mature or non awakened aspect of the soul, one not yet mature in Christ consciousness.
What actually do these five loaves mean? Are they bakery loaves? No, not at all, the five loaves as mentioned are the five senses of perception in their non purified state. This is why they’re referred to as barley loaves, for barley was considered at the time to be a very low form of food nourishment. The loaves symbolize the potential of experiencing Life purely or divinely by providing abundant spiritual nourishment or Christ Presence into our heart and mind.
What do the two fish symbolize? Are they salmon, trout or pike? Well, no, they’re not fish that we would normally catch in the sea or a lake. The fish symbol, I believe, represents two arching lines forming the shape of an eye <>. These two fish then symbolize the left/right brain hemispheres, and, more specifically, the pineal and pituitary glands which allow for these two hemispheres becoming one All-seeing awareness or, the eye of the soul. Vitally they contain the Spiritual Idea or Ideal of the whole cosmic universe or divine plan which becomes birthed into consciousness. They need awakening through natural means such as when Kundalini energy rises upward from the base of the spine. These two glands are the distributor mechanisms through which spiritual awareness and bliss infuses into our hearts and minds, when eternality becomes reality within consciousness. This awareness grows to serve as capacity of divine understanding: perception through heightened awareness as opposed to ordinary human discrimination by way of the unstable, unsteady intellect. In this latter mode, our personal world amounts to compilations of lower ego mind-sets, a life devoid of mature spiritual awareness (hence the boy having only barley loaves). In this undeveloped state our hearts and minds are denied direct Christ Presence, full stature of life, hence personal suffering.
Pure awareness is Ultimate eternal reality – “always was and always will be” Presence — and available for each of us through spiritual or soul awakening. This is why Jesus didn’t send the people away to buy nourishment or to get enlightenment elsewhere from an outside source. Instead, he told them to sit down. John 6:3 puts it: Jesus went up a hill and sat down with the Apostles. Here Jesus (divine inner guidance) is informing us to enter into meditation thus bring about purification of the five senses thereby know His unconditional love nature directly; when the twelve divine aspects (or Apostles) of the soul become spiritually active; when inner awakened Christ comes to be lived on the pure sensory level of existence. This is why in Luke 9:13 Jesus said to the Apostles: you yourselves give them something to eat, “them” meaning the entire spiritual mechanisms – mind, body spirit — which require healing from the get-go of our lives, for we’re born with original conditioning, the carry-over off previous incarnations
By now we have to accept that, this story, like so many biblical stories, did not actually happen, they’re parables or allegorical content to make philosophical points at the conscious mind level. So, how do we practically bring our five loaves and two fish to Him? By meditation, that’s how, as qualified again in Luke 9:16: Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God for them, broke them and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people – people being the inner mechanisms, the thought processes, and, broke them, meaning release or infusion of their spiritual nectar into consciousness. This then is where the so-called multiplication of the loaves and fish come in. The multiplication is when our limited human senses are raised, purified to serve abundantly off divine nature; in other words, the more love and divine nature we give away, express, the more of such we receive – the inner reward is instant – as we sew so shall we reap in consciousness the nature of God, unconditional love.
If I may give an example of how we bring our loaves and fish to Him. Observe the Tortoise. When the Tortoise wants to become non visible it withdraws all limbs inwards into its shell – bodily parts seem non-existent, dissolved. Similarly, when we meditate, our five senses become withdrawn from their object of experience, surrendered from all sense of bodily knowledge. Post meditation our senses then provide a totally different experience by the fact that they have been healed, rejuvenated, transformed to perceive spiritually. Through this regular practice our senses then function to interpret through Christ nature.
The pivotal words of this biblical instruction are: “bring them to Him”. This then is the formula whereby our senses become reconnected into their embryonic state thereby to function cosmically, ability of embracing the All. When, through expansion of consciousness, we begin to see and understand purely — decide through in-formed awareness. The difference thus between allegory stories and reality becomes startling in the form of, clear understanding emergence that there is a higher divine purpose behind this obvious phenomenal existence. That, by soul awakening, eternality becomes a conscious affair, for, here, the will of God has found a compatible soul nature through which to express — when our personal vibration matters for the greater good of this planet and the entire cosmos. The Nobler purpose of our life is in play.
Matthew 6:6 reminds us that, when we pray that we go to our room. This room, of course, isn’t our bedroom, attic or any physical space. No, rather we individually go to the quite space or sanctuary we’ve created in our mind; the spiritual temple which our own inner Christ rebuilds for the Bread of Life to be ever at hand for daily assimilation, thereby nourish our transforming consciousness into His nature.
This going into our mind, our temple, is bringing the senses and entire nervous system to Him. This is soul purification: shutting the door to sensory and emotional experience, thus halting the automaton-like subconscious mental activity: the unbroken thought cycles in the brain which control our lives daily. In meditation these subconscious thought patterns are as though thrown up to the surface to be made conscious. In surrendering-meditation we’re not seeking anything, listening for words of wisdom or uttering our wants and needs to Him. Rather, we’re tuning into the transcendental eternal Silence which alone cleanses and uplifts ordinary human consciousness into Christ consciousness – realignment of our spiritual temple by interrupting the cycle of automatically-recurring thought patterns which keep the soul in bondage.
Belief in God at this point is not so much an intellect decision, rather a coming upon, for, Belief is our natural divine reality, realized by way of expanded awareness. Entering into transcendental silence — heightened or expanded awareness — awakens ability of clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience: ability of clear visioning, clear feeling and soul hearing: intuitiveness which makes the abstract concrete, such as making transcendental silence a dynamic reality within. By transcendental silence is meant the difference between the choppy ocean surface and the calm silence of the bottom, when perceptions beyond the ocean bed open unto our psyche and senses. The experienced difference within is like the crash of a mega symphonic cymbal compared to the soft touching together of a butterfly’s wings.Transcendental silence thus serves as capacity of Revelation when we begin seeing Bible stories as events which take place within consciousness: when our consciousness outgrows the need for parable stories; realization that it’s time for maturing beyond the installed Santa Clause paradigms.
Once commenced upon, this earth journey of discovering Christ within our own consciousness comes to fruition by natural process. For, once that conscious decision of surrendering is made — like the Tortoise — finding and knowing Him becomes automatic regardless of religion or none. Without this process of bringing the five senses to Him we’re merely recycling spiritual ignorance, and, through such ignorance, faulty understanding grows and spreads like an overpowering contamination weed — or the biblical swaddling clothes — around our soul. The ensuing suffering thus is prolonged in a kind of blind martyr-like faith. Ignorance of divine nature is what is deemed suffering. In other words, notwithstanding the fact that we’re born, as the Bible puts it, natural man/woman then spiritual, its deemed accepted suffering to knowingly live through the lower conditioned senses when we’re provided with the means of transmuting this Maya, this ignorance prison and its binding influence as biblical Peter did. In many cases, through imaginary fear of God becoming angry, or our religious friends becoming hostile toward us, we remain loyal to religious dogmas and shallow belief systems which are clearly non soul serving. In this case, enforced literal scripture interpretation can be a major cause of procrastination to inner change and consciousness transformation. Thus it’s vital to see biblical teachings as relating to the human mind and all its complexities and how overcoming it spiritually and mastering this is possible.
In conclusion, it’s worth recalling the protocol of the mental/nervous system. The five senses are duty bound to serve the mind with pleasurable experiences of any nature. In this context, the non-spiritually awakened mind, senses and intellect do not possess capacity of pure discrimination. The conscious mind thinks but ultimately it’s the intellect which decides. Therefore, making the intellect resolute, steady is how we deal with the wondering mind in search of a sense fix. Bringing the senses to Him, to Transcendental Silence, achieves this miracle of transforming ordinary sensory perception into pure multisensory capacity: we could say water into wine, lower nature into pure spirit.
Personal stress is associated with almost 98% of all illness in the world today, thus making its elimination from our lives globally the single number one priority. Chronic stress is what maintains sub-consciousness or suffering in our lives. To this end, a meditation, Yoga or a mind-centring program of our choice reduces secretion of the stress hormone Cortisol from the adrenal glands and increases release of serotonin – the happy hormone — from the pineal gland in the center of the brain between the eyebrows; all very good reasons indeed why Jesus instructs us to bring our loaves and fish to Him, to meditate daily. Meditation in time leads to integration of the conscious and subconscious aspects of our deeper mind thereby awaken out of compulsive suffering. By withdrawing from sensory experience and entering into utter silence within for the duration of our meditation, we’re fulfilling perfectly the above scripture on the five loaves and two fish.
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Happy Silence to all,
Raymond
Raymond,
One of the most advanced articles on this site by far. I can’t thank you enough for sending this to share with us all. I have been way from the blog for awhile, and wrote the last article as a quick jumping point to hopefully getting back into some more writing and studying as my life goes through another slower period, but this was perfect as that jumping point. Not only did you bring in all the major symbols from this allegory, but even the small ones such as the “crowd” which brought everything together in such a comprehensive fashion. To relate biblical symbols to the nervous system and brain takes an extra level of study and skill. But beyond that, a meditative and conscious “experiencing” which many such as myself have come to crave after also delving into these matters. The physical body cannot be separated from spiritual understanding through the allegorical nature of the scriptures, as you always make plain. Sometimes the “mind” craves understanding, but you have a gift of making that understanding a practical matter. And that’s where the true spiritual teacher comes in. Thank you again, my friend.
Josh
Hi Josh,
firstly can I say: welcome back to your very own blog site, and, what a lively article to kick-start this event with!!
Thank you for your kind words regards my own article. I suppose after 35 years of regular daily meditation you will create a clearer capacity-base for insights which otherwise would remain dormant to ordinary human consciousness. Generally the senses are overlooked when the subject of meditation is mentioned. Many instead focus on becoming thoughtless which, of course, isn’t the number one priority. The priority rather is coming back each time after the mind/senses have drifted from our point of focus such as a mantra or specific sound or our breathing. In the beginning drifting is normal and is due to the habitual nature of the senses in search for something more pleasurable than silence. The capacity to withstand present-moment silence has to be nurtured slowly over time. In our 20 mins meditation, becoming aware that we’ve drifted from our point of focus and very gently restarting each time, is really the beginning of enlightenment or spiritual awareness. Then gradually will the silence the mind once drifted from become the bliss the heart and mind cherish. This level of spiritual development is known as the resolute intellect — the mind becoming steady in thought, becoming master of the senses.
Blessings,
Raymond
Raymond,
an amazing post and THANK YOU for such warm and thoughtful discussion of this parable. Question for you .. could the 12 baskets represent the 12 cranial nerves and how they are “firing on all cylinders” so to speak once elevated to the meditative state? Thanks! Bart
Hi Bart,
Thank you for your generous comment. To answer your two-part question: yes, it’s my understanding that the 12 baskets do represent the 12 Cranial nerves. When, consequent of meditation, we begin experiencing calmness, inner contentment and overall well-being and creativity this would be indicative of “firing on all cylinders” as you put it. Every activity of the body, mind and senses require the input of the 12 Cranial nerves. When these brain nerves become surrendered in meditation — the crucifixion — thus we could say our 12 baskets become over flowing in spiritual nature, our system becomes purified to serve divinely. Christ nature perception becomes our standard of consciousness.
Hope this has been of help, Bart.
Raymond
Thank you. Much appreciation for sharing. Thank you.
Hello Jacomina
Good to hear from you and thank you for sharing your appreciation.
Blessings,
Raymond
Wonderful! I wonder if you know Unity’s work – Myrtle and Charles Fillmore? Also Dr Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes and Dr Josephy Murphy? They are some of my favourite authors and share just as deeply. I have always understood the Bible, and all great writings and at this wonderful depth, since I was 3 years old. What have I done with it? Well I went about sharing these wonderful insights in artwork, poetry, and so on, but chose to become a Minister. However I wonder if “God is a jealous God…” and wants me for Him/Her/Its Self/self?! Do I give away my wisdom? Or simply BE the Master Teacher?! Me. I AM LOVE, I AM PEACE, I AM JOY, etc. etc.. Blessings and Love and Light, Endless Light. R 🙂
Hi Robherta,
Good to hear from you and thanks for your comment.
Yes, I certainly have read Emmet Fox and Dr. Joseph Murphy — wonderful authors. God always wants us sharing His nature through whichever format that serves others on their spiritual journey. It can be through our spoken words, writings or, in your case, poetry, artwork or Ministry. Whenever and wherever we share and express spiritual or divine love, we then become as God’s Representative on this earth. What a privilege!
Blessings, Robherta
Raymond…Your words ring true and I can’t tell you how meaningful yours, and these blogs, are to me in this moment. After being Isolated for many many years concerning my mystical path, it is wonderful to meet others along the same path.
The seven seals which open while ascending the seven levels of consciousness in meditation parallel your revelation above. The first five, as you mentioned, revealing the five senses opening as the meditator/priest ascends from earth up into the heavenly place. The final two are different and are located within the brain but separated by the veil from the bottom five. The pineal and the pituitary representing the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. These two open us to the Christ mind within us.
Adding to what you said about the 12 cranial nerves within the brain, I have experienced the following. The 12 cranial nerves split within the brain into 12 pairs totaling 24. This reveals the 24 elders dressed in white with golden crowns. In mediation upon these 24 elders the brain opens to a flow of light which lightens each of the 24 receiving the 24 leaves from the tree of life. The tree of life has 12 leaves but the mystery of the 24 leaves is derived from the tree of life being two trees, one on each side of the river of life. This is experienced in mediation as the river of life begins to flow and wash away the paradigms and thoughts and ushers in the mind of God within the mind of man. Deep healing and restoration within the mind is experienced while in contemplation and mediation.
The seven seems to always reveal the divine within the individual and the 12 reveals the divine within the corporate. i.e. 12 disciples, 12 tribes, 12 loaves of shewbread, 12 gates to the New Jerusalem, 12 stones in the foundation being the 12 apostles of the lamb.
The seven eyes and seven horns of the lamb again open us to the divine mystery we experience in meditation. Seven eyes located on the back side (spine) and the seven horns as the seven trumpets sound. We enter into this tabernacle not made with hands.
This is truly the revealing of the ushering in to earth of the restored temple and it is us.
The Throne Room of Heaven
4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was[a] like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns[b] of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.[c] Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the[d] seven Spirits of God.
It seems everything but the Divine Gold is falling away……
Hello, Steven,
Yes, your opening two sentences of this most welcome comment, and thank you for it, would be shared by so many readers to this blog site globally, which is totally attributed to Josh.
Your comment, Steven, has added yet another wonderful layer of insightful understanding on the subject of the 12 Cranial nerves. You set out your insights really well. Yes the numbers 7 and 12 in the Bible are indicative of completeness or wholeness of Spirit, of Being which is the purpose-process of daily meditation — and on the 7 day, God rested, (in completeness). Yes, it’s important to remember the state of Transcendence or as the Bible puts it “The Transfiguration on the Mount” (Transcendence in meditation) which you cover nicely in your comment section “The Throne Room of Heaven”.
After emerging from meditation, it’s important that we then engage in some natural activity. For, its this activity after meditation which allows the transforming Cranial nerves’ after effect, become established divinely as our permanent state of Christ consciousness.
Great comment, Steven, thanks again.
Raymond
Wonderful article Raymond, perfectly stated in its entirety.
I’d like to add one small point of interest. To enhance the health benefits of meditation, both mental and physical, the most powerful conscious exercise that can be performed is to practice withdrawing one’s judgment from the world. Judgment coupled with fear are the core causes of all stress/illness. In the bible, this “withdrawing of one’s judgment” is called “witnessing”, meaning “neutral observation”, or “being in the world but not of it”; to observe from the heart-space with no mental/mind-based opinion.
No doubt there must be dozens, perhaps hundreds of verses and allegories in the bible that deal with the consequences of judgment and benefits witnessing.
Meditation + Witnessing = Fast Track to bliss 🙂
Thanks for the wonderfully written article my friend.
Namaste,
-Brad
Hi Brad,
Thank you for these words in comment. Yes, I totally agree with your observation regard judging and judgment as a source of stress build up in our lives, and of the need for neutral observation. Indeed, neutral observation is also particularly applied in meditation practice when transient thoughts pop up in the mind — we don’t get involved but rather observe or witness, as you say. We simply let thoughts come and go without emotive judgment. This coming up of thoughts during meditation is an intrinsic part of the integration of the carnal mind process into divine nature. Or, as you say, “fast track to bliss”. I like that!
Namaste, my friend,
Ratmond
Hi Brad,
Thank you for these words in comment. Yes, I totally agree with your observation regard judging and judgment as a source of stress build up in our lives, and, of the need for neutral observation. Indeed, this neutral observation is also particularly applied in meditation practice when transient thoughts pop up in the mind — we don’t get involved but rather observe or witness, as you say. We simply let thoughts come and go without emotive judgment. This coming up of thoughts during meditation is an intrinsic part of the integration of the carnal mind process into divine nature. Or, as you say, “fast track to bliss”. I like that!
Namaste, my friend,
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
thanks for an enlightening post! (I agree that meditation is the key to Christ consciousness … the first step, that is.)
I’d like to ask you whether you’d be so generous as to review a book I’ve written? It’s called “The Spiritual Awakening Process: Coming Out of the Darkness and Into the Light.” I will gift you the book (Kindle version), so you won’t have to purchase it. (Kindle books can be read on laptops and tablets, too, with a free app from Amazon.) It’s a pretty quick read. You’ll just leave an honest review on Amazon. Just send me an email to HoeflichChristine@gmail.com.
By the way, anyone else who’d like to review the book, feel free to send me an email. Thank you!
Christine Hoeflich
Hi Christine,
Always good to read you here on SoS. Thank you for this comment and for your earlier comment I made on Josh’s article.
As you may be aware, I’ve written two books myself on spiritual awakening — available on Amazon –and am currently working on a third in the same genre. As I’m travelling abroad for nine weeks this coming Saturday, I won’t be in a position for now, Christine, to review your fine book, which I’m sure is an excellent publication coming from your good Self. I truly wish you and your book “The Spiritual Awakening Process — Coming Out of the Darkness and Into the Light” every success and that it gets the enormous support it fully deserves.
Blessings,
Raymond
Thank you for your kind comment Raymond!
I hope you have a wonderful time traveling, it’s one of my favorite things to do. Let me know when your new book comes out and I’d be happy to review it for you.
Blessings to you,
Christine
Love, love, love this!
Hi Christy,
Thank you also for your lovely words in comment. Nice to hear from you.
Blessings,
Raymond
Raymond
Your articles are an inspiration to us all.Be blessed as always.
Hello, Dennis,
Thank you kindly for these, your own inspiring words. Really nice to hear from you. Be blessed you too always.
Raymond
Raymond or Josh
Any thoughts on the significance of the numbers 5000 in this feeding, and the other feeding of 4000 and its
corresponding 7 breads, ‘a few’ fish and 7 baskets of leftovers?
Peter