Andrew Cort's Blog, page 34
November 3, 2011
PICKING ONESELF UP AGAIN: THE GOLDEN CALF
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When God finished speaking with Moses on Mt. Sinai, He gave him the two tablets that had been inscribed with His finger. According to folklore, these tablets of stone were made by God's hand in the dusk before the first Sabbath, as Creation came to an end. The stone was like opaque sapphire, and when God handed the Tablets to Moses His Divine Radiance shone through them and illumined Moses' face – a symbol of Enlightenment.
But every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. Even as the Divine Radiance was shining on this high level of the human soul, the low level was in revolt. "Hurry down," the Lord said to Moses, with a telling change of pronouns, "for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely."
It began with what the Bible calls the 'Mixed Multitude', at the bottom of the mountain (the 'bottom of the soul') while Moses was above (the highest level of the soul) receiving the Ten Commandments. These were mostly Egyptians who had fled for one reason or another with the Israelites. According to legend, many magicians and their followers, after seeing all the wonders and miracles that God performed in Egypt, asked Moses if they could convert and come with him. God advised Moses not to accept them. But Moses, being merciful (but not exercising sufficient judgment), told God that if these people saw His works every day, they would surely come to understand and accept the Lord, so he allowed them to come along.
Psychologically, these would be that multitude of negative, conflicting voices that never stop chattering and insisting on being in charge. For the Initiate, this multitude of inner personalities would include many aspects of oneself that ought to have been purged by now, but an unwise facsimile of compassion, which is really just an inner passivity and a lack of good judgment, has allowed them to remain. We all like to believe that as we are, without changing our innermost selves and actually being reborn into something completely new, we can do God's work and ascend to Heaven. The story of the golden calf shows the futility of this, and the need for an inner ruthlessness.
When Moses had not returned by the morning of the fortieth day, the 'mixed multitude' came to Aaron and said, "Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt – we do not know what has happened to him." They wanted an idol, an Egyptian-type god that they could
see
and
touch
all the time, who would be their new leader. When Hur, who had been appointed by Moses as joint leader with Aaron, reminded them of all the blessings that God had bestowed upon them, they killed him. They then threatened Aaron that if he did not make them an idol they would kill him too.
The Bible reports that Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." According to folklore, he was stalling for time. He did not fear for his life, but he did fear that if the people slew their priest and prophet, God might never forgive them. So he tried to slow down the horror that was brewing, hoping that either it would subside by itself, or Moses would return in time to prevent any more sin.
He knew that if he asked the men who were confronting him to give him their own gold earrings, they would do so immediately. So he told them instead to go and get the needed gold from their wives and children, hoping that the women would refuse to give up their jewelry for something so foolish, and hopefully that would put an end to the matter. The women did indeed refuse, but when the men realized this, they tore off their own earrings, which they wore in the Egyptian fashion, and brought these to Aaron. The Bible states, "This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf." When the mixed multitude saw it, they exclaimed, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
Now they wanted to build an altar for the calf, but Aaron, stalling again, said it would be more fitting if he, the priest, built it himself: he still was hoping that Moses would appear in the meantime. So he began building the altar alone, and he said, as reported in the Bible, "Tomorrow shall be a festival of the Lord!" The idolaters misunderstood of Whom he was speaking. But early the next day Moses had still not returned, and people brought burnt offerings to the altar. They ate and drank and began to dance.
This is when God said to Moses, "Hurry down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely." God's use of the term ' your people', may be indicating the 'mixed multitude' that Moses had insisted on bringing along against God's advice. Or it may indicate that He is disowning the Israelites. The Lord continued, "I see that this is a stiff-necked people. Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation." But Moses implored Him not to destroy them, but to remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to forgive them. "And the Lord renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon His people."
[image error] When Moses took hold of the opaque sapphire Tablets, as we have seen, God's radiance shone through the Tablets upon his face. This radiance ought to have passed through him and continued on down to illuminate and enlighten the entire soul as it stood on the 'mountain' connecting the divine level of 'Heaven' with the material level of 'Earth'. In fact, it is said in the Kabbalah that at this moment Moses had re-achieved the divine state of immortality that had been lost in the Garden of Eden. But now it was immediately lost again.
In scriptural code, we know that 'Egypt' does not refer to an actual geographic country, and 'Egyptians' are not actual people from that country. These are symbols which denote our own inner enslavement to the physical world of material desire. The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt is an allegory of the soul rising beyond this enslavement-to-matter and the tyranny of the ego (represented by Pharaoh). Now in the story, the ascension up Mount Sinai, and Moses' communion with God, means that the soul has returned to the state of purity in which Adam and Eve were first created.
But impatience, lack of trust, and fear, are all still possible even at this high level of Being, and again the lower aspect of the Serpent (through the 'Mixed Multitude') asserts itself, leading some of the people (the Emotions) to fall back into the worship of materiality (the golden calf), while the Mind remains passive (like Aaron, who merely tries to 'buy time' and hopes that Moses will come back and do something). The soul is thus collapsing back down to its comfort zone where it can 'sleep' in peace, and only the unseen prayers and supplications of Moses prevent its complete demise.
And so, it must all begin again. On the journey of the soul, as in all of life, there will be times when we fall and have to pick ourselves up and start again.
*****
Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
When God finished speaking with Moses on Mt. Sinai, He gave him the two tablets that had been inscribed with His finger. According to folklore, these tablets of stone were made by God's hand in the dusk before the first Sabbath, as Creation came to an end. The stone was like opaque sapphire, and when God handed the Tablets to Moses His Divine Radiance shone through them and illumined Moses' face – a symbol of Enlightenment.But every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. Even as the Divine Radiance was shining on this high level of the human soul, the low level was in revolt. "Hurry down," the Lord said to Moses, with a telling change of pronouns, "for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely."
It began with what the Bible calls the 'Mixed Multitude', at the bottom of the mountain (the 'bottom of the soul') while Moses was above (the highest level of the soul) receiving the Ten Commandments. These were mostly Egyptians who had fled for one reason or another with the Israelites. According to legend, many magicians and their followers, after seeing all the wonders and miracles that God performed in Egypt, asked Moses if they could convert and come with him. God advised Moses not to accept them. But Moses, being merciful (but not exercising sufficient judgment), told God that if these people saw His works every day, they would surely come to understand and accept the Lord, so he allowed them to come along. Psychologically, these would be that multitude of negative, conflicting voices that never stop chattering and insisting on being in charge. For the Initiate, this multitude of inner personalities would include many aspects of oneself that ought to have been purged by now, but an unwise facsimile of compassion, which is really just an inner passivity and a lack of good judgment, has allowed them to remain. We all like to believe that as we are, without changing our innermost selves and actually being reborn into something completely new, we can do God's work and ascend to Heaven. The story of the golden calf shows the futility of this, and the need for an inner ruthlessness.
When Moses had not returned by the morning of the fortieth day, the 'mixed multitude' came to Aaron and said, "Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt – we do not know what has happened to him." They wanted an idol, an Egyptian-type god that they could
see
and
touch
all the time, who would be their new leader. When Hur, who had been appointed by Moses as joint leader with Aaron, reminded them of all the blessings that God had bestowed upon them, they killed him. They then threatened Aaron that if he did not make them an idol they would kill him too. The Bible reports that Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." According to folklore, he was stalling for time. He did not fear for his life, but he did fear that if the people slew their priest and prophet, God might never forgive them. So he tried to slow down the horror that was brewing, hoping that either it would subside by itself, or Moses would return in time to prevent any more sin.
He knew that if he asked the men who were confronting him to give him their own gold earrings, they would do so immediately. So he told them instead to go and get the needed gold from their wives and children, hoping that the women would refuse to give up their jewelry for something so foolish, and hopefully that would put an end to the matter. The women did indeed refuse, but when the men realized this, they tore off their own earrings, which they wore in the Egyptian fashion, and brought these to Aaron. The Bible states, "This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf." When the mixed multitude saw it, they exclaimed, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"
Now they wanted to build an altar for the calf, but Aaron, stalling again, said it would be more fitting if he, the priest, built it himself: he still was hoping that Moses would appear in the meantime. So he began building the altar alone, and he said, as reported in the Bible, "Tomorrow shall be a festival of the Lord!" The idolaters misunderstood of Whom he was speaking. But early the next day Moses had still not returned, and people brought burnt offerings to the altar. They ate and drank and began to dance. This is when God said to Moses, "Hurry down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely." God's use of the term ' your people', may be indicating the 'mixed multitude' that Moses had insisted on bringing along against God's advice. Or it may indicate that He is disowning the Israelites. The Lord continued, "I see that this is a stiff-necked people. Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation." But Moses implored Him not to destroy them, but to remember His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to forgive them. "And the Lord renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon His people."
[image error] When Moses took hold of the opaque sapphire Tablets, as we have seen, God's radiance shone through the Tablets upon his face. This radiance ought to have passed through him and continued on down to illuminate and enlighten the entire soul as it stood on the 'mountain' connecting the divine level of 'Heaven' with the material level of 'Earth'. In fact, it is said in the Kabbalah that at this moment Moses had re-achieved the divine state of immortality that had been lost in the Garden of Eden. But now it was immediately lost again.
In scriptural code, we know that 'Egypt' does not refer to an actual geographic country, and 'Egyptians' are not actual people from that country. These are symbols which denote our own inner enslavement to the physical world of material desire. The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt is an allegory of the soul rising beyond this enslavement-to-matter and the tyranny of the ego (represented by Pharaoh). Now in the story, the ascension up Mount Sinai, and Moses' communion with God, means that the soul has returned to the state of purity in which Adam and Eve were first created.
But impatience, lack of trust, and fear, are all still possible even at this high level of Being, and again the lower aspect of the Serpent (through the 'Mixed Multitude') asserts itself, leading some of the people (the Emotions) to fall back into the worship of materiality (the golden calf), while the Mind remains passive (like Aaron, who merely tries to 'buy time' and hopes that Moses will come back and do something). The soul is thus collapsing back down to its comfort zone where it can 'sleep' in peace, and only the unseen prayers and supplications of Moses prevent its complete demise. And so, it must all begin again. On the journey of the soul, as in all of life, there will be times when we fall and have to pick ourselves up and start again.
*****
Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
November 1, 2011
GOT A MOMENT? I COULD USE SOME FEEDBACK [KIND OF A "SURVEY"]
Hundreds (literally) of people are coming to the blog each day. A number of visitors are leaving comments, always positive. The site's Alexa ranking is getting better and better at an incredible rate. It's very exciting and gratifying.
But no one is buying my book, THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION.
I know I'm not much of a salesman, but I'm trying, it's a worthwhile book, and I'm really stuck and would greatly appreciate your feedback:
Is the Title a 'put-off'?Is all the information on the sidebar Uninteresting? Unnoticeable? Too 'Hard' sell? Too 'Soft' sell?Is it the Price?Is there Missing Information that people want to hear?Is it simply the Economy and no one is buying anything?Is there Something Else I'm not getting, or something else I should do?
Any response would be very helpful. Thanks!
Andrew Cort
I hope you enjoy the blog, and do keep coming. (Remember, too, we're always open to Guest Bloggers.)
But no one is buying my book, THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION.
I know I'm not much of a salesman, but I'm trying, it's a worthwhile book, and I'm really stuck and would greatly appreciate your feedback:
Is the Title a 'put-off'?Is all the information on the sidebar Uninteresting? Unnoticeable? Too 'Hard' sell? Too 'Soft' sell?Is it the Price?Is there Missing Information that people want to hear?Is it simply the Economy and no one is buying anything?Is there Something Else I'm not getting, or something else I should do?
Any response would be very helpful. Thanks!
Andrew Cort
I hope you enjoy the blog, and do keep coming. (Remember, too, we're always open to Guest Bloggers.)
WOULD YOU DO ME A BIG FAVOR? I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK
Hundreds (literally) of people are coming to the blog each day. A number of visitors are leaving comments, always positive. The site's Alexa ranking is getting better and better at an incredible rate.
But no one is buying my book, THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION.
I know I'm not much of a salesman, but I'm trying, and I'm really stuck and would greatly appreciate your feedback:
Is the Title a 'put-off'?Is all the information on the sidebar Uninteresting? Unnoticeable?Is it the Price?Is there Missing Information that people want to hear?Is it simply the Economy and no one is buying anything?Is there Something Else I'm not getting, or something else I should do?
Any response would be very helpful. Thanks!
Andrew Cort
I hope you enjoy the blog, and do keep coming. (Remember, too, we're always open to Guest Bloggers.)
But no one is buying my book, THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION.
I know I'm not much of a salesman, but I'm trying, and I'm really stuck and would greatly appreciate your feedback:
Is the Title a 'put-off'?Is all the information on the sidebar Uninteresting? Unnoticeable?Is it the Price?Is there Missing Information that people want to hear?Is it simply the Economy and no one is buying anything?Is there Something Else I'm not getting, or something else I should do?
Any response would be very helpful. Thanks!
Andrew Cort
I hope you enjoy the blog, and do keep coming. (Remember, too, we're always open to Guest Bloggers.)
October 31, 2011
THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR
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[image error] In Luke's gospel a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. Luke uses the word "Pharisee" to represent narrow-minded religious bigots who have lost sight of the inner spiritual meaning of religious rules and customs, and perform religious obligations simply as a way to enhance their own ego. The word also applies to that place in ourselves that thinks, feels and acts this way.
And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with the tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.
Here we have a virtual fountain of priceless symbolism.
Women of the Middle East would often carry ointments and perfumes in alabaster jars, and this is not the only time that Jesus will be anointed by a woman who uses a fragrant balm that she keeps in an alabaster jar. Anointing, as well as bathing one's feet and kissing, were common signs of hospitality at this time. But in this case, these customary gestures are performed with an uncustomary extravagance.
Oil is the fuel of fire, and 'anointing with oil' is an ancient symbol for the 'fire' of the Holy Spirit entering the soul. In fact, the word Messiah (Moshiach in Hebrew) means 'the anointed one'.
Anointing the head with oil is a symbol for confirming and strengthening the Mind, and it is the ritual which many ancient traditions, including Judaism, have used to empower a King. In many traditional mythologies, this anointing would be done by a woman, the bride of the king.
But in this story it is the feet that are anointed. '
Feet
' symbolize the foundation and support of our physical life, but through the act of walking they also symbolize the soul's efforts to advance. '
Tears
' are a symbol of the soul's suffering in the pursuit of divine Truth, its remorse when looking squarely at its bondage to external life, and its compassion for those who remain asleep and enslaved. '
Hair
' sits at the apex of the Mind, and is a symbol of the highest qualities of the physical realm reaching upwards to touch God. A woman's hair in particular is a symbol of the pure feminine receptivity which alone allows Divinity to enter the world. Lastly, a '
Kiss
' symbolizes love and union, such as the 'kiss of heaven and earth'.
Naturally, this woman with the alabaster jar was a sinner, just as we all are sinners at our level of Being -- mistaking the illusory for the real, worshipping wealth, power and fame (the Bible calls this Idolatry ), and doing anything necessary to achieve them (the Bible calls this Harlotry ). She, however, has changed.
But the Pharisee within us, the hypocrite who swells with pride while observing empty religious formalism, who obeys rules technically but not spiritually, and who constantly worries about how he looks in other people's eyes, could only feel disgust and say to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him – that she is a sinner."
[image error] Jesus, of course, heard what was in his heart, and he said to the Pharisee: "I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment."
All of this demonstrates quite clearly, Jesus continues, that this is a woman who is full of love , a woman who "loves much". The necessary karmic response is that her many sins have been forgiven. The Pharisee, on the other hand, has loved but little, and his sins have not been forgiven.
******Please leave a Comment! Tell us if you liked this Post. Tell us what YOU think! Thanks!
[image error] In Luke's gospel a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. Luke uses the word "Pharisee" to represent narrow-minded religious bigots who have lost sight of the inner spiritual meaning of religious rules and customs, and perform religious obligations simply as a way to enhance their own ego. The word also applies to that place in ourselves that thinks, feels and acts this way.
And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with the tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.
Here we have a virtual fountain of priceless symbolism.
Women of the Middle East would often carry ointments and perfumes in alabaster jars, and this is not the only time that Jesus will be anointed by a woman who uses a fragrant balm that she keeps in an alabaster jar. Anointing, as well as bathing one's feet and kissing, were common signs of hospitality at this time. But in this case, these customary gestures are performed with an uncustomary extravagance. 
Oil is the fuel of fire, and 'anointing with oil' is an ancient symbol for the 'fire' of the Holy Spirit entering the soul. In fact, the word Messiah (Moshiach in Hebrew) means 'the anointed one'. Anointing the head with oil is a symbol for confirming and strengthening the Mind, and it is the ritual which many ancient traditions, including Judaism, have used to empower a King. In many traditional mythologies, this anointing would be done by a woman, the bride of the king.
But in this story it is the feet that are anointed. '
Feet
' symbolize the foundation and support of our physical life, but through the act of walking they also symbolize the soul's efforts to advance. '
Tears
' are a symbol of the soul's suffering in the pursuit of divine Truth, its remorse when looking squarely at its bondage to external life, and its compassion for those who remain asleep and enslaved. '
Hair
' sits at the apex of the Mind, and is a symbol of the highest qualities of the physical realm reaching upwards to touch God. A woman's hair in particular is a symbol of the pure feminine receptivity which alone allows Divinity to enter the world. Lastly, a '
Kiss
' symbolizes love and union, such as the 'kiss of heaven and earth'.Naturally, this woman with the alabaster jar was a sinner, just as we all are sinners at our level of Being -- mistaking the illusory for the real, worshipping wealth, power and fame (the Bible calls this Idolatry ), and doing anything necessary to achieve them (the Bible calls this Harlotry ). She, however, has changed.
But the Pharisee within us, the hypocrite who swells with pride while observing empty religious formalism, who obeys rules technically but not spiritually, and who constantly worries about how he looks in other people's eyes, could only feel disgust and say to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him – that she is a sinner."
[image error] Jesus, of course, heard what was in his heart, and he said to the Pharisee: "I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment."
All of this demonstrates quite clearly, Jesus continues, that this is a woman who is full of love , a woman who "loves much". The necessary karmic response is that her many sins have been forgiven. The Pharisee, on the other hand, has loved but little, and his sins have not been forgiven.
******Please leave a Comment! Tell us if you liked this Post. Tell us what YOU think! Thanks!
October 30, 2011
CHARLES FILLMORE: "NEVER LET 'I CAN'T' ENTER YOUR MIND"
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One of the most famous of all of Christ's quotations, as well as one of the most disregarded, is found in Luke:
"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke.17.20-21)"
We, however, are held in thrall by the things of this world, our attention dispersed into the world around us, and we look for heaven and God precisely where Christ tells us not to look, turning spirituality into the superficial and formalistic worship of external objects and historical events.
As our focus becomes more and more external, the lower rational mind gains strength and becomes more and more affronted by the irrationality of spiritual and religious claims. This is when the champions of atheism become increasingly vocal and adamant – not without cause!
Charles Fillmore, the founder in the 1880's (with his wife Myrtle Fillmore) of the Unity Church, was an American mystic in the New Thought lineage who is known for his metaphysical interpretations of the Bible. Here is an Excerpt from one of his commentaries on Christ's statement in Luke.
***
Never Let That "I Can't" Enter Your Mind
From THE FOURTH DIMENSION, by Charles Fillmore (1932)
The main theme of Jesus' teachings was the advent of the "kingdom." He compared it to many physical things. He showed that the kingdom was likened unto this and likened unto that, to get the attention of the people of his day. They knew nothing about our modern science; they did not understand the tremendous import of the discovery of great physical research, and so he appealed to their understanding. They lived, as we live, in the Third Dimensional World and functioned in that realm, and it was necessary to give them something that would illustrate to their Third Dimensional minds what this Superior or this Omnipresent Kingdom is like.
We have approached the time when that same kind of appeal is necessary. The fact is that this Kingdom that Jesus talked so much about was never understood, never has been understood in its true character. We have understood in a way, and we have made it a physical kingdom, and our theologians have told us that after we are dead and go to Heaven we will find out about the Kingdom. Jesus did not tell us this at all; He said, "The Kingdom of God is nigh unto you." How near? He finally said, "They shall say, Lo, here; or Lo, there; but go not forth. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. (Luke 17: 20)
It does not come through the research work or the work of the outer senses. How does it come? Why, the Kingdom of God is within you. There is the key to the situation—The Kingdom of God is within every one of us; it is very near to us; you could not get anything nearer to you than your heart, and your heart is the very center of this Kingdom of God…. Jesus said very plainly that we must seek to enter into this kingdom. He did not tell the rich young ruler who was very wealthy and who kept all the commandments, and yet was not in the kingdom, that he could find this kingdom by some further outer research; nor did he tell him that he would find it after he left this earth. What did he tell him? He said, "You are very near to the kingdom; but in order to get into it (this does not mean that you have to go somewhere to get into it) you must sell want you have and give to the poor [Andrew Cort's note: Symbolically, this would mean getting rid of your attachments to the material world, and giving them over to the 'poor in spirit': i.e., to those who prefer to remain attached to the material side of life and are not interested in the spiritual quest], and then follow me."
****{ Article is continued below, after Video}
John and Barbara Waterhouse offer a series of lectures on the classic text, Prosperity, by Unity Church of Christianity founder, Charles Fillmore. In Chapter 1 Fillmore wrote, ""This inexhaustible mine substance is available at all times and all places to those who learn to lay hold of it in consciousness."
This is Part 1 of their series.****
What is this "me" that Jesus emphasized equally with the kingdom? It is that Christ Mind; and in order to make practical (and that is what these lessons are for) that intangible and apparently unreal "something" called the Kingdom of God, we must develop in ourselves the capacity; and with the unfoldment of the Kingdom we must unfold the ability to appreciate the Kingdom. Out-of-doors we find a thousand flowers, but we have not witnessed that anyone loves flowers particularly unless he has had some education in flower culture, knows something about flowers. So we find in every field of life, study, research develops capacity and ability for greater appreciation of the merit. Would not that same rule hold good in the development and use of the Kingdom of the Heavens? We think it will. The Scriptures plainly teach that there must be an unfoldment of the mind of Christ in me and around me, before me. In our lesson we must begin at the very foundation, which is to prove to the reasoning man (that is the Thomas state of consciousness) that if he will not awaken the intuitional or spiritual part, we must prove to him through citations, as a lawyer would prove to a jury and a judge that there are many cases illustrating this case to be found in the law books. So we turn to the Scriptures, and we show you that all through these Scriptures these illustrations are to be found and demonstrated; but these have been used to carry the kingdom of heaven away off somewhere away from the immediate grasp of the mind. What we need is to grasp these truths for ourselves in order to use them.
[image error] This lesson is for the purpose of learning how to apply and demonstrate the powers of this Kingdom right out in our immediate, active everyday life. You say that that is a pretty large proposition. Yes, but it is possible. You may not get all of the fruits of the kingdom. When the children of Israel were sent over into the Promised Land to spy it out, they brought back only a small portion of the fruits of the land; they brought back grapes, pomegranates, and figs. Now, that is what we shall do; we shall get immediately some of the fruits of the Land.
But the most of us would be like those spies and say, "That land is well fortified with inhabitants, and they do not receive you very kindly; there are giants in that Land and we are as grasshoppers in their sight; and in our own sight we are as grasshoppers." This means that we do not appreciate our own spiritual ability; we don't appreciate our power; we don't look on this Kingdom of Heaven except as something that is beyond our reach. Many settle back and call it too large a proposition. Never let that "I can't" into your mind; never think for a moment that God has counted you a non-entity, for if you do, it may be only a short time before it will put a damper over or on everything you try to do. More Spirit is what we need; it is what we term "Substance", I call it "faith", quickened in us—that we have "faith" until we get hold of the Kingdom of Heaven.
***
On October 13th, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Thomas Shepherd on his Unity.FM radio program, "Let's Talk About It". We were joined by Rev. Manzel Berlin. You can listen to the program here.
***Please leave a Comment! Tell us if you liked this Post. Tell us what YOU think! Thanks!
One of the most famous of all of Christ's quotations, as well as one of the most disregarded, is found in Luke:"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke.17.20-21)"
We, however, are held in thrall by the things of this world, our attention dispersed into the world around us, and we look for heaven and God precisely where Christ tells us not to look, turning spirituality into the superficial and formalistic worship of external objects and historical events.
As our focus becomes more and more external, the lower rational mind gains strength and becomes more and more affronted by the irrationality of spiritual and religious claims. This is when the champions of atheism become increasingly vocal and adamant – not without cause!
Charles Fillmore, the founder in the 1880's (with his wife Myrtle Fillmore) of the Unity Church, was an American mystic in the New Thought lineage who is known for his metaphysical interpretations of the Bible. Here is an Excerpt from one of his commentaries on Christ's statement in Luke.
***
Never Let That "I Can't" Enter Your Mind
From THE FOURTH DIMENSION, by Charles Fillmore (1932)
The main theme of Jesus' teachings was the advent of the "kingdom." He compared it to many physical things. He showed that the kingdom was likened unto this and likened unto that, to get the attention of the people of his day. They knew nothing about our modern science; they did not understand the tremendous import of the discovery of great physical research, and so he appealed to their understanding. They lived, as we live, in the Third Dimensional World and functioned in that realm, and it was necessary to give them something that would illustrate to their Third Dimensional minds what this Superior or this Omnipresent Kingdom is like.We have approached the time when that same kind of appeal is necessary. The fact is that this Kingdom that Jesus talked so much about was never understood, never has been understood in its true character. We have understood in a way, and we have made it a physical kingdom, and our theologians have told us that after we are dead and go to Heaven we will find out about the Kingdom. Jesus did not tell us this at all; He said, "The Kingdom of God is nigh unto you." How near? He finally said, "They shall say, Lo, here; or Lo, there; but go not forth. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. (Luke 17: 20)
It does not come through the research work or the work of the outer senses. How does it come? Why, the Kingdom of God is within you. There is the key to the situation—The Kingdom of God is within every one of us; it is very near to us; you could not get anything nearer to you than your heart, and your heart is the very center of this Kingdom of God…. Jesus said very plainly that we must seek to enter into this kingdom. He did not tell the rich young ruler who was very wealthy and who kept all the commandments, and yet was not in the kingdom, that he could find this kingdom by some further outer research; nor did he tell him that he would find it after he left this earth. What did he tell him? He said, "You are very near to the kingdom; but in order to get into it (this does not mean that you have to go somewhere to get into it) you must sell want you have and give to the poor [Andrew Cort's note: Symbolically, this would mean getting rid of your attachments to the material world, and giving them over to the 'poor in spirit': i.e., to those who prefer to remain attached to the material side of life and are not interested in the spiritual quest], and then follow me."
****{ Article is continued below, after Video}
John and Barbara Waterhouse offer a series of lectures on the classic text, Prosperity, by Unity Church of Christianity founder, Charles Fillmore. In Chapter 1 Fillmore wrote, ""This inexhaustible mine substance is available at all times and all places to those who learn to lay hold of it in consciousness."
This is Part 1 of their series.****
What is this "me" that Jesus emphasized equally with the kingdom? It is that Christ Mind; and in order to make practical (and that is what these lessons are for) that intangible and apparently unreal "something" called the Kingdom of God, we must develop in ourselves the capacity; and with the unfoldment of the Kingdom we must unfold the ability to appreciate the Kingdom. Out-of-doors we find a thousand flowers, but we have not witnessed that anyone loves flowers particularly unless he has had some education in flower culture, knows something about flowers. So we find in every field of life, study, research develops capacity and ability for greater appreciation of the merit. Would not that same rule hold good in the development and use of the Kingdom of the Heavens? We think it will. The Scriptures plainly teach that there must be an unfoldment of the mind of Christ in me and around me, before me. In our lesson we must begin at the very foundation, which is to prove to the reasoning man (that is the Thomas state of consciousness) that if he will not awaken the intuitional or spiritual part, we must prove to him through citations, as a lawyer would prove to a jury and a judge that there are many cases illustrating this case to be found in the law books. So we turn to the Scriptures, and we show you that all through these Scriptures these illustrations are to be found and demonstrated; but these have been used to carry the kingdom of heaven away off somewhere away from the immediate grasp of the mind. What we need is to grasp these truths for ourselves in order to use them.[image error] This lesson is for the purpose of learning how to apply and demonstrate the powers of this Kingdom right out in our immediate, active everyday life. You say that that is a pretty large proposition. Yes, but it is possible. You may not get all of the fruits of the kingdom. When the children of Israel were sent over into the Promised Land to spy it out, they brought back only a small portion of the fruits of the land; they brought back grapes, pomegranates, and figs. Now, that is what we shall do; we shall get immediately some of the fruits of the Land.
But the most of us would be like those spies and say, "That land is well fortified with inhabitants, and they do not receive you very kindly; there are giants in that Land and we are as grasshoppers in their sight; and in our own sight we are as grasshoppers." This means that we do not appreciate our own spiritual ability; we don't appreciate our power; we don't look on this Kingdom of Heaven except as something that is beyond our reach. Many settle back and call it too large a proposition. Never let that "I can't" into your mind; never think for a moment that God has counted you a non-entity, for if you do, it may be only a short time before it will put a damper over or on everything you try to do. More Spirit is what we need; it is what we term "Substance", I call it "faith", quickened in us—that we have "faith" until we get hold of the Kingdom of Heaven.
***
On October 13th, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Thomas Shepherd on his Unity.FM radio program, "Let's Talk About It". We were joined by Rev. Manzel Berlin. You can listen to the program here.
***Please leave a Comment! Tell us if you liked this Post. Tell us what YOU think! Thanks!
October 28, 2011
ARISTOPHANES' HILARIOUS SPEECH ON 'LOVE' IN PLATO'S 'SYMPOSIUM'
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On a cool Autumn evening in Athens, Socrates, Aristophanes, and several other friends got together for a celebration at the house of Agathon, the young playwright who had recently won First Prize for Tragedy at the theater festival. After dinner they agreed that they would not drink very much this night, since, for the most part, they were all still hungover from wildly celebrating Agathon's victory the night before. Instead, they decided to pick a topic and each one in turn would entertain the others with an oration. The subject they agreed upon was Eros, the god of Love.
When Aristophanes' turn came, he began by saying that he intended to praise Love in a way completely unlike what had been said so far. "Mankind," he said, "judging by their neglect of him, have never, as I think, at all understood the power of Love." If they did, he continued, the world would be full of temples and altars paying him homage: yet there are none, even though Love, of all the gods, is the most friendly to mortals. Aristophanes would therefore take it upon himself to elucidate Love's great power:
To begin with, it is necessary to know that in the beginning humans were not as they appear now. They were originally dual beings, with four arms, four legs, and two faces on one head facing in different directions. There were three sexes then: male-male (produced from the sun), female-female (produced from the earth), and male-female (produced from the moon). They were round like their parents, they moved by means of revolving like their parents, they were very large, very strong, and very ambitious. At length, they levied war against the gods, seeking to dethrone them!
Zeus and the other gods thought about annihilating them with thunderbolts, but that would mean the end of all the sacrifices and worship which the gods really liked! Yet they could certainly not ignore all this insolence and impiety, and leave them unrestrained. So Zeus came up with a way to both diminish their strength and keep them pleasantly occupied. He decided to cut them in half, like an "apple which is halved for pickling". He did so, and then had Apollo heal their wounds, turn their faces about, smooth out most of the wrinkles, and tie up their skin in a knot, now called the navel.
After this division, each half desperately desired their other half, and when they found each other they would wildly embrace and cling to each other. When one died, the survivor would find another one to cling to, hating to be alone. And rather than mixing their seeds upon the ground, as they used to do "like grasshoppers", Zeus arranged it so that males would pleasurably breed inside females during their mutual embraces.
Real love, according to Aristophanes, is thus the craving to be one again, in body and soul, with our lost half, and when we find our actual other half we are lost in amazement and cannot bear to be out of each other's company even for a moment. However, Aristophanes warns, if we are disobedient to the gods the possibility exists that we will be cut in half again and have to go about our lives hopping on one foot with half a face! "Wherefore let us exhort all men to piety, that we may avoid evil, and obtain the good, of which Love is to us the lord and minister." For it is Love which gives us the most benefit, leading us forward in our search for our other half, and promising that if we are pious "he will restore us to our original state, and heal us and make us happy and blessed."
For Plato's Aristophanes, Eros is a kind of gift from the gods, in a sense a 'consolation prize', to help us heal the wound which the gods have been forced to inflict: a wonderful gift for the enjoyment of those who now live in obedience to the gods. His funny yet comprehensive story accounts for the whole variety of sexual tastes without having to condemn any. It gives a reason and motivation for virtuous and ethical behavior. Most importantly, it is the first speech of the evening which makes Eros erotic. Aristophanes actually talks about desire and hugging and orgasms, subjects which the previous speakers shied away from. His fable brilliantly and delightfully captures the way we actually feel when we love one another – the lustfulness, the passionate longing for wholeness, the sense of wonder, the wish to remain this happy for all eternity, all of which will be taken up again and spectacularly expanded by Socrates when his turn comes.
*****
Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
On a cool Autumn evening in Athens, Socrates, Aristophanes, and several other friends got together for a celebration at the house of Agathon, the young playwright who had recently won First Prize for Tragedy at the theater festival. After dinner they agreed that they would not drink very much this night, since, for the most part, they were all still hungover from wildly celebrating Agathon's victory the night before. Instead, they decided to pick a topic and each one in turn would entertain the others with an oration. The subject they agreed upon was Eros, the god of Love. 
When Aristophanes' turn came, he began by saying that he intended to praise Love in a way completely unlike what had been said so far. "Mankind," he said, "judging by their neglect of him, have never, as I think, at all understood the power of Love." If they did, he continued, the world would be full of temples and altars paying him homage: yet there are none, even though Love, of all the gods, is the most friendly to mortals. Aristophanes would therefore take it upon himself to elucidate Love's great power:
To begin with, it is necessary to know that in the beginning humans were not as they appear now. They were originally dual beings, with four arms, four legs, and two faces on one head facing in different directions. There were three sexes then: male-male (produced from the sun), female-female (produced from the earth), and male-female (produced from the moon). They were round like their parents, they moved by means of revolving like their parents, they were very large, very strong, and very ambitious. At length, they levied war against the gods, seeking to dethrone them! 
Zeus and the other gods thought about annihilating them with thunderbolts, but that would mean the end of all the sacrifices and worship which the gods really liked! Yet they could certainly not ignore all this insolence and impiety, and leave them unrestrained. So Zeus came up with a way to both diminish their strength and keep them pleasantly occupied. He decided to cut them in half, like an "apple which is halved for pickling". He did so, and then had Apollo heal their wounds, turn their faces about, smooth out most of the wrinkles, and tie up their skin in a knot, now called the navel.After this division, each half desperately desired their other half, and when they found each other they would wildly embrace and cling to each other. When one died, the survivor would find another one to cling to, hating to be alone. And rather than mixing their seeds upon the ground, as they used to do "like grasshoppers", Zeus arranged it so that males would pleasurably breed inside females during their mutual embraces.
Real love, according to Aristophanes, is thus the craving to be one again, in body and soul, with our lost half, and when we find our actual other half we are lost in amazement and cannot bear to be out of each other's company even for a moment. However, Aristophanes warns, if we are disobedient to the gods the possibility exists that we will be cut in half again and have to go about our lives hopping on one foot with half a face! "Wherefore let us exhort all men to piety, that we may avoid evil, and obtain the good, of which Love is to us the lord and minister." For it is Love which gives us the most benefit, leading us forward in our search for our other half, and promising that if we are pious "he will restore us to our original state, and heal us and make us happy and blessed."
For Plato's Aristophanes, Eros is a kind of gift from the gods, in a sense a 'consolation prize', to help us heal the wound which the gods have been forced to inflict: a wonderful gift for the enjoyment of those who now live in obedience to the gods. His funny yet comprehensive story accounts for the whole variety of sexual tastes without having to condemn any. It gives a reason and motivation for virtuous and ethical behavior. Most importantly, it is the first speech of the evening which makes Eros erotic. Aristophanes actually talks about desire and hugging and orgasms, subjects which the previous speakers shied away from. His fable brilliantly and delightfully captures the way we actually feel when we love one another – the lustfulness, the passionate longing for wholeness, the sense of wonder, the wish to remain this happy for all eternity, all of which will be taken up again and spectacularly expanded by Socrates when his turn comes.*****
Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
October 27, 2011
CRIME & EVIL: LOT AND THE 3 ANGELS
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[Be sure to read the related previous post "MERCY & LOVINGKINDNESS: ABRAHAM & THE 3 ANGELS"]
When the threeangels who had visited Abraham and announced the forthcoming birth of Isaacfinally left the old man, they continued on to Sodom. They arrived in the evening, and Abraham's nephew, Lot, who was sitting by the gate of thecity, saw them.
"When Lot saw them, he rose to greet themand, bowing low with his face to the ground, he said, 'Please, my lords, turn aside to yourservant's house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be onyour way early.'" (Gen.19.1-2)
His uncle had taughthim the law of hospitality, but Lot was not Abraham. "No," they said, "we will spend thenight in the square." But he continued to pester them, so at last they enteredhis house and he prepared a meal with unleavened bread.
When they werefinished eating, all the townspeople had gathered outside the house of Lot and they began to shout, "Where are the men who cameto you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may rape them."
The legends describethe Sodomites as a community of thieves and murderers, who regularly engaged inorgiastic rites of rape and sodomy. They represent the very opposite of hospitality: if a haplesstraveler chanced upon the city, he was routinely robbed, raped and murdered.The explanation that is given for their miserable way of life is that they wereunfathomably wealthy – even their roads were made of gold – and because oftheir wealth they feared and distrusted the motives of anyone who came to theircity. The whole episode stands as an
allegorical warning
of what happensto a soul that is overrun by material desire, that rejects Abraham's example ofkindness and hospitality, and follows the opposite path.
The Sodomites' crueltreatment was by no means limited to foreigners. They routinely robbed,tortured, and killed each other as well! They even had a law which said that ifany citizen tried to hide or protect a traveler, both would receive the samehorrific treatment. This was the predicament that Lot was in as he went to his doorto confront his screaming fellow townspeople.
Lot represents the 'dark side' of Abraham, and his story is in many ways a comiccaricature of the story of Abraham. Lot lives in a world in which Abrahamic hospitalityis a crime (thus, when the angelstried to refuse his invitation, they were doing him a favor which he insistedon rejecting). Whereas Abraham had Sarah prepare breads and cakes from thefinest flour, while he himself prepared a tender calf from the flocks, Lot makes some unleavened wafers and prepares anondescript meal. Abraham entertained under the trees in the light of day, but Lotmust entertain secretly at night.Now, in a twisted perversion of the law of hospitality, Lot tries to protecthimself by offering his helpless daughters to the perverted crowd: that is, hevolunteers to sacrifice his daughters to lower forces – a sick parody of the upcoming story of Abrahamand Isaac.
"So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shutthe door behind him, and said, 'I beg you, my friends, do not commit such awrong. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may doto them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they havecome under the shelter of my roof.'" (Gen.19.6-8)
This disgustingunconscionable scheme was to no avail, however, and the townspeople merelyordered him to get out of the way or he would suffer an even worse fate thanthe one they had planned for his visitors. They pressed forward to attack, butthe angels opened the door, grabbed Lot by the collar, and pulled him back inside. Then theycaused the outside of the house to be filled with a blinding light so that theattackers (unused to '
light
') could not find the door andthey wandered about aimlessly until they finally dispersed.
Once he was safelyinside, the angels revealed that they had come to destroy the city, and theytold Lot to rouse up his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law, and get all hisfamily up into the hills as quickly as possible (symbolically, "up into thehills" means to raise one's level of inner Being up to a 'higher' state).
When he foundhis sons-in-law, he said "Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about todestroy the city." But unfortunately, as is often the case with foolish peoplelike Lot, his sons-in-law were in the habit ofnot taking him seriously, and they ignored him now as usual.
So the angels toldhim to take his wife and his two unmarried daughters and get on the move, "lestyou be swept away because of the iniquity of the city." But still Lot procrastinatedand the angels actually had to take him by the hand and lead him and his familyto the outskirts of the city.
"When they had brought themoutside, one said, 'Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stopanywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away.' But Lot saidto them, 'Oh no, my lord! You have been so gracious to your servant, and havealready shown me so much kindness in order to save my life; but I cannot fleeto the hills, lest disaster overtake me and I die. Look, that town there isnear enough to flee to; it is such a little place! Let me flee there – it issuch a little place – and my life will be saved.'"(Gen.19.17-20)
One can only imaginethe dumbfounded look on the face of the exasperated angel as he listened tothis ridiculous speech, and finally said, "Very well, I will grant you thisfavor too, and I will not annihilate the town of which you have spoken. Hurry,flee there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
When the sun rose inthe morning just as Lot was entering the town of Zoar ('a little place', not inthe 'hills', i.e., not a Higher level of Being which Lot knows he cannot enter, or perhaps just didn't want to), "theLord rained upon Sodom and Gomorra sulfurous fire from the Lord out of heaven."Lot's wife, unfortunately, lookedback – "and she was thereupon turned into a pillar of salt."
She had of coursebeen clearly told not to 'look back'. Psychologically, this would mean that,having been given a chance to break away from evil and sin, the break must becomplete: she cannot remain partly attached to that world, even in sympathy forher lost 'daughters' – who are symbols of the negative emotions that were leftbehind. In the Greek myths, anyone foolish enough to gaze into the face of theevil Medusa was turned into stone.Lot's wife is likewise turned into salt– which is a mineral (that is, 'stone':the lowest level of lifeless matter), but also a preservative. So she is'preserved' but dead. She is still standing there (to this day according tolegend) but she lacks the essence of life, she lacks a soul.
[image error]
This is a symbol ofeach one of us, as we continue to look backtoward illusion and death rather than forwardand up toward God. As a result, like Lot's wife, our hearts are turned tostone, and all-too-often we wander through our lives aimlessly, physicallyalive but spiritually dead .
***
Please leave a Comment and let me know if you liked this Post. Thanks! (It's taken from The Purpose of Religion , where you will find many more stories and spiritual interpretations.)
[Be sure to read the related previous post "MERCY & LOVINGKINDNESS: ABRAHAM & THE 3 ANGELS"]
When the threeangels who had visited Abraham and announced the forthcoming birth of Isaacfinally left the old man, they continued on to Sodom. They arrived in the evening, and Abraham's nephew, Lot, who was sitting by the gate of thecity, saw them."When Lot saw them, he rose to greet themand, bowing low with his face to the ground, he said, 'Please, my lords, turn aside to yourservant's house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be onyour way early.'" (Gen.19.1-2)
His uncle had taughthim the law of hospitality, but Lot was not Abraham. "No," they said, "we will spend thenight in the square." But he continued to pester them, so at last they enteredhis house and he prepared a meal with unleavened bread.
When they werefinished eating, all the townspeople had gathered outside the house of Lot and they began to shout, "Where are the men who cameto you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may rape them."
The legends describethe Sodomites as a community of thieves and murderers, who regularly engaged inorgiastic rites of rape and sodomy. They represent the very opposite of hospitality: if a haplesstraveler chanced upon the city, he was routinely robbed, raped and murdered.The explanation that is given for their miserable way of life is that they wereunfathomably wealthy – even their roads were made of gold – and because oftheir wealth they feared and distrusted the motives of anyone who came to theircity. The whole episode stands as an
allegorical warning
of what happensto a soul that is overrun by material desire, that rejects Abraham's example ofkindness and hospitality, and follows the opposite path. The Sodomites' crueltreatment was by no means limited to foreigners. They routinely robbed,tortured, and killed each other as well! They even had a law which said that ifany citizen tried to hide or protect a traveler, both would receive the samehorrific treatment. This was the predicament that Lot was in as he went to his doorto confront his screaming fellow townspeople.
Lot represents the 'dark side' of Abraham, and his story is in many ways a comiccaricature of the story of Abraham. Lot lives in a world in which Abrahamic hospitalityis a crime (thus, when the angelstried to refuse his invitation, they were doing him a favor which he insistedon rejecting). Whereas Abraham had Sarah prepare breads and cakes from thefinest flour, while he himself prepared a tender calf from the flocks, Lot makes some unleavened wafers and prepares anondescript meal. Abraham entertained under the trees in the light of day, but Lotmust entertain secretly at night.Now, in a twisted perversion of the law of hospitality, Lot tries to protecthimself by offering his helpless daughters to the perverted crowd: that is, hevolunteers to sacrifice his daughters to lower forces – a sick parody of the upcoming story of Abrahamand Isaac.
"So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shutthe door behind him, and said, 'I beg you, my friends, do not commit such awrong. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may doto them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they havecome under the shelter of my roof.'" (Gen.19.6-8)
This disgustingunconscionable scheme was to no avail, however, and the townspeople merelyordered him to get out of the way or he would suffer an even worse fate thanthe one they had planned for his visitors. They pressed forward to attack, butthe angels opened the door, grabbed Lot by the collar, and pulled him back inside. Then theycaused the outside of the house to be filled with a blinding light so that theattackers (unused to '
light
') could not find the door andthey wandered about aimlessly until they finally dispersed.Once he was safelyinside, the angels revealed that they had come to destroy the city, and theytold Lot to rouse up his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law, and get all hisfamily up into the hills as quickly as possible (symbolically, "up into thehills" means to raise one's level of inner Being up to a 'higher' state).
When he foundhis sons-in-law, he said "Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about todestroy the city." But unfortunately, as is often the case with foolish peoplelike Lot, his sons-in-law were in the habit ofnot taking him seriously, and they ignored him now as usual.
So the angels toldhim to take his wife and his two unmarried daughters and get on the move, "lestyou be swept away because of the iniquity of the city." But still Lot procrastinatedand the angels actually had to take him by the hand and lead him and his familyto the outskirts of the city.
"When they had brought themoutside, one said, 'Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stopanywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away.' But Lot saidto them, 'Oh no, my lord! You have been so gracious to your servant, and havealready shown me so much kindness in order to save my life; but I cannot fleeto the hills, lest disaster overtake me and I die. Look, that town there isnear enough to flee to; it is such a little place! Let me flee there – it issuch a little place – and my life will be saved.'"(Gen.19.17-20)One can only imaginethe dumbfounded look on the face of the exasperated angel as he listened tothis ridiculous speech, and finally said, "Very well, I will grant you thisfavor too, and I will not annihilate the town of which you have spoken. Hurry,flee there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
When the sun rose inthe morning just as Lot was entering the town of Zoar ('a little place', not inthe 'hills', i.e., not a Higher level of Being which Lot knows he cannot enter, or perhaps just didn't want to), "theLord rained upon Sodom and Gomorra sulfurous fire from the Lord out of heaven."Lot's wife, unfortunately, lookedback – "and she was thereupon turned into a pillar of salt."She had of coursebeen clearly told not to 'look back'. Psychologically, this would mean that,having been given a chance to break away from evil and sin, the break must becomplete: she cannot remain partly attached to that world, even in sympathy forher lost 'daughters' – who are symbols of the negative emotions that were leftbehind. In the Greek myths, anyone foolish enough to gaze into the face of theevil Medusa was turned into stone.Lot's wife is likewise turned into salt– which is a mineral (that is, 'stone':the lowest level of lifeless matter), but also a preservative. So she is'preserved' but dead. She is still standing there (to this day according tolegend) but she lacks the essence of life, she lacks a soul.
[image error]
This is a symbol ofeach one of us, as we continue to look backtoward illusion and death rather than forwardand up toward God. As a result, like Lot's wife, our hearts are turned tostone, and all-too-often we wander through our lives aimlessly, physicallyalive but spiritually dead .
***
Please leave a Comment and let me know if you liked this Post. Thanks! (It's taken from The Purpose of Religion , where you will find many more stories and spiritual interpretations.)
October 26, 2011
MERCY & LOVINGKINDNESS: ABRAHAM & THE 3 ANGELS
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The third day after a circumcision is said to be the most painful, so on the third day after Abraham followed God's command and circumcised himself and Ishmael, God sent him some help and comfort. Abraham was "sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him."
As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said:
"My lords, if you please, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on – seeing that you have come your servant's way." (Gen.18.2-5)
Abraham had Sarah prepare bread and cakes from the finest flour, while he went and prepared a tender calf for a lavish feast. "[A]nd he waited on them under the tree as they ate."
These three strangers, we are soon told, were three angels sent by God. But in that first moment of seeing them, the Bible says that Abraham saw three men, not angels. Despite his great pain (from the circumcision), he immediately jumped up and ran to them, virtually begging them to let him serve them. The Kabbalah reminds us here that
Abraham represents Mercy, the highest human quality
. It embellishes the Biblical narrative by suggesting that Abraham, despite his pain, was so indefatigable in his desire to provide kindness and hospitality, that he had earlier sent a servant out into the surrounding desert in the hope that he would find some traveler who could be aided that day, and when none was found he went out himself to search for one. Finding no one, he had returned to his tent, and was sitting there dejectedly, when suddenly he looked up and saw the three strangers, whom he joyfully rushed to serve.
The Kabbalah also suggests that when we are told that Abraham "looked up", we have to conclude that he had previously been 'looking down'. This means that he had been looking down into this world, but when he then looked up he 'saw', with an awakened Inner Eye, three emissaries of the Lord – whom he could not have noticed before.
When the feast was over, the Angel Michael said, "I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!"
"Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him…. Sarah had stopped having the periods of women. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment – with my husband so old?' Then the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh….? Is anything too wondrous for the Lord?'" (Gen.18.10-14)
The three visitors then set out for Sodom, and Abraham walked with them. "Now the Lord had said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do…? For I have singled him out, that he might instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right…' So the Lord said to him, "The outrage of Sodom and Gomorra is so great, and their sin so grave! I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me."
The angels continued on toward Sodom, but Abraham "remained standing before the Lord." Abraham then beseeched the Lord to be merciful, and to spare the city, since surely not every single resident was a sinner. "Far be it from You to do such a thing," the always-merciful Abraham said, "to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike." He then asked God if He would be willing to spare Sodom if He found fifty righteous souls therein. The Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." Feeling emboldened, Abraham then asked what would happen if He only found forty-five. Again the Lord said He would spare the city. Abraham then continued his questions: What about forty? thirty? twenty? Each time, the Lord agreed to spare the city. Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" Again the Lord agreed. But that was it, and Abraham went no further. "When the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham," we are told, "He departed; and Abraham returned to his place."
Why did Abraham stop at ten? Some people suggest that he had no choice in the matter, that God stopped the conversation and "departed." But Abraham himself had prefaced his last question by saying, "I speak but this last time", so evidently he had no desire to go further. 'Ten' is certainly an interesting number. Pythagoras called it the Perfect Number, the Number of Man: it clearly pertains to human life in some special way – we have ten fingers and ten toes. Ten is made up of the sum of the four basic sacred numbers: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. Alternatively, it can be seen as the sum of the two sacred numbers of Being (Permanence, Eternity) and Becoming (Change, Materiality): that is, 3 + 7. Abraham may have been aware that God would one day reveal Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, and perhaps he felt there should be a minimum of at least one person keeping each commandment if Sodom was to be saved. Some legends suggest that Abraham recalled that Noah had eight righteous souls in his family, and since these eight had not been sufficient for God to spare that whole generation there was no need now to continue this conversation. Or perhaps, as some legends suggest, he simply felt confident that his nephew Lot, along with his wife, four daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, would more than total ten righteous souls. But more than likely the story simply means that, while a certain degree of negativity and evil can be tolerated, forgiven, and eventually redeemed, there comes a point where it is simply too extreme and too dangerous, and has to be annihilated.
Abraham, of course, made no claim to be the enforcer of this code: his role was solely to plead for Mercy – a good reminder for many contemporary people who feel called upon to personally judge and punish their particular choice of 'sinners'. After all, the people in this story – including the horrible citizens of Sodom that we are about to meet – are symbols who are all living inside
us
. They do not represent some 'other' person: they are
part of you and me
. On its deepest level of meaning,
this entire story is taking place right now within the confines of every human soul
. The negativity and evil that has to be 'annihilated' is our own.
God had already made up His mind about Sodom when He asked rhetorically whether He should "hide from Abraham what I am about to do." But He decided to tell him, in order to give him the opportunity to seek Mercy for all the people in the city. This is something which Noah had failed to do. When God revealed to Noah that He planned to destroy all other life on Earth, Noah was amazingly silent about the whole affair. God told him to build an ark for himself and his family, and without a single word of question or objection, "Noah did so; just as God commanded, so he did." But Abraham not only displays loving-kindness toward his kinsman Lot and toward three strangers who came to his tent: he now shows loving-kindness toward a myriad of sinners he has never even seen.
According to the legends, when Abraham began to plead for the citizens of Sodom God said, "You take delight in defending My creatures, and you would not call them guilty. This is why I have spoken to no one but you during the ten generations since Noah." In other words, as we take this story as an inner allegory of spiritual birth and development, we see that
out of the Endless Light of the Absolute, the Abrahamic attribute of Mercy is the 'spark' which God chooses to be the essence of the human soul.
*****
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The third day after a circumcision is said to be the most painful, so on the third day after Abraham followed God's command and circumcised himself and Ishmael, God sent him some help and comfort. Abraham was "sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him."As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said:
"My lords, if you please, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on – seeing that you have come your servant's way." (Gen.18.2-5)
Abraham had Sarah prepare bread and cakes from the finest flour, while he went and prepared a tender calf for a lavish feast. "[A]nd he waited on them under the tree as they ate."
These three strangers, we are soon told, were three angels sent by God. But in that first moment of seeing them, the Bible says that Abraham saw three men, not angels. Despite his great pain (from the circumcision), he immediately jumped up and ran to them, virtually begging them to let him serve them. The Kabbalah reminds us here that
Abraham represents Mercy, the highest human quality
. It embellishes the Biblical narrative by suggesting that Abraham, despite his pain, was so indefatigable in his desire to provide kindness and hospitality, that he had earlier sent a servant out into the surrounding desert in the hope that he would find some traveler who could be aided that day, and when none was found he went out himself to search for one. Finding no one, he had returned to his tent, and was sitting there dejectedly, when suddenly he looked up and saw the three strangers, whom he joyfully rushed to serve.
The Kabbalah also suggests that when we are told that Abraham "looked up", we have to conclude that he had previously been 'looking down'. This means that he had been looking down into this world, but when he then looked up he 'saw', with an awakened Inner Eye, three emissaries of the Lord – whom he could not have noticed before.When the feast was over, the Angel Michael said, "I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!"
"Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him…. Sarah had stopped having the periods of women. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment – with my husband so old?' Then the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh….? Is anything too wondrous for the Lord?'" (Gen.18.10-14)The three visitors then set out for Sodom, and Abraham walked with them. "Now the Lord had said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do…? For I have singled him out, that he might instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right…' So the Lord said to him, "The outrage of Sodom and Gomorra is so great, and their sin so grave! I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me."
The angels continued on toward Sodom, but Abraham "remained standing before the Lord." Abraham then beseeched the Lord to be merciful, and to spare the city, since surely not every single resident was a sinner. "Far be it from You to do such a thing," the always-merciful Abraham said, "to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike." He then asked God if He would be willing to spare Sodom if He found fifty righteous souls therein. The Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." Feeling emboldened, Abraham then asked what would happen if He only found forty-five. Again the Lord said He would spare the city. Abraham then continued his questions: What about forty? thirty? twenty? Each time, the Lord agreed to spare the city. Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" Again the Lord agreed. But that was it, and Abraham went no further. "When the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham," we are told, "He departed; and Abraham returned to his place."
Why did Abraham stop at ten? Some people suggest that he had no choice in the matter, that God stopped the conversation and "departed." But Abraham himself had prefaced his last question by saying, "I speak but this last time", so evidently he had no desire to go further. 'Ten' is certainly an interesting number. Pythagoras called it the Perfect Number, the Number of Man: it clearly pertains to human life in some special way – we have ten fingers and ten toes. Ten is made up of the sum of the four basic sacred numbers: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. Alternatively, it can be seen as the sum of the two sacred numbers of Being (Permanence, Eternity) and Becoming (Change, Materiality): that is, 3 + 7. Abraham may have been aware that God would one day reveal Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, and perhaps he felt there should be a minimum of at least one person keeping each commandment if Sodom was to be saved. Some legends suggest that Abraham recalled that Noah had eight righteous souls in his family, and since these eight had not been sufficient for God to spare that whole generation there was no need now to continue this conversation. Or perhaps, as some legends suggest, he simply felt confident that his nephew Lot, along with his wife, four daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, would more than total ten righteous souls. But more than likely the story simply means that, while a certain degree of negativity and evil can be tolerated, forgiven, and eventually redeemed, there comes a point where it is simply too extreme and too dangerous, and has to be annihilated.
Abraham, of course, made no claim to be the enforcer of this code: his role was solely to plead for Mercy – a good reminder for many contemporary people who feel called upon to personally judge and punish their particular choice of 'sinners'. After all, the people in this story – including the horrible citizens of Sodom that we are about to meet – are symbols who are all living inside
us
. They do not represent some 'other' person: they are
part of you and me
. On its deepest level of meaning,
this entire story is taking place right now within the confines of every human soul
. The negativity and evil that has to be 'annihilated' is our own.
God had already made up His mind about Sodom when He asked rhetorically whether He should "hide from Abraham what I am about to do." But He decided to tell him, in order to give him the opportunity to seek Mercy for all the people in the city. This is something which Noah had failed to do. When God revealed to Noah that He planned to destroy all other life on Earth, Noah was amazingly silent about the whole affair. God told him to build an ark for himself and his family, and without a single word of question or objection, "Noah did so; just as God commanded, so he did." But Abraham not only displays loving-kindness toward his kinsman Lot and toward three strangers who came to his tent: he now shows loving-kindness toward a myriad of sinners he has never even seen. 
According to the legends, when Abraham began to plead for the citizens of Sodom God said, "You take delight in defending My creatures, and you would not call them guilty. This is why I have spoken to no one but you during the ten generations since Noah." In other words, as we take this story as an inner allegory of spiritual birth and development, we see that
out of the Endless Light of the Absolute, the Abrahamic attribute of Mercy is the 'spark' which God chooses to be the essence of the human soul.
*****Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
October 25, 2011
THE UNCREATED WILDERNESS OF BLISS
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A GUEST BLOG from RICHARD HOLMES:
We all start off as a tiny micro-atom within that great uncreated wilderness ofbliss, the ''Infinite Absolute'', the super-conscious mind of God. Then, as ifat the behest of a Divine whim, we make the transition from the uncreated tothe created, from the formless into form and become a tangible part of ''TheDivine Puppet Master's'' grand plan. From the uncreated (God The Father) wedescend into matter and mingle with and become a part of the cosmic vibration(The Holy Spirit) or ''Aum'', that flows through the whole of creation like alife sustaining blood stream flowing through a human being.
From the very nano-second that we descend from the ''CosmicBosom'' of The Divine Mother, our sole (and soul) reason for being is to makeour way back. But how?
In the beginning was the word and the word was Aum. But theAum alone did not have the intelligence, so God also injected The ChristConsciousness (God The Son or The Only Begotten) into the equation. Thus couldwe begin our journey from form back to the formless, from the created back tothe uncreated. In our physical state we lose sight of who we really are, beingonly able to relate to the "outer" world as we succumb to the tricksof the mind and the five senses. But we have also been given the toolsto enquire within; enabling us to know God (ourselves) through actualexperience as opposed to the theological concept taught by religion. This alsois an explanation of the Holy Trinity.
From beyond vibratory creation (God The Father) came theAum, the vibration (The Holy Spirit), and into the vibration God injectedintelligence or Christ Consciousness (God The Son). Jesus never claimed to bethe only son of God, indeed he proclaimed that we are all sons and daughters ofGod, and the reason that God made manifest his ''Only Begotten Son'' or ChristConsciousness in its purest form in the body that we knew as Jesus, was so thatJesus could teach us that we all have the potential to be like him, ''But asmany as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God'' John1:12-13
The second coming is not going to be the day that a man withlong hair and a beard, wearing a white gown and sandals comes walking down thestreet. It will be the day that as individuals we resurrect the ChristConsciousness within ourselves, allowing us once again to ascend back to thatuncreated wilderness of bliss.
Richard Holmes was born in London in 1955. "I left schoolat 15 with no qualifications, and had I not left voluntarily, I would have beenasked to leave. I always felt that I didn't fit in anywhere, and as a result,by the time I reached the age of 17 I'd had 24 jobs". He joined the army in1976 hoping that it would give him a purpose in life but instead he became evenmore disillusioned and turned to alcohol. "I hated the army because I foundit to be such a hypocritical organisation and as soon as I was eligible Ibought myself out". Whilst in the military however, Richard did enjoyhis experiences in Germany and in 1980 went back there to work, staying for sixyears. "My heavy drinking continued during my time in Germany and by thetime I returned to the UK in 1986 I was heading down into a deep depression. Imanaged to haul myself out of it in the mid-to-late 1990's but my life hit anall time low in 2000". Richard found his spiritual pathway and started toturn his life around in early 2001. He now lives in Gloucestershire and is asuccessful medium, healer and spiritually inspired artist. He isalso proud to be a featured author at loveahappyending.com, a newand innovative author/reader interactive website, and he has written 6 highlyinspirational spiritual books; the latest of which, ''Astral Travelling, TheAvatar and Me'', tells of his amazing out of body experiences and hisincredible relationship with The Avatar, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Richard hasalso produced six inspirational meditation CD's; he is a workshopfacilitator in various spiritual topics and also gives profound interpretationsof dreams. You can visit him at at loveahappyending.com, http://www.richardfholmes.co.uk , orhttp://richardfholmes.wordpress.com.
*****
Did you like this post? Or not? Please Leave a Comment and tell us what you think!
A GUEST BLOG from RICHARD HOLMES:
We all start off as a tiny micro-atom within that great uncreated wilderness ofbliss, the ''Infinite Absolute'', the super-conscious mind of God. Then, as ifat the behest of a Divine whim, we make the transition from the uncreated tothe created, from the formless into form and become a tangible part of ''TheDivine Puppet Master's'' grand plan. From the uncreated (God The Father) wedescend into matter and mingle with and become a part of the cosmic vibration(The Holy Spirit) or ''Aum'', that flows through the whole of creation like alife sustaining blood stream flowing through a human being.From the very nano-second that we descend from the ''CosmicBosom'' of The Divine Mother, our sole (and soul) reason for being is to makeour way back. But how?
In the beginning was the word and the word was Aum. But theAum alone did not have the intelligence, so God also injected The ChristConsciousness (God The Son or The Only Begotten) into the equation. Thus couldwe begin our journey from form back to the formless, from the created back tothe uncreated. In our physical state we lose sight of who we really are, beingonly able to relate to the "outer" world as we succumb to the tricksof the mind and the five senses. But we have also been given the toolsto enquire within; enabling us to know God (ourselves) through actualexperience as opposed to the theological concept taught by religion. This alsois an explanation of the Holy Trinity.
From beyond vibratory creation (God The Father) came theAum, the vibration (The Holy Spirit), and into the vibration God injectedintelligence or Christ Consciousness (God The Son). Jesus never claimed to bethe only son of God, indeed he proclaimed that we are all sons and daughters ofGod, and the reason that God made manifest his ''Only Begotten Son'' or ChristConsciousness in its purest form in the body that we knew as Jesus, was so thatJesus could teach us that we all have the potential to be like him, ''But asmany as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God'' John1:12-13 The second coming is not going to be the day that a man withlong hair and a beard, wearing a white gown and sandals comes walking down thestreet. It will be the day that as individuals we resurrect the ChristConsciousness within ourselves, allowing us once again to ascend back to thatuncreated wilderness of bliss.
Richard Holmes was born in London in 1955. "I left schoolat 15 with no qualifications, and had I not left voluntarily, I would have beenasked to leave. I always felt that I didn't fit in anywhere, and as a result,by the time I reached the age of 17 I'd had 24 jobs". He joined the army in1976 hoping that it would give him a purpose in life but instead he became evenmore disillusioned and turned to alcohol. "I hated the army because I foundit to be such a hypocritical organisation and as soon as I was eligible Ibought myself out". Whilst in the military however, Richard did enjoyhis experiences in Germany and in 1980 went back there to work, staying for sixyears. "My heavy drinking continued during my time in Germany and by thetime I returned to the UK in 1986 I was heading down into a deep depression. Imanaged to haul myself out of it in the mid-to-late 1990's but my life hit anall time low in 2000". Richard found his spiritual pathway and started toturn his life around in early 2001. He now lives in Gloucestershire and is asuccessful medium, healer and spiritually inspired artist. He isalso proud to be a featured author at loveahappyending.com, a newand innovative author/reader interactive website, and he has written 6 highlyinspirational spiritual books; the latest of which, ''Astral Travelling, TheAvatar and Me'', tells of his amazing out of body experiences and hisincredible relationship with The Avatar, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Richard hasalso produced six inspirational meditation CD's; he is a workshopfacilitator in various spiritual topics and also gives profound interpretationsof dreams. You can visit him at at loveahappyending.com, http://www.richardfholmes.co.uk , orhttp://richardfholmes.wordpress.com.*****
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October 23, 2011
THE RIVER STYX
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After death, according to Greek Mythology, soulsdescend down a cavernous path where the River Acheron, the river of woe, flowsinto the River Styx, the river of lamentation. The souls are then ferriedacross the Styx by a somber boatman, Charon. But Charon must be paid, so theGreeks placed a coin in the mouths of the deceased, and he will only ferrysouls whose bodies have been properly buried: the others must wander aimlesslyon the shore for a hundred years.
When the souls reach the opposite shore there is agreat gate, guarded by a three-headed dog, Cerberus, who permits all to enterbut none to leave. Within the gate, the souls are judged. The blessed are sentto reside blissfully in the Elysian Fields. The wicked are sent for punishmentto Tartarus, a shadowy place full of ghosts and shades, like a nightmarishdream.
But Tartarus is
not
really the afterworld. LikePlato's 'cave', Tartarus is a symbol of this world, the level of Being inwhich we accept things uncritically at face value, and react passively andautomatically to the stream of changing images ('ghosts') that the worldpresents to us. 'Sleep' the Bible calls it. Tartarus is at the bottom of thescale of consciousness that exists within the soul – it is where we spend mostof our lives.
[image error] To say that Charon will not transport a soul until the body is buried, means until any remaining desire for actualphysical reality (or anything higher) has been completely abandoned, and only the wish for superficiality andillusion remains. Giving up these residual desires is his real 'payment'.Once the payment is made our request isgranted: we 'Fall' into illusion becausewe want to.
Both Virgil and Dante will later describe souls onthis shore as frantically pushing and shoving, desperate and eager to get ontoCharon's boat. This image portrays the great horror of our existence: ouroverwhelming desire to be spiritually asleep and dead.
*****
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After death, according to Greek Mythology, soulsdescend down a cavernous path where the River Acheron, the river of woe, flowsinto the River Styx, the river of lamentation. The souls are then ferriedacross the Styx by a somber boatman, Charon. But Charon must be paid, so theGreeks placed a coin in the mouths of the deceased, and he will only ferrysouls whose bodies have been properly buried: the others must wander aimlesslyon the shore for a hundred years.
When the souls reach the opposite shore there is agreat gate, guarded by a three-headed dog, Cerberus, who permits all to enterbut none to leave. Within the gate, the souls are judged. The blessed are sentto reside blissfully in the Elysian Fields. The wicked are sent for punishmentto Tartarus, a shadowy place full of ghosts and shades, like a nightmarishdream.
But Tartarus is
not
really the afterworld. LikePlato's 'cave', Tartarus is a symbol of this world, the level of Being inwhich we accept things uncritically at face value, and react passively andautomatically to the stream of changing images ('ghosts') that the worldpresents to us. 'Sleep' the Bible calls it. Tartarus is at the bottom of thescale of consciousness that exists within the soul – it is where we spend mostof our lives. [image error] To say that Charon will not transport a soul until the body is buried, means until any remaining desire for actualphysical reality (or anything higher) has been completely abandoned, and only the wish for superficiality andillusion remains. Giving up these residual desires is his real 'payment'.Once the payment is made our request isgranted: we 'Fall' into illusion becausewe want to.
Both Virgil and Dante will later describe souls onthis shore as frantically pushing and shoving, desperate and eager to get ontoCharon's boat. This image portrays the great horror of our existence: ouroverwhelming desire to be spiritually asleep and dead.
*****
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