Scour the internet, and you will find all kinds of strange ideas about long lost continents that were once inhabited by root races of humans. The most widely known are Lemuria and Atlantis, both with flourishing civilizations long lost to the annals of history, except in circles of Theosophy and conspiracy theorists who claim to hold the truth to humanity’s origins. Ancient Egyptian mythology and Plato’s works originally fueled such ideas for thousands of years, and more recently, even Edgar Cayce, one of the most famed psychics of 20th century, provided detailed accounts of what these civilizations were like. No one may ever be able to say what happen for certain, but can a commonality between these stories and Genesis be seen, from an esoteric perspective, and can they speak to the human condition of where we have been and where we are going? Absolutely, yes, but I do not think the popularized myth stories around these so called civilized root races is important when it comes to the main theme of internet discussion. In other words, just as the Bible was literalized and falsely interpreted by the masses, so were these stories: but there is something important that we can and should glean from them, no matter how much of it is real history or not.
The purpose of this article is not to debate whether any of these civilizations really existed. I’m sure I would get many varied opinions as to what actually happened, from a scientific evolutionary view to New Age interpretation.
Personally, I believe the imagination loves to grasp ideas which challenge the status quo and tell of strange things in times past. But I did want to point out some uncanny similarities in the myths of Genesis, Lemuria, and Atlantis, which are not often talked about, but mean something to me. And I do in fact believe that the same theme shared in these myths are based in a bit of history. Not so much speaking about humanity’s literal history, but its conscious history. And that’s something I believe we agree upon when the information is closely scrutinized, as that’s the original and most important truth these stories wish to convey, regardless of what did or did not literally happen.
We’ll begin our discussion on what is often focused on from fringe books to internet forums, and then we’ll discuss how we can more accurately focus on what’s truly important in these stories as it means to us today.
The Trivial Internet Debate
The most popular similarity of themes between these three stories is perhaps global and cataclysmic catastrophe, in the form of great earthquakes and flooding. In the Genesis story in the time of Noah God opened up the bowels of the earth to unleash water. Genesis states:
“…in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day, were all the fountains of the great deep opened up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis: 7:11).
The fountains of the deep suggests an earthquake phenomenon in addition to torrential rains, where water flooded the earth from both above and below.
Similarly, Atlantis and Lemuria were destroyed through great earthquakes that caused the continents to sink into the ocean, drowning almost all except a portion that escaped to continue the progeny of man. Many accounts claim that Lemuria and Atlantis were also destroyed through volcanic upheaval, and fire. Interestingly, in the Biblical book of Jeremiah we have a description which coincides with the destruction of some accounts in Atlantis and Lemuria, and is argued by some to claim a destruction of earth between Genesis chapter 1 and 2:
“And I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form and void, and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly” (Jeremiah 4:23-24).
This can be compared to great earthquakes and volcanic activity that covered the heavens with ash (blocking light) and shaking all the earth.
Regardless of how you interpret the details of these scriptures, esoterically, earthquakes and other such cataclysmic events in scripture represent:
“…the upheaval in the lower nature, in which disruptive forces break up conditions that are outlived, and which are no longer of use in the old forms…This represents the conflicts between groups of the lower qualities, resulting in certain processes whereby the evolution of good is ultimately accomplished. The shaking of the lower planes (earthquakes) answers to an increase of spiritual energy above. Vibrations communicated to the higher planes…” (Gaskell).
Upon further clarification, and continuing with the theme that myself and Anny addressed in recent articles, consciousness in DUALITY (not to be confused with the Absolute) does in fact need evolving.
Another interesting point is that science confirms the earth used to be one landmass called Pangea a few hundred million years ago, and the continents move about one inch per year now on tectonic plates.
The proponents of Lemuria and Atlantis claim that the earth looked much like this.
But like all creation myths, which are based in some history–though exaggerated for the purpose of esoteric treatise–to get caught up in all the drama of whether this or that literally happened should not be our focus. We must bypass all this and see the real issue at hand, as it relates to Genesis and Lemuria and Atlantis: it’s all about the conscious evolution of man.
So let’s get into the real nitty gritty, shall we? And then you can decide how much effort you want to put into the Lemuria and Atlantis story, per where it really counts today 🙂
The history of Lemuria and Atlantis is filled with Gods and Goddesses, and Genesis is filled with the history of Elohim (in which God is also clearly defined as both male and female: Genesis: 1:27). Please remember also that “Elohim” is a plurality, whether in the noun or the verb, meaning scholars have shown that in the sense of noun, more than one God is meant, or in the sense of a verb, one God serves as a duplicity of functions upon immersion in creation. No matter how you stand, the meaning of Elohim in Genesis is far removed from our traditional Christian concept of one God acting on creation through his sole power.
The history of Lemuria and Atlantis is carried over into the culture of the ancient Egyptian and the Greeks, and so is the Israelite history of Yaweh. The Gods of Lemuria and Atlantis punished the civilization for certain anti-spiritual acts just as Yaweh punishes Adam and Eve, and then the generation of Noah as consciousness had become filled violent thoughts. But what is the real reason for this punishment? Is it because of disobedience to God’s morality laws, or is it rather an explanation of the natural progression of consciousness as it settles into matter, or a more physical plane of existence?
Hmm. An interesting question. Let me show you some correlations between the three myths.
The Conscious History of Mankind in Genesis, Lemuria, and Atlantis
By consciousness, I mean the “eternal flame” as Raymond addressed earlier, or the higher self if you’d rather call it, which becomes subject to a lower dimension of existence through creation. Why?
Can the Absolute, which is perfect in the absence of time and matter gain something through an involution stage and then a subsequent evolution stage in matter? The answer is very clear through Genesis, which I will shortly show you through scripture, and compare it to Atlantis and Lemuria myth.
Before we do so, keep in mind what I said about the global catastrophes that engulfed all three myths before. They represent a new order of consciousness that came in, which necessitates the evolving spiritual ego, and the transformation of the lower ego into this higher spiritual ego that is the continuing theme of this blog.
When you follow the theme in the myth of Lemuria, you come to understand that these beings had a more ethereal type of existence than the physical experience we share today. Consciousness had not fully materialized into the dense matter we experience now, and so their feelings and emotions, as well as thoughts that accompanied them, were expressed through the astral plane, or what is considered a more dream-like state. Things manifested quicker, and time was not so slow. In other words, there was more of an impact of thoughts and emotions, not in degree, but in manifestation through time. At least the legend goes in many accounts. Please understand, according to Theosophical discourse, this means that they were not as self-aware as we are today in one sense, because the mind and ego had not experienced the densest form of matter yet. But since things were manifested more quickly, they had a very different lifestyle that was more attuned with the effects of their decisions and emotions, and were much more attuned with nature. They also had very healthy bodies that experienced longevity on a scale we do not today. But there was still much to be learned consciously. Although they were experiencing an individual form of consciousness, it was more reactionary and rudimentary. Do we find a similar sense of awareness in Genesis, a more childlike state, which even Jesus alludes to when he states you must enter the kingdom through this child-like state on your return? Yes!
What I find absolutely fascinating, and what theologians so easily dismiss, is that in Genesis, we find a very similar situation as the myth of Lemuria. Adam and Eve are presented to us as very limited conscious beings, albeit with a high degree of wonder and excitement, with an almost immortal type of existence. They were placed in a paradise, similar to the continent of Lemuria (according to accounts), but with a very low level of awareness of opposites, which is a very limited form of consciousness.
Consider: They were not even aware that they were naked, which means they were completely devoid of shame through guilt of an action. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Let’s prove this through Genesis. The below scriptures will present a theme taken collectively that it is very important for you pay attention to while ignoring what we have been traditional taught in order to see a greater truth about the development of man:
“And the man and his wife were both naked, and not ashamed” (Genesis: 2:25).
“And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die, For God doth know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5).
Did the serpent, symbolically representing an aspect of the conscious development of man, tell a lie? Was there really a grand deception as presented to us in the traditional Christian view, or is there something deeper here!? Absolutely this has been wrongly interpreted, for Yaweh himself proclaims after they did eat the fruit:
“And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, [agreeing with the serpent kundalini] to know good and evil: and now, least he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” (Genesis 3:22).
The bigger theme of Genesis here is the conscious development of man – to become more aware. Yahweh himself claims that now man is compared to a God simply because he has a new level of awareness, to know shame and guilt, because he knows opposites (good and evil), and since he now does, he must not partake of the tree of life yet in his present state because he must first fulfill his natural progression of consciousness in the most dense form of matter (to live out life in pain of childbirth and thorns and thistles) in order to become the second Adam through the Christ, and the consciousness developed therein as represented by Christ’s life, through a crucifixion of an ego (developing on the lower plane through dense experience) that develops through such natural processes.
So as per Anny’s original question, does God evolve? Absolutely! At least in duality (not to be confused with the Absolute). And does God evolve through us? Again, yes absolutely, at least according to scripture, because remember, as Jesus said, are we not Gods also as quoted from the Psalms? Think about the Garden of Eden story here in its truest aspect of developing consciousness.
Also, please remember I am not speaking from the realm of the Absolute, which is already perfect. But we cannot realize this until we first gain a new self-awareness of what and who we really are, and that takes a grand journey through the realm of dense matter, or physicality, and as Paul teaches, the human body is the true temple of this journey, wherein the fullness of the godhead is truly deposited, even on this limited and temporal time-frame of existence we call life.
So what about the Atlanteans, and where do they fit in?
The myth of Atlantis comes from Plato’s dialogues, Timaeus and Critias. What is interesting is that many scholars have already shown us that even though Plato tries to convey in his writings that these things actually happened and are true, this is only a formal way to introduce what was a known myth by the learned at the time. In other words, by emphatically stating these things were true, he is in fact confirming that it was a myth in order to teach us esoteric truths. It’s a play on words, per se.
Atlantis was a culture and race, that although overlaps with the Lemurians in history, actually existed as a later root race of humanity. They were more immersed in matter, and had the physical appearance that we do today, although much more robust and perfect, akin to Greek ideals of the human body and shown forth in Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man with perfect geometry. Here we have the ideal of the soul as enveloped in matter’s perfect form, or most dense state, and ready to begin an ascension in consciousness. In other words, the soul must have assumed this from in order to receive a new conscious awareness in the world of dense duality to begin a new type of ascension. This is echoed in Noah’s time, as the watchers of the former world were displaced and the world changed by the cataclysmic events that enfolded to unveil a new humanity in which Noah’s seed and his progenitors produced the Abrahamic and then Israelite culture and transformation of the human ego through the wilderness experience. (To elaborate would require so much information here that I have reserved for a book).
On a more practical level, this story as seen through Noah’s transformation has been written about on this blog to reveal the how meditation affects the transformation of human consciousness in ascension after the flood. Why? Because such a state of awareness that develops through such a practice brings us back to higher dimensions of existence with the developed awareness we have accumulated in our experiences on a denser plane. To understand how this works, think experience in greater opposites. How can one know light without complete darkness, for darkness defines the light, and vice versa! And this is the great paradox of ultimate reality.
In the story of Noah, humanity has entered a new phase existence, as longevity and changes in one’s way of thinking shows. In the midst of this, from Adam to Noah, we always have an idea of what’s more ideal and contains a loving mindset (as in Plato’s ideas of perfect form beyond the physical), yet we see man progress in different degrees of opposites, as show through Cain and Abel, the spiritual vs. the natural man, from the beginnings of the Garden of Eden. And now we can begin to see the true spiritual portance of Plato’s cave metaphor. Or consider the article here:
In conclusion, I wanted to take some popularized yet highly sensationalized stories from taboo history and myth and show you what the importance of these stories actually show us. There is a common theme that runs through them, and it is universal through all great myths, even the ones that are considered more taboo and less accepted as “scripture.” And while it is my contention that the Bible (along with the Vedas and Upanishads) is probably the most advanced roadmap to the soul because of its detail of the human condition, all of them have a common theme that we must find by looking beyond the literal interpretation of them.
The true spirit of the scripture is contained in the fact that the modern human body, and the true self that has made it, is a powerhouse of developing a type self-awareness that transcends modern-day understandings of the potential that lies therein. Paul stated:
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Cor. 3:16).
The one aspect of every creation myth in the world that we must be most concerned about, if we really want to learn from their teaching, is this:
Regardless of whether you believe (from any culture that you have come from) whether any creation story is based on literal truth, mostly truth, some truth, or a very little truth, historically, the main theme seems evident that it is mostly about the development of conscious awareness through the human condition. The correlations seem to me undeniable. Of course I am always open for debate and contemplation of different viewpoints, so fire away in the comment section!
As always, thank you to the readers who add so much through our discussions.
The title suggests we check what we know they have in common, I see only the difference (I have no access to the collective memory, yet).
Lemuria and Atlantis are things of the past, we learn a bit around them through myths.
Genesis is a story about the creation of our current situation. What I can say in this context ?
The One grows and grows, and then is so full that it bursts into the Many, all containing the One, thus Elohim.
The Elohim are clad in matter and learn by doing, after every incarnation distilling the experience and shedding the matter. They will always be Group as in One, but going through refinement, which apparently results stagewise in new ‘in-between’-forms (see all the literature about that).
When a Continent completes its mission the Sea reclaims the land and forms a new Continent ‘in which’ the Group-experience continues under new circumstances.
I can read a lot about it, but it is of no use to me, because I cannot compehend it. I can feel and start to appreciate that I am being taught to be co-creative with All-That-Is. And take responsibility for it < that is the hard part. The mental I, me, likes to be asociated with the Good but oh no, not with all the Bad. It shies away from the Bad, and in doing so creates a debt to Nature. In Nature everything is about Balance, not a static one, but dynamic like the Sea, you sea ? Collectively we do similar, so one day the Sea, the collective Us, reclaims all debts. And yes, there is fear, collectively from what we inherit from the Group and individually from what we make up as Individual . . . And from secretly knowing that we are spiritually lazy ( my interpretation of Guilt).
For me the Bible is a source of inspiration, each and every time different, because I am different. I can see that the things I can see now, I could not see when I was young. There was no skeleton to attach these ideas to. Myths provide the material to create skeletons, but it is actually living one's own truth that will build the Bridge.
I can wonder if I am a type 1, 2 ,3 ,4 or maybe even part of type 5. But it will not change the challenge that is mine personally. Each to his/her own. Talking about root races and such made some very bad things happening. And I did not yet see an ending to the worldview that Nazi-Germany and 'contemporians' threw all over the world. There are people that made decisions to reduce the world population to 500 million people and every day one can see measures are put in place to that effect. People accept because of the hidden trauma in each of us, the trauma created by the world-events in the past.
How to help others ? By helping ourselves, embracing our shadow-part, facing our own fears. And thus becoming beacons for our Fellow-man. Establishing our own Bridge, standing on it, bracing the Big Storm.
A quote from an anonymous bystander : Mankind cannot destroy the Earth, because Mankind did not create It.
Have courage you ALL
Leo, I will get back to your comment more extensively later, but the common theme is explaining the condition of consciousness. Genesis does not begin by telling us about our current situation, as the Garden of Eden represents a different plane of conscious existence. I thought it would be interesting to do this article on something different than I usually do, just to mix it up a little.
Thanks.
Back to your comment, Leo…
You are correct, in many ways the Bible is seen as the living word because myths can speak to us at any level of life we are in, mainly because the Bible teaches us about our own existence, and it is about the evolution of our own consciousness. The stories must be interpreted through symbols and metaphor because that is their purpose, to show us the higher mysteries of life as we develop through our experiences, and are able to incorporate the themes present in the stories, which repeat the same themes over and over. And those themes are told through so many different characters and actions and professions so we can all identify, as some story symbols will speak to us stronger than others.
You stated that the myths of Atlantis and Lemuria are about the past, but the Bible is for this time. Actually, all of these myths speak of both, because the themes and teachings are universal as it relates to ascension or involution, etc. It is very much understood that the beginning of Genesis is not speaking about a literal garden here on earth, but more of a heavenly existence on a different plane of consciousness. Adam and Eve’s awareness expands, or at least the potential for that awareness to expand becomes tangible once the fruit is partaken of. This simply means coming into duality. My point of having fun with the article above was just to address some of the commonalities of these three stories, specifically as it relates to the first chapters of Genesis. Blessings.
Joshua,
Sadhguru, an Indian yogi, differentiates the human mind into 16 dimensions that can be classified into four main categories: buddhi (the intellect, which resides in the brain), manas (memory, stored in every cell of the body), ahankara (ego or the identity the intellect identifies with), and chitta (cosmic intelligence). I wonder if they correlate to the four worlds of assiah, yetzirah, briah, and atziluth–known collectively as Yaweh–in Kabbalah, and more broadly to the stories about Lemuria and Atlantis. If they do, I suspect they depict the evolution of our consciousness from birth to death, i.e. from buddhi/ assiah to chitta/ atziluth, in this lifetime as physical human beings.
Laurens…
I love Sadhguru. I’ve seen him talk with the popular scientists Michio kaku. He’s a great speaker and contains a lot of wisdom on the human mind and soul.
And there is a similarity when we study the Tetragrammaton, as it represents the manifestation of the Absolute on the four lower planes, beginning with, in Christian terms, the logos, and ending in the physical plane.
I like your statement about the stories of Lemuria and Atlantis depicting the evolution of consciousness from birth to death, or even in the grander cycle of involution and evolution. I bet if any of us did some deeper research a good argument could be made to back it. Perhaps I’ll tackle this in greater detail some day. Maybe someone else here will enlighten us if they have more knowledge on the subject?
Thanks for the comment.
I just wanted to add Lauren’s that Nightshade’s comment does address some of this, as the different ages correlate to the development of consciousness in man.
I would like to add to your post that you find the same myths in Greek and Egyptian religion. In Greek religion you find the idea that we live through different “ages” – the Golden , Silver, Brazen, Heroic, and Iron ages. Our current age would be the Iron Age and there will be a return of the Golden Age. In Egyptian religion humanity was once ruled over by Ra but humanity rebelled against him so he left and the goddess Hathor brought punishment upon humanity.
From Hesiod’s “Works and Days” 106-200 and http://www.maicar.com/GML/AgesOfWorld.html:
“The Golden Age is the reign of Cronos/Saturn, implying “the manner of life” under his rule (o epí Krónou Bíos, or Saturnia regna). This is the age of Right, Trust, Simplicity, Innocence, Peace, and Everlasting Spring. The gods have intercourse with men, and the Earth yields, without being forced, a diet necessarily vegetarian. The beasts are neither hunted nor forced; blood is not shed, not even among animals. There is no navigation, no mining, no laws, no judges, no war. For more details, see the commented Ancient Texts below; some obvious deductions are summarized here:
The Golden Age appears as a lost paradise often associated with the irretrievable reverie of Childhood: it is a state of innocence, purity, freedom, and simplicity, ruled by Justice and obviously permeated by the significance and beauty of the natural world. The spiritual power of this age is revealed by the circumstance that the world is enchanted or “bewitched,” as must be a world in which men have intercourse with gods. In this age, the mind prevails over the physical, as may be deduced by the growing “materiality” of the succeeding ages.”
“Within the tradition inaugurated by the Greeks (the Western tradition), Hesiod is the oldest extant source describing the Races (later called Ages). In a brief preamble, Hesiod declares that his purpose is to explain “how the gods and mortal men sprang from one source”, but he fails to identify that source.
Five Races
Disruption of the pattern of decay:
Hesiod counts not four but five races: Golden, Silver, Brazen, Heroic, and Iron. In Hesiod’s description, the men of the Heroic Race are more righteous than those of the preceding race (the Brazen), which appears to disrupt the pattern of decay generally attributed to the succession of the ages.
Creation and destruction of the races:
According to Hesiod, the races of mortal men are created by “the gods who dwell on Olympus” (Golden and Silver), or by Zeus (Brazen, Heroic, Iron). The Golden generation simply disappeared “covered by the earth”; the Silver Race was destroyed by Zeus because of their impiety; and the Brazen Race destroyed itself through war. Then one part of the Heroic Race was destroyed, also in war, but another part still lives in the Islands of the Blest, which are ruled by Cronos. Hesiod predicts that the Iron Race will also be destroyed by Zeus.”
“Or if you will, I will sum you up another tale well and skilfully—and do you lay it up in your heart,—how the gods and mortal men sprang from one source.
Golden–First of all [110] the deathless gods who dwell on Olympus made a golden race of mortal men who lived in the time of Cronos when he was reigning in heaven. And they lived like gods [115] without sorrow of heart, remote and free from toil and grief: miserable age rested not on them; but with legs and arms never failing they made merry with feasting beyond the reach of all evils. When they died, it was as though they were overcome with sleep, and they had all good things; for the fruitful earth unforced bare them fruit abundantly and without stint. They dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with many good things, [120] rich in flocks and loved by the blessed gods.
But after the earth had covered this generation—they are called pure spirits dwelling on the earth, and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men; [125] for they roam everywhere over the earth, clothed in mist and keep watch on judgements and cruel deeds, givers of wealth; for this royal right also they received
Silver–then they who dwell on Olympus made a second generation which was of silver and less noble by far. It was like the golden race neither in body nor in spirit. [130] A child was brought up at his good mother’s side a hundred years, an utter simpleton, playing childishly in his own home. But when they were full grown and were come to the full measure of their prime, they lived only a little time and that in sorrow because of their foolishness, for they could not keep from sinning and [135] from wronging one another, nor would they serve the immortals, nor sacrifice on the holy altars of the blessed ones as it is right for men to do wherever they dwell. Then Zeus the son of Cronos was angry and put them away, because they would not give honor to the blessed gods who live on Olympus.
[140] But when earth had covered this generation also—they are called blessed spirits of the underworld by men, and, though they are of second order, yet honor attends them also.”
From “Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt” by Geraldine Pinch:
“In one myth, Ra consults Nun when people start to rebel against the gods. Nun’s advice is to send the goddess Hathor down as a lioness to punish humanity. In myths from other Near Eastern cultures, a great flood is sent to kill the wicked. The Egyptian version may not be as different as it seems, since Hathor can be both the solar lioness and the goddess known as the Great Flood.
In other accounts of mythical history, there seems no permanent separation until the creator sun god decides to leave the earth after a rebellion by humanity.”
This is Plato’s verion of the same myth. Also from http://www.maicar.com/GML/AgesOfWorld.html:
“God (also called Creator—or Demiurgus—Father, Composer, Supreme Spirit, and Pilot) causes the world to revolve in a forward direction during a certain period of time. God is the extrinsic cause of this motion. This is the time of the Autochthons (earthborn or “sons of the soil”) and of “the reign of Cronos”. God supervises man, and a number of deities rule the beasts and different regions of the world.
Later, God withdraws (along with the administrative deities), a cataclysm occurs, the world starts revolving “backwards” of its own accord, and thus “the age of Zeus” commences. When the cataclysm subsides, there is order again; for the world remembers and practises the teachings of the Creator. But in the course of time the world grows oblivious, and the ensuing carelessness threatens destruction. At this point, God restores order again through the “forward” motion to prevent complete dissolution.
“The reign of Cronos” or Golden Age occurs when God steers the motion of the universe. Plato does not mention the other ages in this context, but when the pattern of the ages is combined with the phases derived from the motion of the universe described by the Stranger, the following sequence is obtained:
1. Golden Age. “The reign of Cronos” [271d]
2. Cataclysm [273a]—as motion is reversed.
3. Silver Age: “got on most excellently” [273c]
4. Bronze Age: “disorder prevailed” [273c]
5. Iron Age: “dire trouble” [273d].
6. Divine intervention restores Golden Age: “he took again his place”, “reversed whatever had become unsound” [273e]. The motion is once more reversed.
When the third period comes after the cataclysm, all deities have already left. As a way of compensating the solitude and defenceless of man, the gifts of the gods are given to him by deities such as Hephaestus, Athena, Prometheus, Demeter, and Dionysus [274c]. In periods 3, 4, and 5, man takes care of himself without any further divine help. But man’s self-government ends in disaster (5) and God intervenes again (6), reversing the motion of the universe and putting it under His direction.”
Nightshade,
I love all the extra information you have provided with sources and links. Thank you very much for expanding on the article this way. You have take my article meant only as an introduction into these ideas, and have given it more meat for people to chew on. Excellent!
I wonder if reading all this makes me more conscious. It does provide more context.
You see I experiment with the churning. Adding more words (pointers), will that make my churning easier or more complex ?
I do need perspective, so yes i feel small and tiny again.
Leo.. reading makes “you” more aware that these things exist, therefore yes more context and hence realizing more content. (note, content as a homonym, recognizing language/words giving rise to your seeming dilemma.. more content less content).
To the question, “if it makes you more conscious”, if you were any less conscious you would not be here in this living plane aware that you were.
So less fretting, less demand for need. The Great Spirit/Source/God is always fulfilling all your needs. What you are exemplifying is exactly the penchant for the root of all our illnesses; Forgetting. Therefore doubt, which stirs a deep longing-ness for some-thing. Which could be any-thing by the standards of any one individual who is possessed by it’s own “need” to exist.
Words are powerful as is seen by the utilage of the word Logos, which is proceeded by thought. When your thoughts are aligned with; all is in order, as it is in the grand-design, you are fulfilling the supreme purpose for which you were created.
EnJoy.
Hi Josh,
A great article with great comments with lots of additional information. I just want to add something which is more my speciality.
You write: ‘… and Genesis is filled with the history of Elohim (in which God is also clearly defined as both male and female: Genesis: 1:27). Please remember also that “Elohim” is a plurality, whether in the noun or the verb, meaning scholars have shown that in the sense of noun, more than one God is meant, or in the sense of a verb, one God serves as a duplicity of functions upon immersion in creation.’
I do not agree with at least part of the interpretation of these scholars or at least with their conclusion that one God serves as a duplicity of functions upon immersion in creation, based on the plural of the verb. They do not seem to have noticed that when God is meant not a plural but a singular form of a verb is used.
You may remember that some years ago I explained to you that the word Elohim has two different meanings: 1) God as meant in Genesis 1 and 2) idols.
When Elohim means God, as in Genesis 1, than the singular form of the verb is used. The noun does mean more than one God but these Gods are and act as One. That is already shown in the first verse of the bible: Bereshit bara Elohim: bara, singular. And where this may also be interpreted as: It created Elohim, this is not possible in the next example in verse 3: Wayomer Elohim … And God said … Wayomer is singular, and again in verse 4: Wayar Elohim …. And God saw .. Wayar is singular.
But in Exodus 32:1, when the people of Israel became impatient because Moses did not return from Mount Sinai, they said to Aaron: “Make gods for us, who will go in front of us because we do not know what has become of Moses …”.
This is my own translation in order to show what they actually said: “.. Ase lanu Elohim asher yeelchu lefanenu …” Yeelchu, they will go, is plural. They were asking for idols, but no bible translation I know shows this, not even the Jewish translation of the Tora in my possession, which has the Hebrew text on the page beside the translation.
Anny…
True, in the plural noun of Genesis a singular function is used through the verb. But this reinforces my point. More than ONE God, within the singular function, as in the trinity. Three manifestations from the ONE, or from the ONE three manifestations. This is where so many early church councils had so many arguments, and one of the reason, in conjunction with the Gospel of John. The original editors didn’t know how to handle this, and thus they copied it down as they saw fit. But unwittingly, they were relaying an important point: they began with Elohim, which shows a duplicity. The original Hebraic authors could have chosen another term here, but they didn’t, because they had to reinforce the original idea.
Hi Josh,
Yes you do address the singular use of the verb, which I totally agree with but you do not give any remark on the fact that there is also a plural use of the verb, when relating to the Elohim as idols.
It is the singular or plural use of a verb when connected to the term Elohim which makes clear whether it is about the One, united God or the idols, which separate instead of uniting. Often it will be clear by the context as well but not necessarily always.
Hi Josh,
Thank you for this really good brain-teaser of an article. Although not easy to express on it definitively, I think Laurens comment went some way, and is certainly how I feel generally on this most fascinating subject.
You mention two / three excellent sources of providing a road-map to the soul: the Bible, Vadas and Upanishads. Yes, I would agree fully with this. As do, equally, I’m sure, the other major scriptures. I say this because, I’ve just finished reading a 500-page dissertation by a Jewish scholar on Judaism, Christianity and Islam in relation to meditation and the scriptures and its benefits. In it, the author interpreted many of the core teachings of these major religious texts. And I can only say, that, the similarities of understandings in each were just amazing. The extended insights of the Rabbis I found wonderfully uplifting and compatible with insights gleaned by means of my own meditation practice. I found that there is practically nothing separates the scriptures when it comes to esoteric understanding.
I love this Psalm — which is also the title of an article published on SOS in 2014: “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake”. (Psalm 23:3) And, John 12:32 “and I, if I be lifted up from this earth shall draw all men unto me (manifestations of my Totality-Nature or Unity Consciousness).
Let us look at the Vadas, and how they put it. The Vadas say: point and infinity are one, and, infinity and point are one — they are the same. In other words, when we meditate, point (of individuality) collapses into infinity and, on the outward stroke of meditation, infinity collapses back into point — of individual Awareness.The Vadas also state: duality and unity are equal, they are inseparably one and the same eternally — one and the same Fullness. Thus, erasing duality is not our job in life, rather, its what we live through consciously to gain awakened consciousness — by means of meditation. Duality is part and parcel of unity, its what we each are at core soul eternally. In this context, meditation is all about individual point (our present manifestation of that moment) collapsing into infinity, eternal silence, and returning more evolved AS conscious Unity or Divinely Aware.
Thus, ‘evolution’ is within consciousness, when, I AM the ALL, is realized for conscious living, and not for storing up as a spiritual trophy that others may admire. It must flow and flow unconditionally through our body-mind-sesnes that others may directly benefit from our free-flowing Manna, while still participating in duality. Only, this time, by way of purification, we have gained freedom from duality’s binding influence on the mind, senses, intellect and nervous system, which binding heretofore we were non-aware, or, in ignorance of.
While I study both the Bible and the Bhagavad-Gita, and have been practicing meditation daily for forty years, Vedic literature is a vast subject; and while I love it for its practicality and relateability, I am certainly not expert in translating Vedic Knowledge. However, I offer this comment, Josh, by way of breaking the ice on the conversation into yours and Anny’s most profound questions in both your articles. Although, I think “Take up thy cross and follow me” ten days ago, went some way in this area. But, I agree, this is an extension of that subject.
Like, Anny, I too struggle with this smiley Joe guy!
Blessings to all
Raymond…
Thanks for the additional thoughts and comments. I loved your explanation of the Vedas. They actually line up quite well with reality from a semi-quasi scientific / spiritual understanding in even today’s terminology. I quote below from an article online : http://www.wholejoy.com/whyisthereanythingatall/id1.html which has some similar thinking through somewhat similar terminology, although the core issue is mathematical:
“Awareness seems basic to existence and the creation of matter. Physicist, Bob Toben, states: “The incomprehensible unaware oneness beyond space-time becomes aware of itself, creating light….” (19) which “chases itself in gravitational collapse” (20) forming “a quantum (mini) blackhole (21) which is the fundamental unit of matter.” (22)
This “unaware oneness” must be nothing because nothing can exist until it becomes aware of itself. (23) Existence is awareness. (24) From an absolute (rather than relative) perspective, nothing really exists, because beyond space-time is everywhere. (25) Nothing “becomes aware of itself” only when it divides into itself (when the perspective of itself changes from absolute to relative), which is a constant, inevitable process. Zero divides by zero, creating all relative existence. 0/0 is just the two opposite forces, 1/0 and 0/1 in combination with each other. The universal forces, 1/0 , 0/1 and their combination is remarkably similar to the Trinity.
In support of the above theory, Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi and founder of SRF, states:
God the Father is the Absolute, Unmanifested, existing beyond vibratory creation. God the Son is the Christ Consciousness (Brahma or Kutastha Chaitanya ) existing within vibratory creation; this Christ Consciousness is the “only begotten” or sole reflection of the Uncreated Infinite. The outward manifestation of the omnipresent Christ Consciousness, its “witness” (Revelation 3:14), is Aum, the Word or Holy Ghost: invisible divine power, the only doer, the sole causative and activating force that upholds all creation through vibration. (26)
Zero becomes the “Holy Ghost” or “invisible divine power, the only doer, the sole causative and activating force that upholds all creation through vibration” (27) when it (through changing its perspective–awarness of itself–from absolute to relative) divides by itself or, in effect, multiplies with its reciprocal, 1/0. Then from the perspective created by the equation, 0/0 = reality, “Son” or “creation,” 1/0 appears to be an equivalent to the infinite “Father”, “the Absolute, Unmanifested existing beyond vibrating creation” (28) beyond space-time. The infinite “Father”, by relativity or perspective, might be an effect of the original zero that zero divides into:
0 (infinite “Father”) is divided by: 0 (“Holy Ghost”)
The quotient of 0/0 is the “Son” or creation itself. It could be defined as the “only begotten sole reflection of the Uncreated Infinite.” (29)
The underliying principles (laws) of creation (existence) never began, nor will they ever end. The beginning of creation lies in every moment, arising directly from the virtual existence of eternal, permanent, “Unmanifested” mathematical principles (1/0 or infinite intelligence–“Father”).
In essence, all existence is a relative phenomenon of vibration that dances between the opposites…”
If what the above authors say is even remotely correct, then in my own interpretation and building off of what yours, Anny’s, and my core beliefs seem to be…then what we term God as the “Absolute” resides in an infinite state of potential and peace, but unaware, but what we term God as manifestation (Logos), gains awareness, as you state, through duality, even though they are both states that are truly ONE. However, in order for awareness to truly be, there must be an immersion in experience of some type, and the soul that is developed and evolved gains immortality over its evolutionary journey, and that soul sleeps through intermittent periods between states of no awareness, awareness, and higher awareness, similar to our sleep cycles. Thus the absolute can said to be never evolving, except when it manifests again. However, in that manifestation, it evolves each daily and over multiple life experience, depending on what kind of “life” that soul leads, of course. Regardless, the journey is about ONENESS and love.
I know that might seem like a lot to process and think about, but it makes complete sense to me. The absolute must interact with itself creating infinite points of conscious experience in duality to experience higher awareness. A WHOLE (the Absolute) cannot be aware of anything unless it has a point of reference in relation to something else, hence duality and opposites. All of creation is simply an infinite potential experiencing itself through different types of manifested bodies, which are created by the laws that must exist in the cosmos, simply because they are inherit in light and empty space, and the flow of consciousness brings these laws into existence. By interacting with itself, points of reference are made through the cosmos from each kingdom building all the way up to the human kingdom, which is most advanced in awareness. Fascinating!