Upon the mountain
“Jesus and the twelve went to the mountain top” (Aquarian Gospel 95:1).
In all religions with a solar orientation–seeking expansion of consciousness and continual upward evolution–mountain tops are favorite places of worship and contemplation. In India the entire Himalayan Mountain Range is revered as the best place for yoga practice, and as the age-long dwelling-place of great masters of the spiritual life. Although this is a historical narrative it has a great symbolic message. Not just Jesus, but his disciples as well, had to be in exalted consciousness to receive and assimilate his teachings. This is why three years of constant travel and teaching throughout Israel culminated in very little of lasting worth. The people were not evil or stupid, they just were not in the right state of consciousness to “hear” the words of Jesus. This is why yoga is so crucial. Without the development produced by yoga it is impossible to comprehend even the alphabet of spiritual life.
Apostles
“And Jesus said, Twelve pillars of the church, apostles of the Christ; light-bearers of the sun of life and ministers of God to men” (Aquarian Gospel 95:2).
In these words Jesus defines what an apostle really is. But if we think about it, it is also a definition of a true Christian (Christine). So we should examine them in that light, considering if this is reflected in us who claim to be his disciples.
Pillars of the church. The Church of Christ is not an external institution set up in the manner of political and economic enterprises (though many false churches certainly are), but rather is a free association of spiritual seekers who consider themselves disciples of Jesus. You cannot “join” the Church, which is a spiritual entity, but you can be incorporated into it through the Sacraments, much as a person is born into a family. Baptism, Confirmation and the Mass are rituals which produce very real and intentional changes in the Christian initiate. Participation in the Divine Life imparted through them imparts a continual infusion of the Christ Life to the initiates, for it is Jesus who operates in the Sacraments, though they are administered by human ministers. It takes a marked degree of spiritual development to maintain the life of the Church in the way Jesus intended, and very few spiritual groups have managed to do so. Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world” and “I am not of this world” (John 18:36; 8:23). The Church, then, cannot possibly be an earthly “kingdom” that way the Churchians want it. In the West we not only cannot accept this, we denounce it as impossible, but the three great religions of the East, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, prove it to be very possible.
To be a pillar of the Church is to be a living influence for spiritual upliftment to the community of believers–not to be a taker but a giver, not to depend on “God’s representatives” but to be a representative of Christ oneself.
Apostles of the Christ. To be a pillar of the Church is to be a living influence for spiritual upliftment to the community of believers–not to be a taker but a giver, not to depend on “God’s representatives” but to be a representative of Christ oneself, an Apostle.
Light-bearers of the sun of life. Filled with the Divine Light through the Christ-Life, a true Christian bears that light into the world. That is why Jesus said: “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
Ministers of God to men. This is a ministry to which all Christians are called–not to annoy people through aggressive propagandizing, but through radiating that divine Presence. As Swami Sivananda said: Be Good, Do Good. First we must be what we should be, then we can help others do the same.
Apostleship
“In just a little while you must go forth alone, and preach the gospel of the king, first to the Jews and then to all the world” (Aquarian Gospel 95:3).
Go forth alone. Few things are as damaging as dependency in any area of life, including the spiritual. For this reason, Swami Sivananda often told a person who had been staying with him for two or three months: “Now I have told you everything you need to know to attain liberation; so go somewhere and make something of yourself on your own.” This is real empowerment of the individual.
Therefore, having been taught carefully by Jesus, his disciples will be sent by him to help others as they have been helped. Jesus was not like one contemporary Indian guru in the West about whom a friend of mine remarked: “He has slaves, not disciples.” Rather, Jesus give them confidence in his message and his inner awakening of them, and sent them forth, saying: “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
Preach the gospel of the king. The Gospel is not about a kingdom, a place–and certainly not about somewhere power over others is exercised. Rather it is the gospel of the King: Satchidananda Brahman. And Brahman is Infinite Reality, Infinite Consciousness, and Infinite Bliss–in other words, our own Divine Self. The only true gospel is the way to attain Self-realization. Everything else is empty philosophy and speculation. As God said through the prophet: “My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). Only the search for Divine Conscious is the search for God. Everything else is emptiness and death.
First to the Jews and then to all the world. There is an order in these matters. For centuries the Hebrew people had been praying for the advent of the Messiah, while the rest of the world knew nothing about the promised one. Naturally they would be the first to be told when the many prophecies were fulfilled. For this reason the apostles first preached to the people of Israel and went throughout the Mediterranean world seeking out the Jews in diaspora and telling them of the promised fulfilled. Then they turned their attention to the rest of the known world, going as far as India and–after the days of the direct apostles–even into China.
The message for us is that we should first concern ourselves with those who are prepared for the truths of the spirit, who already know of higher life and consciousness, even if only in theory. Without some background or some degree of inner awakening, it is impossible for anyone to understand, much less accept, higher truths. This fact should be the guide of those who seek to uplift others through speaking to them of the eternal verities. There is no point in wasting our time in a hopeless endeavor, no matter how noble or worthy it may be.
Motivation
“And you shall go, not with a scourge of cords to drive; you cannot drive men to the king; but you shall go in love and helpfulness and lead the way to right and light. Go forth and say, The kingdom is at hand” (Aquarian Gospel 95:4-6).
One day I went into the business section of the small town where I was attending college. Suddenly I saw a woman marching down the walk toward me. She had a sheaf of what turned out to be fundamentalist Protestant literature. She was shoving one in each person’s hand as she barked at them with a sour, hostile face: “MAKE A DECISION FOR CHRIST!!!” I thought: “Who would want your religion?” Then one block later I saw an elderly lady standing by a folding table that held religious magazines. She was smiling radiantly and lovingly at everyone that passed, very ineffectually offering them a magazine. She was saying something, but so softly I never heard it even when I was right in front of her. No one was paying any attention to her, but I stopped and said: “I would like one of those,” so she handed it to me, smiled even more blessedly, and quietly said: “God bless you.” I went on, knowing that God had blessed me–through her. What a difference in approach and effect.
How terrible that in the name of Jesus people try to coerce others into “accepting” his message. They promise reward and threaten punishment to force people to “believe.” Few are those that lovingly and quietly open the door and leave it up to their hearers to pass through or not. And first of all they demonstrate what they teach by living it out in their lives and showing that it really works. They let people know that the kingdom is right at hand for the entering, but they leave them free to choose to enter or pass on. Otherwise only hypocrites and frightened cowards will populate their churches.
The worthies
Now Levi Dowling’s spiritual clairvoyance relays to us the fully accurate teaching of Jesus in what are popularly called the Beatitudes, “the Blesseds.” Here we see that Jesus really was speaking of those that are worthy. I am sure that the word he was thinking of was the Sanskrit term adhikari, that occurs often in the practical spiritual texts of India. A Brief Sanskrit Glossary defines adhikari as “an eligible or qualified person; a worthy person; implying both fitness and capability.” So Jesus is telling us what are the necessary spiritual qualifications for entering into and possessing the kingdom of God within. Being a purely spiritual state of being, only spiritual development enables us to attain and live in it.
Strong in spirit
“Worthy are the strong in spirit; theirs the kingdom is” (Aquarian Gospel 95:7).
Our English word “virtue” comes from the Latin “virtus” which means power. Morality is not something arbitrarily demanded by a dictatorial deity, as most religions think, but rather a mode of thought and deed that empowers us. Celibacy is a prime example. Through the years I have heard uncomprehending people speak of “sex power,” but they did not realize that sex power expressed is by nature depletion of power. As the Talmud says: “There is a small organ in the human body which is always hungry if one tries to satisfy it, and always satisfied if one starves it.” And Gandhi wrote: “The scientists of old have put great value upon the vital fluid and they have insisted upon its strong transmutation into the highest form of energy for the benefit of society.” Gandhi was not alone in his opinion. Plato, Leonardo daVinci, George Bernard Shaw, Sir Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Freud held–and practiced–the same principle. Those who feel the same way are therefore in the company of the great.
Freud taught that neurasthenia, a nervous disorder popularly known as “nervous breakdown,” could be caused by frequent sexual activity. It is not commonly (and inconveniently) known, but Sigmund Freud was a strict celibate. He held the opinion (based on personal experience and observation) that sexual activity was incompatible with the accomplishing of any great work. Since he felt that the great work of creating and establishing psychotherapy was his destiny, he told his wife that they could no longer engage in sexual relations. From the age of forty until his death Freud was absolutely celibate “in order to sublimate the libido for creative purposes,” according to his biographer Ernest Jones.
Strength of spirit is absolutely necessary for those seeking to succeed in the true alchemy of transmuting the “base metal” of human consciousness into the “gold” of Divine Consciousness. Morality and self-discipline make us strong. Therefore the yogic principles of Yama and Niyama are adopted by those who wish to succeed in the quest for union with the Divine.
Meek
“Worthy are the meek; they shall possess the land” (Aquarian Gospel 95:8).
We are to be strong, but not arrogant bullies. In fact, we are not to be using any force or pressure to get others to act in accordance with our ideas. We are to be firm and clear in our thought and deed, and there is no reason why we cannot speak calmly and intelligently to others about our position. But we must not impose on anyone. If a person does not have freedom to be foolish he will not be free to be wise. I have seen this over and over in India, where moral busybodiness is virtually unknown. Therefore real virtue can be readily found in that land. Meekness being a virtue, the meek shall actually be strong and therefore shall “possess the land” in the sense of being in total control of their life. Leaving others alone, the wise man is in perfect control of himself and cannot be coerced by others. That is his secret.
Hungry and thirsty
“Worthy they who hunger and thirst for right; they shall be satisfied” (Aquarian Gospel 95:9).
“Right” is not just correct thinking and behavior, it is the awareness of truth on all levels and the corresponding mode of life that reflects truth at all time. This is the true wisdom (jnana) that alone liberates the mind and intellect from their delusions. Those who both know the divine purpose and conform to it alone can be at peace and fulfilled. They alone are truly satisfied and not just drugged with illusion.
Merciful
“Worthy are the merciful; and mercy shall be shown to them” (Aquarian Gospel 95:10).
What we sow, that we reap. Although mercy is spoken of here we can apply the principle to anything.
Mastery
“Worthy they who gain the mastery of self; they have the key of power” (Aquarian Gospel 95:11).
This is a far cry from the groveling before God and whining that we are poor, miserable sinners, prone to evil by nature and nothing but dust, which Churchianity wishes to brainwash us into. Jesus is telling us that we can master every aspect of our being, and that when we do so all power will be ours to ascend to our divine destiny as heirs of the kingdom. Remember: the kingdom of God is not creation or some heavenly place, the but very consciousness of God Himself. Attainment of this alone is entering the kingdom of God and becoming a Son of God.
Pure
“Worthy are the pure in heart; and they shall see the king” (Aquarian Gospel 95:12).
When the inner consciousness is cleared of all shadows, all taints, then the individual sees God, because he is himself divine by nature.
Maligned and wronged
“Worthy they who are maligned and wronged because they do the right; their persecutors they shall bless” (Aquarian Gospel 95:13).
Going against the current of “the world” is sure to bring about slander and even persecution by those who live in and for the dark. There is no way to placate those inimical to spiritual aspiration, because it is a matter of vibration going far deeper than mere surface actions. Jesus says that this is a sign of being in the upward stream of evolution. Those who persevere in pursuing higher life and consciousness bless their opponents in two ways: they pray for and consciously bless them; and by merely thinking of those aspirants the persecutors begin to be attuned to them and start absorbing some of their positive energies. In time–even if not until a future life–they will be rescued from their negativity and also enter the upward path.
Trustful
“Worthy is the trustful child of faith; he shall sit in the throne of power” (Aquarian Gospel 95:14).
Jesus said: “All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). And: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). True faith is not mere belief or hope, but a profound intuition based on both past experience and the opening of inner awareness. This is especially true of the faithful meditator. Right meditation cannot but unfold the yogi’s inner powers and consciousness.
Be glad
“Be not discouraged when the world shall persecute and call you curst; but rather be exceeding glad. The prophets and the seers, and all the good of earth, have been maligned. If you are worthy of the crown of life you will be slandered, vilified and curst on earth. Rejoice when evil men shall drive you from their ways and cause your name to be a hiss and by-word in the street” (Aquarian Gospel 95:15-18).
This material universe is the lowest of all worlds. Even the astral hells are superior to it because those who are temporarily there know exactly why they are there, whereas most people have no understanding of why they are here, so they invent foolish and dangerous reasons they then live out, and ultimately harm themselves and perpetuate the cycle of ignorant births in the earth plane. Actually it takes a degree of spiritual evolution to go to hell. Most people fall asleep and come to when their mother gives birth to them.
Ignorant this world may be, but on the subconscious level there is great perversion and evil conditioning. Consequently those who deny the value of this world’s ways, and begin cultivating the consciousness that will free them from future rebirths, set up vibrations in complete conflict with “normal” life and thought. Most people will not be aware of this, but a goodly number will, and they will react with shock, outrage, anger, hatred and/or malice and will actively engage in opposing those that seek a higher life. Persecution results in the degree to which the aspirant’s karma leaves them open. Sometimes it is merely petty, verbal abuse, but it often goes beyond that and there are attempts to suppress them, bring some form of injury to them, and even to kill them. History bears this out. Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, said to the religious leaders: “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?” (Acts 7:52). And they killed him for saying it. Of course the pinnacle of evil was the murder of Jesus by those who not only should have known better, but did know better. Every religion and every nation of this earth has seen the same thing throughout their recorded history.
Unlike false religionists that promise people earth and (after death) heaven, and all “good things,” Jesus taught the truth that those who are succeeding in spiritual life will be disliked, hated and opposed to some degree. Saint Paul simply said: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12). So we have to be ready for it, but we should not fear it. Even more to the point, intense meditation often dissolves our “persecution karma” and we live outwardly in peace most of the time, and inwardly all the time. As Jesus said to his disciples: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
In sum: when negative people dislike you–and of course accuse you of being negative–be glad, give thanks to God and keep right on, happy and confident. After a while you will have left them behind and be in peace.
However…
“I say, rejoice; but deal in mercy with the doers of the wrong; they are but children at their play; they know not what they do. Rejoice not over fallen foes. As you help men rise from the depth of sin, so God will help you on to greater heights” (Aquarian Gospel 95:19, 20).
It is essential that we cultivate a positive attitude and response to our opponents, realizing that the divine spirit lives in them as much as in the greatest Masters. God’s life is living in them. They are ignorant and self-destructive, therefore they need mercy. We should always send thoughts of love and healing to them, for in previous lives we were just like them, otherwise we would not be having “persecution karma” now. We can bless them and pray for them, and they will be helped. I have seen this in many instances, even witnessing those who hated spiritual seekers coming to love them and themselves become seekers. But it took a lot of “blood, sweat, toil and tears,” so do not expect overnight transformation–though it is possible. So sow “blessing karma” always and you will be blessed by those both beneath and above you on the evolutionary ladder.
The other side of things
Jesus has told us those things that make us worthy and strong in spiritual life. Now he is going to list what will make us unworthy and weak–even spiritual deadened. He is not pointing the finger and condemning, but warning us who strive upward in the spirit so we will not be hindered in our endeavor.
Wealth and possessions
“Woe to the rich in gold and lands; they have temptations multiform” (Aquarian Gospel 95:21).
Jesus’ grandfather, Saint Joachim, was the richest man in Israel, and after his death Saint Anna became the richest woman in Israel, and after her death Jesus’ mother became the richest woman in Israel. Jesus was not “the lowly carpenter” of popular imagination. He came from a family of wealthy saints. So why would he speak the words of this verse? He spoke from his knowledge of human nature: it is the way of human beings to get caught and possessed by possessions.
Here was Saint Joachim’s “prosperity plan”: Every year he calculated his present total wealth–not just profit from the previous year. He then divided it into three equal parts. One part was given to the poor and those who needed assistance. One part was given to the Essene religious centers. One part he kept for himself and his family. He did this every year, and his wealth increased yearly. This is not an impossible or cracked idea. One of my most valued spiritual friends came from a very wealthy family, but married a man who became an incorrigible alcoholic. Though without any financial experience she realized that she would have to support herself and her husband. (He had a monthly income, but spent every bit of it on alcohol.) So she started a small business in the small town in which they lived. From its beginning, here was her financial plan: All gross income (not net) was divided into two equal parts. One part was God’s, and she gave it directly to religious institutions. The other part was hers, but she took out a tenth of that and gave it to religious organizations. The rest was for her and her husband. She did not become wealthy–mostly because she did a tremendous amount of legal work on behalf of destitute people, including some Native American tribes that had been shamelessly cheated of their land and assets. But she did survive and never needed for anything. If I ever met a person in my life that was “blessed” in the sense of the Beatitudes it was Bobbie Edwards, and I am blessed to write this in her memory. Both Saint Joachim and my friend knew the truth: “In the hand of God is the prosperity of man” (Ecclesiasticus 10:5). But those who do not know this have nothing but anxiety and harm from whatever they have, whether much or little.
There is no end to the troubles of those who have or accumulate much and keep it for themselves. The Dead Sea is dead because water flows into it, but nothing flows out. Consequently it is so salty that nothing can live in it. So dense is the water that people who cannot swim are able float in it without danger of sinking. And when they emerge from the water they find themselves encrusted with salt. There is nothing wrong in having wealth, but holding on to it selfishly is the problem. Neither of the two people I have mentioned gave everything away, and they did not live in poverty. But they did give half to two-thirds away. If helping others in some form is not done, the minds of those with wealth become obsessed with it and become literally possessed by their possessions. Anyone who has much experience with “rich kids” know that money seems to drain any real personality away from them, leaving them vapid and void of purpose. Often if they are not obnoxious, greedy and selfish they are invisible. Their parents are often the same, but even more tangled, and it is almost a tradition that rich parents either neglect or ruin their children. They especially like to ship them away, often to expensive schools in Europe (especially Switzerland, for some reason) for “problem children,” so they will not have to deal with them. It is supremely tragic.
On the other hand, truly spiritual-oriented people are just the opposite, and not only are not hindered by their possessions, but make progress in things of the spirit. For example, two of Yogananda’s three most advanced male disciples were multimillionaires. One of them told me how it was his yoga practice that enabled him to make tens of millions of dollars at at time. He had just concluded a transaction that had netted him sixty million dollars, and that was incidental to his other financial successes. He was a powerful yogi, and at that time surely the most advanced yogi in America. Though a financial genius, he was completely normal person, emanating kindness and concern for others.
In conclusion I would like to point out that “upper middle class” people often suffer in the same way because, not being wealthy, they think they need give nothing to others. This is a grave mistake.
Earthly pleasure
“Woe unto men who walk at will in pleasure’s paths; their ways are full of snares and dangerous pits” (Aquarian Gospel 95:22).
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John, wrote of those who “sweetly drink in their death” through the pursuit and indulgence of pleasure. Frankly, I cannot think of where to start explaining the ultimate miseries of pleasure-seeking. When Jesus speaks of “pleasure” he is not speaking of ordinary enjoyment, but the addiction to sensual experience that blinds us to higher life.
The Bhagavad Gita tells us: “When senses touch objects the pleasures therefrom are like wombs that bear sorrow. They begin, they are ended: they bring no delight to the wise. Already, here on earth, before his departure, let man be the master of every impulse lust-begotten or fathered by anger: thus he finds Brahman, thus he is happy. Only that yogi whose joy is inward, inward his peace, and his vision inward shall come to Brahman and know Nirvana” (Bhagavad Gita 5:22-24). Of course those who are not interested in nirvana (moksha: liberation) will not find any sense in this. And as a consequence they will sow the seeds of ignorance, addiction and suffering. Then at the end of life they are just a heap of ashes with regrets and frustrating memories of that which cannot be repeated. They prove the truth of the prophet Ezekiel’s declaration: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), said Saint Paul.
Now this is not a threat or condemnation of “sinners” but a stating of simple fact, a merciful warning: there are actions that dull and even kill the consciousness of a human being. As the Bhagavad Gita further says: “The evil-doers turn not toward me: these are deluded, sunk low among mortals. Their judgment is lost in the maze of Maya, until the heart is human no longer: changed within to the heart of a devil” (Bhagavad Gita 7:15). This is definitely true, though tragic. All my life I have seen people devastating their lives through the pursuit of enjoyment and “the good things of life” that like serpents only sting and kill them.
A cousin of mine lived heedlessly and indulgently, mocking religion and any idea of self-control. After some decades she wrote a pathetic letter to one of our aunts begging her to teach her how to pray, because she felt her life was fading away. Before the aunt could reply the message came: she was dead.
In the early days of television, visits from the repairman were often needed. One afternoon my father brought home an elderly man to look at our set. When he was done, he noticed the organ at one end of the room and asked my father play it for him. My father started playing a hymn, and the man (who had a history of heart attacks) stopped him and said: “You can save that for when I am ‘laid out.’” Within the week he was “laid out.” He lived and died unaware of the only reality: God.
Fortunately life is eternal, and such people will return to this world again and again until their innate spiritual consciousness will awaken. But how much suffering will be endured until then in experiences that will leave heavy scars (samskaras) in their inner minds, scars that will hinder them from that awakening. Just as scar tissue has no feeling, just so scarred minds and hearts are “dead” to the higher realities of the spirit. So they are subject to the “snares and pits” Jesus speaks of.
Pride
“Woe to the proud; they stand upon a precipice; destruction waits for them” (Aquarian Gospel 95:23).
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” said the book of Psalms (16:18). Few things are as self-destructive as pride. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is all about the way pride leads to utter disaster, at first seeming to gain benefit, power and security, and then crumbling into nothing. The Nazi movement is a classic example of political arrogance, as are the many empires of world history. The English poet Shelley wrote about this phenomenon in his poem “Ozymandias.”
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Those that visit the ruins of such empires and cultures fail to grasp the lesson: “Woe to the proud; they stand upon a precipice; destruction waits for them.” This is as true of individuals as of groups and nations.
Greed
“Woe to the man of greed; for what he has is not his own; and lo, another comes; his wealth is gone” (Aquarian Gospel 95:24).
Greed is folly for many reasons, ego being the root, but it is also disregard of simple fact: nothing can ever be ours. For a time we may possess and control or use something, but it must eventually be lost to us, for we are spiritual beings in essence, not material, and the fact that this world is ever-changing ensures that nothing can be permanent for us. We suffer from this until we learn the real facts of life–of spirit–and cease to scramble after that which we can never have permanently and which will torment us with anxiety for its maintenance as long as we have it. Presently we must become involved with material things to some degree, but we must also right from the beginning understand their ephemeral nature and be prepared for their loss or dissolution, being grateful for the time we do have them, and making sure we do not exploit or misuse them.
Hypocrisy
“Woe to the hypocrite; his form is fair to look upon; his heart is filled with carcasses and dead men’s bones” (Aquarian Gospel 95:25).
Hypocrisy is so common and so destructive and painful in its effects that I do not think anyone in the world who has lived very long is not aware of it and loathes it–except for the hypocrites, of course. Deception and manipulation is its purpose. Surely nothing is more truly from the “father of lies” (John 8:44) than hypocrisy.
Cruelty and vengefulness
“Woe to the cruel and relentless man; he is himself the victim of his deeds. The evil he would do to other men rebounds; the scourger is the scourged” (Aquarian Gospel 95:26, 27).
“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52). The malicious and violent, the persecutor, shall find himself undergoing all he does (or attempts to do) to others. Here, as in the foregoing, we see that essentially evil is moral stupidity and folly.
Oppression and manipulation
“Woe to the libertine who preys upon the virtues of the weak. The hour comes when he will be the weak, the victim of a libertine of greater power” (Aquarian Gospel 95:28).
Those who bamboozle the weak and foolish into carrying out their evil wishes shall in turn become slaves of those more cunning than they. Back and forth they go from being victimizer or victim. This is a terrible cycle that is hard to break, as past life recall often demonstrates. Victims are often victimizers in training, that is why they put up with such horrid treatment and abuse: they are awaiting their own turn at the torture chamber. Often we worry over and feel sorrow for them, but our emotional reaction is mistaken. We should bless them and go on, knowing that they will have to learn the painful lesson without interference from us. They know what they are doing. If they are not incorrigible, then our blessing and good will can work to their benefit. But we should not torment ourselves over them.
Praise from the world
“Woe unto you when all the world shall speak in praise of you. The world speaks not in praise of men who live within the Holy Breath; It speaks in praise of prophets false, and of illusions base” (Aquarian Gospel 95:29).
Elsewhere in the Aquarian Gospel Jesus states the there is a direct correlation between the foolishness and negativity of something and its praise and valuation by the world. When Jesus speaks of “the world” he does not mean the natural world which is a manifestation of God, but the artificial, delusive and destructive “world” of human ignorance and society in general. Saint John the Beloved Disciple wrote the following about the rift between those that are of the spirit and those that are of “the world.”
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (I John 4:4-6). Not very “inclusive” or “non-judgmental,” but very true.
Salt of the earth, light of the world
“You men who walk in Holy Breath are salt, the salt of earth; but if you lose your virtue you are salt in name alone, worth nothing more than dust. And you are light; are called to light the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid; its lights are seen afar; and while you stand upon the hills of life men see your light and imitate your works and honor God” (Aquarian Gospel 95:30-32).
This is a great calling indeed. If we will uncover our true spirit-self which is light, then we will be a light in the world. But if we offer only theology and mummery, we will be part of the world’s darkness.
In the open, in the light
“Men do not light a lamp and hide it in a cask; they put it on a stand that it may light the house. You are the lamps of God; must not stand in the shade of earth illusions, but in the open, high upon the stand” (Aquarian Gospel 95:33, 34).
For two thousand years those that have had a wider and deeper esoteric and mystical understanding of Jesus’ teachings have been told to keep quiet and not “confuse” people of lesser understanding with the truth. But the truth in its fulness was all Jesus had to offer. Buddha said that anyone who denied that he taught what he did teach or claimed that he taught something he did not teach was not his friend. It is the same with Jesus. There is not a “secret, inner” teaching in Christianity: Christianity itself is the public teaching of what heretofore was secret.
Saint Matthew declares that Jesus came “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35). And Jesus himself told his disciples: “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). Contemporary Christianity is mostly fabrication and mythology about both Jesus and his teachings, which is why the Aquarian Gospel is of such tremendous value. And those that would be true disciples of Jesus must openly and uncompromisingly teach the truth about Jesus and his true Gospel, both which are totally esoteric in nature.
Fulfillment
“I am not come to nullify the law, nor to destroy; but to fulfil. The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms were written in the wisdom of the Holy Breath and cannot fail” (Aquarian Gospel 95:35, 36).
There is no doubt that in past ages various revelations were given which were truth, but not the whole truth. The purpose was to begin leading people toward the truth. Those who followed the truth they knew were given more truth to follow, and again they were given more. Jesus was the pinnacle of these various messengers. He told the entire truth of God in fulfillment, but later generations conspired to suppress his truth and substitute their own falsehood which they called truth. Sometimes this was done in sincere misunderstanding and ignorance, and sometimes it was done consciously and cold-bloodedly with a desire to deceive and manipulate others.
Destiny
“The heavens and earth that are will change and pass away; the word of God is sure; it cannot pass until it shall accomplish that where-unto it hath been sent” (Aquarian Gospel 95:37). Grains of wheat over a thousand years old were discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. When they were sown, they sprouted and grew into healthy plants. In the same way, the divine law, the divine truth, however long it languishes, will grow in vigor in the hearts of men when it is brought forth into the light of day. Truth never changes, it abides forever. The old adage is true: Truth Will Out.
The law about the Law
“Whoever disregards the law of God and teaches men to do the same, becomes a debtor unto God and cannot see his face until he has returned and paid his debt by sacrifice of life. But he who hearkens unto God and keeps his law and does his will on earth, shall rule with Christ” (Aquarian Gospel 95:38, 39).
If we have denied the truth and turned others from it, we must compensate for that by dedicating our life to spreading the truth. This is the “sacrifice of life” Jesus means, not physical death, though sometimes, as in the case of Saint Paul, that is required. Those who keep and share the law of Christ shall reign with him, having themselves also became a Christ as did he. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21).
Esoteric insight is necessary
“The scribes and Pharisees regard the letter of the law; they cannot comprehend the spirit of the law; and if your righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of scribe and Pharisee you cannot come into the kingdom of the soul” (Aquarian Gospel 95:X).
Many times people learn words or sentences in a language they do not know. So although they “speak” the language, they have no idea what they are saying. For example, when Coca-Cola was introduced into Japan, the slogan that was being used everywhere in the world was: “Coke adds life.” Apparently the Japanese advertising company Coca-Cola hired did not have a staff that completely understood English, because all the billboards said in Japanese: “Coke brings your ancestors back from the dead!” Words are not enough. Understanding is required; and that understanding is fully esoteric, mystical. So the outer husk of the seed of truth is not enough; the inner life must manifest in us. Otherwise we cannot find our way into the world of the spirit and know the truth that itself is spirit. For Jesus said: “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
Inner character
“It is not what man does that gives him right to enter through the gates; his pass word is his character and his desire is his character. The letter of the law deals with the acts of man; the spirit of the law takes note of his desires” (Aquarian Gospel 95:42, 43).
Only those who aspire to live in God, and know God and be known by Him (I Corinthians 13:12), will succeed in entering the Gate of Life. For as God told Samuel: “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). Those who seek God shall find God–nothing less. For David (Psalms 37:4) sang: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”–God Himself, who told Abraham: “I am thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1).