Within Pt. I

In relation to my first post:

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." -Gospel of Thomas (Nag Hammadi/Gnostic Text)

Firstly, we must analyze what lies within, for truly if the Kingdom can be found there, then it becomes a matter of realization, or better yet, of nurturing this seed within. Perhaps there is to be a weeding out of thorns and thistles which have overgrown it by our own neglect. Either way, it is interesting that our own hands create the end result! Most profound that the same seed residing within, ready to germinate, will either produce salvation or destruction, all dependent on the workings and dealings of our own hands.




True, however, that there is also a balance between the interior and exterior spiritual life which works in relation to one another. Essentially everything gained within, which must always come first, manifests itself in the outward life. If we are claiming to walk on the path, or on higher ground and have not love, charity, compassion, understanding, patience, peace, etc., then we are on the road of self deception and have great need for introspection, and most importantly, change in our life.

We have all heard these attributes, but have they become mere words with no real value or force? It would greatly benefit all of us to take a few moments to ponder each attribute and see if our lives are truly in line with them.

And your enemy, or someone that has wronged you, how do you view and treat him?

“Jesus told us to love our enemy. ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ This teaching helps us know how to look at the person we consider to be the cause of our suffering. If we practice looking deeply into his situation and the causes of how he came to be the way he is now, and if we visualize ourselves as being born in his condition, we may see that we could have become exactly like him. When we do that, compassion arises in us naturally, and we see that the other person is to be helped and not punished. In that moment, our anger transforms itself into the energy of compassion. Suddenly, the one we have been calling our enemy becomes our brother or sister. This is the true teaching of Jesus.” –Thich Nhat Hanh (Living Buddha, Living Christ)

Here it becomes necessary to have a correct understanding of the nature of man. There have been volumes written on this alone, yet for our purposes I shall refrain from a wordy and exhaustive dissertation and present only the essential fundamentals.

There is a duality in man; the natural man (or carnal man) and the spirit of man. Naturally the Kingdom resides within the spirit and not the natural man, for if it were reversed then our highest attainment would be that of a beast, nay, a beast of our own burdens, for truly the natural man is base and given to the limitations, appetites and lusts that plague our current existence in mortality.

In addition to the dual nature in man, there is what is known as intelligence, and this intelligence is without beginning or end. This intelligence is, has always been, and will always be eternal, always known to the gods, uncreated, always existent.

Our spirit is the literal offspring of Deity (both Father and Mother, for where has there ever been born a child without both a Father and a Mother) therefore we are not only gods in embryo but inherently carry the Kingdom within our own design by default. The entire cosmos, the unfathomable all is within this Divine spark that we each carry. The key is knowing how to access, harness and cultivate this spark, thus slowly transforming it into an all consuming fire. As to the how of cultivating this spark, I shall discuss on another post. Now the accessing pertains well to the subject at hand. Know that this access is in all of the human family and is not reserved for any specific faith or discipline. Thus the beauty and universal nature of the Divine, for He truly is not a respecter of persons. I kindly place in the reader’s hands the following verse from Alma (taken from the Scriptures of the Restoration) to demonstrate this:

“For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.”

How glorious that all moral and ethical spiritual paths, faiths and disciplines have for its guide Divine Light! How just and true that the Divine would never abandon any of his children. And how sad for those that point the crooked finger of judgment upon another for not holding to the same set of beliefs as themselves, they are placing themselves in a position of judging none other than the Divine!

I would like to clarify one point before going further. If the verse mentioned above is properly analyzed, one will find the following most enlightening: “all that he seeth fit that they should have”. I mention this due to the force of my previous statement. This verse clearly suggests that different people are on different spheres of understanding (and beliefs) with the knowledge that has been allotted to them, meaning that all that seek and place themselves on a spiritual path are on the road which leads to the Master. However, let there be no ambiguity or confusion to the following statement, let my voice be crystal clear; there are certain requirements placed by the Divine that will need to be satisfied in order to enter into the fullness of the Kingdom. The light of individual revelation shall be made available to all by the Almighty, either of himself or through His servants in order for this to be accomplished. If the Divine makes certain requirements for the complete and total assimilation into the Kingdom, and the uninitiated never has received the knowledge of said requirements, wherein would be the justice of the Divine?

More shall be written as we, together, search these things out. Please remember, it is the application that we are most interested in as we lay out the fundamentals in spirituality.

Part II will be up shortly.

Be Well. Be Still. Be One.

Peace & Blessings.

I have not yet posted any experiences, insights, applications or meditations in reference to the original post, namely:


"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."
-Gospel of Thomas (Nag Hammadi/Gnostic Text)


I do, however, wish to add upon said subject matter before making any comments. There is very little that can be gained when things are done in haste, therefore, I would humbly ask for your patience. Inner truth can only come from deep meditation, meaningful contemplation and individual revelation. No matter how much time has been allotted to it in the past, the present moment can always shine new light to an already 'self mastered' truth.


"The divine strain hums all around us, yet we are of so gross a nature that we hear it not! Only by entering into the divine silence and closing our ears to the world of illusions can we catch the celestial melody, or else we are but yielding to the illusions of our imagination and reaping bitter misery. The discovery of 'self ' is first of all an act of inward retirement; it is what is termed the going in. ..
Then the outward universe withdraws and fades away as does the most beautiful scenery when the play is too dramatic, but soon we experience the joy of the revelation; the universe is now no longer an object outside of ourselves, an enigma to be solved; we no longer contemplate it from without, but from within. Its secret is our secret. This discovery, far from causing us a sense of misery, becomes a source of confidence and of light and we soon begin to suffer when we refuse to draw from this well! So then, after having lived long in the world as a stranger, he who takes refuge in solitude perceives a new world welcoming him, an by an by obtains the direct perception of superior planes."

"God speaks to the ears of every heart, but it is not every heart that hears him; nevertheless, he who seeks, finds-sooner or later-and to everyone is given the meeting he deserves. It is the destiny of every being to germinate in the dark-as the germ of wheat-and to die in the light. But this death, far from being an annihilation, is in reality 'a new birth'!

-The Path of the Masters, Radha Soami Satsang Beas



"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

-Jesus the Christ



"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Partha, when a man gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness."
-Bhagavad Gita



"Discussing God is not the best use of our energy. If we touch the Holy Spirit, we touch God not as a concept but as a living reality. In Buddhism, we never talk about nirvana, because nirvana means the extinction of all notions, concepts, and speech. We practice by touching mindfulness in ourselves through sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, and so on. We observe and learn to handle our body, breathing, feelings, mental states, and consciousness. Living mindfully, shining the light of our awareness on everything we do, we touch the Buddha, and our mindfulness grows."

-Thich Nhat Hanh



Quotes can easily be endless. The last thing we want is to only entertain such beautiful truth instead of becoming one with them through application and practice. There have been countless sages, prophets, teachers, gurus and finally Masters throughout the aeon's. Attempting to mention more than a handful becomes redundant. No matter what the discipline, universal truth embodied within the Divine stands at the head. We, as children, literal offspring of the Divine Father and Mother, whose eyes have seen and ears have heard, have the great honor, privilege, duty and responsibility of gathering all that is truth, circumscribing it to the one great whole that it truly is, and in this realizing God(s) while living on this earth.


Be Well, Be One.
Peace & Blessings.

Meditation; Lord गणेश - Gaṇeśa

Greetings.
This space if for seekers of living truth. I use the term "living" due to the desired content of this page. Stagnant dogmas, rigid theologies and dead philosophies are exactly what I am trying to avoid. Application of truth(s) is what I wish to present, receive, dissect and ultimately apply. Anything that cannot be applied to our every day life is but kindling for the flames of vanity.
All world views are anticipated as well as encouraged, whether they be esoteric and or exoteric.
"Opposing" views are welcome if they are presented in non-judgment and tolerance of others. However, if you wish to "debate" then this is not the place for you and I would most kindly leave you with the following:

"But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." -Paul's Letter to the Corinthians

"A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul" -Proverbs

"Do not think the knowledge you presently posses is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non attachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints." -Order of Interbeing

Again, the desire is to share, receive and apply all universal truths (no matter their origin) that will help elevate each individual to a new level of progression as a human and spiritual being.

I pray we can learn from each other having an open mind, a humble heart and an understanding spirit for the spiritual feast that can very well be laid before us.

I now leave you with a thought that I hope will get this banquet started. Please feel free to add your thoughts, comments and experiences in respect to the quotes in red. I will do the same shortly.

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." -Gospel of Thomas (Nag Hammadi/Gnostic Text)