In the Bible, Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor) found no wrongdoing with Jesus. Jesus was then sent to Herod who also found nothing wrong with what he did or preached. Finally, Pilate asked the people, “What shall he do with Jesus,” and they replied, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The “him” being referred to is the son of man, or the non-integrated ego, further implying the fruits of the binding influence of spiritual ignorance.
Thus, the statement “Crucify him” is not about crucifying a physical person, but rather about crucifying the duality nature inherent in the human psyche (generationally). It represents the causal separation from God at the individual level. In addition, “Crucify him!” means integrating duality, or the lower nature with the higher. Prior to integration, this life dynamic governs individual life. Hence the term Roman governor represents the dialogue patterns of sub-conscious conditioning. “Crucify him!” is also referring to crucify the son of man, the emotional attachment to this residual conditioning, and to the fruits of the material world, and to uninterrupted mental activity. Son of man is symbolic for evolution out of the material world of delusion, and into soul re-Membering, or divine consciousness! Thus, when our Herod nature, the ruler of this lower ego, is crucified, we come upon Son of God status, or the Light of the purified soul.
Consider: it was the Roman soldiers that nailed Jesus to the cross. Roman soldiers symbolize being compelled to sin prior to integration, which is simply the experiential level of separation. Due to its stifling of free will, this sub-conscious law denies the direct experience of the divine nature. In denying such, ascension out of duality is thwarted, thus prolonging suffering. The nailing of hands and feet symbolize the inability of the divine expression of the mind-body, or the inability of the mind to perceive true spirituality. The Crown of Thorns symbolize victory over both of these limitations, and the forehead Blood represents the flow of Christ-consciousness.
What is ‘the Cross’ and why take it up and follow Me?
Gal 3:19 states: “What then was the purpose of the law? It was added in order to show what wrongdoing is”.
The cross itself (as separate from the crucifixion) symbolizes the horizontal and vertical planes of existence. The horizontal plane represents duality or biblical wrongdoing, while the vertical plane represents divine will and harmony. It’s this life in duality that we need to focus attention on. We need to constantly reflect. This is the spiritual homework assignment we all must be engaged in. When we do so, we embark upon the vertical plane, our highest spiritual nature.
The opposite of love is duality which is rooted in fear and which represents the perishable as opposed to imperishable love or absolute existence. But this duality is there by divine design. It exist to teach us vital lessons so that we may experience soul growth. We spiritually evolve so that we may consciously recognize individual wrongdoing, and thereby take up our cross and align our soul to the vertical path of life. Duality is the medium through which the human soul must awaken. This is when the “follow Me” part of biblical instruction is achieved.
In practical terms, it’s the psychological networking of the enslaved lower human nature that is taken up – rendered harmless to spiritual growth. In other words, sub-conscious activity is neutralized through conscious expansion. Prior to soul-freeing, the conscious mind was rendered powerless in regards to the intensity of negative thought patterns.
To make sub-conscious integration more conceptually grasping, think about a volcano erupting into the sky; in human terms, it’s the upheaval of submerged emotional thought patterns into conscious awareness. When deep-rooted mind-sets get thrown upwards for conscious reflection, they eventually become integrated. This is how the mind returns to fullness stature; the soul freed into knowing its true unbounded nature. When horizontal and vertical become ONE, as divine consciousness, then you have the lamb lying down with the wolf.
Gal 3:23 states:
“Before the time for faith come, the law (binding influence of lower nature) kept us all locked up as prisoners until the coming faith shall be revealed”. This means that prior to transcendental awareness, the law is unyielding.
Also, Col 2:14-15: “he cancelled the unfavourable record of our debts with its binding rules, and did away with it completely by nailing it to the Cross (by knowing duality thus do we transcend it). And from that cross (duality) freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities” (freed from the binding laws, from the hostage-taking nature of the subconscious authority, perpetrator of individual and global sin). This scripture is telling us: bring the inner Vertical light to rid the horizontal darkness or soul slumbering.
We may remember also, when the biblical tombstone was rolled back, the apostles reported the tomb (the mind / body) empty, empty of sub-conscious nature, meaning the mind-body dynamic was purified into Ascension consciousness. Jesus, we read, then appeared to his disciples (our own purified consciousness).
The disciples are symbolic of inner-body mechanisms known as the 12 cranial nerves. These cranial nerves are responsible for every human activity, to include spiritual development. Thus the disciples are workers serving the body-soul dynamic into coming upon the inner Christ, thereby enabling God-consciousness realization. With the cranial nerves becoming purified, consciousness is empowered in perceiving spiritually, experience transcendentally. Thus, awakening these Manna-distributing channels are vital for soul nourishment and overall development of physical and spiritual well-being.
And while the physical body is a creation of the universal life-force, the soul’s Core Flame is not. An aspect of eternal God, the soul’s Essence enters the body. The soul, therefore, being the conduit of God-nature experiencing, and having entered the body, awaits awakening into spiritual nature by means of conscious contact with the universal life-force or kundalini located at the base of the spine. It is this conscious contact — in the coccyx area of the spinal column — which ignites the kundalini, leading to awakening of the soul’s higher spiritual dimensions in the brain.
Duality — means of Unity.
Duality therefore constitutes the law of opposites: good, bad, love, hate, right, wrong, and so on. Think, Noah’s Ark (individual human mind) and the two of everything taken into it — symbolism of duality content. The Ark, we remember, came to rest on a Mount, meaning, the mind in meditation transcends duality and settles into Higher Self, into Bliss-consciousness. By entering the body/mind meditationally, the mind eventually transcends its limitation and false identity, becomes drawn to Truth, soul-consciousness and unbounded awareness.
Gal 3-25 puts it: “Now that the time for faith (transcendental consciousness) is here (direct experience), the Law is no longer in charge of us”. Again, by entering meditationally into the body / duality, the mind gets to experience transcendentally, gets to know that which neutralizes the law, knowing which, similar to Noah’s Ark, the mind comes upon Mount or Unity consciousness, highest level of human evolution.
Jesus puts it John 2:19: “I will knock this temple down (duality nature) and rebuild it in three days” – 3 symbolizing Unity, and days, period of transforming consciousness. In other words, Christ within is utterly victories in neutralizing the structure and nature of sub-conscious experiencing — patterns which keep our life prisoner to the false prophet, to the erring, duality-composed mind.
Similar to faith-consciousness, attaining Unity is not an exercise of memory referencing and intellectualizing of scriptures only. No, Unity, like our beautiful sun is always in place, and, presents as Sunshine when a gap in the clouds appear. Similarly, when a gap in our thought cycle appears, Unity becomes experiential. By regularly expanding the thought-gap, expanding stillness and silence tolerance in the mind, the Sun or Unity awareness becomes as ever-present bliss-consciousness.
As duality nature and sub-conscious content conspire at forming human consciousness — that which maintains lower human nature — thus, unwittingly, through spiritual ignorance, do we create the very conditions for the purpose of transmuting such consciously. Here, Matthew 16:18 reassures us: “The gates of hell (lower nature) shall not prevail against it” (Christ-consciousness) and, again, Mathew 28:20 “lo, I am with you always even unto the ends of the world” (end of duality, lower nature and subconsciousness).
Jesus carrying the cross through public streets, with soldiers whipping and driving him on, symbolizes the choice-less dynamic, prior to spiritual awakening, of sub-conscious content in our daily life. Jesus fell 3-times — 3 symbolizing Divinity – meaning, we have each fallen from Divinity by means of this inherited duality / lower nature. But, then, this is why we came to planet earth: to consciously transcend such, thereby knowing Higher states of consciousness.
Reality of Existence
The reality of our existence is two-fold: we’re both relative and absolute simultaneously. But in the early stages of spiritual development, individual consciousness is aware only in the relative-duality, and non-aware in Absolute-Unity status. This is because, at nervous system level, a medium of experiencing higher consciousness has not been set-up – the biblical veil has not been rented.
In other words, prior to Self-realization the human nervous system functions in mono or duality awareness only; the nervous system is reflecting only what is set-up, reflecting only what has been cultured into it. Thus, for the nervous system to have any experience, there must be a corresponding experience in place, a reflective dynamic capable of knowing simultaneous consciousnesses. In this context, to experience Unity or transcendental nature, the nervous system needs to be cultured into withstanding such. We cannot arrive at higher states of consciousness by an act of will or imposed belief systems. In achieving higher states of consciousness, a practical means of inner culturing is required; a process that involves natural harmonization of left-side and right-side brain. This full brain encountering enables the knowing and retention of both eternal unity and relative duality consciousness simultaneously.
Alternating between transcendental silence in meditation and worldly activity after meditation, over time transforms the nervous system / brain whereby simultaneous-knowing capacity of absolute and relative / duality is maintained — human life remaining permanently under Higher Self guidance while still in the relative world. In arriving at simultaneous consciousness capacity, thus eternal status is validated. When both aspects of our existence co-exist as a Whole, making the kingdom of heaven within a conscious reality: experiential beyond dogma, doctrine and belief systems.
Total Potentiality
Each soul in essence is a hieroglyph of Eternal Spirit, of the Kingdom of Heaven. The knowing of such Essence is through the physical body, in particular, the intellect. In bringing the intellect to convergence, to point awareness between the eyebrows in meditation, the intellect, emotions, senses and will, each become Essence aligned, cosmically firing, made Resolute. Such is when set-up in the brain / nervous system allows for Total Potentiality or Infinite Intelligence become conscious reality, becomes established brain-nervous system consciousness — Awareness rooted permanently in Divine Essence, in Vertical Will.
Such is what makes understanding the following scripture so absolutely vital: John 12:32 “and I, (human intellect, emotion, senses and will) if I be lifted up from this earth (ascension out of duality, lower world, lifted from ordinary human consciousness) shall draw all men (manifestations of balanced emotions and soul-centered decision making) unto me” (unto Divine Consciousness).
As we can see, prior to spiritual awakening, we’re each as spiritually dead, in need of ‘lift up’ – unaware of our inherent absolute status. Due to this spiritual death, individual inner Christ or Higher Self remains temporarily out of Commission, buried by accumulations of non-neutralized lower-self energy patterns. Thus the buried Christ referred to in scripture is not referring to a historical person, but to our own Christ within awaiting Resurrection into our consciousness.
So, finally, let us establish exactly what “take up thy cross” IS NOT. It’s not two beams of wood on our shoulder or on anyone else’s shoulder. Nor is it about enduring some life-situation heroically in order to please God. Not at all. And although maybe conditioned by literal Bible interpretation into thinking this way, this scripture is not remotely relating to either of these two examples.
In conclusion,
“And I myself will send upon you what my father has promised (our own indwelling Christ). But you must wait in the City (transformation of human consciousness) until the power from above (Divine Light) comes down upon you (our soul awakening)” Luke 24-49
Awakening spiritually is intuitive, a prompt of soul to higher states of consciousness, out of the limited ego-self. This angelic prompt usually takes the form of seeking inner peace by natural means. Commencing upon a personal inner awakening journey, of heeding the propelling whispers to inner calm, stillness and silence, is a most wonderfully joyous and life-transforming occasion. It marks the beginning of our eternal voyage into the Pure Heart of God-Nature: A Glorious calling to Blessed-Consciousness.
Raymond…
You stated…
“And while the physical body is a creation of the universal life-force, the soul’s Core Flame is not. An aspect of eternal God, the soul’s Essence enters the body. The soul, therefore, being the conduit of God-nature experiencing, and having entered the body, awaits awakening into spiritual nature by means of conscious contact with the universal life-force or kundalini located at the base of the spine. It is this conscious contact — in the coccyx area of the spinal column — which ignites the kundalini, leading to awakening of the soul’s higher spiritual dimensions in the brain.”
This is perhaps one of the most important statements made on this blog. Let me explain…
The universal life force you speak of is separate from the eternal God, but ONE with it in practicality or existence. Only in ultimate reality is it separate, which self-awareness can never experience or grasp, except through integration, which is beyond understanding and measurement in a classical world. However, there is a great paradox here, and I see many spiritual writers confusing the two and combining them together. To put it another way, consciousness (as it relates to awareness) is an automatic byproduct of the inherit power latent within itself. Therefore, we can say that self-awareness is a direct product of itself. However, self-awareness is not the be-all end-all of existence. What we term God, self-awareness, will always have to exist, and therefore, as in the concept of duality and integration, the two are simultaneous. This is why the Buddhist view and the Christian view often contradict as seen from the point of view in Western religious circles. But ultimately, both have a correct viewpoint, which can be seen as a paradox which the natural mind cannot explain or perceive. Therefore, the ultimate God and ourselves can be seen as one in the same in the end, although its a process of self-discovery and limitation at first.
Ultimate reality (quantum level physics) and perceived reality (classical level physics) are both correct, and is why I have always stated on this blog that spirit and matter ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. It is how consciousness works, regardless of physical reality that can be measured and disagrees or becomes confused and complicated through what we humans like to term “measurement”, or self awareness. The beautiful reality is that we can be aware and measure simply because the ultimate reality will always be through the eternal god, but we will never be able to accurately measure or perceive through our limited awareness, until we transcend, which goes beyond limited awareness interest to even do so. And even then, measurement or self awareness of the limitation that we are become meaningless in the backdrop and experiential reality of an eternal God.
This is a rare phenomenon indeed, and only transcends the ego in all its limited aspect, and even then, cannot be brought back into the scope of reality through classical psychics. I know that comment may be confusing, but I hope there is a glimmer of understanding in it that SOS readers can grasp through the intellect even if it sounds like gibber.
Duality and self existence should never been seen as separate, but as ONE transcendental aspect which the body-mind has the ability to supercede through meditation. This IS the ultimate paradoxal truth. The answer lies in the question, and neither the chicken nor the egg came first, but both have always existed.
Blessings.
Josh,
Thank you for this really great comment!
You’ve elaborated the article paragraph brilliantly and with amazing insight. You’re correct in saying that matter and Spirit are both sides of the same eternal coin.
The truth of Reality is 100% relative/duality existence and 100% absolute existence simultaneously — one eternally ever-changing and the other eternally never-changing, two dynamical forces co-existing As One eternal Peace reality within each of us. And while the reality of duality is unity, direct experience of unity within consciousness, is our daily purpose work in relative life.
Direct knowledge of Self is to know the biblical Truth which makes us free — release from the binding influence of perpetual relative / duality existence (or suffering) into higher states of consciousness, or, conscious Immortality.
In attaining such refined awareness, no strain or effort is required, just a daily period of ‘letting go’ of controlling progress in our chosen meditation — allow the moment BE without clicking thoughts links, pleasant or otherwise. Thus, gradually, Self-awareness emerges as a pervasive calm, contentment, an emptiness full in divine presence. After meditation, on achieving this level of mental stillness and silence, engage ourselves in non-strenuous activity, thereby do we consolidate Presence as our ‘contact with life’ consciousness.
Blessings
Exactly. And Greater self awareness of source through this duality and what comes after is the great prize.
Thanks sir, if you don’t mind when a man dies where does his spirit goes I heard the Bible says, judgement awaits the dead man how true it this belief sir?
Hello Terwase,
As God is everywhere simultaneously, then there is no question of us ‘going’ somewhere. The evolutionary process is not of ‘going’ but of ‘gaining’ unity in pure omnipresent, omniscient consciousness within – as our own Awareness.
There is no ‘judgement’ as such. We are each journeying through this duality life for the sole purpose of gaining conscious unity or experiential Divinity. After-life it’s not a judgement period as such. No, not at all! After-life, for some, is a preparation period for incarnation back to this earth plane, a process of resumption to purification from where was left of on the last journey on earth.
In other words, if we have not gained final liberation from the binding influence of sin — the binding laws of nature — if we have not consciously realized our eternally existing Self as separate from the ever-changing laws of nature, then our soul incarnates over and over until this realization is established within consciousness.
For us humans, this liberation is achieved on planet earth only, for, this is where we incurred the karma. Realization of eternal liberation is easily gained through regular daily inner silence meditation. In other words, by means of deep silence purifies, thus the mind becomes attuned cosmically, thereby making the soul ready, compatible for conscious union with God-nature.
If we have not attained sufficient purification for union with God in this life-journey, then we return to this earth plane and resume our spiritual progress towards God-consciousness and ultimate Unity. Once inwardly commenced, the journey-target becomes unmissable.
As individuated aspects of Eternal Spirit, our spirit is always connected with God. We cannot ever be ‘separated’ as such, except in mind, as suffering, through our born-into spiritual ignorance, but which is only temporary. But this temporary separation is by design. It’s necessary in order that our ‘I’ awareness gets to know, or become, as God-nature — our own Higher Self AS omniscient God-consciousness.
Therefore, coming back to earth – or so-called judgement day – is natural evolution, for it’s about casting of impurities which have clung to the soul by means of our non-aware state of mind to the binding influence of the laws of nature on the senses, nervous system and intellect. These are the elements of our divine Temple which undergo ‘rebuilding’, transformation, or, Realization of our own eternal ‘I’, as Jesus puts it, “I and the Father, are One”.
Blessings
wow josh, really well written…and I have to say that unity is a difficult state to describe! Funny you read Paul the way I do, but many do not…You’re reading him from a higher consciousness but those same passages can be read with a lower level and then there’s trouble….but Paul was trained and educated and so he does intend to communicate on that higher plane…you should be a leader josh…seriously.
Louie…
Just to point out, Raymond is the author of this article. When he sent me the article and I posted it for him, I forgot to hit the quick edit button to switch authors, which I can do when I get home…for some reason I can’t sign into the blog on my cell now. Just wanted to make that clear for anyone reading this post before I can make the switch.
Well Raymond, kudos to you brother….and blessings to Joshua for posting it. This is probably more of a discription of original light experience … before the romans empire Hijacked Christianity and took the Sophia/wisdom/direct connection and replaced it with a ‘gospel as social order tool’ ….sigh. Time lapse …..hey! I just put a baby bird back in it’s nest….really….like just now.!!! Has to be a sign of hope! Be the change and claim yeshua !
Hi Louie
Thank you for commenting on the article. Notwithstanding your comment was intended for Josh, I really appreciate your valued comment on the content.
I agree with your observation on Josh, but isn’t he already a leader here on SOS?
You’re correct about the unity state being difficult to describe. Not easy at times giving descriptive form to the abstract. But, thankfully, by writing in the state which I’m writing about, this is resolved perfectly, resulting in a really pleasant and uplifting experience.
blessings
Hello Raymond:
Thank you for another great contribution to our understanding of the Spirit of the Scripture.
Per the blog, “The cross itself (as separate from the crucifixion) symbolizes the horizontal and vertical planes of existence. The horizontal plane represents duality or biblical wrongdoing, while the vertical plane represents divine will and harmony. It’s this life in duality that we need to focus attention on. We need to constantly reflect. This is the spiritual homework assignment we all must be engaged in. When we do so, we embark upon the vertical plane, our highest spiritual nature.”
I offer for your comment the idea that the cross represents the intersections of conscious mind (the decider) as the vertical section, and sub conscious mind (the do-er) as the horizontal section. The intersection of these is at Golgotha/Calvary the place of the head/skull.
Are we not advised to integrate these two planes vs focusing and honoring one vs the other? Your thoughts?
In gratitude,
Judy
Hi Judy,
Thank you so much for this excellent comment and really good question.
The first important point, Judy, in answering your question, is, that, there are NOT TWO separate minds. The sub conscious mind, as we say in conversation is illusory, its not real. I’ts not an actual mind, rather, the suppressed aspect of our one full mind which needs to be made Whole. It’s this suppressed or sub conscious content which becomes integrated or spiritualized at Golgotha — transcendence point into soul awakening.
Second point: the conscious mind ‘thinks’, but its the intellect which ‘decides’. Thus, its the non-resolute intellect which is reflected through the horizontal level, which carries out the dictates of the sub conscious content. This is why, In meditation, at Golgotha, the human lower intellect is made Resolute or soul aware, thereby do we discriminate spiritually.
Its this capacity of Resolute intellect, of spiritual discrimination, through which Higher Self nature gains expression. When sub conscious content is made conscious, thereby, becoming healed or transformed. This is when integration, or crucifixion of horizontal plane, takes place. Thus, the ‘intersection’ you mention, could be referred as the crossover point of non resolute intellect, or lower nature, into becoming spiritualized. When carnal mind becomes ‘taken up’ into cosmic or divine consciousness. When duality awareness is drawn upwards or vertically into higher states of Unity consciousness.
Hope this helps, Judy.
Blessings
Judy,
I just wanted to add something to the explanation Raymond gives, which sometimes gets lost in understanding as Raymond alludes to.
The intellect, although we say can never comprehend God, is still very vital and valuable to man’s ascension. It is the deciding factor which excepts and rejects ideals of not only the natural nature, but spiritual nature as well. The intellect is biased to its experience, and often needs intuition and higher emotion for balance in order to decide to accept proper spiritual ideals. As Gaskell states, “It cannot of itself inherit the things of the spirit, but united with intuition, it produces love and truth. Therefore we must never neglect the proper role of the intellect in man’s development, because as Raymond’s comment alludes to, it is part and parcel with what is necessary. The intellect is capable of evolving with intuition at it’s side to decide what’s proper by rejecting the negativity of the subconscious. This process happens in meditation, and with dedicated practice, becomes obvious to the natural mind as well as it is uplifted into union.
I hope that adds a little to Raymond’s comment.
Josh,
Thank you for this additional insight, which was needed at this stage of the conversation — based on Judy’s excellent question.
As we can see, there are different perceptions of understanding on the cross — horizontal / vertical — and how this dynamic impacts our lives spiritually and practically.
What’s becoming clearer, is that, the terms higher self and lower self are really symbolism of the cross, of horizontal / vertical nature. The lower self / horizontal, representing the non-resolute intellect and higher self / vertical, the Resolute intellect or Resolute soul.
Spiritual discrimination gained through the resolute intellect results in automatic right action or soul guidance in our personal life — when lower self / horizontal, becomes subsumed into higher vertical nature. Without the gaining of resolute intellect, words like compassion, unconditional love, are perceived intellectually, as separate from their direct experience. Biblical Paul humorously refers to this absence of direct soul discernment as “clanging cymbals”! The nudge being, without resolute intellect, decision making and emotional expression are channeled or authored through the lower ego.
Spirit ‘works’ through the resolute soul, resolute intellect, which level gains expression through the body, through the cranial nerves. Gaining the spiritually-transformed intellect is the secret of Self or Christ-Realization within consciousness — will of God expressing through our very own awakening soul. Thus, integrated intellect is means of spiritual fulfillment in both mind and heart.
The way I understand it, on the horizontal plane of existence man is egoistic-proper while on the vertical plane of existence he is altruistic-proper.
Raymond, thank you for this further explanation. I loved the reference to Paul’s “clanging cymbals.” I had never connected these dots!
Raymond, excellent article. I have a question: Can the “Core Flame” be understood as basically the same thing as the pneumatic “Gnostic Spark” in Valentinian Gnosticism?
Vern…
Raymond of course will give his own answer, and may provide of better explanation of the “core flame.” But I just wanted to point out that Valentinus was a man of high integrity and love in historical scholarship despite his opponents arguments to the contrary. He believed that although the “traditional church” at the time was wrong, he believed in worshiping together to unite the brethren, and to see those that were ready for a higher understanding without condemnation of the rest. Valentinus, in my opinion, had the greatest understanding of what we would now term “Gnostic” as it relates to esoteric understanding according to Christ’s divine love.
That being said, yes, absolutely, the Gnostic Spark alludes to the divine within, which is the necessity for the lower ego to be united with what we might term the spiritual ego.
Thanks Joshua. I too have high regards for Valentinus and the teachings that he left us with, especially his sophiology and cosmogony. I think these kind of analogies are instructive and good for the soul, although they differ in descriptions and methods of explanation.
Hi Vern,
Thank you for your comment. Josh has already given some really good background understanding regards Valentinus and his grasp of esoteric content.
On the substantive point, yes, ‘Core Flame’ and ‘Gnostic Spark’ can viewed the same. I see both referring to the esoteric understanding, that, the status of each soul is ‘Core Flame’ or eternal Spirit. In other words, the true nature of each person is Spirit or ‘Core Flame’ which finds expression through the human soul. The human soul consists of lower emotions, non-integrated intellect and will rooted in animalistic nature. For the human soul to overcome this lower level of existence — Reunited Divinely — thus the body is created, by means of the universal life force, meaning sanctioned Divinely, whereby the human emotions, non spiritually integrated intellect and human anamalistic-will, may become Realized ‘Core Flame’ or ‘Gnostic Spark’ directly, as our eternally alive Living Love. But, that, this Spark or Flame in the beginning needs constant daily ‘fanning’.
To this end, biblically, we remember, Jesus took Peter, James and John apart up a Mountain — into meditation, this would be symbolism of such integration and ‘fanning’. The process of being made ready for higher or transcendental ‘Core Flame’ understanding and divine intensity into the body / nervous system.
‘Core Flame’ and ‘Gnostic Spark’ could also be interpreted as ‘The Prodigal Son’ story, when we each received our divine inheritance from the Father, received SuperSoul status for conscious experiencing through first overcoming or mastering duality, the material world and its binding influence on the non-integrated human senses, intellect, will and emotions.
Blessings
Thank you Raymond. Very well elucidated, as your synthesis was better than I expected. Different than how the hermeticists described it as the “grain of light” the Gnostics used imaginative mythology based on personal revelation, which has always kindled my interest and fascination. And I’m always open to useful descriptive analogies and comparisons like yours. Keep up the good work Raymond. Your insights continue to be inspiring, and workably useful.
Raymond, you mentioned ‘law’ in the article. What exactly is this law? I’ve read somewhere that Moses in the Pentateuch represents law as well. Are they one and the same, the law as understood in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
I would also like to know more about the connection among human intellect, emotion, senses, and will. How do they relate to the Trinity? How do they interact to manifest Logos? Also, are there characters in the Pentateuch that represent these?
Laurens…
As I’m sure Raymond will further expound, I just happened to see this comment come through while I was on and thought I would add.
You stated that Moses represents the law. You are correct. Moses, and the law in general, represents the Moral nature of man, and evolves through experience. It is a natural process. Think about mankind developing to more complicated law systems of justice, which bring equality to everyone. In the grander scheme of things, it relates to being subjected to karma. And here’s the rub. Do you remember that Moses, God’s greatest servant, could not enter the Promised Land because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it? Think about it. God’s great servant Moses, through one act of disobedience was kept from the promised land! This is because the moral nature, while an evolved from the lower ego is a step up, it is not at the level of being beyond karma. As Raymond has stated before, the moral law is a forerunner of the greater spiritual law of love, which in the Christ, is above karma. However, in the lower ego, karma will always be at work.
Remember, the Old Testament is the reality of man through allegory, but the New Testament, while also filled with allegory, is the unveiling of the allegory through the Christ.
Joshua, you may remember that I interpret this part about Moses not being allowed to enter the Promised Land in a totally different way. The mountain that God told Moses to climb in order to view the Promised Land is called Nebo, which can be read as 50-bo. In this interpretation that means that the fifty – or Higher Awareness – is in him (Moses) already. Climbing this mountain means ascending and in this ascended state receiving an overview of what circumstances the People of Israel were going to enter into under the guidance Yehoshua Ben Nun, Joshua who was also a Son of the fifty, or Higher Awareness already, and whe therefore was fully capable of taking over Moses’s task.
The numerical value of the name Nebo is 58, which is also the numerical value of the words chen (love, mercy) and nach (rest). There is no need for Moses to worry about the people anymore or to have doubts about God’s love and mercy for them. The time is there for him to take his well-deserved rest.
Anny…
Higher awareness is certainly in Moses, and your description of Nebo is brilliant. However, it is also true that many men in the scriptures exhibit different regression states, as all man does, from time to time. Remember even in the New Testament Paul had to rebuke Peter, even though Peter had already went through his transformation of the ego. What cannot be denied is the incident with Moses displeased God, misrepresenting him (estoerically of course) and there are always consequences. I am not speaking at this from a literal level of course. But God tells Moses that he had dishonored him. Remember, Moses acted in not from his higher nature, but in anger from the lower. Gaining higher awareness does not mean we will always act from this higher nature, as humans have the choice to pick up the serpent and lay it down again to become the rod at will. This is the freedom we have.
So what I am saying is that you are exactly right about what Moses had accomplished and what he presents, but people have to realize, in my opinion, is that gaining enlightenment doesn’t mean one will not act from his baser nature again.
Hi Josh,
I certainly agree with you that Moses probably displeased God from time to time and about the fact that gaining higher awareness does not mean that we will always act from our higher nature from then on. I am afraid that we all know that from our own experience.
However, you also know that I have found positive meanings for any number of texts and concepts in the Bible that sound negative in the literal interpretation.
And another factor here is that these particular verses describe the very end of Moses’s life. Which is why I interpret it the way I do.
Besides, I do not believe in the Angry-God concept. Not when it is about the level of Highest Awareness of God.
Anny, thank you for further clarification.
But remember, while from an esoteric point of view we are not discussing God really getting angry literally, we still have to glean something from the text about him getting angry. We can infer something deeply important here. Why does the text state that God felt displeasure, whether we are accepting it literally or not? From an esoteric point of view, God’s displeasure reveals an issue about the developmental nature of man. As we ascend, the text is revealing to us certain pitfalls man may experience during his experience to the higher nature. One of the mistakes we often make when journeying into higher awareness and the towards the goal of the Promised Land is that once certain strides and new understandings have been made, the ego again creeps into the back door by reveling in a new certain level of awareness. Like Moses, we judge certain situations (the people of Israel), even in the context of our new and expanded understanding. Remember, Moses was so angry that he actually struck the rock instead of simply speaking to it on God’s command. This has nothing to do with God’s command, but everything to do with the individual character of Moses in this situation. In Eastern thought, Buddha’s teachings show us that certain ecstasy points during meditation can be easily viewed by the ego as the be-all-end all of the enlightening experience, but we must be careful not to let the ego creep back in and lead us into mistaking joy for a better balance of contentment. For joy can come and go, but true contentment in any situation is a mastery of living in the NOW, as Paul’s character shows us.
For example, I could get condemning of the church background I came from since I have experienced greater love beyond it’s understanding from the traditional Christian concept, but as I have tried to maintain (but sometimes have failed at), it is a blessing that I had this background, because it is that very fact that I become aware of the extreme opposites because of it, and every person is on a certain path to gain that awareness, and the background we carry is a part of that journey. Who am I to judge on any level? And at any experience? And who’s to say that I have really attained a new level awareness, except through my own understanding? I judge it by the fact that I can now see both view points as equally valid, while still being able to say this way is better because it encompasses a greater perspective. That is where the Apostle Jame’s viewpoint and teaching comes in handy. Therefore my gauge is this: oh, now I realize WHY this person sees this or that in that way. And just because I see WHY they view it as thus, doesn’t mean I agree with it, but just because I CAN see it, and even see a valid point through it, means that I have expanded my awareness even though I choose to reject it or accept it.
What I have come to accept is that true intelligence sees beyond certain circumstances and then has compassion for why. This is why I have great value for the American Indian saying, “Never judge a man unless you have walked two miles in his moccasins.” It’s not being right or wrong in the end, but compassionate. The right and wrong will take care of itself through Karma,and will work itself out through the universal law of love, and our non-judgmental attitude will accept the wisdom from the situation as it arises, if we can accept it.
Does this make sense?
Hi Josh, thanks for your extensive reply. I certainly understand what you mean and agree with most that you have written. Only not with your conclusion about what ‘happened’ at the very end of Moses’s life. So, let us agree to disagree about that.
I also do not see why it should be such a big issue that Moses struck the rock with his stick. He may have been angry with the people – not without reason! – but he also had done the same before, and that was then at the express command of God. That means that in the action itself there was nothing wrong. So if we are treating this kind of literally for once, why should this be such a big thing for God this time.
After all, Moses had done things that were much worse when he was angry. He had killed an Egyptian while he still lived in Egypt and he had also thrown down the Tablets with the Ten Words (as it says in Hebrew) which he had just received from God and which then broke into pieces. Nothing is said about God being angry or displeased then. Moses only had to take the consequences of his deeds – right away – and flee from Egypt and his position as a prince in the first instance, and prepare twe new stone tablets and inscribe the Ten Words on them himself, which was a lot of back braking labour. You might see this as instant karma.
But all this is taking things literally and I would not know what the symbolic meaning of all these happenings would be.
I know I already mentioned this matter of these two different commands from God:: strike the rock – speak to it, It puzzled me years ago and I asked your opinion on it but you never reacted to that comment. I still do not have an explanation for that.
Of course I fully agree with you on the Do not judge issue. The indian saying you quote I already know as: Do not judge anyone before you have walked in his sandals. Didn’t Jesus say something like that as well?
Right, wrong and karma are all terms relating to duality and only active in this virtual world. Indeed, Love is the only thing that can make all that ‘right’ and refraining from judging might be the very first step.
Joshua, does law here refers to Natural Law (a term used by self-proclaimed deoccultist Mark Passio), which comprises Law of Cause and Effect, Law of Attraction, Karma or Moral Law, and the Golden Rule?
Lauren, the moral law is a front runner to the law of love, and by necessity must come first. It is the natural progression of human consciousness in the grander scheme.
Hi Laurens,
Thank you for this comment and the profound questions, and for your earlier comment.
Josh’s reply would be along the same lines as I would interpret the law (of Moses). And, much of my reply to Vern would answer most of the questions raised here, particularly how intellect, senses and will interact to manifest Logos.
As mentioned earlier, Laurens, the human soul consists of man’s intellect, emotions and will. without integration or purification of these human dynamics, awakened soul nature is not possible. In other words, Spirit nature cannot be perceived through a lower nature — which requires the ‘step up’ mentioned in Josh’s comment. Thus the imperative of purification, meaning, transformation from one state into another — biblically phrased, base metal into gold, from fear into Love.
Manifesting Logos, therefore, is living our life through the very same inner structures which initially needed transformation, healing, except, post transformation, these same senses, intellect and emotions serve the soul from a heightened awakened state, or, Spirit in action. This level of heightened pure awareness is totally compatible with Spirit nature, thus do we express divinely as apposed to egotistically. Here the term in your earlier comment, Lauren, fits perfectly, where you say: “The way I understand it, on the horizontal plane of existence man is egoistic-proper while on the vertical plane of existence he is altruistic-proper”.
Louis, earlier in a comment, used the word ‘leader’. This would be a fitting way of seeing Logos in action.
Allowing awakened soul LEAD, act fearlessly in Truth Awareness, is manifesting Logos. This is apposite of being mere ‘followers’ of lower nature, of the tribal beat or societal mind-set, which is the case while soul remains spiritually asleep, enslaved to the binding influence of karma, compulsory activity or, ‘the law’ of the sub conscious content driving our soul prior to its awakening. Awakening brings freedom from such compelling activity.
Thus, we remember, the apostles fell asleep spiritually, and Jesus remarked: “could you not watch one hour with me”. Here is the call of leadership from within, the call of our own spiritual Essence into what ever circumstance we find ourselves daily. Thus do we lead through a Sacred Heart consciousness instead of the primitive tribal ego, but, which primeval village will have served its purpose, lessons learned and we move on into higher states of cosmic consciousness. Now are we in our True nature, our quickened soul a vibrational beacon that others may attune with, take courage from on their own soul awakening journey to Unity. Now can we say though heightened understanding: there, with the Grace of God, went I, the Trinity realized: from ‘son of man’, into ‘Son of God’ into God-Realization.
Blessings
Thank you, Raymond. I would like to add a quote from Canadian academic Jordan Peterson in an interview he did not so long ago:
‘Logos is the capacity to articulate undifferentiated chaos into habitable order that is good.’
Logos, according to Peterson, is truthful speech, it is the capacity to articulate chaos into order.
I think that it is this capacity, this Logos, that makes us divine.
Laurens…
Logos has three aspects: Will, wisdom, and action, as seen in Jesus’ life. This is the true meaning of the term in Greek as it relates to its ancient origins, not just speech. Per your comment, and from your perspective as you may already understand this is already known, but I just didn’t want new readers to confuse this term with its connotation from limited literalists view of speech only, as if they word of God is that which is spoken to create. Creation is much bigger.
Raymond, thank you for an article with a lot of meaning which I really have to read many more times before grasping all of its meaning, as you and I often interpret things differently.
However, what immediately got to me stood already in the very first paragraph: “Pilate asked the people, “What shall he do with Jesus,” and they replied, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The “him” being referred to is the son of man, or the non-integrated ego, further implying the fruits of the binding influence of spiritual ignorance.”
If only mankind had understood that from the beginning, what a difference that would have made to the world, and especially the Jewish people.
Why do we always seem to approach things from the side of judgement, instead of love, which as seen in this case also, would have such a different and much more positive outcome?
Hello Anny,
Good to hear from you and thank you for this comment, and the comment to Josh filling us in on those important numerical values.
When you say you have to read the article many times, surly as an article writer yourself, you know how many times articles have to be read and reread, before sending them to Josh. I think its hugely beneficial rereading material. It establishes the understanding even deeper, making it, as Vern so beautifully put it earlier, ‘workably useful’.
This is how literal scripture I feel has caused so much misery globally — it never became ‘workably useful’. Somehow the soul can sense when something is not real, not true. Sadly, in this case, we went along with the ‘not true’ for many centuries. And here, Anny, I see exactly what you mean when you say: “If only mankind had understood that from the beginning, what a difference that would have made to the world, and especially the Jewish people” which you said in response to my article piece: “Pilate asked the people, “What shall he do with Jesus,” and they replied, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The “him” being referred to is the son of man, or the non-integrated ego, further implying the fruits of the binding influence of spiritual ignorance.”
The bigotry-philosophy that existed back then, was all about power and corruption by means of enslavement to a particular paradigm, and nothing whatever to do with soul saving. And while it continues even today, its becoming patently obvious that people globally are beginning to awaken from the hypnosis of general hatred-brainwashing.
From my own glob trotting experiences, ‘alternatives’ are now taking the place of formal religions rapidly. And being run as highly organised businesses under all sorts of Yoga headings pertaining to health and fitness. All of which I feel is good — its how I started out myself on the soul-awakening journey. And while some are not complete esoterically, at least you come away knowing that you have not lost your independence to soul-limiting brainwashing.
Blessings, Anny
Hello Raymond,
When I wrote that I have to read your article many more times I did not mean to complain but just to explain why right now I am not able to give a more extensive comment. I do indeed know how many times you have to go over a manuscript before it is ready to be sent to Josh. And even then I often discover things afterwards that could have been written in a better way.
I do not completely agree with the statement that literal scripture has never become ‘workably useful’ as I know of many occasions where people who kept to this kind of interpretation all their lives turned out to be wonderfully loving beings. They may have taken the Bible literally but somehow still discarded everything hateful and lived their lives only on the basis of love for their fellow living creatures. I grew up being taught that way but still free to change my views as well. There was no brainwashing so to speak. Maybe the way things are taught is even more important than what is being taught? Because in that way you are free to move on when you are ready. Whatever it is, Love should be its essence and then we will be lead automatically in the direction of Unity in diversity.
I do agree that things are moving in the right direction these days and that is why I remain optimistic.
Thank God greatly for all He’s teaching through this website! I love it
Please could you do some posts on sins like Adultery, Fornication, etc??
Thanks a lot
Goddy Oku
Hi Goddy Oku,
Thank you for this nice comment on the website, blessings in return!
Your question on future articles is noted. But, if you check the archives section, I’m sure Josh has some material on the subject. Thank you again for your comment.
Blessings.