| Excerpts
"In recent times, the word evolution has become a loaded word. The ebb and flow of the ongoing debate centers primarily around two ideas; one a theory of evolution proffered by science; the other a theory of Creation derived from the church. The church believes that the theory of evolution undermines certain ancient pillars of church doctrine concerning the origins of Man and the universe. But scientists understand the evolutionary process better now than in the days of Darwin, and those who hold to beliefs established by the church nearly two thousand years ago would do well to do the same. There is nothing to fear about evolution one way or the other, but there is much that can be learned."
"As we come to realize that the evolutionary process involves a Creative Spirit that simultaneously evolves on the material plane then we begin to see that there is little contradiction between what modern-day scientists have learned and what ancient scripture reveals. To the contrary, when understood in this way, scientific discovery generally confirms what scripture says. Therefore, if we merge scientific knowledge with a clearer understanding of the deeper meaning of ancient scripture we occupy a better vantage point from which to 'see.' But, if instead, we rely solely on ancient doctrines and beliefs formed centuries before Copernicus and Galileo, when Man believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth and destiny was governed by the Stars, then we build a house on the eroding sands of time. Today, we have supplementary knowledge to help us better understand the purpose of Creation and the nature of the universe and therefore better understand Man's true purpose in the grand scheme of things."
"For instance, we now know that God is not a God of caprice and whim, but a God who works through an observable framework of Laws that govern the universe, a fact unknown in ancient times. Universal Law governs and not the Stars. If for no other reason than this one, verifiable, scientifically discovered fact, it would behoove us to consider anew, how and why the universe came into being and therefore, how and why we are here."
"The 'blindness' or 'darkness' (to use the Biblical terms) that we experience in reference to conscious awareness is partially attributed to the complexity and newness of certain mechanisms and faculties embodied within us. Mankind's very existence bridges multiple worlds of manifested Creation, which explains, in part, why we are often bewildered and perplexed when it comes to the urges and impulses that drive us in so many ways. It also explains, in part, why most of us have yet to realize our true purpose in life, even though such a realization is possible."
"As Jesus often pointed out, the scribes and Pharisees, who were the learned of his day, did not understand the essential message and meaning of their own scripture. Neither did the unlearned multitude generally understand what Jesus was teaching them. 'I speak to them in parables,' he said, 'because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.' This lack of deep understanding of his message and teaching was due to the fact that the people of his day, as a rule, were not yet ripe for enlightenment into an utterly new and different level of conscious awareness that is just now awakening within mankind. The learned, as well as the unlearned multitude, did not understand the message in their own scripture or the ministry of Jesus to the extent that they did not comprehend the Infinite in themselves."
"Regardless of occupation, religion, or geographic region in which one lives, one fact that is common to all humanity is the capacity to think. Whether rich or poor, white or black, Eastern or Western, educated or uneducated, humankind throughout the world are capable of thinking. Until recent times, Man's capacity to think was the one ability that most distinguished him from the Animal. Unlike other species, this unique capability allowed Man to perform certain mental tasks that no other living creature could do. It allowed him, for example, to create his own world through images and to cleverly outwit others by focusing the Energy of Life in certain ways."
"The problem with thought is not thought itself, but the fact that we identify with thought to the exclusion of Truth. In so doing, we focus the Power of Life for the purpose of enriching and expanding self, thus we use this Power in inordinate and unintended ways. This is why Jesus said, 'a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven' because the accumulation of riches, whether rich in knowledge or rich in possessions, is the outcome of highly charged self-centered activity. The Power of Life is not generated by self, but generated out of the Source of Creation and then used by self. Consequently, how the self uses this Power is what matters most."
"To live Life in the Spirit of Wholeness, one must learn to receive and respond to the Power of Pure Consciousness. The Power of Pure Consciousness does not enter into one's experience as a result of pious belief or intellectual pursuits. Life in the Spirit does not come about through comparative thought or analysis, but unfolds as one opens to the Presence of Pure Consciousness, which is an order of Consciousness that is higher than self."
"When we attempt to conceptualize and interpret the teachings of enlightened beings from the point of view of self, we create illusions of our own making. Rather than an open-minded approach to enlightenment, we cling to images of worship, including the persons of the enlightened beings themselves. In doing so, we remain closed to the possibility of realizing living Truth in our own lives. It is impossible to approach Pure Consciousness from the point of view of self because the mind of self is a level of conscious awareness that is incapable of 'entering' into Pure Consciousness. If we attempt to 'enter' the Kingdom of Heaven in this way, we hinder, rather than encourage the Light of Divine revelation from coming forth."
"The attainment of Pure Consciousness does not come about through any effort on the part of Man, but by the ongoing evolutionary work of the Holy Spirit, which is of God. Even so, Man is capable of favorably participating in the process and thereby aiding in its development. But Man is also capable of resisting the evolutionary unfolding of greater Awareness by holding fast to the self-centered world he creates within himself. Because Man is given a degree of free will in this regard, his hands, so-to-speak, have been placed on the lever of his own destiny. But this lever only moves in one of two ways. It either supports the evolution of Consciousness and thereby aids in its unfolding, or resists its coming and thereby shuts down on its development."
"From Man's perspective, enlightenment in the light of Truth is the end of a journey, yet there is no journey from the standpoint of Pure Consciousness, for Consciousness is already Absolute and Whole. Pure Consciousness is not on a journey, it just is. The so-called 'path' to enlightenment, Nirvana, or the Kingdom of Heaven spoken of in days of old is nothing more, nor anything less than the realization of Truth, Light, Love, and true Being. And, as Jesus often pointed out, the Kingdom of Light and Love is found within, which is to say, within you and within me."
"The evolution of Consciousness is motivated by Love. But for Love to come forth, it must be allowed to evolve in and through Creation on its own terms, in its own way. In the case of Man this means that he must learn how to surrender his identification with, and therefore his attachments to, the world of self so that Love, rather than self, comes to life within him. In doing so, he participates in the evolutionary process, which supports the flowering of greater Awareness within."
"Each of us is personally responsible for awakening to the Spirit of Life and Love within us. No one else is held accountable to this task. We can choose to either think our way through life from the point of view of self, or to live life in a manner that allows for God's evolutionary work to be done, as in 'Thy Will be done.'"
"Enlightened Masters of old used dissimilar languages, parables, and metaphors to express the same cosmic reality. And without exception, they discovered this 'new' reality, which is true reality, by means of a radical transformation in conscious awareness."
"The Kingdom of Love and Peace is beyond thought and beyond time. When one with the One, we are transformed in Awareness into the cosmic realm from whence we came. This is the Truth of Zen. This is Nirvana. This is the Tao. This is Brahmic Splendor. This is Eternal Bliss. This is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Promised Land. This is Paradise."
"What is pointed to in this book is neither revolutionary nor new. It is the same reality that has been pointed to by uncounted spiritual guides for more than three thousand years. The ending of sorrow does not come about through adherence to any system, doctrine, ritual, or belief; nor is there an exclusive path to enlightenment. Sorrow ends at the moment there is a clear realization of Truth, a clear realization of what is — within you. To realize Truth, the mind must be free of any and all systems of belief, which is to be, as the Buddha put it, in the 'highest state.' This requires that no interpretation, no opinion, no idea, no belief, no ritual, and no judgment be in the way. It requires a mind that is free of all that. In that state of mind — the highest state — sorrow ends."
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