Jesus Christ

Jesus and all the Sages – the spiritually Awakened or Enlightened Beings before and since him in history – have had great difficulty in describing to the masses – that is, to the unenlightened or spiritually ignorant society of the world – just what God or Reality or Truth actually is.  This is because God, Reality or Truth – or whatever names you choose to call That Which Is – is both prior to and beyond the mind with its reasoning intellect.  God, or the Supreme Being and very Source of all that is, which includes the mind, cannot be adequately defined, revealed or explained by using the mind, this instrument of cognition which is the usual way and means of grasping and expressing ordinary knowledge.  The great sages, in their attempt to explain the Truth of Being, have often used metaphors – parables, analogies, and allegories as examples.

Later unenlightened, or only intellectually knowledgeable theologians who had only these analogous stories to go by – or only “handed down” and often “doctored” scriptures attributed to these great enlightened Sages (in particular the Old and New Testament Bibles) – means that many of these analogies, parables and other accounts have often been interpreted literally. This has further contributed to the ignorance of their followers and to society in general, for in many cases we – being an over anxious society wanting “to get it right” – have failed to understand what was originally meant to be only figurative examples and not literal accounts or facts pertaining to actual events.

This is the danger with trying to interpret and understand scripture intellectually, without having first undergone true or actual spiritual enlightenment. Thus Christendom and most of the sincere followers of Jesus, and the great Old Testament prophets before him, have either partially or entirely missed the true and pure message, or the import of what Jesus in particular was actually meaning, or attempting to convey.   Even the interpretation of the Torah and Talmud and other teachings of the Old Testament scriptures by unenlightened rabbis or other Jews – especially calling Jews, as a racial group, the “only chosen children of God” – has caused them much otherwise, unnecessary persecution and suffering at the hands of Gentiles, or the rest of the non-Jewish world community.

Not even all their direct disciples, and certainly not the scribes who later actually recorded the spoken words of the Old Testament Sages and prophets, and the later Teaching of Jesus, had the spiritual insight or the direct experience of their Awakened masters or for bearers.  Therefore, in misunderstanding what was really being conveyed they may have “jumped to wrong conclusions.”

Then, there is the strongly held belief among many orthodox or fundamentalist Christians in the theory of “Biblical inerrancy.” This is the theory that the Bible is the infallible “Word of God,” and is therefore without error.  This far-reaching belief can take several forms that range from “biblical literalism,” the actual belief that the Bible is true in every word exactly as written, to the opposite belief that all biblical texts do require Conscious interpretation. These latter believers say that in order for the Bible to be correctly understood it can only be by those who have “Spiritual gifts.”  These usually include “the power of the holy spirit,” and/or “speaking in tongues,” which is usually a meaningless unknown language, called “Glossolalia.”

Historically, have also been differences of opinion among the compilers and translators of certain books or epistles.  This included the word-definitions, semantics or meaning and/or terminology affecting what words would be included, and even more importantly the politics of which epistles where to be included and which were to be rejected in what came to be ultimately considered as the “official” scriptures. 

A major player in the drama with reference to the politics involved in selecting the epistles and letters chosen as the so-called “authentic” Bible selections was the early church bishop Irenaeus (circa 130-202), then bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, now Lyon, France.  He was strongly influential in the early development of today’s orthodox Christian theology, and is now recognized as a saint by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.  The latter considers him a Father of the Church. 

As stated above, the probability is very strong that errors were made in recording and passing down by hand the early books of the Bible. Then, added to that were interpolations or personal notes which were innocently made as entries in the margins of the original diaries, which were possibly originally written as a clarification for the personal convenience or understanding of the scribe or disciple whose task it  was to copy or record by hand the event.   Many of these were in all likelihood inadvertently included in subsequent drafts made by their successors or resident assistants or by novices “working their way through school” so to speak.  Today, what we have as the so-called “official” or “finished” Bible may be very different from how the original manuscripts started out.

Along with all of this, and to be further dealt with, is the religious bigotry of many overzealous theologians or fundamental religionists (the present day equivalent of the Pharisees during Jesus’ time), who have different and widely varying views of what they consider to be the “doctrine” contained in the Bible. We can see, therefore, why there is today so much debate or controversy between different religious sects; and widely different, even volatile views within the same sects or denominations. This is all due to lack of enlightenment, to the faulty interpretations made by those who are infected with superstition, fear and over zealousness regarding the Bible’s true meaning.

The primary message of the Bible, as well as the sacred writings of all the different religious cultures, is really about Spiritual Enlightenment. In this sense, they are not different from one another, even though in some instances they may appear to be in their present form. Therefore, it requires true enlightenment, that is, living in and from the Awakened Awareness of the True Self, to see and know the Truth, or underlying correlation or sameness of Pure Being.

In validation or confirmation of this simple point or hypothesis, consider this question:  who wrote the very first book that was ever written, and from where did he get his knowledge? Certainly not from another book, for there would have been no other books preceding the first book written from which to get any knowledge; it came only from this first writer’s own enlightenment, insight and understanding, or his own experience.

 Enlightenment is only in oneself, it is in consciousness, and springs forth from pure Awareness. This is true even if we think we have gained an insight from something or someone outside of our self. The insight itself is actually going on in us. It still occurs within us, within the seeing Self, not outside. Therefore, enlightenment is always, already directly available to each one of us – with or without our knowledge of the scriptures – being actually awakened or “attained” by the practice of meditation, particularly the process of Self-Inquiry.  It is the insight gained by inner contemplation, or re-cognition (knowing again) what is always, already there, though previously hidden.

Enlightenment is not generally or always awakened from reading the Bible or other religious books; although on some occasions it might possibly happen. On such an occasion it is being triggered or revealed when the seeker’s consciousness has aligned with that of the biblical character and his message, or the particular message in the sacred writing that’s being devotionally considered, or with the direct words and message of an enlightened sage.

For example, many Christians base their structure of religious beliefs on Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisee named Nicodemus. During Jesus’ time the Pharisees were orthodox Jews, fundamentalist religionists that took the scriptures literally, much like some Christians do today.

Here is the entire story as contained in the 3rd Chapter of John in the New Testament Bible. Unlike the more conventional Christian view, also included here is a commentary [shown bracketed in a smaller font and in italics] based on its metaphysical meaning as is revealed by spiritual enlightenment:

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

[Nicodemus was interested in Jesus' pure teaching of spiritual Truth. But, being afraid of ridicule from his peers, much like many present day fundamentalist Christian believers just beginning to outgrow their long held though inaccurate orthodox belief systems that are based largely on fear, inaccuracies and limited concepts, he did not want it known that he was asking Jesus for spiritual guidance, or even acknowledging him as being an enlightened spiritual Master.]

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

[It requires spiritual awakening to realize the Truth. This is the level of spiritual transformation that takes place only within oneself through meditation –  i.e., long practiced inner concentration and immersion in pure Awareness, which is the true Self.]

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 ”That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

[The body, born from a female womb is not the true Self, it is one’s temporary vehicle for this sojourn in the world of time and space. The true Self is Spirit, and must be spiritually discerned – i.e., Awakened or Realized.]

7 ”Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.’ 8 ”The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

[The self we think we are is not the Self we really are. We are all really Spiritual Beings, bodiless or space-like, pure Awareness – not these mere temporary human bodies with minds that record all one’s thought patterns, or the body’s recorded history in its ongoing sojourn in time and space.]

9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel [one teaching those aspiring to know God] and do not understand these things? 11 ”Truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 ”If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ”No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

[Spiritual transformation, revealing the true, eternal nature of Being, takes place only within oneself through deep meditation.  We already are the One Reality, or true Self.  That which we spiritually aspire to be is concealed by our wrong identification with the body-mind in time and space as being the self, and the false belief that the world has solid, objective reality apart from or independent of our consciousness of it.  The world is really like a dream occurring in the mind; it is only imagined.]

14 ”As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

[Moses’ realization while in meditation on Mt. Sinai was that his own consciousness, or “I am,” was not different from God’s Consciousness, or pure “I AM.” This too was Jesus’ realization.  It is also what occurred with Buddha.  This, when it occurs, is enlightenment which must likewise become our own.]

16 ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him [awakens to that state, or ascends to that level of pure Consciousness, or pure “I AM-ness,”] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

[The “only begotten Son” is pure Being, or “God’s idea of Himself” as man.   It is pure Awareness, pure “I AM-ness,” manifesting Itself in time and space; or, if one prefers, it is God Himself appearing or manifesting as a human being in time and space.  This is the only state of consciousness that is not different from pure Being, or God Consciousness, which must be eventually re-awakened in us, as us. Only then are we also able to abide eternally as pure Being or Christ Consciousness, prior to body-mind identification. According to Eastern scriptures, this can and will occur eventually with every spiritual aspirant – if not in this lifetime, then in some subsequent one – through steady, ongoing meditation on the inner Source of being, or God, as was demonstrated in the life and example of Jesus, and before him with Buddha.  The most direct way is by the practice of Self-Inquiry, called Atma-Vichara in Sanskrit.]

17 ”For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

[This happens only by our own awakening to or re-cognizing (knowing again) the One Reality, the pure Awareness, this pure state of Being “I AM,” as the true Self, as did Jesus.  And, like Buddha before him and Bhagavan Sri Ramana more recently, they are just examples for all of us to follow.]

18 ”He who believes in him (the One Reality, or true Self) is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name (or true nature) of the only begotten Son of God.

[Those who refuse to believe or fail to recognize the Truth, that one's own “I am ” is not different than the pure “I AM” that is God, as did Jesus, do not endeavor to spiritually awaken or elevate their consciousness to this pure level of Absolute or God Consciousness. They instead continue to live in the confinement (sin) of body-mind identification. They believe the body-mind to be their self, continue to suffer this limitation of confinement in time and space, and live at the effect of desire and fear, instead of realizing their prior unborn, infinite and eternal nature as did Jesus.]

19 ”This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

[To continue indulging in the life of desire and fear, striving after sensual pleasures of the body-mind in this world of time and space, is likened to indulging in evil; it is not the way of a true spiritual being.  Jesus is a guide, a Way-show-er, someone to be followed, whose life we are to emulate.]

20 ”For everyone who does evil (indulges in body-mind identification) hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 ”But he who practices the truth (endeavors to spiritually awaken) comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

[When one is identified with the body-mind as being oneself, the base or lower tendencies of the mind such as fear, anger, greed, envy, lust, selfishness, cruelty, etc., tend to be expressed as ones behavior and to manifest as this world.  When one turns attention inward, pursuing the quest of the true Self – by meditating on pure Awareness, Real God, the Source, or pure Being – he or she then directly realizes the Truth that we are not different from Jesus Christ and all the other great sages in history.  This is not a mere belief, but a realized fact; and all of us re-cognize (again know) we are truly Sons/Daughters of God.  We are able thereby to totally merge our seeming separate or individual self with the Divine Source and One Reality, the Light of Pure Awareness.]

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.

[He initiated or brought people who were willing – open, ready and receptive to him and his teaching – into the Higher State of pure Awareness.] 

23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salem, because there was much water (intellectual receptivity) there; and people came and were baptized (initiated). 24 For John had not yet been put in prison.

[More people there were still identified with the body-mind and the ego or lower self nature, which is meditating a separate-self identity living in time and space.]

25 Now a discussion arose between John's disciples and a Jew over purifying. 26 And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."

[Earlier, John had told everyone that Jesus is in a much higher state of consciousness than was he, that Jesus is not identified with the body-mind as oneself, but with the Higher State of pure Awareness.  John stated that “he (Jesus) will baptize you with Fire and the Holy Spirit,” which is with the Truth or the Pure Awareness of being, as one's Real Self.  The people were being drawn to Jesus for he was demonstrating his higher state of awareness and true Self-knowledge.]

27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.

[True insight, knowledge and real initiation (baptism) come from only the true Self (heaven), these being always, already our true and natural state; but they are hidden from our view and experience.  You have to already be living in and coming from the true Self to be able to have the ability to initiate others into it, or give this fire-baptism, as mentioned above.  John had already acknowledged to the people that he was not fully awakened to the true Self, but had only the intellectual understanding of the Self, which is not good enough to bring seekers into the actual experience of the Higher State.]

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.

[Jesus' time had come and people were recognizing it, "friends of the bridegroom stand and hear him" and John is delighted the people are understanding (hearing the bridegroom) and coming into the higher state of consciousness on hearing him.]

30 He must increase, but I must decrease."

[Intellectual understanding is not good enough, it is “believing about.”  Knowing about (“I” must decrease) so true realization of the Self (He may increase) or come into full fruition.  You must be willing to give up all you think you know, – all concepts and beliefs held in mind – so that the actual Truth, or what's so, can be revealed and expressed in consciousness.  One's beliefs or concepts about Truth are not the Truth.  Only direct knowing or Realization of the Truth is Truth.]

31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.

[The higher state of consciousness is from the Source, God, or pure Awareness, and is from the true Self, where as the ego is the lower state of consciousness. Its knowledge is from identification with the body-mind (of the earth) and its experiences in time and space or this world.]

32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony;

[Those hearing the Truth spoken by One spiritually Awakened may intuitively feel and believe it to be the truth, but not yet themselves fully realize it.]

 [Further: those not yet awakened to the pure Awareness of the true Self, or who are not really open to receive it, can not yet be given or get the full significance of the message of such a realized teacher, which is coming from pure Awareness.] 

33 he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit;

(Those open and receptive to the message of Truth, will intuitively know it when it is being heard, and will be able to recognize both its fullness and its extreme benefit, without limitation (for it is not by measure).

35 the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.

[Those denying the Truth shared by the realized teachers (awakened Sons) suffer the consequences of their ignorance and also their accompanying sense of being a separate-self, which is arrogance; while those who hear and receive the Truth are freed from all sense of suffering.]

Matthew 12:32 says: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man [one who is spiritually enlightened while still having a body] will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” 

[This refers to anyone denying the Truth that there are other Realized Beings such as Jesus.  Or, that God is always, already in fact the One Reality and true Self of all; that enlightened Beings like Jesus have and do live in physical form in all time periods, places, and cultures as Living Beings (the Holy Spirit) and are no longer identified with the ego or body-mind living in the world.

[They "will not be forgiven" as long as they refuse to listen, hear and receive the entire or whole spirit (Holy Spirit) of Truth being shared by such Conscious Beings.]

The Bible and all other sacred writings are primarily helpful for generating or sustaining one’s faith, since they are the record or testimonies of those who have already attained the state of enlightenment, and are more like road maps or codes of ethics for us to follow.

This is what the Bible and all other sacred writings actually are, they are the record of Enlightened Beings attempting by way of their example or words to describe the indescribable. For God, the Source, First Cause, Spirit, real Truth, Divine Being, the Supreme Self, Divine Mind, Infinite Intelligence, the All in all – or whatever name you choose to call That Which Is – is prior to the mind itself, being certainly prior to all words, which are only in the mind. The mind is the vehicle or instrument we must use in attempting to explain anything being explained.  However God (being pure Awareness), is not an object that can be perceived or explained, It is pure Seeing, itself.  In a similar fashion God, the One Truth, cannot be adequately explained or defined.  In fact, any such definition is a limitation that limits or confines God to the apparent “size” or “shape” of the definition used.  God is beyond all definitions, all words, all forms and all explanations. Yet, we still try.

It is like a movie projector whose inner light bulb shines light through the film, casting an image of the pictures contained in the film through a lens onto the movie screen. The film is like the mind, while the light from the bulb is what lights the film and casts its images through the lens of the projector into apparent manifestation, expressed on the movie-screen.  But the film’s images cannot express, contain or manifest the light bulb itself, for the light of the bulb is what projects or gives expression to the film. It is behind the film, prior to the film, beyond the film, yet shining in and through the film as the light in the film and on the screen.

The mind is the instrument used for attempting to describe God; yet God is that which lights up the mind itself.  So, in truth, it can’t be done with the ordinary mind.  However, if the film in the projector comes to a series of empty frames, entirely clear and free of all images, nothing printed on the frames, the pure light shines through the clear space.  The quality of the light itself then appears as though it is being seen; but this is still not the bulb itself, only a clearer revealing of its light.

When the mind is emptied of all concepts, opinions, beliefs, theories, images, thoughts and ideas, and resting quietly without a single ripple or movement of thought, and not inadvertently “dozing off” or going “unconscious,” then the light of the Self, the mind’s source, is capable of being “seen” or “experienced” as thoughtless awareness. 

However for true, final, or absolute liberation or salvation to occur (in Sanskrit, called “Moksha”), even the clear mind must ultimately merge with or be totally absorbed into the Source and become one with the Source – the Pure Light of Being. This means the total loss of ego, or any sense separate-self-identity, or individuality.  Everyone and everything are seen and known as being expressions of the Self, the One Universal Being, or I AM.  

At first, to the mind, with its need to control and its compulsion to perpetual thinking, this can or may become very frightening; for it is possibly seen and potentially considered to be like losing one’s mind, or one’s very existence, or is like dying.  Yet, it is the true spiritual re-birth, or resurrection of the Self.  It is awakening to the Higher Self, the Supreme Being, the Very Self of all selves awakened as Eternal Life.

The Bible and sacred writings are describing an experience that each individual must have for him or herself. That experience is the Ultimate Realization that God is the Source of all, including “our own” conscious awareness, meaning that in truth there is no separate-individual-self.  God is the Very Self, not that “we as separate entities” are God, but “our” consciousness, “our” very Self, is not different from the SELF of God – I AM THAT I AM – which is the Source of being.  Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Buddha, Jesus, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and many other Enlightened Beings throughout time have realized this as the simple Truth of “their” being, and as the Truth of all of us only awaiting “our own” experience of IT.

Jesus’ testimony throughout the New Testament is the revelation that the I AM is Lord, Source, Father or Cause of all.  Jesus did not mean that his personal “I” was the exclusive Lord. When Jesus said, “I am,” he knew that the very I AM, which was his Source, was the one Source and Cause of all beings.

Jesus stated this Truth continuously, as I AM (is) the truth; I AM (is) the way; I AM (is) the door; I AM (is) the resurrection; I AM (is) the life; I AM (is) the beginning and the end (the alpha and omega). Jesus’ I AM is the one I AM that I AM. It is not different than the realization had and seen by Moses: “I AM THAT I AM.”  There is only one I AM.  One God.  God is I AM. This is recorded in Exodus 3:14-15.  It means that man’s own unconditioned, unqualified consciousness, pure Awareness or Being is I AM; it is the One Source of all being, this Source is called God. This uncaused, unqualified, unconditioned consciousness is eternal, being without beginning or end.  It is the One Truth.  It is the One Cause of all that we (man) are conscious of being.  It is the door through which everyone and everything enters our lives and leaves our lives.  Full withdrawal of attention into this consciousness in the Heart or as the Heart – once and for all – is the only way to liberation or salvation.  (“I AM the door, I AM the way”)  It is true resurrection.

Jesus’ resurrection represents the resurrection of the ego or body-mind to the Transcendent Being and Reality of the Supreme Self, or pure Christ Consciousness, which is our (everyone’s) natural state. (“I AM the resurrection and the life.”)

When we say, “I am” we are speaking of ourselves, yet it actually is the One Self, the Source, shining in us as us.  However, we must realize it. Like the color-blind man in a flower garden saying he sees the full beauty of the flowers, we ordinarily do not realize what we are saying when we say, “I am.”  Jesus fully realized what “I am” meant.  Jesus is like the person with full color-vision trying to describe the beauty of the flowers to a color-blind humanity.  Jesus says, “I am” and sees. We look and say, “yes, I am,” and we don’t see.  But we can see.  Remove the veils from your spiritual eyes and the one I AM is your I am, and that is God.

Jesus was not the only person who could say, “I am.” We all say, “I am.” Yet do we see or know the significance of what we are saying? Do we have clear vision and insight into the True and Real meaning of our statement? Do we really know who we are, what we are? Jesus knew. Others have also known. Their knowing is recorded and their record is “the word of God,” which we call the Bibles and other sacred writings of the world.

All sacred writings of all cultures and all societies are the same thing. In India their sacred writings are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (the Song of God), the Puranas, and many others. In traditionally Arabic countries, or among the Muslims, their sacred scripture is the Koran.  In Israel is the Torah, the Talmud, the Masorah, the Kabbalah and others. The Mormons have “The Book of Mormon,” etc. All “Bibles” or sacred scriptures are spiritual commentaries, discourses, descriptions of God, the Supreme Being, revealing Himself as the Source of manifestation (man), or man’s Higher Self. All these are “the word of God.” Although it appears to some as though the overall meaning in different scriptures is different, they are only different ways of exploring, describing or explaining the One and the same God.

Since God ultimately is unexplainable, the explanations usually create division in man’s religions.

All religion is one; it only appears as many. For when God is realized in the Heart (the core of being) as the very Source of being, or as Being Itself, all division and separation ends. This division and separation is what Jesus called “sin.” He said his mission and work was to overcome sin – division, partition, schism or separation. Yet, unfortunately, many of his professed followers still divide and separate themselves from the rest of humanity, from other religions, and even from other Christian sects or denominations. Even Hindus are divided from other Hindus. Separation is not exclusive to Christianity or any one world religion. Mankind, identified with the body-mind as being the basis of the self, is dividing itself and the result is suspicion, conflict, confusion, hatred and war. Division itself is sin.

Love is unconditional acceptance of others; it is not competition, not being divided and separated, but One in the Heart. Jesus accepted everyone, unconditionally, just as they were. He made no judgments. He was Love in expression. Many Christians will say, “Yes, but that was Jesus. He was the Son of God and was capable of that quality of love; we are not.” Such a statement itself is separation from Jesus, and from God, and is the very sin of mass humanity that Jesus gave his life to overcome. With forgiveness, everyone is capable of that quality of unconditional love. Jesus instructed all his followers in this very fact, saying, “Love everyone as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) In fact, this was Jesus’ commandment to his followers, not just his suggestion, when he said,  “If you love me you will keep my commandments.”(John 14:15)

Love is not judging others, not finding fault, not condemning others, not competing with others, or being envious or jealous of others. Love is allowing others to be themselves, freely, just as they are, without judgment or disapproval. It is giving them the space to make mistakes, to do wrong, to fall, to fail, even to sin. When we are not allowing another the clear space to experience life in the way they feel obliged to live, we are not loving that person. Yes, the action or the appearance may very well leave much to be desired. They may be creating pain for themselves and those around them. But if there is any judgment, or aversion, it should be toward their ignorance and their behavior, not toward them. The ignorance should be despised, not the person. They are not their ignorance; they are just caught up in it momentarily. We should love and have compassion for persons caught in the snare of ignorance, for their folly is causing them much confusion and pain, or it will eventually.

Yes even imprison those who violently harm and /or cause severe loss, pain and suffering to others by their ignorant misguided behavior, and who if not stopped would continue to harm others.  But do so with compassion, for their own good, and the good of all that they would ignorantly continue to harm, including themselves.

Love heals; hate irritates. So withdraw attention from the apparent division and seeming separateness you see in the world and meditate on the Self. Thereby awaken to the true Self, which is Love, and let your natural Being express to all humanity. You will then be a living example of the message of Jesus, and that of all the Enlightened Beings of all cultures. This is the underlying message of all the sacred writings of the world.

 

~ Jesus’ Influence in AHAM’s Teaching and
on Ramana’s Life ~

Since early childhood, Ramana has had loving devotion and a strong affinity for Jesus, coupled with a keen interest in all things of a spiritual nature. His has been only a passing interest in the more mundane things of life. Even during those periods when he was involved in the need to provide for himself and his family, he always pursued worldly life with an eye looking for the simplest and easiest way to accomplish whatever needed to be done. He never cared much for hard work, but concentrated instead on “working smart,” although he always applied himself fully to what he genuinely enjoyed.

His early interest in spirituality can be traced to an accident when he was seriously burned at about age 5. A pot of rapidly boiling water spilled in his lap seriously scalding his left thigh, leg, ankle and foot, resulting in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns of the entire area.  The pain was excruciating.  Where he and his parents lived was a small town in East Texas and the only doctor being itinerate could not be located. A little known local hermit of unsurpassed spiritual knowledge was called in on someone's suggestion to his parents to miraculously treat him. The hermit was a person not easy to understand that many of the local people avoided due to their ignorance and superstition. He lived alone and aloof in a shack in the nearby woods. It was rumored he had the unexplainable ability to “take the heat out of fire.” Due to the extreme need, his parents agreed to the suggestion that the hermit be asked. He arrived quickly on foot; and, sitting beside the stretched out injured leg, he prayed over Ramana. He then whispered something in his ear that caused Ramana's mind to leave or transcend his body and the pain was immediately gone. Thereafter, for about four years following the incident Ramana experienced actual oneness with all life, and natural abidance in the Tallness of Being.

This experience ended abruptly one evening following an intense scolding from his mother over his pattern of dawdling at the dinner table. The result was he fell out of this transcendental state into the ordinary state of feeling and believing himself to be the body-mind living and suffering in a harsh world. He found himself, like everyone else around him, striving and seeking relief from the unhappiness of living life in time and space, or the world. For him, it was the beginning of a prolonged quest to again return to the lost state of spiritual freedom. The quest over time took him into many varied fields of interest, both mundane and spiritual, most of which left him just as frustrated as before.

Shortly after Ramana's ill-fated loss of conscious oneness, his father had a very serious injury that left him in a coma and not expected to live. When his father finally regained consciousness about two weeks later, he had had his own spiritual or “near death” experience, which he was never able to fully explain, but he felt that God had talked with him. From that experience, he “got religion,” which the family was then required to share with him.

For a few years, this was very enjoyable to Ramana as he began to read the Bible and take an interest in many of the biblical stories that he understood. He particularly related to Jesus and his teaching as recorded in the New Testament. His parents bought him a “red letter” Bible (i.e., with Jesus’ words printed in red letters) where he could easily follow the direct words and teachings of Jesus.

However, as he grew older, the brand of Christianity followed by the church his father chose, with its strict, narrow, doctrinal beliefs being zealously required of its members, began to alienate Ramana. Their beliefs went entirely against the earlier experience he had known for himself when abiding in one's own spiritual or true nature, as being the truth taught by Jesus.

In the passing months and years this became even more intolerable, and only added to his ongoing frustration. As he grew older, he began to stand up for his own convictions, even though he had no way to fully explain what he believed, nor was anyone he knew willing to really listen. After a few years, he parted company with most denominations of Christianity and started looking elsewhere for God – on his own. But he never lost interest in or his devotion to Jesus.

At about age 24, an older lady he met, who took and interest in him and his sincere spiritual quest, gave him her own copy of the book, "The Eternal Pilgrim" by Ripley Webb. The book was then not easy to come by. (See Bookstore). It explains the story of man's spiritual evolution. It is in part an account of man's prehistoric life in both ancient Lemuria and Atlantis. This book struck a deep cord in Ramana. It was like a long forgotten memory of having at different times lived in either or both of these ancient, lost civilizations. What especially moved him was the positive message and strong intuitive feeling, going back to his earlier experience in childhood, that the Divine Creator is a Father of love and compassion, and far-reaching forgiveness of our ignorance – i.e., our transgressions against Him, against ourselves, and against one another.

About that time Ramana also learned of the book “There is a River,” written by Thomas Sugrue, which is a biography of the late Edgar Cayce, the famous “Sleeping Prophet” of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Near the back of the book is a section called “Philosophy.” It too explains man's spiritual evolution, as well as the early account of life in these two prehistoric civilizations. The story of man’s early existence, even prior to the allegory of Adam and Eve in the Bible, is given in detail as taken from several of Cayce’s psychic readings.

The two men, giving these very similar yet different prehistoric versions of man's spiritual evolution, apparently had no actual knowledge of one another. Yet both these uncanny accounts place Jesus, or his individual state of being or consciousness, as representing the pure State of Being, and/or the true Self, which is not only the very base but also the apex of the pyramid of mankind's spiritual evolution; and as the very state of consciousness necessary for everyone to achieve or re-awaken in our return to the Divine Source, which Jesus called “the Father.” This was all Ramana needed at the time to confirm that his spiritual quest was on the right track! It set both the tone and the course for his continued quest. He never again returned to what he recognized as the dogmatic restrictions and misconceptions of religious fundamentalism. Instead he increased his pursuit of true Freedom, his quest for pure Christ Consciousness.

Ramana's spiritual quest became deeper and more intense as the inner urge grew ever stronger. Around 1961, he came in contact with the teaching of Unity, the New Thought religious organization founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, with headquarters in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Unity’s religious philosophy was very much in accord with what Ramana had come to know or believe for himself.

In 1964, Ramana applied for attendance at Unity’s School of Christianity. He strongly considered serving as a clergyman in their world-wide organization. But also, more than anything at the time, he wanted an active personal spiritual involvement in his life. Unity seemed to be an excellent resource for his quest and in-depth study into the Truth of being. It appeared to be in line with his resolve to regain the state of consciousness he once had, but lost as a child. He was hopeful that this step would soon fulfill this strong desire, and his wish to attain Christ Consciousness in this lifetime.

Unity’s teaching shares the Truth that we are all spiritual beings returning to God, the Source, not just “miserable sinners” or “worms in the dust.” Unity teaches: “There is only One Power and One Presence in the universe, which is God, the good Omnipotent (Being).”  Evil is not real in itself, but only our wrong or destructive use of the mind and it's power of thought, based on selfishness, greed and the misguided desire to do harm to others.”  Basically, it is the mind being symbolized as Satan, or the Devil of traditional fundamentalist religion, which constantly draws us all back into body-mind identification and the apparent duality of this world, though Unity does not itself actually say or teach this.

Unity – as significant as it was to Ramana and to his life at the time – turned out to be not destined as his final and ultimate means of spiritual enlightenment.  It was only an interim step in his ongoing spiritual quest, which certainly did not end there, but served to quicken in him an even stronger and more serious dedication to attain for himself what Unity’s philosophy primarily indicates, and talks about – i.e., “all of us like Jesus are sons and daughters of the one Divine Father, the One Being, or God.  Unity implies that we are all destined to one day awaken to this truth, but it doesn't say how – other than believing it.  Nor does it teach a method of meditation that can open one to a higher state of consciousness or pure Awareness, or offer a way that this can be accomplished.  More than ever, Unity just made Ramana want this realization of the Highest Truth, for himself, as his own direct experience in this lifetime!

Ramana had come to learn that it requires the living Presence or Company of someone who has already realized the Self, or true Christ Consciousness, to bring about realization in another who is seeking it, just as you cannot light a candle from another candle that is not already lit.  It requires a Conscious Guru (an Enlightened Teacher) for full Realization of Higher Truth to occur. Therefore he was looking for such a realized being. He could not be satisfied with just knowing intellectually about this, or just believing it as a better, more positive spiritual philosophy to “satisfy” him for the remainder of this life.  He already knew this truth, even more than just intellectually, for he had experienced this as a child, and wanted to now rekindle it, to make it again alive in him. He wanted to remain in this very quality of being for the remainder of his life, and even beyond this life in eternity!

Ramana has a very warm place in his heart for the time he spent at Unity School studying its teaching, and the few years after that when he practiced and taught Unity’s teaching in both California and Texas. Today, he readily recommends Unity’s teaching to those looking to gain a positive insight and understanding of Christianity from a metaphysical point of view; that is, free from the false and limiting concepts of some approaches or paths of orthodox fundamentalism.

On leaving Unity school, Ramana moved to California and continued his spiritual quest, as well as substantially improving the financial side of his life.  He met the late Dr. Napoleon Hill, author of the world famous best selling book,"Think and Grow Rich."  For about three years, he served as the director for the Los Angeles area of the franchised self-improvement schools bearing Dr. Hill’s name; for part of that time, he was also co-owner of the franchise for the Santa Monica branch school

While in California Ramana met Neville, his first known to be conscious or enlightened teacher. Although his full name was Neville Goddard, he went by only his first or given name, and is the author of many enlightened books on the Power of Awareness.  His knowledge of the Bible far exceeded any person that Ramana has ever known, both then and since then.  Neville was very well versed in all the translations of the Bible and knew the primary differences between them and even their more subtle nuances.  He spent 5 to 7 hours a day meditating and studying the Bible.  His understanding of the scriptures was entirely spiritual or metaphysical, not doctrinal. In fact, he strongly argued that doctrine is entirely a man-made concept, and that there is absolutely no doctrine to be found anywhere in the Bible itself. Ramana learned a great deal from Neville, and fully embraces Neville's understanding and his spiritual interpretations of the Bible.  In fact, it was a conscious process learned from Neville and from the Bible that ultimately led to Ramana’s final enlightenment, and to bringing Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and His grace into his life.

His final spiritual re-awakening or enlightenment occurred June 4, 1973 by the grace of Sri Bhagavan Ramana. (The account is given elsewhere on this web site. See Bookstore).

After this enlightenment, Ramana was able to realize, understand and explain the pure teachings of Jesus from this much higher perspective, or the level of Awakened Consciousness, it being the very Transcendental Awareness, or Conscious Oneness with Jesus as the living Christ.

This was spiritually “verified” one morning about two years after this enlightenment “event.” Ramana was staying for several days in the home of some friends. There he had a spiritual or subtle body “visitation” from Jesus.  A friend sharing the same bedroom at the time also profoundly felt Jesus’ presence. A subtle message was then communicated to Ramana to “Build my Church upon this ROCK.” It was revealed to Ramana that (in this particular instance) the “ROCK” was an acronym for the “Realization Of Christ Knowledge!”

Ramana once stated that this was possibly the beginning (even though subtly) of an enlightened “mastermind” between Jesus, Sri Bhagavan Ramana and himself that culminated in the creation and founding of AHAM, the “Association of Happiness for All Mankind,” in 1978.

The purpose of AHAM is, “To preserve, provide and disseminate Self-Inquiry, the conscious transformational process for the realization and abidance in the True Self.”

AHAM's mission is introducing to the world the Good News, or the simple conscious message that, “It's really not necessary to suffer.”  Meaning, it's not necessary to live at the effect of this world - i.e., the negative events in the world, or the thoughts and emotions that take place in the mind in reaction to the events occurring to you, or around you in the world.

Jesus specifically indicated, "The kingdom of God is within you," (Matthew 6:33) and to "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added unto to you," (Luke 17:20-21).  It is not recorded anywhere in the Bible where he actually instructed or informed his disciples, or anyone else, of any method or way for them or any of us to bring about awakening to or directly realizing this fact.  He told us about it, and (in Luke 9:23 and also Mark 8:34) he said to his disciple and all with them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”  But he did not say or teach us how to actually experience or accomplish his State of Consciousness, which is in fact actually the most significant with regard to “following Him.”

It was not until two thousand years later that Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, another Sage or God-Realized Being of the same stature of Jesus, came to earth and shared Self-Inquiry with the world. And He pointed out that it is the one direct and immediate way and means of realizing and experiencing Real God, the One Reality, or the Source of being.  He too informed us that God dwells within us, as us, and in the Heart of all beings. And, what's more, those who will simply make the effort to remain steady in the Conscious Process of Self-Inquiry can easily realize this Supreme Truth.

 

The Sacred Mountain Arunachala
Jesus Christ	Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi	A. Ramana AHAM’s Founder
Elizabeth Mac Donald

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