The truth is that no one can fully understand the Old Testament without having significant knowledge of ancient Hebrew religion, culture, science, and mysticism. It was written by Hebrew mystics about Hebrew mystics to be read by Hebrew mystics. It was not originally intended for the common folk. Prophecy and prophets were often used by the leaders to justify their future plans or even failures. (Note that this is not an isolated theme to Hebrew culture but prophecy and prophets have a long history of playing a vital role in government. Many kings have sought the council of seers, prophets, and hierophants.) The peasants couldn't typically read. These books were written by educated elites for other educated elites. When Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy it wasn't divinity speaking. It was Jesus MOCKING the Levitical priesthood by fulfilling the prophecy they had used to control the people for so long. Of course, much of this prophecy could not be validated in the first place and there were many supposed Messiahs both before and after Jesus. Anyone could claim to be this and thereby fulfill several prophesies "confirming" their status as the fulfiller of the prophecy. Realistically, he found the truth for himself in his studies and he dedicated his very life to free his people from the tyranny. The Levitical priests strung the Hebrew peasants along for centuries by simply keeping them looking for a savior from their oppression. In reality, the oppression came from the very priests themselves. The government and religion weren't separate in those times. The priests ran the entire show. They told the people that there was a savior coming so that they would not save themselves. Sadly, Jesus did not totally succeed in freeing his people as they still are in turmoil to this day while their elite families and lineages rule the world of economics almost entirely. The Romans and Levitical priests created a false religion around Jesus since he had status as a martyr. His true message wasn't the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. That was simply to get the people's attention and to take away the control of the priests. After the death of Jesus, early Christianity (which wasn't even called Christianity yet) leveraged this attention grabbing detail and deified Jesus in order to make their new religion more credible. Perhaps some of the details in the Bible were entirely fabricated over time to bolster his status as Divinity (i.e. the virgin birth). However, his true message lies in his parables and in his many sayings. His true message lies in his discussions and proclamations rather than in miracles and prophetic fulfillment.
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Our bodies exist for our minds. We keep our body alive so that we may keep our human mind alive. We spend so much of our lives in service of our bodies yet it is our minds that are primary. How much time does the average person dedicate to their mind in a day? None? Boredom is a huge concern for many people. The idea of being alone with one's own mind is not a popular one. We have built societies based on minimizing the risks to our body and maximizing the comfort for it. This is unnatural and likely has been willfully indoctrinated in to us. Look at animals. They have no issue sitting in one place doing nothing at all for extended periods of time. Cats go out of their way to be bored. What are they doing for hours at a time just sitting still? To me it is obvious. The animals know what we have forgotten. The way we live is unnatural. We use our minds to sustain our bodies rather than our bodies to sustain our minds. There are worlds beyond comprehension or description within yet we prefer to idle away in a 9 - 5, Monday - Friday world. There are landscapes that transcend linguistics that the vast majority of society will never know because they have dedicated themselves to combat boredom and bodily discomfort. Rather than using the intellect solely to preserve the body, we should use the body to preserve the mind. The most popular scientific hypotheses regarding the origins of life (at least Earth-life) cite primordial chemical oceans, extreme heat and weather, as well as pure chance as the likely reasons for the emergence of life on our planet. This article deals with a theory by an MIT physicist by the name of Jeremy England. England's theory is quite different as it does away with the need for luck and chance and attempts to explain the origins of life from particle level. He theorizes that the reason for life can be boiled down to the second law of thermodynamics. This law states that the total entropy of an isolated system always increased over time, or remains constant in ideal cases where the system is in a steady state or undergoing a reversible process. More simply stated, systems that are losing energy tend to continue to do so faster and faster. An good example of this would be a campfire. The reaction within the wood that sustains the flames will slowly die down the longer it burns. The logs will produce less and less heat as the system experiences entropy. England's theory works off this law. Groups of atoms that experience energy input from external sources (stars, chemicals, radiation, etc.) often restructure themselves in order to release more energy as it is being put in. Since particles are in constant and very rapid motion, they inevitably reach configurations that spread the energy out evenly. This is called "thermodynamic equilibrium." So then, the basis of this theory is that under the right conditions life would naturally and inevitably emerge as matter structured itself to release more and more of the energy it is receiving from its environment as well as spread that energy out evenly. Those "right conditions" for Earth-life still may seem a bit reliant on luck and chance from a human perspective. However, on a cosmic scale is it rather common for these conditions to become a possibility. Astronomers report, based on Kepler data, that there may be as many as 40 billion Earth-sized planets orbiting in habitable zones in the Milky Way alone. It is important to note that this theory is not a replacement for Darwinian theory but rather it is supplemental to it. Darwin's work explains the diversity of life on the planet quite well but it offers little explanation regarding the origins of life. This theory truly builds upon it and would only increase the validity of the theory of evolution. It is interesting to note that as life evolves on this planet, it uses more and more energy. Typically, the more complex life becomes, the more energy it typically dissipates. This is another key aspect of England's ideas. Matter seems to have a "built in" or "pre-programmed" nature to dissipate the most energy it can in equilibrium. Citing the article linked at the bottom of this post, "Particles tend to dissipate more energy when they resonate with a driving force, or move in the direction it is pushing them, and they are more likely to move in that direction than any other at any given moment. “This means clumps of atoms surrounded by a bath at some temperature, like the atmosphere or the ocean, should tend over time to arrange themselves to resonate better and better with the sources of mechanical, electromagnetic or chemical work in their environments,” England explained." What better way to accomplish this than by creating self-replicating material structures that absorb and transform energy? You know, life? This could also explain some of the naturally occurring structures of inanimate objects. What does this say about consciousness? Of course, this theory doesn't directly tell us much about consciousness at all. Those who believe in a purely material universe may attempt to explain the phenomena of consciousness as being yet another way to dissipate energy via this theory. However, those materialists would likely miss the truth of that idea. It is assumed that the readers of this page are typically more esoterically minded and understand that consciousness likely does not have its origins in our material brains. Remembering that old Hermetic axiom, "AS ABOVE, SO BELOW" we can see that if this theory holds true then it would have to correspond with the 'higher' reality/dimension of consciousness. If consciousness is thought of as simply a form of energy then the true implications of England's theory begin to be apparent. This would mean that not only did life spring forth to dissipate common types of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics but that it has evolved to become able to dissipate consciousness as well. It is clear that the more evolved life forms on this planet have more self-awareness and thus can be thought of as simply being more adapted to receive, equalize, and dissipate consciousness. Not only is this reflected in England's groundbreaking new theory, it is reflected in observable scientific fact as well. The Universe has been observed to be expanding at a faster and faster rate. How would that fit in with this theory? Is the Universe expanding to reach thermodynamic equilibrium? Would that mean that one of the functions of material existence is to 'expand consciousness' in similar effort? This all certainly fits in neatly with many of the occult and esoteric philosophies. Perhaps we are here simply to gain experience, knowledge, and thus equilibrium via expansion. Material existence evolved to self-replicate. Does it not seem likely that consciousness has done the same thing? Just as the material universe will expand until it reaches thermodynamic equilibrium, so shall the conscious universe. Every atom and molecular body in the universe is seeking only to maintain a structure that allows energy to dissipate equally and efficiently. Each particle within those bodies maintains its rightful place in that equalized structure. What does this say about us as individuals? What does this mean for our subjective consciousness? As these great strides are being made in science and particularly in the field of quantum physics we inch closer and closer to answering these questions and more. What we know intuitively will be proven in the realm of logic. The two will be reconciled. Science moves closer and closer to this bright future. http://www.businessinsider.com/groundbreaking-idea-of-lifes-origin-2014-12The readers are encouraged to click the above link and read the article after this one. Jeremy England is the MIT physicist who has been pursuing and developing this theory. This is a theory that we will be watching very, very closely for a number of reasons. If it holds true, well that is obviously a huge leap forward for science. At minimum, it has and will continue to spark conversation about the possibilities.
What do you think about all of this? Leave us a comment below to start the discussion. Language is the way we take ideas from inside our own minds and internal universes and place them in this material realm. When we speak language, we literally vibrate our internal thoughts into a sound wave in this material universe. When we write language, we physically mark matter with an idea that was first in our minds. When we type language, we transform our thoughts into electronic signals and colors on a screen in this physical plane. Language is quite literally magick. It is the transformation of intangible in to tangible. It is the manifestation of thought into action. The power and mystery of language is understated, undervalued, and underappreciated in this day and age. Among my fellow Americans at least, there seems to be a general lack of interest in language even among the intellectual communities but especially among the spiritual, philosophical, and theological communities. This is particularly evident and manifest on social media as the vast amount of communication happens in text. Now, we all know an internet grammar Nazi type that goes out of their way to correct others just to make themselves feel superior for a split second. Perhaps many of us have even been that person at times. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you likely have more than one person on your social media feeds that makes an effort to misspell words, use incorrect grammar, and incorporate the latest popular slang into their posts. The same is more than likely true of your daily lives outside of the internet. You probably know some people that speak properly and even correct others when they don’t and you also probably know some people that speak some extreme dialect of slang and improper grammar. Where am I going with this and why is this being posted on a spiritual/scientific page? Well, simply put, our ability to use language has lead us to the evolutionary path we are on now. We owe our very existence to our ancestors developing and using many languages. The great mysteries that we now toy with and ponder are brought to us by language. The cities we live in were built on communication. The monuments our ancestors left almost always carry symbolic meaning and therefore speak to us across space and time via the language of symbolism. We understand the world through language and even our internal, mental voice reflects via language. Everything we do is based on language of some kind. Mathematics, symbolism, geometry, chemistry, road signs, shopping centers, governments, and almost everything else you can imagine relies heavily on language and communication to be successful. Language is one of the most important tools that humans have. As great of a tool as it is, language is still limited by the understanding the observer of the language has of it. If you don’t speak English, then if someone tries to communicate with you in English you will not understand any of it. If you are not the best with mathematics then you will only get confused looking at a complex physics equation. With this obvious fact in mind, how do we communicate internally with ourselves? How do we learn and understand things? We, of course, rely on our own inner use of language. The voice(s) in your head probably speaks the same language as you. If you primarily speak English, your thoughts are in English. So then, can you see the relevance of having a mastery and understanding of language as well as a large vocabulary can greatly improve your ability to introspect and communicate internally as well as to learn and understand new things? Not only does this mastery allow for better internal communication and education, it allows us to better understand others. It allows us to better understand what we read and what we hear (as long as the writer/speaker knows how to use the language correctly themselves). This is one of the key issues of language. If all parties involved in the communications have a good understanding of the language and vocabulary, then the communication can be more precise and accurate. However, if any party involved in the communication is lacking in understanding of the language then the complications can stack up quickly. Imagine explaining a complex mathematical principle using the languages of English and math to someone who speaks French as has never taken a single course in mathematics. Successful communication is unlikely at best. Now we can address how this REALLY affects the spiritual and philosophical communities, especially on social media. Since language is not respected and appreciated as it used to and should be, there are many issues with communication that arise during discussions. People misuse words or misuse grammar leading to disagreements based on misunderstandings; people fail at successfully communicating valid ideas between one another; people have a hard time discussing complex ideas and deep knowledge because they have neglected their language and vocabulary. Often, conversations amongst spiritual and philosophical people descend into talking in circles. All parties keep saying the same things over and over because the others haven’t understood it yet or they perceive that such is the case. All of this stems directly from breakdowns in communication. These breakdowns can be avoided by using precise language and vocabulary. However, that requires that all parties involved have the understanding required to receive the language. Of course, not everyone operates the same way and not everyone can understand language as quickly as others. Language is always going to be limited by this fact. However, if we as spiritual seekers wish to communicate better amongst ourselves then it would be wise to develop our language skills to a high degree. If we wish to be understood as well as to understand others, we would be wise to develop our vocabulary and expand our use of the languages we utilize. When you hear or see a word you do not know, look it up. Most of us have internet access almost all of the time right in our pockets. With a dictionary on hand 24/7, there is little excuse not to improve our vocabulary if we are truly on a path of self-improvement. Is that not the aim of ALL spirituality? To improve the self or to improve humanity as a whole? The whole only benefits if its parts become stronger. We should at least make an effort to use the languages we use better. There is no down side. There is no negative effect. You will only find that you can communicate better, read faster, understand faster, and even think clearer as your understanding of the languages you use increases. However, it is important not to let a superior understanding of language(s) allow us to look down on others or belittle them. Don’t be a grammar Nazi to assert your own intellect but rather lift your brothers and sisters up by helping them understand the language if you feel moved to do so. Do not go out of your way to offend others for their lack of language mastery. If someone is not able to communicate on the level that you are, then you are fighting a losing battle to begin with. You are only setting yourself up for failure and to create a possibly negative situation. Language can be continually improved. It is highly unlikely that anyone could ever completely master any language at all. This is a source of continual improvement. Since language is the basis for almost all other human activity, surely we can agree that we should all improve our abilities in this area. We owe it ourselves if we truly are spiritual seekers. Again, is not the entire purpose of spirituality almost always self-improvement? If we desire to be a peaceful species then it is imperative that we learn to communicate as precisely and accurately as possible. We must seek to eliminate breakdowns in communication and misunderstandings. If we want to improve humanity then one of the most important first steps is improving our ability to communicate. With the influence of social media these days, our ability to understand and use written languages is more important than ever.
Again, and in closing, there is no down side. There is nothing to lose and much to gain by simply improving our skills with the languages we use to communicate with our fellow humans. The resistance to the proper use of language must become a thing of the past. The contentment for a half-assed understanding of language must not remain. This article is a part of a series of articles focusing on the teachings of Jesus as presented throughout the Gospel of Luke. This article (as well as the subsequent and previous articles of the same topic) is available on the website on a dedicated webpage. Luke 5:36-39 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Here we find Jesus telling a parable. He is discussing the absurdness of repairing an old garment with a new garment. Why rip the new one to repair an old one? Why not just wear the new one? He makes a similar point regarding wine. It is important to note that the word “bottles” here is not the same as we think of it now. They had wineskins in those times rather than bottles. These were essentially pouches of animal skin/leather that were made to hold wine. Then, wine was left in the wineskins to ferment and become wine rather than just grape juice. After the wine had fermented in a wineskin, the wineskin could not be used again as it would be brittle and stretched. If they were reused, the wineskin would likely burst and ruin both the container and the wine within it. Basically, Jesus was again using an absurd idea to convey a message. No one would risk losing the wine they were attempting to make by placing it in an improper container. Next, he states that no man desires new wine after having old wine. New wine is simply fresh grape juice without alcohol. New wine is wine that has just been squeezed from the grapes and not been fermented yet while old wine has undergone fermentation and contains alcohol. Basically, Jesus is saying that the old wine is better than the new. This is still typically true. Almost all quality alcohol is aged. What does all of this mean? What is the point of these seemingly simple parables? When viewed with an esoteric eye, the meaning becomes clear. These parables are relatable to the process of overcoming oneself to become a new person. You cannot overcome your old ways and your old self by simply patching in new ideas and new pieces. You have to become totally new lest the old perverts the new. You cannot place a new version of yourself in an old container or you risk losing both the new version and the old container and being left with nothing. The last parable can be seen as describing our resistant attitude towards change. The old wine is already fermented and ready while the new wine takes time. How much easier is it to settle for old wine instead of making new and being patient with the process involved? The same can be said of personal growth. It is easy just to keep doing the same thing instead of toiling and creating something new. These concepts are common among esoteric and occult philosophy. The concept of doing away with the old self and becoming a new person through Initiation, Illumination, Enlightenment, or whatever other term you choose is common among almost all spiritual thinkers and systems. This process is often painful and we resist it. We are so often satisfied with the old wine and do not want to make any new wine. We like our old garments so we choose to patch them up rather than replacing them and in the process we just give rise to further destruction of our old garment as well as the new. We even like to try and incorporate new ideas into old habits. We place new wine in old wineskins. We continue our same behaviors and dwell in the same states of mind while trying to incorporate new ideas and justify new information with our old ways. Jesus understood the necessity of a new garment, a new wineskin, and for making new wine altogether. This article will be the beginning of a series of articles focusing on the teachings of Jesus as presented throughout the Gospel of Luke. This article (as well as the subsequent articles of the same topics) will be made available on the website on a dedicated webpage in time. To begin, we are not attempting to discuss the historical accuracy and validity of the Gospel of Luke. Such matters are not the concern of we who are not interested in dogma and religion. The interest and topic of examination here is the message of Jesus as presented in this Gospel. Knowing that the Gospels were not written while Jesus walked the earth and that they have been translated and edited many times, it must be understood that these documents cannot be seen as verbatim or perfect accounts. However, if we examine the teachings of Jesus as they were written and handed down we can still obtain a relatively clear picture of his overall message. This message differs greatly from what religion has attempted to assert. The message of Jesus is a message of self-empowerment and self-mastery. The message of Jesus is one of personal divinity and occult knowledge. Luke 4:1-13 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. This scripture is a story of Jesus being tempted by ‘the devil’ while he spent time in the wilderness (assumedly to meditate on the revolutionary tasks he was about to begin). Here, Jesus has reappeared after 18 years of silence in the historical records between ages 12 and 30. He has been baptized by John the Baptist and has retreated alone into the wilderness. At face value, it is a simple story of Jesus displaying dominance over the devil. However, this devil we understand to be a symbolic representation. Jesus, having great knowledge and therefore power, had to struggle with the same thoughts that any one of us would have if we possessed such knowledge and power. This struggle is highlighted in the temptations that ‘the devil’ offered to him. First, we find Jesus fasting and not eating anything. This may have been literal as a means of self-discipline and willpower building but it could also be entirely symbolic of self-discipline without intending a literal fast. Whatever the case, we find this devil tempting Jesus to set aside his self-discipline and turn a stone into bread so that he may eat. Jesus responds by saying that man cannot live by bread alone but by “every word of God.” Understood esoterically, this means that we must not live a purely material existence focused only on sustaining our physical needs but that we must also seek knowledge of a higher source. Self-discipline is most certainly part of that “word of God” and any true spiritual seeker knows the importance of the same. Next, we find ‘the devil’ taking Jesus up on a high mountain and showing him all the kingdoms of the world in what must have been a vision as it is said to have occurred in only “a moment of time”. What god would allow any devil to lead him up a mountain to begin with? Are we to believe that Jesus literally followed the devil up a mountain? Or are we to believe that Jesus was overcome by visions from the devil for a moment? The idea that Jesus is THE GOD embodied in flesh seems unlikely at best due to this observation. Would THE GOD be led by THE DEVIL or be overcome by any visions from him? This is only more evidence that Jesus was a man that was struggling with his own inner devil just as we all do. Continuing now, Jesus is on the high mountain and he sees a vision of all the kingdoms on earth. The devil then offers to give Jesus power over all of it if he just worships him. This is all symbolic of the inner struggle Jesus was having in regards to the next stage of his life. With the knowledge he possessed, he knew that he could either help fix the world or he could become very powerful within it. What Jesus said in response to this temptation is very revealing. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” This was Jesus acknowledging the flawed logic in serving a temporary master – the mortal, human life. No amount of earthly power or wealth matters upon death. Jesus, citing old Hebrew law, highlighted that one should only serve the higher, true and immortal reality. Serving anything earthly or mortal is inevitably futile and worthless upon death. Finally, we find that the devil brings Jesus to a high point on the temple in Jerusalem. Again, would THE GOD as imagined by religion be led by THE DEVIL and placed on a high point by him? Would the Divine Creator really allow himself to be willed around like that? Doubtful at best. The story continues to say that the devil tempted Jesus to jump from the high place of the temple to have angels catch and save him. Jesus responds very simply with, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” This is clearly Jesus asserting his dominance over the devil by claiming his place as God over that devil. Of course, this can be taken literally or it can be taken as symbolic of Jesus claiming dominion over his own mind rather than being led by his temptations and mortal human nature. This temptation to jump from the high place can even be interpreted to be Jesus contemplating suicide. I know, I know…..that is quite a claim. Let me make it clear that this is simply a possibility that I have toyed with in my mind and I do not claim this to be factual. I am providing discourse on this possibility simply as a possibility. Pressing forward, Jesus had just spent 40 days alone in the wilderness fighting his inner devil and mortal temptations for power and wealth. Those with Knowledge of Self are often tempted with suicide because we seek the experience of the immortal afterlife prematurely knowing it to be far greater. The pain of this temporary world and the finite nature of our human life often presses us to want to just move on and not ‘waste time’ here on Earth. However, nothing can be more lacking in self-discipline than suicide. Perhaps Jesus was tempted by his devil to jump and be carried away from his mortality and just skip the hardship that he knew was to come. Jesus, realizing that this was not a real option for him, simply commanded his devil not to tempt him with such thoughts. After all the temptation, we read that this devil departed from Jesus “for a season”. This seems to be further indication that Jesus went in to the wilderness to tame his devil, increase his self-discipline, and meditate on what he was about to do. Upon successfully completing his self-imposed training, his devil departed from him for a long period of time. This is a common theme of esoteric doctrine. Subjecting oneself to strenuous temptation and adhering to strict self-discipline decreases future temptations and makes self-discipline easier with time. This theme is not isolated to the occult as almost anyone would agree that self-discipline becomes easier over time and the more it is practiced the less the temptations are to violate it. If the story is interpreted in this manner rather than literally, it not only makes more sense but it satisfies some inconsistencies within the story such as the supposed Creator God being led by and influenced by the supposed Devil. It is much more relatable, logical, and sensible to believe that Jesus went to the wilderness to meditate, practice self-discipline, and prepare himself for the journey he was about to embark upon not as a God but as a man aware of his own connection with The All. |
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