Chapter 2
THEORY, PRACTICE & REALIZATION
Throughout history, humanity’s desire to know God has ventured down many paths and utilized a variety of philosophies, doctrines, rituals and practices in an effort to help people understand the divine nature of the Creator. Those traveling these paths engage them with differing degrees of interest and devotion. In modern times, the most common approach has been through organized religion, which mandates that to be in good standing, people must have faith in God, adhere to the established doctrine, and practice the prescribed rituals of the religion. Those expressing doubts or questions about life, the universe, death, or God are expected to accept the answers set forth in the doctrines or dogma of the religion, or to turn their questions over to God and have faith they will be answered.
Organized religion creates for humanity a protective boundary from the harsher and coarser realities of life by elevating the faithful through moral and ethical parameters and instilling hope, duty, and a sense of community. Religion, as the means of knowing God, does not call for intense analysis or contemplation as much as it requires faith, acceptance, and adherence to the established beliefs. This exoteric or external framework of worship is suitable for the lay populous which desire to fulfill their obligations to God through weekly devotion, but primarily live a secular life. Religions serve as an excellent tool for educating the masses about the Bible and belief in God, but some religions still maintain a glass ceiling between people and God by teaching that humans are not worthy in their sinful state to directly approach the Creator; this can only be done by the clergy.
Jesus Christ did not make this distinction. He indicated that such contact is not out of the question when he said, “I and my Father are one,” and “Truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” For that segment of humanity whose interests in God are deep and abiding and whose questions exceed the answers given by religion, Jesus exemplifies in his teachings that higher knowledge is available if one is willing to seek it. These teachings explain that sin or karma will be neutralized and forgiven when one makes a sincere effort to align his or her life with the love and goodness of the Christ Light.
These are the individuals whose level of interest in religion, philosophy, or spirituality venture into the esoteric level of understanding. In other words, they do not limit themselves to the study of a singular dogmatic source or a narrow perspective, but seek the deeper aspects of Truth wherever it may be found. The method advocated by this book is an esoteric approach for knowing God and is based on theory, practice, and realization. Such a method not only studies the New Testament, but also studies universal principles and internal self-knowledge to formulate a theoretical context or map within which transformative practices are utilized to reveal the expansive inner reality of consciousness. Through direct experience, inner perspectives become realized truth or the foundation of knowledge upon which the individual builds. Direct experience and inner realization of Truth are superior as guiding principles above that of philosophy or religious doctrine. The dedicated and disciplined aspirant is considered the most qualified teacher regarding the application of Truth to his or her individual life.
The realization of Truth awakens illuminating insights which require the purification and transformation of consciousness in order to live according to these new and higher precepts. Active meditation, focused breathing, and transformative practices are the primary methods for awakening consciousness described in this book. The sum total of these practices is for the attainment of enlightened states of consciousness and Self-realization. The ability to recognize the Truth within has been explained to humanity by many different teachers, the most notable among them is Jesus Christ, who said, “Seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened.”
The path of Self-knowledge, Self-realization, and Self-regeneration are advocated for anyone who has the courage to face the Truth and a willingness to seek. In the distractions and busyness of life, people forget that the true purpose for being here is to evolve the soul through the realization of consciousness. Natural advancement comes through normal life experiences, but accelerated advancement comes when the individual learns how to awaken to the higher states of consciousness. There are vast amounts of books on the theory of what it is, but few which actually provide a clear understanding of the steps on how to get there; this website humbly offers both. (See: Meditation)
The Truth to be sought is the truth of Self-realization. Self-realization is the hidden knowledge that each soul is one with the Creator and each being is fashioned in the image and likeness of God which is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient intelligent Light. Conscious Intelligence, the essence of the Divine, is within each individual, but, unfortunately, like a dusty window, it is covered by the illusions of the world, the illusions of sensual reality, and the illusions of the physical body.
Distractions, Illusions, Obstacles, & Beliefs
The entrance into life is considered as the transition of Spirit into matter and the transformation of consciousness is described as the transition of matter into Spirit. This process can proceed naturally through every day experience or it can be accelerated somewhat through celibacy and spiritual practices. It is the intent of this paper to explain the process of the transformation of consciousness, that is, consciousness associated with the physical body of matter and its psychic states into enlightened intelligence.
The enlightened or radiant state is a natural state of being for humans to live in. We are enlightened beings having a human experience for the purpose of evolving our body of matter, our psychic/cognitive mind and our soul; within each human being is an enlightened state of perfection of body, mind and soul. The perfection of this state exists in Eternity and draws our imperfections into its perfection; this perfected state cannot be corrupted, blemished, or altered in anyway. Unfortunately, very few people are consciously aware of this exalted state because of their attachments to their personal pleasures, attachments to their personal beliefs or to the worldly illusions which attract their body, emotions, and mind.
If for a moment, we were stripped of our ego-persona, emotions, personal attachments and worldly concerns so nothing were left, we would recognize our true Self-Identity residing in the Conscious Light. Although scarce, there are writings which state that if an individual could “really” let go enough he or she would be instantly enlightened through reunion with the Light. This is true in principle because the state of enlightened perfection exists within everyone. However, the individuals who have done the work in order to experience this sublime state are in a minority. For the majority of people, Self-realization and Self-regeneration takes significant inspiration to reorient their lives in order to begin the work of purification, renunciation, transformation, self-discipline, and devotion.
Living in the realm of present-day society presents many distractions, illusions, and enticements which create obstacles in the awakening to and realization of enlightened life. People are disengaged from the natural life; they are not even fully conscious in their personal life experiences. The post-modern world has been built on distractions which grab the attention of people to entice them into buying or trying their products. These inventions, like Smartphones, social media, streaming entertainment, and every little thing which holds captive a person’s attention for hours and hours every day; in the end, people have “nothing to show” for all the wasted time and energy.
Essentially, the attachment to technology is used to soothe the anxieties these people feel if “things get too quiet or their comfort zone is disturbed or they having nothing to do.” Overcoming the anxieties of boredom, insecurities and attachments is the challenge, but the life lessons we learn become deeply engrained, are deeply fulfilling, and are not easily forgotten. The sensual world is configured to entice and gratify the physical/emotional body. Consequently, if we desire higher knowledge and enlightened states, we must temporarily turn away from the pleasures of the world, otherwise, consciousness remains embedded in the sensual realm and resists transformative change.
Aside from the obvious distractions of sensual pleasures, there are other obstacles which can hinder conscious development. As stated earlier, organized religion can block or hamper the advancement of consciousness by keeping people within the confines of their religious doctrines, teaching that it is sinful to think or question outside of these parameters. Religious illusions are incredibly deceptive (The Inquisition is a good example) which means that erroneous, firmly held beliefs can act like an anchor on one’s consciousness. Concepts, such as believing that God is vengeful, or that violent acts against those who believe differently can make one a martyr are deceptive beliefs. Awakening to newly realized beliefs is the beginning of understanding, not the end. Beliefs need to mature through contemplation and experience until they become knowing. Knowing elevates consciousness to a higher level, whereas unquestioned or inadequately developed beliefs form restrictive barriers in the individual’s spiritual journey.
A good indication that one is advancing in their spiritual practices toward higher consciousness is the establishment of good values in one’s life, the noticeable improvement of one’s character and the desire to be more virtuous. Learn to be humble and silent about personal self-development because spiritual knowledge can become an ego trip. Also, boasting about newly realized knowledge or insights disperses and diminishes these spiritual light energies; that delicate light needs to be protected like a candle flame in the wind until it has established firm roots. Spiritual practices are meant for growth, not to satisfy or inflate the ego; such endeavors can create new obstacles or simply be a waste of time. Focus first on personal improvement and transformation, and patiently wait for the peace and light to emerge naturally from within.
The Elusive Reality
The states of enlightened or radiant consciousness are elusive and subtle realities. The experience can be vaguely described, but seems to vary from person to person. There is a saying in the East, “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water; and after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” To someone who is enlightened this is a profound statement, but it may have little meaning to those who are not. Another similar statement is that “enlightenment is entered through the gateless gate,” meaning that in many cases, the experience is so subtle it isn’t realized until after the fact. Another common experience on the path is to have a subtle, but vivid experience upon entering a new level of consciousness only to have the initial defining vision fade away as it integrates into consciousness.
True “development” of consciousness is about transformation. Development is put in quotations because consciousness is not really developed as much as it is cleansed of illusion and distortion; and one’s perception is reoriented so it can be experienced in its true state. Clearer states of consciousness gradually emerge as the individual awakens to realize that his or her concept of self has been a fabricated deception revolving around bodily consciousness and the ego-persona under the influence of nature, the senses, and the external environment/culture.
The attempt to awaken from illusion is an attempt to dislodge consciousness from the binding effect that the sensual, material world has on an individual. The physical body is very attached to nature, from which it comes as well as to bodily pleasures, sensual gratification, personal beliefs, and human associations from the world. There is nothing wrong with these wonderful pleasures of life except for being trapped in the inevitable cycle of pleasure and pain. To get a glimpse of higher reality, one must temporarily separate from the worldly illusion. If a fish were asked, “How’s the water?” it would answer, “What water?” Only when it had been lifted from the water, and dropped back in would it finally realize water. This is analogous to the experience of awakening for an individual who attempts to separate from the worldly perspective in order to gain a clear insight of who he or she really is; this is like cleaning that dusty window.
The beginning process of separating one’s ego identity from the attachments to sensual reality is not necessarily a pleasant experience. Initially, transformation requires turning the attention within to reveal personal weaknesses, attachments, and obstacles. Most people avidly avoid evaluating their own weaknesses, which is what makes reality elusive. Nevertheless, this is the process; we must weed the garden or separate the wheat from the chaff. To use an analogy, it is like a person floating happily down the river of life and suddenly deciding to plant his or her feet in the river’s bed and stand up to see from where he or she has come. When we stand up in the river of life and turn around, we get buffeted by all the personal debris that has been floating along with us in the river. When traveling with the debris, it was not noticeable; but when we stop, it rolls over us. It quickly becomes apparent how much unnecessary “garbage” is floating with us through the life experience.
Transformation is about changing and eliminating from one’s life the debris of accumulated misperceptions, misunderstandings, emotional attachments, fears, anxieties, and resentments so the elusive reality can be known. These worldly perceptions are disruptive, patterned thought forms etched into the substance of the psychic nature. Knowing how to purify the soul of unwanted thought forms and liberate the body-mind from the grip of nature is the key to personal transformation. Revealing the golden threads of truth which are woven through the fabric of life is the focus of this book and website. (How to get free from dark perceptions, See: The Shadow)
Golden Threads of Truth
The system of realizing Truth through theory, practice, and realization or direct experience is about real life change. Real change is continuous transformation in present-time reality through open-mindedness to new insights. These insights are tested through direct experience to broaden one’s awareness of life and self. It is important for each individual to develop the ability to discern Truth so insight will be clear and effective in discovering inner reality. The truth for each person is a unique perspective and is special in its application. Just as no two snowflakes are alike, neither are any two people alike, nor will their spiritual experience be exactly the same.
Religion, philosophy, and spiritual theory have wide variations in their expressions, but there are golden threads of Truth which weave their way through the heart of each, binding them together. They all adhere to a common truth, or they could not be discussed and debated. Buddha taught the way to enlightenment as did Krishna, but Krishna remained behind the veil which is why he always appears as being blue. Jesus embodied the Christ Light at his baptism and at his crucifixion, the veil to the etheric/astral (symbolized by the veil of the temple’s altar) was “rent in two” opening the way for all of humanity to “come to the Holy altar within.”
In other words, Jesus rent in two the veil of unconsciousness which divided humanity from the etheric/astral realm where the Holy altar exists. Upon the altar are the seven chakras (neurological centers) of the astral realm which are the “stepping stones” for attaining higher consciousness – Christ consciousness. Buddha, Krishna, and Jesus were all speaking of the same radiant Christ Light. However, they were presenting knowledge of the Light to different cultures at different times and modified their methods of teaching so people would better understand. The simplest way to understand the distinction between these teachings is that Buddha and Krishna taught the way to Enlightenment, whereas, Jesus Christ embodied the consciousness of God, the Father as well as the Light of Christ. Jesus Christ is the only avatar in the history of humanity to conquer death, resurrect His physical body and ascend to Eternity.
Although there are threads of Truth creating common ground among various religious teachings, they all have different versions of their ultimate goal. The analogy of taking a journey best illustrates this. A journey from point A (the individual’s present state) to point B (Self-Realization, Self-regeneration, or heaven) will have the specifics of the journey explained in a detailed map or in this case, the teachings of the religion, philosophy, or spiritual system. Maps can vary greatly depending on the description of the journey, the methods of travel, and the itinerary of the trip. Some maps direct people to a nice hilltop where they will hear explanations about the final destination, although it is never intended for anyone to actually make the journey until after death; others are directed to side attractions like the ocean, which impresses them so much that they never leave to complete their journey; others get lost because their map is inaccurate and they simply give up. They never make any attempt to recover and find a new direction. And others may arrive at their destinations, but not by the most direct route, wasting valuable time.
The ideal system reveals the most direct route, with instructions on how to adapt to changing circumstances. This means developing awareness, self-sufficiency, spiritual maturity, common sense, and the ability to use the mind for constructive and original thought. It becomes obvious that the spiritual journey can vary greatly from person to person. How to adapt and apply direct experience to one’s unique circumstances becomes very important. The point is that the best approach to traveling the spiritual path is to make it your own through careful analysis of known truth, thoughtful evaluation, personal experience, and proper application. In a good meditation session, it is normal to encounter higher levels of awareness; however, it is not possible to remain in these zones of “golden truth” if the lower level work is not completed first. The purpose of spiritual work is to reach higher levels of consciousness and to stay there, that is, to live there.
Defining the Territory
The spiritual content presented in this book is framed out in a theoretical context to reveal the landscape, language, and stages for understanding the journey and process of transformation. This internal landscape represents the energetic fields of the body which require focused attention to heal: physical (instincts, cravings, impulses), psychic (dark, unstable emotions), mental (the chattering, unfocused mind), and spiritual (clearing misperceptions). In order to prepare oneself for the experience of enlightened states or radiant awakening, it is not enough to simply be knowledgeable about this internal landscape; these energies have to be experienced, worked with, and transformed. They have to be purified of misconceptions created by misperceptions, liberated from greater than/lesser than mentality (all comparisons & judgments are ego-based), and freed from emotional bondage.
Transformative practices receive the liberated energy, stabilize it, purify it, and contemplate it as higher states of consciousness; these insights are substantiated through direct experience, that is, through one’s knowing. This consciousness development system has been devised in such a way that one can know exactly what is happening in the transformation process, why it is happening, where in the body it is happening, and how it is happening because the individual controls the whole process. Direct experience is what produces quality results within one’s consciousness, character, and life.
A spiritual philosophy is of little value unless one actually takes the journey to discover the treasure it reveals. Jesus describes this in Matthew 13:45-6, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, whoon finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Remember, the “spiritual map” simply shows the way to the “pearl of great price,” it does not define the kind of experience the individual will have. The destination within the “internal territory” of this radiant awakening system is Self-realization and Self-regeneration (cleansing/purifying the body, psychic, & mental energies) as well as the sub-states which come from these: mental clarity, focus, emotional stability, inner peace, health, harmony, stillness, oneness, and balance.
Focused Consciousness
In any spiritual, meditation system, transformation of consciousness begins by learning how to focus one’s attention. In this life experience, we learn to be “outward looking” creatures as this is where the action is, but because of this habit, our energies flow outward and are dissipated in the world. If for a moment, we sat quietly, closed our eyes and let our attention turn inward, our energies would change their direction of flow, and we would experience the inner reality. While looking within, focus the mind on slowing the breathing until you feel peaceful within. The focusing of attention is the focusing of mind; the more a mind is focused, the more light is present.
The presence of light within can eventually diminish the adverse influences of the chattering-mind of ego and the lower desires/appetites/distractions of the body which pull on the attention. As conscious attention is focused, stabilized, and filled with Light, the lower elemental energies of the body attempt to rush into the light because it gives them energy, but this agitates the body through the nervous system. Holding the focused light steady in the presence of this elemental agitation deprives the elemental energy of the light which gives one control over the physical body and emotions. Thus, as the transformation process continues, awareness becomes clearer, and one becomes increasingly conscious of Consciousness.
This may seem like a contradiction of what was just stated, but Consciousness cannot be transformed; what is transformed is our personal relationship to and understanding of Consciousness. Consciousness is a constant presence within ourselves and throughout Eternity; it is the living, 3-dimensional holographic energy in which we live. Consciousness is no different in the basest of elements or the highest Intelligence. The presence of Consciousness within all things is the means by which all things are conscious; it enables all things and beings to be conscious of what or as what they are, and are to do, to be aware and conscious of all other things and beings. Consciousness is present in everything: it makes all humans self-conscious and it makes animals conscious. Also, it makes elemental matter conscious as its function throughout Creation, but Consciousness does not perform that function. For the human, being self-conscious is relative to the degree one is conscious of what one is.
Consciousness is beginningless and endless; it is indivisible, without parts, qualities, states, attributes or limitations; it has infinite degrees in being conscious so it is unknown and unknowable in its entirety. It is beyond the ability of the mind of man to comprehend Consciousness. However, it is possible to know the divine sacredness within ourselves and in life by becoming conscious of Consciousness. What humans call God is the personification and manifestation of omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Consciousness in Its many different expressions. Creation, as we know it, the Holy Trinity, and the living souls which people this universe “emerged” from Consciousness; everything is one in Consciousness and will eventually return to its original source. For human beings to become increasingly conscious of Consciousness is the way of making the unknown known; it is the way to radiant awakening and Self-realization.
Conscious Intelligence in the Body
Life begins mysteriously for everyone as we slowly awaken to find ourselves in a physical body. Naturally, people identify with the body, mistakenly thinking they are their body. Humans primarily experience consciousness expressing in the body through the body-mind, but the physical body is only conscious as its function, it is not self-conscious. Bodily consciousness, known through the body-mind, is so dispersed in the nerves and blood that people are unable to formulate an awareness which allows for them to distinguish “their conscious-self” separately from the body and senses. Consequently, the majority of people live their lives having no idea how it is they are conscious. They are conscious of their bodily functions, appetites and desires, but are not conscious of consciousness.
Although it is not conscious, the physical body is an exact symbolic representation of our soul and conscious self. As stated in the previous chapter, humans have a triune consciousness, which has three aspects of intelligence: Knowing, Thinking, and Doing (see diagram below). As the diagram illustrates, each emanation of intelligence is both a positive and negative expression of mind, with the body/body-mind being integrated with the Doing Self. In the KNOWING consciousness are the minds of Self-Knowledge (active) and Self-Identity (passive).
In most spiritual/religious systems, the Knowing Self is commonly referred to as the spiritual nature or our God-Self; the Knower has its seat in the pineal/pituitary glands. In the THINKING consciousness are the minds of reason (active) and rightness (passive). These are referred to as the higher mental and conscience, respectively; they are also considered as part of the spiritual nature; these minds are connected to the heart and cerebral cortex. In the DOING consciousness, desire (active) and feeling (passive) are seamlessly connected with bodily consciousness.
The self-conscious activity of humans primarily takes place in the Doing consciousness which feels the primal drives, energies and sensations of the physical body. This level of consciousness is experienced through the continuous interaction of feeling/desire of the Doer and the physical body which forms the body-mind. These three lower minds: feeling, desire, and the body-mind are geared to the physical body and the senses. The body-mind compels feeling/desire of the Doer, which is integrated with the body, to become oriented to the pull of sensual reality. These three minds, along with the ego-thinking of the intellect, are the foundation and base of operations for the ego-persona. Ego borrows its “sense of identity” from the Self-Identity of the Knower.
Normally, humans do not use the minds of the Thinker or the Knower because their thinking is completely attached to doing and experiencing in the sensual realm. Neither are the Thinker and the Knower integrated into the body to the same degree as the Doer (see diagram). Consequently, it is through the Doer as feeling, desire, and the body-mind that people experience their body as themselves. It is through these 3 minds that people are conscious of the sensual, elemental realm of nature in which their body resides. Although this is a brief explanation of how consciousness is configured in the human being, make an effort to notice the working of these 3 lower minds which we use every day. Try to: make the chattering-mind be quiet; distinguish desire as being separate from feeling; and notice how the bodily appetites and primal drives pull on feeling/desire.
Being conscious of nature means complete identification with what one’s “outwardly-focused” attention is on, such as, being conscious of a tree or being conscious of tension in a room; one’s attention is conscious of the objective world. Feeling (feeling is not touch) can be conscious of bodily sensation, but feeling is not itself that sensation. When feeling is awakened to itself as being separate from the body and sensation, it can withdraw from nature’s influence so that it is more receptive to internal conscious intelligence. Spiritual growth is the process of transforming our mind(s) by turning the attention inward through focused breathing and meditation, and incrementally becoming detached from the external stimulus of nature; in this way we become conscious of the higher internal states of intelligence. Disengaging feeling from bodily sensation is part of the process of transforming nature-matter into intelligent-matter or what we commonly refer to as matter evolving into spirit. It is also freedom for the conscious self from the bonds of the elemental world.
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Perfect Equilibrium
As self-conscious beings, people are conscious of nature because of their body, their senses, and their relationship to the material world. Thus, people are conscious of being a parent, of being (name), of being a male or female, of their ego-persona, of being a teacher, of being a plumber, etc. Consciousness of relates to our experience in objective reality; it is through the physical body that Conscious Intelligence meets unintelligent nature. The reason detachment from the realm of nature is so important in spiritual development is that a human being cannot become conscious as Consciousness while the individual is still conscious of
what he or she is conscious. In the case of the Doing self, as long as feeling is conscious of bodily sensations, it cannot become conscious as what it truly is. In other words, if people are conscious of and focused on the sensations of the body and the glamour of the world, they cannot become conscious as the Doer, the Thinker, or the Knower; they cannot be conscious as their Eternal Self.
Within the human body, there is a point of perfect equilibrium which exists between Conscious Intelligence and unintelligent nature. In other words, there are transitional “points” in our conscious being of perfect equilibrium where nature-matter becomes intelligent-matter. This perfect equilibrium is the point at which matter evolves into spirit or where unconscious nature-matter becomes conscious-intelligence or Conscious Light. In the body, these energetic transitions are where vital life of the body transitions into vital light in the psycho/cognitive and where vital light transitions into Spirit. Historically, the alchemists have referred to this process as lead being transmuted into gold. The most advanced state of this transitional process was demonstrated to us by Jesus Christ when he ascended.
ENDLESS CYCLE OF GRACE
As I exchange my dross, to breathe the wind of life,
The leaves on the trees are cycling carbon into light.
The earth is traveling around the sun, orbiting through space,
As a perfect ripple circles in a pool, sharing a vision of grace,
Endless current of energy, moving eternally on and on,
Equilibrium manifesting in the glorious lilt of a song;
For as an early bird leaps to the curve of its first morning flight,
Spirit enters into the dross and life turns into light.
Poems by My Wife
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