1999-11-30 00:04:00
Sharon... I am happy that The Immortal had a good influence on your son. I do not hear many stories of orthodox religious people reading it. They will often refuse to consider it. The first will be last and the last first. Thanks for the report.
The Question:
How about problem foundation beliefs on the other side of the fence in the New Age community? Can you name a couple?
Susan again gives some good answers. I'm glad you're pitching in here Susan. A lot of the regulars seem to be relaxing since Thanksgiving.
1. Traditional religions and scriptures have absolutely nothing to offer me.
2. There is no evil.
3. Learning to do (astral traveling, telekinetics, past life regression) is the focus rather than being (kind, loving helpful).
4. There are no rules worth following.
Those are all excellent observations of New Age traps.
1. Traditional religions and scriptures have absolutely nothing to offer me.
This is an interesting one because the left and right take two extremes on this. The religious right takes everything too seriously, and literally, and many on the left throw the whole Bible out the window thinking it is like kindergarten and needs to be left behind.
The truth is that great wisdom is distilled in this as well as other world scriptures and is very useful when passed by the soul. In my opinion the highest writings are those of Isaiah, the words of Jesus and the writing of the Apostle John. I think we can find here words of spiritual power that are equal or surpass that of anything available in book form.
(2) There is no evil.
I've had a lot of discussion with various people on the list with this one. Either they or I have some foundation resifting to do in the future. It is interesting that the Great Invocation, which is accepted by many of those who teach there is no evil, has this in one of its stanzas:
"Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells."
These very words, we are told, are spoken by the Christ, the greatest of us all, every single day in present time. They are not far removed from the Lord's Prayer given 2000 years ago in which He asked to "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
My question to those who do not believe that we have to be concerned with evil is this. If Christ, the greatest of us all, is yet involved in the world of dualities to the extent that He puts daily attention on sealing the door of evil, then is it not apparent that our foundation beliefs need to be re-examined if we see ourselves beyond this need?
If your teacher is a mile ahead of you on the path and a mile beyond the teacher is refreshing water that you thirst for, then imagining to yourself that you are drinking the water does not produce reality. Instead it may deceive you into not following your teacher, who does know the way, and wandering off into strange dark paths and missing the destination completely.
3. Learning to do (astral traveling, telekinetics, past life regression) is the focus rather than being (kind, loving helpful).
Phenomenon does often distract from the needed path of service.
4. There are no rules worth following.
This was another good one Susan. For the right the rules are everything and for the left there are no rules. Those in the middle realize that some rules are necessary for order but not suffocation.
Here is my rule for rules:
Minimum rules - maximum free will. A little like we try and do on this list.
Xavier also gives some other shaky foundation beliefs to consider:
1. Self development is all there is. Service will come later, as a by-product.
Many on both sides of the fence put too much emphasis on self. The truth is that when we serve with purity of heart the self is taken care of, making self-first an unnecessary step.
2. Going with the flow.
This is a good one that we have covered in the past.
3 Thinking is creating, is doing.
Thinking is a step but only part of the process.
4. If you're in the light you will have only joy and peace with no suffering or struggle.
5 If it feels true, then it is true.
Good points Xavier. The ways to deceive ourselves in this world are indeed without number.
Samu adds another good one:
"Everything is perfect and can be just accepted the way it is."
I have heard many people on the left and right make a statement something like this as they are struggling to achieve: "If God wants it (or if it's meant to be) then it will happen. If it does not happen then it is not supposed to be." Time and time again I have seen this attitude cause the person to cease making that little extra bit of effort necessary for success.
The truth is that you have power to create what you decide to create and as a reflection of God your creations are God's will. If we want some thing all we must do is make a decision to get it and pursue the dream until it is real. If we leave everything up to an outside God we become like a sandcastle exposed to the wind and waves of the ocean. Disintegration can only occur.
Now let us get back on our original quest of the principles of discovery of truth. Lorraine makes a good comment on this:
"So one word answer; knowledge. Knowledge increases our ability to recognize the half truths of our lives. Acceptance must also be in there somewhere. And decision to make a change once we realize the error. (Also apathy a deterrent)"
Let me phrase it this way:
Seek out true sources of knowledge, study and incorporate them into your life. Knowledge dispels error and illusion.
Thus we now have six criteria:
(1) Take the things you know (for reasonable surety) to be true and use them as a foundation or stepping-stone for testing additional truths.
(2) Be willing to let these foundation beliefs be either altered or dropped as some of them are replaced by higher vision.
(3) The teaching should be in harmony with common sense
(4) It should increase the power of Decision and free will.
(5) It should bring you to a new level of awareness and usefulness.
(6) Seek out true sources of knowledge, study and incorporate them into your life. Knowledge dispels error and illusion.
Jesus gave us another principle to aid in the discovery of truth. He said:
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." John 7:16-17
What principle was the Master teaching here and how can we use it in the discovery or confirmation or truth?
Copyright 1999 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved