The title of this post may cause some eyebrow raising, but it’s a subject that really needs to be addressed with common sense and esoteric truth. Traditional Christians—some of the kindest and best people on earth whom I call my friends—have been immersed in the doctrines and dogma of man for centuries, and blood sacrifice has been one of those doctrines that has kept them from understanding the deeper truths of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. Please remember, it is not my intention to offend anyone. Ever. But some of what I write here will no doubt ruffle some feathers. Nonetheless, it needs to be said. [Read more…] about Is the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus Really Taught in the Bible as Atonement for Your Sin?
Literal vs Spiritual
What do Genesis, Lemuria, and Atlantis Have in Common?
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. [Read more…] about What do Genesis, Lemuria, and Atlantis Have in Common?
The Mustard Seed of Faith and Developing it Within
This article will explain how faith is a level of potential awaiting development from tiny beginnings into the blossoming of full spiritual consciousness, and that faith is not something reserved strictly for certain times or particular events.
Matthew 17: 19-20 reads: “The apostles came to Jesus in private and asked him: why couldn’t we drive the demon out?” The question refers back to an earlier incident in Matthew 17:14 when the apostles could not heal a boy. “Because you did not have enough faith” Jesus replied, then he said: “I assure you that if you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill go from here to there! And it will go! You could do anything!”
Earlier in Matthew 17:17 Jesus said, “How unbelieving and wrong you people [mind-sets] are! How long must I stay with you?” In other words, how long we will choose to remain under the domain of the finite mind instead of the infinite Son of God?
We’re unbelieving while in spiritual ignorance. Thus the boy is a symbol of our non-spiritually quickened soul in need of awakening into conscious contact with the Higher Self.
Other scriptures use mountain instead of hill: “You could say to this mountain be gone into the sea and it would be gone.” Mountain in scriptures means higher consciousness. When human consciousness becomes transformed into higher consciousness, it is gone into the sea – the equivalent of faith-filled consciousness – when intentions through this state of mind come about. A spiritually rooted person will live faith naturally, and enjoy an unbreakable link with God regardless of how big the so called problem or goal. The mountain will give, heal, or sprout new understanding in tandem with the intentions of the heart.
The mustard seed story is about coming upon hidden faith ability and its development into an unshakable, unmovable level of mountain consciousness and its expression. This scripture is not about having faith already. It’s about how, from tiny beginnings, the mustard seed births and expands into ever present levels of Godliness, into never waning or fading soul values.
The reason the apostles in Matthew 17:19-20 could not perform healing was because the left-side of the brain was dominating, which is why Jesus said: “Of my own self (ego) I can do nothing.” The apostles were spiritually asleep, unable to experience the true nature of faith.
The apostles going to Jesus in private symbolizes personal meditation, that entering of the boundless silence of the soul. Jesus is a symbol of our own awakening wisdom, the inner teaching guiding us to our own Christ within.
Concentrated Seed Faith
Let us consider a seed. Any seed. A seed (symbolically) is the most faith-filled unit of creation. It produces only what it is designed for and nothing else is possible. Being the smallest of all seeds, Jesus selects the mustard seed for his story of explaining how boundless faith is intended to grow and expand from tiny beginnings within consciousness. But while existing in concentrated form within each soul, faith requires awakening, tapping into germination. In this context, the deep silence of meditation amounts to the unmanifest seed faith transmuted into manifest faith consciousness.
The actual seed in your body though, is somewhat bigger than a mustard seed. It’s about the size of a pea and is located in the exact center of your brain. It’s called the pineal gland. In many religions, this gland is portrayed as a pine cone because of its visual similarities. There is even a statue of it on the grounds of the Vatican, even though it’s never openly mentioned in their teachings. In ancient Egyptian religion it was known as the Eye of Horus.
Biblical faith clearly is not about strong faith in this and lesser in that, for, being all pervading, faith is not a conditional allocation of measurement. While remaining constant, faith is ever active in its all encompassing dynamic silence as in water taking the shape of any container. This is also symbolized when Jesus stooped and wrote in the sand, which means whatever faith capacity we have achieved.
Faith in action is constantly transforming consciousness into ever higher spiritual dimensions, even nudging the soul into ever-perfecting levels of human love, into total experiential immersement of Christ consciousness and its expression at one’s own level.
Faith is alchemized silence brought about by repeated meditational transcendence, of entering into the pineal gland. It’s a process which transmutes the human ego. The transcendental experience is beyond ego, the act of will or mental effort. Rather it is by a natural infusion of bliss into the very nature of the mind, which is the state of knowing no opposite.
Although the physical seed is situated in the brain as the pineal gland, germination or activation is initiated through the root chakra at the base of the spine and subsequent rising of kundalini life force into the brain. It’s this root chakra opening which triggers the five other spinal chakras into opening, culminating in awareness entering the pineal gland and divine seed sprouting. Once this process is commenced faith journeying into higher realms has began. This is why Jacob’s name was changed to Israel by God at the place of Peniel, which is another metaphor for pineal gland.
Biblically, awakening kundalini is equivalent of John the Baptist and the One who follows – the one who follows is baptism into directly knowing Christ consciousness faith nature.
Healing and Everyday Faith
Healing is not a single life event, where, once achieved, further spiritual development can be ignored. This can happen when healing is attained by visitation to particular shrines, pools or by intermediary – where someone or holy venue bypasses our own unbelieving level. In such instances, people’s expectations become raised in advance of the encounter, which the brain translates as faith; and while there might be healing, this is NOT the mustard seed of faith in the Bible. To faith-mimic we can of course accentuate joyous feelings by becoming animated in visioning specific desired outcomes. Thus natural happiness is indeed a potent healing force, but it’s not real faith. We can only cast demons out permanently by the transformation of consciousness. By coming upon mountain consciousness, upon Higher Self consciousness, when purification of the mind, body, and soul occurs leaving no opening for negative emotions to form new or repeating dis-ease.
In other words, using an onion to generate tears is not emotional crying!
In the early stages of mustard seed faith, much casting out is taking place without awareness. It’s when the subtle realignment of thought processes are taking new shape, when mature understanding and clarity soul perceptions are forming and abiding state for further thoughts and intuition of a higher realm to realm to dwell.
As we advance further in practicing meditation, realization of higher consciousness becomes acutely tangible. Through awakening mechanisms in the brain and spinal column, newer levels of health of well-being manifest in the body. Struggling and resistance conditioning began to release its grip.
In the early stages of spiritual development, we may feel that strong faith in certain Biblical characters or historical events is required or insinuated into the mustard seed story. But no, this is not what scripture is about. Jesus is not asking that we have faith in him, a philosophy or religion, a place or any other person. The asking message is about self-realization. That we come about our own innate capacity of faith. To this end we are reminded: “The apostles got into the boat and went to the other side.” Boat here signifying meditation, and, the “other side” signifying transcendence into the right brain, the abiding home of the faith nature.
The 12 Cranial Nerves and Healing
Once realized as not twelve historical men, and that the apostles are symbols for the twelve cranial nerves of the brain, then new understanding can begin to unfold rapidly. The twelve apostles symbolize twelve qualities of the soul. They are aspects of human consciousness for integration and healing. These twelve spiritually serving nerve centers – responsible for almost every bodily function, along with the five chakras in the spine and two in the brain – are the soul’s receptor or diffusion points for bodily interaction of cosmic energy. This is how well-being for optimal spiritual growth is maintained.
The reason the apostles could not drive out the demons represents that the twelve cranial nerves were not spiritually functioning. It’s only when these consecrated centers are performing as intended, in conjunction with the chakras and glandular system that we can spiritually mature in a practical way.
Demons have their origins in deeply rooted generational conditioning from previous lives where the cranial nerves were not used spiritually. It is myriad and complex, beyond the realm of modern psychology to understand. The spiritually asleep state of these vital nerve centers is what keeps demon consciousness in place, and the birth, life, and death cycle of suffering. And this is why Jesus said he would rebuild this temple in three days. It symbolizes spiritually reconstructing the brain. Three is not a symbol of earth days, but of divinity and unity.
This is also why the apostles (12 cranial nerves) went to Jesus in private, meaning engaged in silent meditation, awakening the temple of the brain in unity consciousness.
Does a Tree Have Faith
Yes, on its own place of existence. Similar to humans, trees undergo healing on a daily basis, but in different ways. A trees ecosystem consists of leaves, branches, roots and a trunk. It is the sap which heals. But where does sap come from? Sap comes from a source beyond the tree. It’s drawn in from earth nature through the roots. The tree does not manufacture sap. Coming in through the root system, sap is distributed throughout the entire tree, whether healing is required or not. So long as the roots remain watered, then the roots maintain the capacity to distribute sap. The root is the conduit through which sap flows into the entire tree instantaneously.
If you could ask a tree what time it is, the tree would answer it is now!
Healing for a tree is an act of single-mindedness, a present moment. On the other hand, humans live in time, space and causation, plus an ego, where spiritual growth is indirectly hindered. Whereas the tree does not stand on the hose while being watered as do humans do through stress and worry about the past and future.
But what happens when there is no rain to water the roots? This is where the good gardner comes in. He / she waters the roots personally, thus maintaining sap flow. So long as the roots (chakras in us) receive water nourishment, then sap flows unabated.
Conversely, within human nature, there are two forms of healing. One, the innate healing intelligence within the body similar to the tree which does not require faith. But the faith mentioned in scripture is about a state of faith consciousness and its transformational power for taking the carnal mind beyond suffering and into the divine mind. Faith consciousness is about first awakening the mechanisms which initiates lives transforming from spiritual ignorance into conscious connection with TRUTH. Truth meaning that which never changes, eternal consciousness.
Transitioning of awareness into truth commences in the head (meditation) progresses to opening the first chakra at the base of the spine then returning up along spine and back to the head / heart for a permanent establishment in consciousness. This process, known as kundalini awakening, is how faith-nurture becomes resolute consciousness.
In human terms, the very same principle as watering the tree’s roots apply. Only it’s the mind which is watered. Watering the mind is entering into communion with pure silence which naturally awakens the tentacles or channels of the soul – the kundalini – allowing for healing of emotional scars and false conditioning. Thus converged silence is which expands from tiny mustard seed beginnings (birth of the Christ within) into boundless transformational faith consciousness, the abiding state for further thoughts and intuition into a higher realm.
The Mantra and Mustard Seed Faith
Luke 9:48 states: “For he who is least among you (converged intellect) is the greatest.”
Mantra is a word sound, a vibration used for creating calm and silence in the mind. Like water and air, the mantra is neutral and works with all people regardless or race, religion, or creed. At the practical level, mantra achieves Luke 9:48 in that, gradually the intellect reduces from gross levels of thought to the smallest of the smallest – least of the least, the mustard seed – resulting in the expansion of human consciousness into transcendental pure consciousness or unconditional faith nature. In other words, during meditation, the intellect is reduced to its least, and a new dynamic is born, a new connective wavelength infuses or vibrates into awareness: spontaneous calibration of mantra sound into thought expansion resulting in faith consciousness. Thus the mantra seed mushrooms into Mountain Light, Transcendent experiencing, when soul flow essence is freed from the bondage of cyclical darkness.
Often referred to as the law of thought increase, this expansion or thought – mantra is a thought – is commencement of ascension out of the lower carnal mind, when human ego-centric consciousness becomes awakened spiritual mountain. Mountain is now alive, thus thought-feeling nature becomes hugely sensitive, hence the need for thoughts to be positive with regard to self and others. “Lead us not into temptation (ignoring cosmic laws).
Conclusion – Thoughts, Watching and Faith Seeds
As faith consciousness develops, the expression of thoughts become equivalent to faith seeds, potent tool molds, in that, whatever vision or heart quality the thought is filled with, is what comes about. “Whatever ye ask for in my name (love nature) believing ye have it (resolute faith) I give you in my word (law) it will come about” (Mark 11:24). Through the law of thought increase – to go forth and multiply – every intentional faith filled thought expands from tiny infancy into manifestation of the intentional feelings or emotions generated.
In Biblical terms, planting a seed in the field is the same as planting a thought in the mind. The field is symbolic of the mind. The imperative being, keeping our thoughts divinely oriented for use through ever maturing faith, for good only. Watching thoughts allows conscious control over random and meaningless thoughts entering the mind. It further prevents us from being unduly influenced by other’s thoughts and desires which do not fit with our newly forming mustard seed consciousness. Watching allows witnessing experentially the sacredness and Immanence of each present moment and its faith-filled aspect.
Below you can find links to my books to learn more:
Psalm 78 Speaks: The Law is a Parable
If the Old Testament contained a chapter that told you the story of the wilderness journey wasn’t literal, would you believe it? Would you even notice?
I would argue that it all depends; if you were a staunch literalists, you would probably breeze by the verses without a second thought. That’s normal.
Even if you were undecided about the Bible’s literal-historical value, you still might pass them up as inconsequential without a careful reading of the language and context. Let’s review one of the most important texts in the Old Testament to understand how easy it is to miss what the Biblical authors thought so obvious. [Read more…] about Psalm 78 Speaks: The Law is a Parable
The Paradox of the Serpent and the Messiah
Today’s topic, the serpent and the messiah, has been addressed on this blog before by Anny, but today I am going to look at it from a few additional angles. I recently had a great discussion about it with a friend. This friend doesn’t agree with esoteric teaching because she is a mainstream Christian, but we greatly respect each other’s views and enjoy a healthy debate from time to time. [Read more…] about The Paradox of the Serpent and the Messiah
The Book Is Not to Blame
My Grandmother had a large illustrated Bible sitting on a table in the center of the living room in her very modest four-room mill house. It was too heavy to lift. As a child, I was at once enchanted and disturbed by the artwork depicting tales of a man-eating whale, people drowning in a flood, and a gentle man named Jesus who was murdered for trying to change the world with love, not violence.
She was a quiet, godly woman who loved her church, her children and her grandchildren. When I stayed overnight, I would watch bull fighting and wrestling with her on a 19-inch black and white TV with rabbit ear antennas and three channels. I was always adjusting the antennas to get a picture we could see. [Read more…] about The Book Is Not to Blame
Why God is Consciousness and the Mind, and How it Relates to Your Brain
“For ye are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
Many people ask today, “Who is God?” Well, God is in you! And the Old and New Testaments declare it. We only have to make the leap from cultural assumption and literalism to true scriptural interpretation, which is all spiritual. Religion is far removed from this truth, but the spiritual person can easily see it. And it will easily resonate with you if you are one. [Read more…] about Why God is Consciousness and the Mind, and How it Relates to Your Brain
Prophecy, what is it?
Prophecy is a subject that I have never written an article about yet, neither on this blog nor anywhere else. Nor have I thought about it much. At most I addressed it in a few lines in a comment, as a reaction on someone else’s views. It somehow did not speak to me but recently I read a comment on this blog that gave some information about a prophecy of Ezekiel which really gave me food for thought. It also made me realize that there are different kinds of prophecy and wonder what it is all about. Some of these I will address in this article but not all of them as that would go beyond the scope of this article. [Read more…] about Prophecy, what is it?
Lazarus the beggar and the rich man: Understanding Soul Growth and Meaning of Hell
As promised, this post will unveil the esoteric meaning of the beggar Lazarus who died an ended up in Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man died and ended up in what appears to be a description of eternal torment, i.e., hell. Of course the Bible never describes a literal hell in the traditional Christian sense (see part one of this series for more information). The same holds true for the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. [Read more…] about Lazarus the beggar and the rich man: Understanding Soul Growth and Meaning of Hell
The Didache, Clement, Hermes and Marcion: Development of the Modern Church Part 4
This post will continue our series on the development of Christian Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Church. In part three I said I would get to Valentinus and Irenaeus, but that will have to wait for part five. There is too much important information I couldn’t leave out, which we will discuss here first. We’ll be covering the late first century to the mid second century with just a few—albeit very important—events in our attempt to understand the broader movement and developments of Christianity.
It is important that you realize history is always written by the victor. [Read more…] about The Didache, Clement, Hermes and Marcion: Development of the Modern Church Part 4
The Development of Christianity: Part 3
In the first two posts of this series we laid some important groundwork about Paul and Gnosticism. Today I’m going to lay a little more groundwork about the synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of Thomas. This is all necessary before we get into the meat of how Orthodox Christianity and the Early Church formed.
Let’s do a brief recap. [Read more…] about The Development of Christianity: Part 3
How Modern Christianity Developed Part 2
In part one of this series, I spoke about the Jesus that Paul preached. I gave five or six reasons and presented more than a few scriptures to justify that Paul’s Jesus was in fact a mythical Christ that served as a model for deeper revelation. Today’s post will continue unveiling some of Paul’s sayings that point to Gnostic principles. This is important ground work and hopefully it will open many doors of understanding for us when we get into how and why the institutionalized church developed (It’s not all about Constantine). [Read more…] about How Modern Christianity Developed Part 2
A Working Timeline for How Modern Christianity Strayed From Its Origins: Part 1
Since it’s the Holiday season and I’m now off work for a few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the Early Church. I’ve been trying to piece together how early Christianity morphed to provide the framework for today’s Christianity. I’ve wrote about Gnostics and true early Christianity before, but I thought it would be fun to dig in and provide the larger picture for how Christianity started and progressed to what it is today. Of course I’m no scholar, and I’m sure there are a lot of things I will get wrong. But I hope I can provide an interesting timeline with some reasonable evidence to point to a working theory. [Read more…] about A Working Timeline for How Modern Christianity Strayed From Its Origins: Part 1