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Chapter One Hundred Thirty Nine

Hoffman's portrait of ChristPart 151 of the Aquarian Gospel for Awakening

When Jesus heard what had been done and how the priests had cast the man whom he had healed, out of the synagogue, he found the man and said to him, Do you believe in God and in the son of God? The man replied, I do believe in God; but who is he, the son of God, of whom you speak? And Jesus said, The son of God is he who speaks to you.

The man inquired then, Why do you say, The son of God? Is there but one? And Jesus said, All men are sons of God by birth; God is the Father of the race; but all are not the sons of God by faith. He who attains the victory over self is son of God by faith, and he who speaks to you has overcome, and he is called son of God, because he is the pattern for the sons of men. He who believes and does the will of God is son of God by faith. The man in joy exclaimed, Lord, I believe in God, and in the son of God. (Aquarian Gospel 139:1-9)

All men are sons of God by birth; God is the Father of the race; but all are not the sons of God by faith. God being the creator of all is the Father of all. All human beings are the children of God by virtue of that, but as Jesus points out, besides the mechanical side of sonship only those who have faith are the living sons of God, and only they will aspire to or attain that state of consciousness. This is why there is no lasting or effective virtue to be found in an atheist however ethical and sincere they might be. The twentieth century Japanese philosopher, Mokichi Okada, was adamant about this after a lifetime of careful observation.

He who attains the victory over self [ego] is son of God by faith, and he who speaks to you has overcome, and he is called son of God, because he is the pattern for the sons of men. Simple faith is not enough to fully be a child of God; ego must be conquered since God himself is totally without ego. So for the divine image to be revealed the ego must be dissolved. This was the case with Jesus. It is interesting that this is the fundamental requirement for fully operative divine sonship rather than so many noble-sounding traits and ways.

He who believes and does the will of God is son of God by faith. Those who truly believe act on what they believe. Otherwise it is not faith at all.

And Jesus said, I came to open prison doors, to make the blind to see; but, lo, the Pharisees are blind from birth. And when I put the salve of truth upon their eyes, and bid them go and wash, and speak the sacred Word they will not go; they love the dark. (Aquarian Gospel 139:10, 11)

It all comes down to free will in the end. We are masters of our destiny because we create it through our will.

A multitude of people pressed about the Lord, and he stood forth and said, You men of Israel, I say to you, The fold of God is large; its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob.) The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate; he gives the secret sign; he knocks; the watchman opens up the gate. And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name; they hear his voice and follow him; they enter through the gate into the fold. The sheep know not a stranger’s voice; they will not follow him; they flee away.

The people did not understand the parable that Jesus spoke; and then he said, Christ is the gateway of the fold; I am the shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me through Christ shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way; but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate; the sheep heed not their call. The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. A hireling flees to save his life when wolves infest the fold; and then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere.

I am the shepherd of the sheep; I know the sheep of God; they know my voice, as God knows me and I know him. The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again; for every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God. (Aquarian Gospel 139:12-24)

The fold of God is large; its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob. We are all in the fold of God, but there is an inner fold that we must consciously choose to enter. And we must do so through the eastern gate of spiritual consciousness developed by spiritual practice. Otherwise we are thieving children of God, not loving children of the Father.

The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate; he gives the secret sign; he knocks; the watchman opens up the gate. There is a hierarchy in the universe by means of which those of higher evolution assist those of lesser evolution to ascend by the divine ladder. Therefore we all need a shepherd to guide us. Great liberated masters with universal powers such as Krishna, Amitabha Buddha, Gautama Buddha and Jesus are true shepherds. They alone know the secret signs so the gate becomes opened to their actual disciples.

And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name; they hear his voice and follow him; they enter through the gate into the fold. The sheep know not a stranger’s voice; they will not follow him; they flee away. We can apply Jesus’ words to this. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Literally every true world savior (jagadguru) has a world of his own where his faithful disciples go after death (if their affinity with the master is strong enough) and work there to go on to higher consciousness and even liberation. The most renowned is the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. The concept of the Pure Land, or Sukhavati, is long established in India where it is also considered that each deity has a personal realm in at least the astral world.

Christ is the gateway of the fold; I am the shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me through Christ shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. Jesus is not the gate; the Only-Begotten of the Father, the archetypal Son of God, the Creator or Ishwara, is the gate. Jesus is the shepherd whom the Christ recognizes and opens the gate to. Jesus is not the goal: Christ Consciousness, oneness with the Christ, is the goal, the source of living waters and rich pastures.

True disciples will listen to none but their shepherd, for their intuition will alert them if an alien voice comes to them.

False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way; but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate; the sheep heed not their call. Om is a necessary secret to be known by the real masters.

The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. A hireling flees to save his life when wolves infest the fold; and then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere. The true teacher devotes his life to his disciples, not the other way around. He belongs to them, not they to him. It is just as it is with God and us.

I am the shepherd of the sheep; I know the sheep of God; they know my voice, as God knows me and I know him. So speaks a real master.

The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again; for every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God. This is an awesome affirmation of divine fiat.

Again the people strove among themselves; they were divided in their views concerning Christ. They could not comprehend the words that Jesus spoke. Some said again, He is obsessed, or he is mad; why listen to his words?) And others said, His words are not the words of one obsessed. Can unclean spirits open up the eyes of one born blind? Then Jesus left Jerusalem and with Massalian he tarried certain days. (Aquarian Gospel 139:25-28)

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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