Man lives his entire life with the hope of
attaining abundant life. Everything that man does, he does for the sake of abundant
life. One gets married, not for the sake of a wife or a husband, but for the
sake of abundant life. One has children, not for their sake, but for the sake
of one's own abundant life. One pursues different arts and skills, crimes, drugs
etc only for the sake of one's own abundant life. Abundant life, happiness,
the good life, Garden of Eden, Promised Land and Kingdom of Heaven all mean
one and the same thing. Abundant life is a state of consciousness which all
of mankind is seeking.
Consciousness gives man a feeling that he is separate. This
feeling that he is separate is the ego. Consciousness makes you aware that others
are others and you are different from them. The ego is a byproduct of your whole
upbringing, the natural course of life. It has to be there. No being can evolve
without being involved with the ego. But, a point comes where the ego can be
eliminated and should be eliminated and the being transcend it. The ego is just
like the shell of the egg or seed. It is needed. It protects; if it goes on
protecting and doesn't allow the egg to grow or the seed to sprout, then it
becomes a hindrance. It must dissolve into the earth so that the inner life
evolves out of it. The seed must die. The ego, lower nature, the emotional nature,
survival instinct, worldly nature, instincts of our animal mind and brute instincts
all mean one and the same thing.
There are things which cannot be argued about, but can only
be experienced. Man has forgotten how to relate with existence, how to relate
with himself. To relate with oneself means meditation. To relate with existence
(God) means prayer. That is why we appear like strangers in our own homes--strangers
to ourselves. We don't know who we are or why we go on existing. It is only
man who suffers from anxiety; he is the only thing on earth that suffers. God
can only be approached directly. God is here now already surrounding you. Only
God is. Within or without, there is no need to try to find somebody to help
you find God. You are already in God; you have never been away from Him. Even
if you want to, you cannot be away from God. There is nowhere to go.
You only have to become aware of that which is already there.
The moment you become aware, you are joined to God directly, immediately, without
anybody standing between you and God. Almighty God also gave to man the power
to change or repent once man has chosen. Priests, preachers, and teachers, etc.
have convinced you that you are sinners. This is good for them because unless
you are convinced, their profession cannot continue. You must be sinners, only
then can churches, temples, and mosques continue to prosper. Being a Christian
means that man has a certain idea about Christ. Having those certain ideas about
Christ doesn't mean that man knows Christ. It means that man has created certain
theories and doctrines and goes on clinging to them. These theories and doctrines
have caused more to separate the human race from God and mankind from each other
than anything else.
The churches, temples, and mosques are not concerned with
being teachers of truth. Teachers of truth will never stand as the interpreters
of truth for one another. The true teacher brings the one taught to a true knowledge
of himself and his own inner power so that he may become his own interpreter.
The true teacher brings the one taught to find the still, small voice--the voice
of God within himself, by being an example for the one taught to follow.
The abundant life, "the good life" that Jesus said
the human race might have, mankind is not enjoying. Jesus said that in this
life you will have great misery and trouble. Jesus also said, "Be of good
cheer, I have overcome them". And you can overcome them. Let us understand
that all truths lie in the ability to distinguish between the lower point of
view (relative) and the higher (absolute), and that all statements of truth
are but a partial statement. There are two sides to every argument. Truth is
but half-truth; hunt diligently enough and you will find the opposite half.
The lower instincts were not implanted in your nature by the devil. They come
about by the gradual changes that take place as you develop into your final
form. Man has to outgrow, curb and control these lower instincts (habits, low
thoughts, etc.). A man cannot change his habits, low thoughts or his lower nature
unless given genuine techniques to change. Techniques and methods (meditation,
prayer, mantras, chanting, etc.) bring about a state where there is no mind.
If there is no mind, you are encountering the real, because no one is between
you and the Real (God). There is a law that a bad habit or thought is eradicated
by replacing it with a good habit or thought--one that is directly opposed to
the habit or thought which one desires to get rid of. The good habit or thought
will gradually crowd the bad one until it cannot exist, and the bad habit or
thought will expire. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good."--ROMANS 12:21(NIV)