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Chapter One Hundred Eleven

Hoffman's portrait of ChristPart 123 of the Aquarian Gospel for Awakening

And Jesus taught the multitudes; and while he spoke a man stood forth and said, Rabboni, hear my plea: My father died and left a large estate; my brother seized it all, and now refuses me my share. I pray that you will bid him do the right, and give what is mine. And Jesus said, I am not come to be a judge in such affairs; I am no henchman of the court. (Aquarian Gospel 111:1-4)

There is no doubt that ethics which enable us to act in a right way are very important, yet a religion or philosophy that only concentrates on right and wrong activity (and maybe a bit on right and wrong thought) is only of value to those who have not yet awakened inwardly and opened that level of spiritual intuition that includes what we call the conscience. A person perfect in ethics still is subject to illusion, birth and death. What he needs is a higher form of religion: the path to the realization of his own divine Self and God, the Self of his Self.

Christianity has become degraded into a system of Do This; Do Not Do That, and Believe This; Do Not Believe That. Jesus certainly knew what was right, but he did not come to speak in a elementary way that his hearers had already heard, even if they had not heeded it. Jesus came to tell people that they had one problem: ignorance of themselves and God; and that their one problem had one solution: knowledge of themselves and God. This is the Path of the Masters, the pathway to God. There is a lot of talk in some religions about loving God, but how can we love someone we do not know?

In my early teens I saw a remarkable series that was broadcast by an interdenominational church association early on Sunday mornings. In it, Saint Paul suddenly just materialized outside a town and began encountering what people thought was Christianity but was childish superstition. At one point Saint Paul gave a group of people little images that they all cooed and oohed over and caressed like a little girl with her baby doll. They were all feeling so happy and, yes, even fulfilled, when Saint Paul knocked the tiny idols out of their hands and told them: “None of that is God. They are only your ideas of God which you love because you love your egos! Turn to God and leave this all behind!”

So what we need is very simple: the experience of God which includes knowing God. And the way to that is simple: yoga meditation.

God sent me not to force a man to do the right. In every man there is a sense of right; but many men regard it not. The fumes that rise from selfishness have formed a crust about their sense of right that veils their inner light, so that they cannot comprehend nor recognize the rights of other men. This veil you cannot tear away by force of arms, and there is naught that can dissolve this crust but knowledge and love of God. (Aquarian Gospel 111:5-8)

God sent me not to force a man to do the right. Consider how coercive traditional forms of Christianity have been for two thousand years. Hell and damnation is the fuel they run on. But Jesus says he had not come for anything like that. God does not want prisoners or slaves, he wants sons of God that seek him because they want to know him. They do not need to be promised anything else and cajoled or threatened into seeking God. His truly awakened children cannot be stopped from seeking him!

In every man there is a sense of right; but many men regard it not. The essential nature of each person is a divine spirit, and the true heart of each person is like the compass needle that always points north. Every single person knows in a deep inner level what needs to be done. But just as the compass will not point north if it gets clogged or covered over with mud, so each of us must purify himself so our inmost heart can feel and respond to God. Meditation basically is purification and attunement. When the right degree of purification and attunement is attained, then the path to God lies clearly before us. Until then even God does not expect human beings to know and do the right. That is what divine mercy is all about. As Saint Teresa of Avila said, God’s justice is his understanding of us.

The fumes that rise from selfishness have formed a crust about their sense of right that veils their inner light, so that they cannot comprehend nor recognize the rights of other men. This being so, we should not expect people to even care about, much less seek, God.

This veil you cannot tear away by force of arms, and there is naught that can dissolve this crust but knowledge and love of God. And that knowledge and love is realized by each person for himself. No one else can do it for us, nor can anyone adequately motivate us. Spiritual life is totally self-initiated because is really an expression of our nature. Like the sun behind thick clouds, it need only be revealed and permitted to shine.

While men are in the mire, the skies seem far away; when men are on the mountain top, the skies are near, and they can almost touch the stars.

Then Jesus turned and to the twelve he said, Behold the many in the mire of carnal life! The leaven of truth will change the miry clay to solid rock, and men can walk and find the path that leads up to the mountain top. You cannot haste; but you can scatter forth this leaven with a generous hand. When men have learned the truth that bears upon its face the law of right, then they will haste to give every man his dues (Aquarian Gospel 111:9-13)

While men are in the mire, the skies seem far away; when men are on the mountain top, the skies are near, and they can almost touch the stars. Often external things and situations are reflections of our own minds and predispositions. The most obvious is the childish habit of saying that something is objectively and absolutely good merely because we like it. We project our ideas and experience on the object rather than see it in its true nature. So here Jesus is saying that when our consciousness is mired in materiality and ignorance, the heights of heaven, the high levels of consciousness, seem far away and impossible to attain. But when our consciousness has risen and become freed from materiality then we feel that higher consciousness and ascent to the higher evolutionary planes is absolutely possible. We could express it another way: When mired in the mud, faith is weak or absent; when we have ascended in consciousness, faith really is: “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Then Jesus turned and to the twelve he said, Behold the many in the mire of carnal life! The leaven of truth will change the miry clay to solid rock, and men can walk and find the path that leads up to the mountain top. This is marvelously optimistic; and best of all it is the truth. In time all will encounter truth, comprehend, accept and apply it. When that is done, what now hinders them will be the stepping stones that take them to the heights of opening consciousness.

You cannot haste; but you can scatter forth this leaven with a generous hand. When men have learned the truth that bears upon its face the law of right, then they will haste to give every man his dues. We cannot force the opening of anyone’s awareness, but we can broadcast the leaven of truth generously and await its fruition. It may be right away or far in the future, but its effect will be inevitable and inescapable.

Then to the people Jesus said, Take heed, and covet not. The wealth of men does not consist in what they seem to have–in lands, in silver and in gold. These things are only borrowed wealth. No man can corner up the gifts of God. The things of nature are the things of God, and what is God’s belongs to every man alike.

The wealth of soul lies in the purity of life, and in the wisdom that descends from heaven (Aquarian Gospel 111:14-17)

The wealth of men does not consist in what they seem to have–in lands, in silver and in gold. These things are only borrowed wealth. No man can corner up the gifts of God. The things of nature are the things of God, and what is God’s belongs to every man alike. Saint Paul expressed it very simply: “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (I Timothy 6:7). So, as Jesus says, everything we think we possess in this world is only borrowed. Nothing in this world or any world is ours but God, who is our essential being. Therefore we possess infinity. Anything else is much less, and a denial of our true nature as part of Infinite Life.

The wealth of soul lies in the purity of life, and in the wisdom that descends from heaven. The acquisition of these two things are all that should be the central focus of our mind. To gain purity of life and divine wisdom is the occupation of a lifetime. Every other pursuit should be both peripheral and minimal. This is not fanaticism, it is simple good sense. Furthermore, it must be realized that yoga is the supreme means of acquiring these two necessary things.

Behold, a rich man’s ground brought forth abundantly; his barns were far too small to hold his grain, and to himself he said, What shall I do? I must not give my grain away; I must not let it go to waste; and then he said, This will I do; I will tear down these little barns and build up larger ones; there I will store away my grain and I will say, My soul take now your ease; you have enough for many years; eat, drink and fill yourself and be content. But God looked down and saw the man; he saw his selfish heart and said, You foolish man, this night your soul will quit its house of flesh; then who will have your garnered wealth? (Aquarian Gospel 111:18-23)

The key to this man’s character is found in the telling words: “ I must not give my grain way.” Sri Ramakrishna said that there are people who will refuse if you ask them to urinate in a particular spot, because they fear you might get some gain from it. Selfishness is the firstborn of ego, so close they are virtually one.

I have known such terrible people. A very wealthy and landed man who lived near my hometown was the owner of a cemetery. He hated selling even an inch of earth, and so every time he sold a cemetery plot (and he sold many) he would sit and weep loudly and curse, saying: “These G–d–n fools are taking over my cemetery!” I knew a man who had a very successful popcorn stand. He used up a great many metal containers of popcorn oil and having no use for them just put them out for trash collection. My father had a use for one such container and asked him if he could have one. Naturally the man agreed and I went with my father to get it. As we were walking away, from inside the house I heard his son who was ten or eleven years old whining: “Go get it back, Dad; go get it back!” He preferred to send it to the dump rather than have someone get use from it. This is truly a spiritual psychosis.

In his greed this man Jesus tells us about made plans to hoard every grain he could. He apparently planned to eat all of it himself! At least his words imply this. As I say: psychosis. And shortsightedness, for he lost it all through death. Foolish, indeed.

You men of Galilee, lay not up treasures in the vaults of earth; accumulated wealth will blight your soul. God does not give men wealth to hoard away in secret vaults. Men are but stewards of God’s wealth, and they must use it for the common good. To every steward who is true to self, to other men, to every thing that is, the Lord will say, Well done. (Aquarian Gospel 111:24-26)

There is nothing wrong with making money, lots of money. What is wrong is holding on to it and not sharing it gladly. It is that kind of accumulated wealth that will blight the soul. Money is essentially life energy, and there is a whole esoteric side to money and the way it is handled. Very few people have the interior strength to possess great wealth. Instead of possessing the wealth, the wealth begins possessing them.

I suppose many of us have met “rich kids” who seemed completely intellectually, morally and socially paralyzed by their parents’ money. Once a friend of mine commented regarding a banker’s son: “If he wasn’t a ‘rich kid’ he would be nothing.” Actually, I think he was wrong. If he had not been a rich kid the money would not have been draining away his life energy. For it does just that. Money possesses a magnetism that can totally overpower a person and drain him of all but minimal energy, physical and mental.

One of the characteristics of the kshatriya ruling class (caste) is the ability to handle tremendous amounts of wealth without being in the least affected by it. I have known several (maha)rajas and (maha)ranis, and without exception they could easily keep above the potential destructive power of money and possessions. And when they turned to spiritual life, especially yoga, they made marked progress. They were natural conquerors and rulers of the conquered.

Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis

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The Aquarian Gospel—Commentary and Text

The Aquarian Gospel for Awakening—A Commentary on the Aquarian Gospel
by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke)

  1. The Mother of Jesus
  2. Prophecies of the Births of Saint John the Baptist and Jesus
  3. The Birth of Jesus
  4. Revelations in the Temple
  5. Coming of the Wise Men
  6. Herod’s Reaction
  7. Revelations in Egypt
  8. The Two Selfs
  9. Deliverance From Gods and Demons
  10. About God the Tao
  11. From India to Chaldea
  12. The Wisdom of Buddha
  13. God and Prayer
  14. The Mission of Jesus and John the Baptist
  15. Sin and the Forgiveness of Sin
  16. The Universal Law of Man’s Free Will and the Divine Will For Man
  17. Understanding Death
  18. The True Teacher
  19. The Value of Ritual
  20. The Law Behind All Laws
  21. Opening To The Truth
  22. In the Temple at the Age of Ten
  23. Revelation to the Teachers and People in the Temple
  24. Jerusalem to Nazareth
  25. Nazareth to India
  26. What is Truth?
  27. What Is Man?
  28. What is Power?
  29. Understanding
  30. Wisdom
  31. Faith
  32. Healing and Healers
  33. Conflict Over Caste
  34. The Destiny of All Men
  35. God and Man
  36. The Voice in the Heart
  37. Seeing the Unseeable
  38. To God Through Man
  39. Who Is Jesus?
  40. The Real Versus The Apparent
  41. The Brotherhood of Life
  42. God…and Man
  43. Relating To God
  44. The Worthy Host
  45. Come to the Light
  46. The Kingdom Revealed
  47. The King Revealed
  48. Perspective On Death
  49. Fire and Sword
  50. Evolution: The Path of Glory
  51. The Real Heaven
  52. Getting to the Essence
  53. New Perspective on Religion
  54. In Tibet and Ladakh
  55. Words to the Worthy
  56. The Thirty-Eighth Chapter
  57. The Origin of Evil
  58. The Silence
  59. The Source of Healing
  60. The Fivefold Gospel
  61. Homecoming
  62. In Athens
  63. The Oracle of Delphi
  64. The Real God
  65. Return to Egypt
  66. First Steps to Wisdom
  67. Strong in Will and Intent
  68. Here Comes the Ego
  69. Blessed are the Merciful
  70. Claiming Our Freedom
  71. The Great Test
  72. Comprehending Death
  73. The Christ!
  74. The Asembly of the Masters
  75. The Seven Pillars of the Aquarian Age – I
  76. The Seven Pillars of the Aquarian Age – II
  77. The Declaration of Jesus
  78. John the Baptist – I
  79. John the Baptist – II
  80. John the Baptist – III
  81. Baptism – Jesus and John
  82. Self-Examination and Temptation
  83. The First Disciples Follow Jesus
  84. Jesus’ First Sermon
  85. The King and the Kingdom
  86. Dealing With Challengers
  87. The First Miracle of Jesus
  88. Kings and Kingdoms
  89. The Temple of God
  90. What Is A Messiah?
  91. The Laws of Healing
  92. Nicodemus Finds The Kingdom
  93. The Prince of Peace
  94. Dealing With Spiritual Opposition
  95. The Opened Gate
  96. John the Baptist Speaks of the Christ
  97. John Speaks Further About Jesus
  98. The Woman at the Well
  99. The Disciples and Samaritans at the Well
  100. Jesus in Sychar
  101. More Wisdom In Samaria
  102. The Imprisonment of John the Baptist
  103. In Jerusalem
  104. The Insights of Jesus
  105. Sabbath Wisdom
  106. Prayer and Good Deeds
  107. Divine Laws and Principles for Seekers of the Divine
  108. A New Understanding of the Ten Commandments
  109. Aspects of the Higher Law – 1
  110. Aspects of the Higher Law – 2
  111. Aspects of the Higher Law – 3
  112. Aspects of the Higher Law – 4
  113. Chapter One Hundred One
  114. Chapter One Hundred Two
  115. Chapter One Hundred Three
  116. Chapter One Hundred Four
  117. Chapter One Hundred Five
  118. Chapter One Hundred Six
  119. Chapter One Hundred Seven
  120. Chapter One Hundred Eight
  121. Chapter One Hundred Nine
  122. Chapter One Hundred Ten
  123. Chapter One Hundred Eleven
  124. Chapter One Hundred Twelve
  125. Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
  126. Chapter One Hundred Fourteen
  127. Chapter One Hundred Fifteen
  128. Chapter One Hundred Sixteen
  129. Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
  130. Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
  131. Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
  132. Chapter One Hundred Twenty
  133. Chapter One Hundred Twenty One
  134. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Two
  135. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Three
  136. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Four
  137. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Five
  138. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Six
  139. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Seven
  140. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Eight
  141. Chapter One Hundred Twenty Nine
  142. Chapter One Hundred Thirty
  143. Chapter One Hundred Thirty One
  144. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Two
  145. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Three
  146. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Four
  147. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Five
  148. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Six
  149. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Seven
  150. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Eight
  151. Chapter One Hundred Thirty Nine
  152. Chapter One Hundred Forty
  153. Chapter One Hundred Forty One
  154. Chapter One Hundred Forty Two
  155. Chapter One Hundred Forty Three
  156. Chapter One Hundred Forty Four
  157. Chapter One Hundred Forty Five
  158. Chapter One Hundred Forty Six
  159. Chapter One Hundred Forty Seven
  160. Chapter One Hundred Forty Eight
  161. Chapter One Hundred Forty Nine
  162. Chapter One Hundred Fifty
  163. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-One
  164. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two
  165. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Three
  166. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four
  167. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Five
  168. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Six
  169. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven
  170. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Eight
  171. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Nine
  172. Chapter One Hundred Sixty
  173. Chapter One Hundred Sixty One
  174. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Two
  175. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Three
  176. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Four
  177. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Five
  178. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Six
  179. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Seven
  180. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Eight
  181. Chapter One Hundred Sixty Nine
  182. Chapter One Hundred Seventy
  183. Chapter One Hundred Seventy One
  184. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Two
  185. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Three
  186. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Four
  187. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Five
  188. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Six
  189. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Seven
  190. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Eight
  191. Chapter One Hundred Seventy Nine
  192. Chapter One Hundred Eighty
  193. Chapter One Hundred Eighty One
  194. Chapter One Hundred Eighty Two

The Text of the Aquarian Gospel—by Levi Dowling

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