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Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

Hoffman's portrait of ChristPart 129 of the Aquarian Gospel for Awakening

A royal feast was held in honor of the birthday of the tetrarch in fortified Machaerus, east of the Bitter Sea. The tetrarch, Herod, and his wife, Herodias, together with Salome were there; and all the men and women of the royal court were there. And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their play. Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king. The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly Herod, then half drunk with wine. He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish.

The maiden ran in childish glee and told her mother what the ruler said. Her mother said, Go back and say, Give me the head of John, the harbinger. The maiden ran and told the ruler what she wished. And Herod called his trusty executioner and said to him, Go to the tower and tell the keeper that by my authority you come to execute the prisoner known as John. The man went forth and in a little while returned and on a platter bore the lifeless head of John, and Herod offered it unto the maiden in the presence of the guests.

The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the bloody gift, and she would touch it not.

Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took the head and held it up before the guests and said, This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticize, the acts of him who reigns.

The drunken rabble gazed upon the gruesome sight with fiendish joy. (Aquarian Gospel 117:1-14)

And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their play. It is interesting to see that very corrupt people like to pretend they are innocent and even childlike. It is of course an absurdity, and it fools no one because their evil is so blatant. A lot of these people make me think of ravaged old prostitutes out in a field making daisy crowns for one another and dancing around in a circle holding hands and singing some children’s ditty. It is repulsive.

So beware of the “childlike.” They never are; for no normal adult is a child. When Jesus said: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:15), he was speaking of the direct and open attitude of a child, the magical consciousness of the child that readily accepts the supernatural and the reality of the miraculous, and especially the intuition of a child and the continuing echo of the higher astral realms from which he has just descended. An adept yogi one time remarked to me in India: “For the first three years of their lives children are always surrounded by devas.” That is the childlikeness of the holy, not naivité based on ignorance and lack of experience.

Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king. The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly Herod, then half drunk with wine. He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish. Here we see the terrible effects of lust: loss of all good sense and total susceptibility to evil. “Thinking about sense-objects will attach you to sense-objects; grow attached, and you become addicted; thwart your addiction, it turns to anger; be angry, and you confuse your mind; confuse your mind, you forget the lesson of experience; forget experience, you lose discrimination; lose discrimination, and you miss life’s only purpose” (Bhagavad Gita 2:62, 63).

The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the bloody gift, and she would touch it not. Here we see that Salome was not some depraved monster as legend has sought to make her. Eugene Sue’s novel, The Wandering Jew, and Wagner’s opera, Parsifal, claim that Salome wanders the earth under a curse because of her evil. But it is not so. Again we see how the Aquarian Gospel alone gives us the true picture.

Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took the head and held it up before the guests and said, This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticize, the acts of him who reigns. This is the way the foul often justify their moral insanity.

The drunken rabble gazed upon the gruesome sight with fiendish joy. “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).

The head was taken back unto the tower. The body had been given unto holy men who had been friends of John; they placed it in a burial case and carried it away. They bore it to the Jordan, which they crossed just at the ford where John first preached the word; and through the passes of the Judean hills they carried it. They reached the sacred grounds near Hebron, where the bodies of the parents of the harbinger lay in their tombs; and there they buried it; and then they went their way.

Now, when the news reached Galilee that John was dead the people met to sing the sonnets of the dead. (Aquarian Gospel 117:15-20)

John’s father, Zachariah, was also a martyr, having been slain by the order of Herod’s father because he would not reveal the whereabouts of the infant John whom he feared was the Messiah who would take over his kingdom.

In every viable religion there are rituals and prayers for the welfare of the dead. It was the custom in Israel for mourners to compose extemporaneous verses in praise and lamentation of the departed. Since poetic skill is not possessed by everyone, it was common to hire professional mourners who would learn about the life of the departed and compose verses regarding them. This is still the practice in certain of the Eastern Christian churches, especially among the Greek Orthodox. On Good (Great) Friday among all the Eastern churches there is a Lamentation Service consisting of many verses relating to Jesus and his death.

And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve took ship to cross the sea of Galilee. A scribe, a faithful friend of John, stood by the sea; he called to Jesus and he said, Rabboni, let me follow where you go.

And Jesus said, You seek a safe retreat from evil men. There is no safety for your life with me; for evil men will take my life as they have taken John’s. The foxes of the earth have safe retreats; the birds have nests secure among the hidden rocks, but I have not a place where I may lay my head and rest secure. (Aquarian Gospel 117:21-25)

This is one of those wonderful revolutionary passages in the Aquarian Gospel that give a totally different perspective than that of Churchianity. People usually seek out a religion to give them security, to make them feel safe spiritually. Some want to be sure they will not go to hell, some want to belong to a supportive and reassuring church, some want to be sure that they believe the truth and not any mistaken ideas, some want all their questions answered and some want all their fears and insecurities dispelled. Basically they want stability and confidence.

But Jesus says: “There is no safety for your life with me.” Why? Because “our” life is the life of mortality, bondage and ignorance. That life must be given up–cast aside–if we would enter into the true life of the spirit, our real life. Now we are wandering in the maze of illusion and delusion, literally out of our mind, not having the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). Therefore Jesus says: “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:38 39). “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24, 25). Those who cling to their egoic life will lose the life of the spirit, the Christ-life; but those who let go of that life (“lose” it) will receive the true life in Christ, in their own Christhood.

Those who follow Christ are committed to eternal life beyond all relative existence, therefore here on this world they have no place where they truly rest and feel secure. They enter peace and life by ascending to the highest worlds and becoming one with the Cosmic Christ as did Jesus before them.

Then an apostle said, Lord, suffer me to tarry here a while, that I may take my father, who is dead, and lay him in the tomb. But Jesus said, The dead can care for those who die; the living wait for those who live; come, follow me. (Aquarian Gospel 117:26, 27)

This is the world of the dead-alive, and when we spiritually die to it we will resurrect into the spirit and be truly living in the true world of God-consciousness. Here we move among the spiritually dead, but in the higher worlds the living await our coming that they may receive us “into everlasting habitations” (Luke 16:9).

The evening came; three boats put out to sea and Jesus rested in the foremost boat; he slept. A storm came on; the boats were tossed about like toys upon the sea. The waters swept the decks; the hardy boatmen were afraid lest all be lost.

And Thomas found the master fast asleep; he called, and Jesus woke. And Thomas said, Behold the storm! have you no care for us? The boats are going down.

And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of the winds and waves as men would talk with men. And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed his feet; the sea was calm.

And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey.

36) And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even winds and waves obey his voice? (Aquarian Gospel 117:28-36)

And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of the winds and waves as men would talk with men. And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed his feet; the sea was calm. It is considered primitive to believe that everything is alive and even populated by a multitude of spirits. But it is primitive to not so believe. Great masters see spirits of all sorts and on occasion converse with them. Here we see that Jesus did the same.

The water touching the feet of masters is not at all unknown. For example, when the father of Lord Krishna, Vasudeva, was carrying the newborn Krishna in a basket as he waded through the Jumna River, taking him to safety, the waters kept rising higher and higher. Finally Vasudeva realized that the sacred river was trying to touch the feet of the divine child, so he lowered the basket, the water touched his feet and then subsided so Vasudeva could easily bear him across.

When the bearers of the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the waters of the Jordan, they parted and the bearers walked through with dry feet, just as all of Israel had crossed the Red Sea. (See the third chapter of Joshua.)

When Elisha touched the waters of the Jordan with the mantle of Elijah they parted and Elijah went over (II Kings 2:14).

I have been told of incidents like this in India when masters touched the water of streams with their feet during flood time so people could cross to safety.

And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey. And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even winds and waves obey his voice? How interesting that they marveled at his ability and not at his assertion that they could do the same. This is the mentality of the dedicated follower who has no interest in rising to the level of the great teachers. The purpose of Jesus was to make people Christs, but they preferred to be worshippers and adorers of him as the only Christ. They asked “Who is he?” rather than “who are we?” Self-realization, self-knowledge, did not interest them.

Once there was a great Sufi master who knew he was one with God. The king’s son had died so messengers came and brought him to bring him back to life. Such was their faith, but not their wisdom. He came in and put his hand on the child, and seeing and understanding the mentality of the people standing around, he said: “In the Name of God return to life.” Nothing happened. So he said: “In my name I tell you to live.” The boy instantly came to life. But the master was executed immediately for having blasphemed. There is a lesson there for the wise and wary.

This incident can be interpreted symbolically as well. The Christ-nature lie asleep in the heart of each one of us as the sea of life rages around us the threatens us. But in time we are awakened, arise and master the tides of life and our life becomes tranquil and radiant. Then we realize the divinity within all humanity and share the wondrous news with those so inclined to hear and do likewise. The only savior we can ever have is our innate Christ-nature.

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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