Many in the New Age spiritual communities dislike when Jesus is brought up. They despise his name. They doubt his existence. They even accuse him of being responsible for the death machine known as Christianity. This resentment is based off of misunderstandings and blatant manipulation of fact. Even most Christians are unaware of the true story of Jesus. Jesus was not how he is typically presented. Jesus was a rebel, a thorn in the government's side, a bruise on the heel of the religious establishment of his time, hope for the common man, seditious, and he possessed great Knowledge of Self. He challenged the status quo and the ruling class. He stood up against ignorance and lies. He went to the strongholds of his time and exposed the religious institutions for all the world to see. For all of this and more, he was murdered. The story most know of Jesus is just a half told tale. The purpose of this article is to very briefly examine the story of Jesus without the religious dogma and twisting of the facts. Jesus was born to regular people in a regular society. He was obviously a deep thinker and an intellectual because at a young age we can find stories of him interacting with religious leaders and doctors. In Luke 2:41-52, we find a story of a 12 year old Jesus sitting with such people at the Temple of Jerusalem listening intently to their words and questioning them as well. His understanding of the content amazed all who witnessed it. After this event revealing his intelligence and understanding, Jesus' story gets put on hold until he reemerges at 30 years old. For 18 years of his life, there is seemingly no written record. If a bit of Hebrew culture and law is understood, one can see some significance of his return to the spotlight at 30 years old. When Jesus was 12 at the temple, he would have been considered a child. However, 13 is the age of the bar mitzvah in Jewish culture. Once his bar mitzvah was complete, Jesus would have been considered an adult. On the other end of this silence in Jesus' record, you can find him at age 30. What is significant about this age in Hebrew culture? Well, 30 is the age of readiness for priesthood. However, Jesus was not a Levite. Levites are descendants of the Tribe of Levi and were charged with political and religious duties. Without turning this in to an examination of old Hebrew law and culture, suffice it to say that being a Levite offered distinct socio-political advantages. One could not be a priest without being of the Tribe of Levi. So then, what could possibly spark this intense desire to change the world around him within Jesus at the age of 30? It seems plausible that Jesus wanted to be a priest and was possibly angered and upset that he would not be allowed to pursue that path since he was not a Levite. Perhaps this sparked a desire within Jesus. As for his 18 years that are missing from written history, it is likely that Jesus developed his plan over this time. He likely spent this 18 years simply being a local carpenter and studying. Evidence of this can be found in Matthew 13:55 which says, "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?" This scripture is indicative that Jesus was locally known to at least some degree. What happened during this 18 years is less important than what followed. At the end of this unknown 18 years, we find Jesus emerging to be baptized by John the Baptist. After his legendary baptism, Jesus heads into the wilderness. It is written that he was tempted by the devil for 40 days and that he did not eat. Matthew 4 begins by saying, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." This scripture when taken at face value is simply a story of Jesus being tempted by the devil. However, when this scripture is viewed through an esoteric lens it becomes much more clear. Jesus went into the wilderness to meditate and be in deep thought about the plan he had been working on for the last 18 years. Can you imagine creating an 18 year plan to essentially overthrow the religious institutions and government? Can you imagine what it must feel like to be at the beginning of that plan and having to decide whether or not to go through with it? Surely you can see how this is a difficult position to be in. Jesus, having immense Knowledge of Self, went in to the wilderness to prepare himself for what was to come. During this time, he was tempted by thoughts of material gain, fame, fortune, and power. He knew that the knowledge he possessed would allow him to either become a powerful member of the ruling class or to try and overthrow that ruling class and expose this Knowledge of Self for all to see. This is what Jesus went into the wilderness to struggle with. The devil that Jesus was tempted by was the same devil you and I are tempted by - ourselves. The next order of business that Jesus began to tackle was spreading the word. He began speaking out against the religious dogma and political corruption of his time. The Romans controlled Israel and the political/religious Hebrews (Levites/priests) ran the place for them. Jesus began to speak out against them which was a dangerous move in those times. He traveled around spreading the truths that he had learned and educating the masses. He taught basic morality and dignity. He challenged people to be kind to one another and to help one another overcome. He encouraged people to be charitable out of their heart rather than for glory. He taught about the Higher Reality and even about the third eye as demonstrated in Matthew 6:22, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." He taught that we should not be full of worry and judgment. In Matthew 7 we find him speaking out against the false prophets (the priests and rulers) saying, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." The more we follow Jesus, the clearer it becomes. Jesus was trying to start a revolution both spiritually and politically. For this, he was killed. For his desire to liberate and enlighten others, he was destroyed. Jesus, however, was not ignorant to the fact that he was in danger. He predicted his own demise more than once. Surely a man as wise as Jesus was well aware that he was creating turmoil among powerful men. He knew that there were only two options for his future. He knew that it was either all or nothing. However, this does not indicate that he came with the intent to die or that he was predetermined to be the sacrificial lamb that Christianity reports him to be today. Actually, Jesus says quite the opposite. In Matthew 26, we find Jesus after his arrest standing before the council that wanted to kill him for his sedition. "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Here we see the council seeking someone to lie against Jesus so that they could produce charges against him. After the bogus charges are brought before him, Jesus said nothing because he knew that it was futile. They wanted to kill him and he knew that there was no way to convince them otherwise. Finally, he responds by saying, "Thou hast said" which means he was simply saying, "you are the ones who said that, not me." Jesus sticks to this story even once he is in front of the Roman governor known as Pontius Pilate. "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly." We see here again Jesus indicating that he did not claim any kingship over the Jews as he tells Pontius Pilate the same thing he said before the Hebrew council, "Thou sayest" again meaning, "you are the one saying that." In fact, if you read the Bible stories with occult understanding, you can plainly see that Jesus never claimed to be special by birth and he never claimed to be anything that each and every one of us can become. He simply recognized his own Divinity and advocated that the rest of us do the same. While this surely upset the leaders of his time as it was counterproductive to keeping a population under control, the main issue they had with Jesus was most likely his nature to speak out against the priesthood and their wicked ways. To clarify exactly Jesus did to earn the hatred of the establishment of his time, imagine today if a man stood on the steps of the American Congress and began to preach against them. Imagine if a man stood there in front of crowds as well as Senators and began accusing them of criminal behavior and demanding revolution. You can imagine how quickly that man would be arrested and likely charged with some sort of extreme crime that carries extreme sentencing. After Pilate talked with Jesus and saw that he was being falsely accused, he tried to reason with the Hebrews as he realized Jesus was an innocent man. "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." This scripture shows that the Roman government was well aware of the innocence of Jesus and that Pontius Pilate was not happy about what was happening so he washed his hands of the situation realizing that the Hebrews wanted this man dead out of their own greedy desires rather than justice. We all know how things proceeded next. Jesus was crucified. He was tortured and murdered by the Roman and Hebrew governments. What happens next is even more evil than Jesus' murder. The Romans soon realized that they had killed an innocent man. Surely the public was upset as Jesus had became rather famous. Once news of his murder spread, the people were sure to be enraged and upset. The Romans killed a great man who had done nothing other than help people and speak out against corruption both spiritually and politically. The Roman Empire was a great empire. They were very good at maintaining control. So then how were they to control this situation before it spiraled out of hand and all of Israel became angry with them? Their solution to this social situation has survived to this day and with great success. The Roman solution to appeasing the Israelite public for killing Jesus became Christianity. Essentially, the Romans crucified and innocent man and then used his status as a martyr to create a religion from which they could control the public even more. Have you ever heard of Roman Catholicism? The Holy Roman Empire? These two institutions became (and still are) some of the most powerful forces humanity has ever seen.
The very existence of Christianity is a mockery of Jesus. Again, the Romans literally killed an innocent man and then made him into a religion to prevent backlash from that killing. Christianity is simply a mixture of the teachings of Jesus in their most basic and simple form, Roman mythology, Hebrew law, and a whole host of other religious movements that eventually became absorbed by Christianity. Christianity is blatantly against the teachings of Jesus and the Knowledge of Self that he personified. What else can it be called be a mockery? It is time that the spiritual communities begin to take a fresh look at Jesus and what he stood for. Separate Jesus from Christianity and review his words alone. Of course, much of what Jesus taught was omitted from the Bible. Many of his words were altered, changed, or just made up. It is fairly easy, however, to see what it is that Jesus really stood for so picking out the additions and alterations becomes rather easy. We must look at Jesus as a wise man no different than Hermes Trismegistus, Rumi, The Buddha, Thoth, or whoever else you choose to look up to spiritually.
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Everyone knows what it is like to have someone try and use guilt to coerce them in to doing something and bending their will. It is likely that each of us have had someone in our lives that has consistently used this tactic to try and manipulate us. However, we are about to discuss a much more powerful and more deeply rooted guilt that Western culture has placed upon almost the entire world. We are going to be discussing the guilt that stems from the idea that we are damned, imperfect, flawed, sinful, and even downright evil according to some Western thought. This idea is so stained into our culture that most go through life without ever considering another option. This is especially true for those of us who are spiritual seekers. The idea that we are sinners and in need of a savior stems from Christian dominated culture. However, one should understand that the true message of Jesus and of much of the Bible is very different and very uplifting. We will revisit this inconsistency between Christianity and the teachings of the Bible later in the article. Continuing, the Christian governments and religious institutions may have begun innocently enough. However, we would have to be foolish not to see that governments and leaders have exploited the success of Christianity for their own benefit. Would it not benefit a King to have the clergy instruct the peasants to pay their taxes “for God”? Would it not be of obvious benefit for the clergy to ask the same thing for themselves in the way of tithes? How then can you convince the people that they actually need to give their money to you? You have to offer a service. People do not pay for nothing. You have to convince them that what you are offering is important and that they need it. First, the Church offers eternal life. This, of course, attracts a large crowd. However, what is required to keep the people coming back for more once they learn of this eternal life? How do you ensure that they return to pay their tithes and listen to the clergy again and again? This is where the guilt comes in. In order to convince people that they needed the services the church has to offer, you have to convince them that they are naturally flawed and sinful. If you convince people that they are lost, badly damaged, and in need help because they simply lack the ability to help themselves then they will, of course, seek the help you have convinced them they need. You must convince them that their very existence is painful, evil, and destructive. You must make them feel like they are worthless and pitiful. You must make them feel guilty for even being alive. This is precisely what Christianity, in conjunction with governments, has done over the centuries. Christianity took parables, anecdotes, symbolic tales, and misunderstood ideas from the Bible as well as many religions around the world in order to create the perfect control mechanism that operated on guilt. Over the centuries, this idea of original sin and the imperfection of humanity took root and grew deep. The guilt of being born evil as well as the fear of being damned for eternity created perfect conditions for control. It is important to remember that in the early days of Christianity, the common people could not typically read. Often, they were not even permitted to learn how to read. Even for the ones who could read their native language, the Bible was often not permitted to be translated. Mass production did not exist and neither did printing presses. The Bible was a document that the common man simply was ignorant of with no way to overcome that ignorance. This ignorance provided the controllers with even more control. Once they had the people feeling good and guilty about their own existence, they hit them with the fear of Hell. Then, once the fear really set in, they told them that this one book had all the answers. Since the vast majority could not read the Bible, they were more than willing to listen to the clergy and controllers tell them exactly what God’s Will was. They listened intently as they were instructed on how to purify the evil they were born with and how to escape their flawed nature. All of this was made possible by the greatest guilt trip ever attempted. Now, this mentality has been so heavily solidified in Western culture that even the non-religious or anti-Christians often hold it. This guilt is still leveraged by governments and religious organizations. We are expected to believe that we are not good enough and that there is simply no possible way that we can rely on ourselves. We NEED church. We NEED the government’s help. We NEED to do what we are told because if we don’t we are messing the whole thing up and we should feel guilty. We come in to this world and by the time we are old enough to talk we have already started to feel like we have to prove our worth to the world and overcome this guilt. What does the Bible really have to say about the matter? Sure, there are scriptures that can be used to justify the idea of being born into a sinful nature. I would like to remind the reader at this point of the literacy issues of our ancestors. When Christianity was up and coming, most of humanity could not read the Bible nor the texts from which it was derived. How easy then would it be to simply make the Bible say whatever it needs to say in order to justify the doctrine of the church? Further, much of the Bible is symbolism. While the interpretation of this symbolism may seem hard to find, the truth is actually the contrary. The symbolism employed in much of both the Old and New Testaments is not new or particular to Christianity. The symbolism is well understood and can been seen in thousands of other texts both of antiquity and more modern times. Back to the topic at hand, what does the Bible really say about our nature?
The truth is that Jesus was never attempting to promote himself as THE God. Jesus was attempting to be an example for the whole world and that is exactly what he did. We find again and again Jesus revealing his knowledge of Self and imploring the rest of us to do the same.
John 14:20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. For those familiar with occult doctrine and knowledge of Self, the symbolism within these scriptures is unmistakable and easily deciphered. Even more evidence can be found within the story of Jesus’s crucifixion. Jesus was crucified in place of Barabbas. What does Barabbas mean in the native tongue? It literally means ‘son of the father’. Is it not strange that Jesus claimed that exact title many, many times? To me, this symbolizes the interchangeability between Jesus and Barabbas. They hold the same titles because Barabbas is just as divine as Jesus. It is the final symbol attempting to set in stone the idea that we are all the same as Jesus and that we are all Divine. This is drastically different from the image of ourselves that Christianity and Western culture wants us to adopt. There is a distinct difference in a call to recognize your own divinity to save yourself and a call to accept your flawed nature and allow some other divinity to save you. One concept breeds self-sufficiency and confidence while the other breeds a victim mentality and a need for outside support. Which of those models is better for crowd control and manipulation? Once someone accepts that they and they alone are responsible for their own salvation, they begin to dislike things that negatively affect their efforts. They begin to resist what culture and rulers think is best for them and prefer to figure out the best route for themselves, by themselves. They begin to question the world around them and demand evidence rather than being led with blindfolds on. They begin to want to experience the Divine for themselves rather than be told about it from a platform on Sunday mornings. For these reasons (among others) the controllers want us to feel helpless, in need, pathetic, damaged, flawed, and guilty for being that way. They want this guilt to drive us right into their arms so that they can instill fear and create faithful servants who do not ask questions but simply rely on faith in some higher power or governing body. Reject this nonsensical way of life. Do not view yourself as weak and in need of a savior but look for the savior within yourself. Recognize that “ye are gods” and that this mortality is but a condition of material existence. Experience the Divine for yourself. Acquire knowledge for yourself. Do not be a victim but rather, be the Kings and Queens of your own lives. “If then you do not make yourself equal to God, you cannot apprehend God; for like is known by like. Leap clear of all that is corporeal, and make yourself grown to a like expanse with that greatness which is beyond all measure; rise above all time and become eternal; then you will apprehend God. Think that for you too nothing is impossible; deem that you too are immortal, and that you are able to grasp all things in your thought, to know every craft and science; find your home in the haunts of every living creature; make yourself higher than all heights and lower than all depths; bring together in yourself all opposites of quality, heat and cold, dryness and fluidity; think that you are everywhere at once, on land, at sea, in heaven; think that you are not yet begotten, that you are in the womb, that you are young, that you are old, that you have died, that you are in the world beyond the grave; grasp in your thought all of this at once, all times and places, all substances and qualities and magnitudes together; then you can apprehend God. There is an idea that keeps popping up more and more in New Age spiritual circles and this idea has become somewhat controversial. That idea is the idea of Gnosticism. There are more and more Gnostic themed and titled groups and pages popping up on social media almost daily although many have very little knowledge regarding what Gnostic doctrine really is. This short article is to serve as a sort of crash course in Gnostic theory. The word is of Greek origins and originally simply meant “knowledge”. gnosis – knowledge of spiritual mysteries The Gnostic views the world as flawed and imperfect just as many religions and philosophies do. However, the Gnostic does not believe that the world needs to be perfected but that it is human consciousness that needs perfecting. They hold that the material world that humans reside in is imperfect in its very nature due to it being created in a flawed manner. How could this be the case? How could creation be imperfect? Does that imply that Gnostics believe the Creator of this human world to be imperfect? Simply put, yes. Gnosticism teaches that the creator God of Christianity may be real but not infallible. Not only is this creator flawed, he is secondary at best. Gnosticism asserts that there is a higher reality above this intermediate deity and that humans can experience and ascend to this reality. The creator of this human world may simply be viewed as a sort of unwise angel rather than the ultimate God; this creator is simply a craftsman and not really a creator at all. The Gnostic view of the Universe teaches that humans are dual in nature, a common theme among most any religious school of thought. This duality is seen to be a result of being partly crafted by a false creator and partly created by the higher reality or God. The part of humans created by the higher reality is said to be older than the created world and the intermediate God that has crafted it. It is also said that within each human there is a “Divine Spark” and that this Divine Spark can be awakened. Death is seen as releasing this Spark but only temporarily unless that Spark was awakened by knowledge (or Gnosis) during our human time on Earth. If this Spark is not awakened, we are doomed to return and repeat the cycle here on Earth. If we have not been liberated by knowledge, we must return and dwell in this imperfect, flawed world until a time when we can become liberated. The Gnostics also held that human nature is Divine and that we have simply forgotten our Divinity due to the limitations of physical existence. We are ignorant of our origins, our inner nature, and of our destiny. Gnosticism teaches that our salvation can be attained through knowledge. While attaining this knowledge is largely personal, this Gnosis is assisted by many helpers. Jesus, among many others, is considered to be one of these helpers. Gnostics do not seek salvation from “sin” but from ignorance and unconsciousness. Okay, now that we have covered a very basic interpretation of what Gnosticism actually is, let’s examine the implications of this doctrine when compared with scientific understanding. Basically, this Gnostic philosophy could be translated to mean that human/earth evolution was crafted by some higher being of the Universe. One could imagine that there are many such beings throughout this vast Universe or that possibly there are many Universes with many such beings crafting each of them. This being(s) may be well above our human comprehension and capable of godlike activities compared to our minor and small state of existence but it is not the creator of the entire Universe. This Craftsman would have to have used energies, forces, and creations of the higher reality in their crafting as they are not the creator of The All. If that be the case, the crafts of this Craftsman must contain material from the higher reality. Could it be that Consciousness itself is that Divine material and that the Craftsman simply employed Consciousness to direct the evolution of their craft? Could it be that by expanding our Consciousness through Gnosis (knowledge) that we can escape the lesser material reality that the Craftsman has placed us in? Is it possible that we are just as Divine as the Craftsman or even more so and that we can not only escape this existence but craft our own? Is it possible that by educating ourselves and experiencing this higher reality for ourselves that we may escape the shackles of material existence upon our inevitable death and be propelled into a reality of truth and perfection free from paradox? At any rate, Gnostic doctrine is at least interesting and thought provoking. Some of the concepts of this philosophy can greatly improve one’s spiritual journey and I encourage all who take their spiritual paths seriously to examine these ideas in greater detail.
In Western society, we are told that the individual should desire to serve the community or the whole. We are told that we may be required to sacrifice ourselves in favor of the collective or society. We admire those that give back to the community more than all others and usually rightfully so. However, it seems that in our admiration of the community and of society we have lost our admiration for ourselves and for the individuals that create that community. This is no accident but rather was engineered by the elite and powerful people of the world. The influence of Christianity upon the evolution of the entire human race mustn’t be ignored. Christianity above all other religions teaches that the self is contaminated, evil, dirty, in need of saving and doomed without it. It also teaches that this salvation can be attained by sacrificing your own life, wants, desires, and even your own safety/survival in favor of the something larger that yourself. Christianity has taught subservience to governments, monarchs, churches, and religious leaders as well as God. The religion teaches that the individual does not have the power to save and conduct themselves and that something larger is needed. This message was not contained to Christianity nor was it necessarily the creation of it. Throughout all of Western culture and even the rest of the world the idea that sacrificing oneself for the whole is almost always a great and heroic action. We are even asked (forced) to give up personal liberties and freedoms in favor of the collective. Many are thoroughly convinced that individual liberty is dangerous for society. Is all of this wrong? No. Is all of this right? Also, no. As stated above, the propagation of this idea is no mistake. It is calculated and greatly assisted. The reduction of the power of the individual is beneficial to those that seek to magnify the whole in order to use it for personal benefit. The Elite that sit atop the thrones of society benefit greatly from the improving of the same. If the economy is good, their economy is good. If society is subservient and unquestioning, they do not have to fight too hard for control. As long as we all bow to what we are told are the needs of society, The Elite are safe and secure upon their pedestals. As long as we believe that we NEED what society offers and that we cannot provide for ourselves, we will sacrifice our deepest desires to survive and afford a bit of comfort. To be clear right here in the beginning of this article, I am not teaching or implying that one should be selfish or that one should value themselves OVER society. This is another extreme position that is simply not able to be maintained. Neither extreme is sustainable. We cannot be overly infatuated with the whole or with the individual. The relationship between the individual and society must be symbiotic and synergistic. One must not drain the other or take from the other. They must build upon one another. n quantum theory, every particle in the Universe is bound by certain laws. These laws indicate that no two particles in the Universe can be exactly the same. No two particles can be at the same location, traveling the same direction, moving with the same momentum, etc. This mandated individualism is what allows for the existence of matter and subsequently this human experience we are having. Each individual particle in the entire Universe is fated to be ever an individual. At no point can any particle truly become removed from its individual nature lest the entire Material Universe be in violation of The Law. At the same time, every particle in the Universe is exactly the right individual, at exactly the right time, all of the time. This perfect nature allows each particle to be a part of something larger while still maintaining its individualism. This is the Divine Duality. Neither the whole of the Universe nor the loneliest particle within it take even a single thing from one another. They maintain perfect harmony. The Universe gives the particle purpose yet the particle creates the Universe. If one truly understands this idea, they can see the implications for human life. As above, so below. As below, so above. This Principle of Correspondence holds true throughout The All. What holds true for the particle and the Universe holds true for everything in between. This neatly includes humanity. So then, let us become the particle and let society be the Universe. This is how the relationship should be maintained. Each of us should strive to be an individual and to be personally responsible for ourselves. We should use our individual desires and attributes to augment and uplift society. We should seek to IMPROVE society while staying true to ourselves and always focusing first on being happy within ourselves. Some are indeed most happy in service to others. That is absolutely okay and I would never want to dissuade someone who feels that is their place. If that is what makes you happy as an individual, then you should go to that with all you have. However, no one should feel obligated to society. No one should feel like they must neglect their own desires and happiness in favor of society. This is not to say that one should drain from society to prop themselves up. Our desires must not be detrimental to society. If we find ourselves abusing the benefits of the collective while not feeding anything back in, then we find ourselves unbalanced and in need of improvement. That path is not for the spiritual seeker and it will create only unhappiness and discontentment in the end. As always, this topic comes down to polarity and balance. We must maintain the polarity of the individual and of the whole. We must stay balanced between the individual and the whole. If the whole asks more of you than it provides, it is the whole that is out of balance. This is the case most often. Why? A collective made of unbalanced persons becomes an unbalanced collective. Would you not agree that most of humanity does not maintain this balance? So then, we are faced with the fact of the unbalanced nature of others and thus of society. What are we to do? Do we neglect balance within ourselves and seek to balance the whole? Not so. Do we neglect the whole and shut it out and become an island? Not so. All we can do is maintain our own balance while taking care not to drain from society. Look to the Material Universe for evidence of this fact. Suppose you find yourself on a tight rope with a large group of people, all just out of arms reach of one another. Can you maintain balance for all? No, you cannot. You can only maintain balance for yourself as the whole manipulates the movement of the rope. You cannot stabilize the rope alone. You can only stabilize yourself. You could, however, be so unbalanced that you cause the rope to become unstable and thus destabilize the whole. Keep this in mind.
In closing, do not overvalue the community and undervalue yourself. Make yourself happy first so long as your happiness does not come at the expense of society. Use your happiness to improve society rather than trying to use society to create your happiness. The latter will never work. It takes one to know one.
We have heard that a thousand times. We have probably said it nearly as many. Often, these clichés are taken lightly and not even examined. They are so overused that when we hear them we immediately recognize them as borrowed philosophy. However, maybe we should take a second look at some of these clichés when they come through our ears. When you really think about the meat of this message, it gets much deeper and contains a lot of truth. In order for us to recognize a fault in someone else we must first recognize it within ourselves. Even that sounds cliché, I know. However, really think about that. Understand it. It is very, very true. If we do not know how to lie, how can we spot a liar? If we do not have a capacity for violence, how do we recognize a violent person? If we have never experienced fear, how can we see that someone is scared? Anything we notice about others we must have first noticed about ourselves thought we may not be honest with ourselves about many of these flaws. We have probably all recognized that those that accuse others are often guilty of what they accuse others for. Think about relationships. It is a commonly accepted idea that cheaters are often insecure about their partner and accuse them of cheating. I have witnessed this personally on multiple occasions. Yet another example of this logic can be found in serial killers. More than once police forces have consulted serial killers in efforts to capture other serial killers and often with success. There is even a popular movie from the 1990’s about this very occurrence. So then, why is this relevant and what is the practical use of this information? For starters, this allows us a window into ourselves. If you find yourself constantly noticing certain flaws in others, maybe you should consider some looking inward and being honest with yourself. Secondly, this allows us a bit of peace when someone is pointing out our flaws. Try as we may to surround ourselves with uplifting people, there will inevitably be a time when someone highlights your flaws. They may do this out of friendship and care or they may do it maliciously in an attempt to harm. Their reasoning matters a little bit less when you realize that in order to recognize your fault they have to contain that same fault within themselves even if they are unaware. With the understanding of this we can be a little more forgiving (or at least forgetting) of people when they judge us. Also, we can be receptive to sound judgment when it is offered. This is possibly the most crucial point of all of this. When someone judges us truthfully, we must learn to embrace it. Even when the judgement is hurtful, we must recognize truth. Often, we reject judgment due to the person offering it. We tell ourselves, “Who are they to highlight my flaws while they have their own?” Of course they have flaws. They must have or at least used to have had the very flaws they have accused us of having. Even a liar can tell the truth and even a bad person can expose a need for improvement within ourselves. We must learn to accept good judgement and not be offended by it. This, of course, does not excuse unnecessarily rude behavior. There is a proper way to do things. If someone is exceedingly hurtful in their presentation or obviously trying to harm you then you do not have to accept that behavior even if you accept their judgment as true. One can expose an issue without being hurtful. That does not mean that the information presented won’t be painful as the truth is at times. It is painful to realize one’s own failures and shortcomings. We must learn not to let the pain of realizing our own faults be projected on to others. If someone offers sound judgment without trying to hurt you, there is no reason to be offended at them. Only those that truly care for you are willing to risk upsetting you to tell you the truth. A fake friend will allow you to linger in ignorance while the true ones expose and illuminate our ignorance to help us overcome it. Do not be angry at them. This is what friends are REALLY for and for those seeking Self Mastery, such judgment from close friends is imperative as we are not always honest with ourselves. We should not shy away from these types of people but flock together with them so that we can judge one another and subsequently increase one another. Objectivity should be welcomed as we keep in mind that those judging us must contain the same flaws within themselves. There is a lot of talk amongst spiritual circles about being an ‘empath’ and what all that means exactly. There are many memes, articles, and even books about the topic. Due to the many, many ideas about the topic there is a bit of confusion about exactly what being an empath is supposed to mean. The most basic definition that I believe is generally agreed upon is: Empath - a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual. In fewer and more basic words, an empath can feel the emotions and mental states of others. Due to this, empaths are often overwhelmed in public places or large crowds. They can become overwhelmed even by television and radio. They often feel the emotions of even fictional characters as real and within themselves. Empaths are often very emotional people and can even be accused of overreacting at times. Now that we have the most basic definition and a loose grasp on what it means to be an empath, let us discuss the matter further. The idea of being an empath and holding that title attracts many among the New Age Movement as well as other spiritual movements. By proclaiming to be an empath, the seeker separates themselves from the general population. A person that believes they are an empath can then justify their emotional nature and even gain some moral credibility based on that nature. It is this behavior that I intend to address. Research has shown that human brains detect the brain waves and heart patterns of other humans. Along those same lines, experiments have been conducted that lead scientists to understand that humans produce scents based on their emotional disposition and that each of us have a unique scent ‘fingerprint’. Further, experimentation has shown that we constantly pick up on and interpret these scents from others without even knowing it. Even if we try to judge others as little as possible or not at all, our brains are constantly intercepting information from the brains, hearts, scents, and behavior of those around us and then subsequently interpreting that information. What does this mean? It means that we are ALL empaths differing only in degree. Yes. You read that right. The science is out. The studies have been completed. The facts are in. Every human on this planet is capable of and constantly in the process of interpreting the emotions and mental states of those around us via scent, heart patterns, and brain waves. I, of course, do not want to imply that science has it all figured out but rather that it has confirmed the fact that we all sense one another in more than one way. Our interactions are not limited to material, physical interactions alone. So then, if we are all empaths or at least have the capacity to be what makes some of us more prone to greater levels of empathetic interactions? Just as with all of our physical senses, we each have different natural tendencies due to many reason. Genetics, culture, education, spiritual pursuits, and many more things affect all of our senses. Some of us need glasses to see. Some need hearing aids. Some of us have keen senses of smell or superior vision. Some of us feel more physical pain while some hardly notice it at all. Just like the rest of our senses and abilities, our empathy is subject to variations between persons. There are, of course, those that naturally feel more emotion from both within and without. The reasoning is not simple and there is no exact answer as to why some are more empathetic than others. Being an empath is often used as a means to justify emotional instability. Many suggest that their wild emotional states and changing moods can be excused because they are experiencing the emotions of others and thus they alleviate personal responsibility. This is unacceptable. Imagine that a person has naturally bad vision so they in turn crash their car and kill someone in the process. Would their naturally dull vision be sufficient to reduce their responsibility in the accidental death they caused? Hardly. Now, this is an extreme example and being overly empathetic or emotional may never cause a death. Don’t get hung up on the example as it was merely for the purpose of understanding. Continuing, if a person of reduced visual acuity killed someone in a car accident they would be held accountable to some degree. They would most likely be charged with some form of manslaughter here in America and possibly even do some serious jail time. Why? Well because there are methods to improve vision available. For the person with bad vision it is absolutely imperative that they have some device(s) to improve that vision if they want to operate a motor vehicle. This is for the public and for the person of bad vision. The same logic can be applied to the person who experiences strong emotions and increased empathy. There are methods available to us that allow us to develop our emotions and learn to observe them without action. These methods are free and one needs nothing but their own willpower to practice them, unlike eye glasses or contacts. That being said, the overly empathetic should not try and reduce their empathy or bury those emotions. That is not what I am suggesting. Unlike problems with vision, added empathy can be beneficial. Being able to discern the emotional states of others is vital for the teacher, the healer, the guide, and the shaman not to mention many others. No effort should be made to reduce emotions or to neglect them at any point. The effort to be made is towards controlling our responses to those emotions. We must learn to feel hate without acting upon it. We must learn to feel anger without becoming it. We must learn to feel sadness without allowing that sadness to control our lives even for a moment. The overly empathetic must learn to observe emotions without reacting. Since we have identified that we are all empaths differing only in degree, can the term still be used to describe those of us that feel more and connect more? Sure. It is understood what is meant when someone uses that term. It is of extreme importance that we do not allow ourselves to use the term and title to alleviate personal responsibility or to reduce our efforts at self-control. Empathy is no excuse for outlandish behavior or wild mood swings within ourselves. Such things are not evidence of empathy but rather they are evidence of the need for self-improvement and self-mastery. Buddha, Jesus, Rumi, MLK Jr., Hermes, and many others greater than you and I have been empathetic without being uncontrolled. Jesus faced even his own death and embraced it without becoming wild or irrational. MLK Jr. faced violence and racism without losing his cool. If you believe that being an empath is excuse for irrational, illogical, and uncontrolled behavior within yourself then you are sadly mistaken. Examine yourself and be honest with yourself. Do you claim the title because you can feel and discern the moods and minds of others or do you claim it to justify your own asinine behavior? Or is the answer perhaps both? Are you actually an empath and yet use it as an excuse? That is even less acceptable. In the end, this behavior harms everyone around you. If you allow yourself to become emotionally unstable you will inevitably impact those around you. We all recognize this. Not only do you harm those around you, you harm yourself more than all. If you allow yourself to dwell in that mindset then you become stagnated and commit yourself to a lifelong loop of mood swings; highs and lows. I hope above all things that you received this message positively and realize that this is not someone trying to hammer on you and belittle you for your lack of control. I hope that you recognize the true intent of this message. That intent is to convey the message that you do not have to live the way you are living. You do not have to accept wild mood swings and emotional irresponsibility. You do not have to live in depression and sadness. You do not have to be so moved by others. You can improve and you can make your life better. If you truly want to use your empathy (and if you are an empath you most certainly do) then you must learn to harness it rather than be harnessed by it. Learn to observe these failures within yourself but do not be a harsh judge. Learn to recognize when you are being exceedingly emotional. By this recognition alone you will improve by leaps and bounds in only a few months. I speak from experience. I speak as living proof. If you are having trouble with this, please feel free to contact us. We can provide you with a bit of support and objectivity for your situation as well as suggest methods of improvement. We can also offer you personal success stories to help you stay motivated on the path to self-mastery and to becoming truly empathetic and controlled. Sources and links of interest:http://www.heartmath.com
http://www.heartmath.com/research/#eer https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/science-of-the-heart/the-energetic-heart-is-unfolding/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2012/11/08/people-can-smell-emotions/#784fd22866b2 http://www.brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves http://www.iamthedoc.com/thefilm/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2006885/Humans-really-DO-sixth-sense-lets-detect-magnetic-fields.html https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-narcissus-in-all-us/201102/how-you-know-eyes-are-watching-you http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/smell-feelings-disgust-fear-chemosignals_n_2083047.html |
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Throughout the rest of the site we try to keep things as focused on raw information as possible. On this page, we at The Hidden Ones will be sharing our unique views and opinions on a wide variety of topics. Archives
March 2017
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