CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM Q&A Upon reviewing the answers to the contemplative prayer questions that have been e-mailed or written to me, I will sometimes add to or delete from my response to them, making the answers given here more appropriate for a more general reading or simply adding an additional explanation to an understanding of contemplative prayer or Christian mysticism that I might have forgotten to give the person who contacted me. I limit my Q&A to contemplative prayer or the spiritual path in general and do not answer personal questions about myself or anyone else. Nor do I post personal information. We should all quickly learn that contemplative prayer is a hard enough road without getting involved in another person's personal business. Lmr QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PATH Question: Dear Mr. Richardson – I have read your website several times now and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of support, a teacher, etc. I have been experiencing the rising of the Holy Spirit for about 6 months now – energy coursing throughout my body, spontaneous yoga positions, dances, hand movements, my heart aching (physically), eye spasms, hand pressure on eyes that produce the colors of my chakras, and a general feeling of being plugged into an electrical socket. This is really a 24/7 phenomenon for me if I close my eyes or do anything to still my mind. This has been an unbelievable blessing as my desire to know myself/God has deepened. You spoke of desert monks or monasteries where the mystical teaching of Christ still exists. My life is changing quickly as my feelings/emotions/desires/ambitions/etc. are being transformed. My greatest hope would be to be able to study or work with someone who has gone ahead of me. Do you know of any such possibilities? Thanks you so very much. Your website has been a blessing for me. Answer: For a Christian, I would suggest looking up contemplative outreach. They can give you association but the truth is that I have never met anyone in their association that feels the Holy Spirit as I have experienced it or even as you write of it. But they can give you people to meditate with which is sometimes very important on this usually lonely path. Question: I have been practicing the spiritual exercises for the past 2 months. I have been experiencing the sensation of a liquid like movement up my spine like a snake but stopping right in the middle. Sometimes it goes up to in between my shoulder blades when I do the exercises. Two days ago while at work helping a customer, I experienced electricity moving from the top of my head down my spine and eventually out of my legs after 20 minutes. I felt fire hot but did not sweat. Are these signs of the cleaning up of my nervous system from the exercises? Answer: I always hope that those who practice the breathing exercises will experience exactly the sensations you have described. In only two months, that's wonderful. Well done and keep up the good work. lmr Question: At present I seem to have reached a stage of confusion about the right way forward. Do times of confusion often crop up to try and pull us away from a practice of constant discipline? I'm left feeling that there are one hundred options to select from, but I can't discern how I really feel about each. Answer: Society in general is in a constant state of confusion. Everyone has different agendas that are always in conflict with each other. It is the free choice (thank God) that is not always available in societies that are controlled by one individual or a few. With all of the randomnity and options around us, I have always tried to create a calm space in my life that I can retreat to as needed. We also need to free ourselves or at least distance ourselves from those people and circumstances that are bringing turmoil into our lives. This is the hardest to do for we are forced to confront other peoples’ intentions for us. The other side of the coin is our own consciousness. Those on the spiritual path are progressing at a faster rate of consciousness than those satisfied with their consciousness as it is. This faster pace naturally creates more confusion in us. It is why we all need someone to talk to and why I do what I do. Step back and take a look at what you really want in life. Take another step or so back and see what it is that is stopping you from doing or getting there. Take another step back and determine what you need to do to get or do what you want. Hopefully, by this time you have backed off enough to have a good view of it all. Then do what you need to do. It takes strength and determination to accomplish anything worthwhile, otherwise everyone would already be there. Question: "It seems the more I seek God and pray and "work" to be open to the Presence, the more darkness comes up (like weird, violent thoughts, hard-heartedness, etc.) It scares me. Is this just my ego reacting and feeling afraid?? I want to blame it on "evil spirits" etc. Is there any fear for you when you think of "opening up to the universe?" I have heard some of the mystics "fighting off evil spirits" and they often refer to the devil. What do you make of this? I think I am having a hard time accepting the darkness in me. Why is that so scary for me to accept? I do not know. I am afraid if I embrace the darkness, I will never get out of it or that it will consume me. I think there may be something holy in darkness. God created it. God created night. God created our ego?? (I feel like I might be punished for saying this!!) Just thoughts. Any ways, I wanted to see your thoughts on this. . . It kind of makes me mad that the spiritual and scary can be so intertwined. I am mad that God created the darkness. Why did Jesus have to suffer on the cross? He told me that He choose the suffering, just as I choose my suffering-- to learn, grow, and become the light. Does the polarity of seeking the Light and feeling surrounded in darkness pass with time? I am very new to this all. When I pray, I pray to Jesus. I still have the old, incorrect belief that God is a punishing man in the sky. I feel as if I am powerless over this belief. It is like it is hardwired into my body-- literally. I tremble for fear. Did you feel this way at all in your path? I just pray about it because I really don't know what else to do. Any suggestions? And lastly, I am having physical problems. I can literally feel the imbalance in my body energetically. I am scared to have God heal it. I am afraid it will hurt-- emotionally that is. It is incredible how we can store these emotions and the past in our bodies. Have you experienced any types of physical healings, or witnessed them. I keep praying that Jesus may touch me and heal me. Is there ways that are more effective? Then again, I don't want to do this with the intention of "using" God for His healing. I feel guilty about that. I feel unworthy on some part to receive healing which I am sure blocks it. I want to be with God because I love Him. I have a hard time knowing how to address Jesus. It ranges from Master, Friend, Brother, God, Everything, Myself, etc. There is a lot of shame associated with Him. I feel that the world needs healing around Jesus. Any ways, thank you for your ear. I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights." Answer: We Christians seem to carry a lot of totally unnecessary guilt, shame and feelings of unworthiness. The truth is that in our inner being we are all as pure as the driven snow. The very essence of our being is Divine Consciousness. The rest is just stuff we picked up from living in the material universe. Knowledgeable mystics understand that the demons are usually coming from ourselves; from our subconscious fears, desires, hates and prejudices etc. The harder you struggle, the more you fear, the more quickly you will remove yourself from God's grace. The goal on this path is to flow with God's grace, to flow with life. Struggle and worry (especially worry) put up mental blocks that only make the path more rocky and harder to travel. It is the same when we struggle to be still in meditation. The more we struggle the more the mind reacts. It literally feeds on its' on turmoil. You are right in your understanding that it is an ego thing. That is all that fear and mental turmoil are about. It is the ego refusing to let go. What is needed on the mystical path is a practice that opens us to the Holy Spirit and second enough steady time at this practice to keep the Holy Spirit active in our lives. We do not have to understand the end before we get to the end. With our minds on the Spirit what can prevail against us? We are in God's hands. Let Him worry about our spiritual progress and handle our inner fights with our shortcomings. He is much more understanding and forgiving of our shortcomings than we are. Fear, hate and turmoil are held in the body and can make or contribute to making us ill. They block the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Learn to let go and flow with life. Learn to turn your inner turmoil over to the Spirit. Most important of all, learn to be steady in your devotional practices. Without judgment, give yourself the time to learn these things. Question: Thank you so much for sharing on your website. My question is this: I have an addiction to alcohol and cigarettes. I have tried unsuccessfully to quit both. And I have felt that I needed to get rid of these things before I could honestly start to "look" for God. If I start to do the exercises you teach, will they help me to battle the addictions or should I actually get rid of them before I do the exercises, to be "clean" before I try to experience God's presence. Answer: The truth is that none of us are all that "clean". Everyone has something they wish they weren't doing or thinking. We all seem to want to be holy before trying to experience God's presence. It's almost like we will not let ourselves have the experience of God until we have proved to ourselves that we are worthy of God. The truth is very simple. Everyone has problems and every soul has God as the inner most part of their being and is worthy of experiencing Him. It is our own opinions about experiencing God that is the problem. Most think "I really messed up yesterday and therefore can't do my devotional or pray today. I'm not worthy." What we really should be thinking is that "I really messed up yesterday so I will at least do my regular practices today and if I can, I will spend more time in my devotional practices today to make up for yesterday." If we can keep that attitude, it will be much easier on us. There is a practical side to changing our "bad" (I hate using that word.) habits. It is far easier to replace a bad habit with a good habit than to just outright drop a bad habit. The mind is obsessed with things to think about. If you try to outright drop a bad habit, all the mind can think about is that habit you are trying to get rid of. If you have a good habit for the mind to dwell on, (Like trying to experience God's presence.) the mind will have that to think about and begin to forget the bad habit. (Over time and with many ups and downs.) But if it is truly something you want to do and you give yourself time and patience, the good habit will win out. Then when you actually begin to experience the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, it is even more wonderful. You keep your mind on it and let it take care of the things you want to change in your life. IT WILL DO THIS FOR YOU. Just be kind and gentle and forgiving of yourself. God already looks at you in this way. Lmr Question: My name’s.........and I was trying the exercises on your page. I guess I need to know if you’re supposed to sit down, praying position, Indian style? And also if these techniques are applicable to “rookie” Christians? I'm still pretty new in the lord, and haven’t felt the Holy Spirit in a sizable magnitude yet. Anything that you can do to help would be great. Answer: The breath and stretch exercises that I write about in the lessons are probably more suited for “rookies” than anything else you can do. The reason for this is that they give the mind something to focus on during the devotional exercise. Even so they are quite powerful. I always recommend that a person do them before contemplative prayer. They calm the mind and create a spiritual feeling for the silence to follow during contemplative prayer. Split your time evenly between the two. The most important thing is to be steady in your devotional routine. It is better to commit to less time that you can do than more time that you can’t do. Only steadiness of practice brings us anywhere. We in the West are not well equipped to sit in the Indian lotus posture. Don’t worry about it. Do the breath and stretch and then sit in a comfortable chair with spine erect but totally relaxed to do contemplative prayer. Don’t meditate while lying down. Most only fall asleep. Be patient with yourself and learn to love yourself as God loves you. Lmr Question: When ............ writes about the work of the Holy Spirit in terms of his method of centering prayer, he says that the phenomena of this work -- psychic powers, charismatic gifts, etc. -- are not important; rather, it is what happens outside of the prayer time during the rest of the day that will show the work of the Holy Spirit -- was I able to be more patient or more generous with a family member than I had been capable of in the past, for example. Answer: I perfectly agree with what ............has written. What each of us has written is a matter of emphasis not substance. For each soul, the value of visions and gifts of the Spirit etc. is in understanding the nature of existence not in what the soul does with them. I have tried to make very clear in the lessons that the gifts of the Spirit are not where our attention should be. Question: I was directed recently to your website by an internet friend. Your information and Jim Marion’s book have been really helpful to me in the fact that I can now understand the confusion that I have been going through. At least I know that I am not crazy and know the journey that I am traveling. Note: (I included this question only because it is one that I get asked more often than I would wish.) Answer: There is only one soul mate and that is God. We are created complete in God and are born whole, if inexperienced, not half complete in need of someone to make us whole. The soul is neither male nor female but a wave in the ocean of Divine Consciousness that assumes its viewpoint from where, when, how and into what body it is born in the material universe or the heavens. Souls with similar backgrounds are naturally drawn together but there are a myriad of other souls that are wonderfully compatible for each soul not just one. People get divorced all the time. I cannot tell you what to do or feel. It is improper for me to express any judgment on what anyone else does or feels (when it is done honestly). I will give you a bit of advice. The wanting is usually better than the having and all of our pain and joy in life is but a reflection of our attitude about our circumstances. The hardest thing for each of us to do is to honestly look at our own feelings and actions. I have heard the soul mate/past life excuse used too many times to justify actions that only hurt those who are close to us. Too many times I have heard tantric or Gnostic spirituality used to justify sex and or group sex when the only problem is lack of self control. As long as we are adults interacting with adults and are not hurting anyone or ourselves, I have no problems with most anything someone wants to do in life but we should always try to be honest with our own motives and every now and then, we need to step back and take a good look at what is really going on. lmr Question: I just finished your wonderful lessons in contemplative prayer, and it seems to me that your prayer method is yoga. I practice Yoga as well as Catholicism, and to me there doesn’t seem to be a difference. However Catholics are suspicious of yogis and vice versa. How do you reconcile the two? Answer: There is really nothing of conflict to be reconciled. Yoga is not a religion. It is a grouping of different methods to achieve unity in God. (enlightenment) Anyone who is doing anything to find God is practicing yoga whether they know it or want to admit it. There are Christian yogis, Buddhist yogis, Hindu yogis etc. and none may call themselves yogis at all. There is one eternal truth (Santana Dharma) that those who call themselves yogis teach. But in truth there is only one eternal truth that encompasses everything and everyone no matter what religion we look at this truth through. Lmr Question: I have just read your lessons on contemplative prayer and the Holy Spirit. I was very filled by what you said. Filled seems to be the only word that comes to me. I am a woman who has recently returned to the catholic church. Many years I have spent on the spiritual path but felt the church had no place for women or for those of us not interested in legalities. For some reason, I know it is God, I have felt the desire to return to investigate the religion of my birth. As of late, I have been contemplating the Holy Spirit, and just tonight typed that into my computer, it was your text I was drawn to. Your message was beautiful and resonated within my soul. Do you have other lessons or insights to share, I am hungry to learn and would greatly appreciate any further information you could give. With deepest thanks, Answer: I really do not have anything to say outside of the lessons. I put my lessons on the internet because I thought my experiences might help a few others have a better understanding of the nature of the higher reality that we know as God. I did not realize that there was going to be the size of response that there has been. I will answer any questions that I can from the people who e-mail me and will keep adding to the Q&A as people ask more questions that I have not fully answered in the existing lessons. I have listed links to three libraries of early Christian works that I would encourage you to look at. I would also encourage you to read the great mystics of all faiths. Each has their own way of expressing the same truth. In looking at the same truth from different viewpoints we can greatly expand our own knowledge. Lmr Question: I have e-mailed you once before just to see if you would respond and you did, thank you. I have read your lessons and the book you recommended Putting on the mind of Christ and I put them into practice. I just don't understand why is it that I am in such turmoil, at times I can't believe the words that come out of my mouth. My family is hurting please help. Answer: I think the main point that you need to have firmly in your mind is that YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS. The majority of our thoughts come from subconscious desires, fears, trauma, etc. They are not what you are made of. We are all pure in the depths of our hearts. We just need to get rid of the trash in our minds to see it. This trash is not you. When these kinds of thoughts occur, realize where they are coming from and do not personalize it. Just look at them and say to yourself something like "Well that was interesting, can I get on with life now and act and think like I want to." Separate yourself from unkind thoughts. Hope this helps,lmr Question: The scriptures say that the only unforgivable sin is sinning against the Holy Spirit. Do you have to experience the Holy Spirit or have it fall upon you to sin against it. Answer: I am afraid I will have to qualify my answer for I totally agree with Origen when he writes that no one is lost forever. I know what is written at Hebrews 6:4-8 but I do not rely on any one scripture to give me a belief system. There is a reason for this. We do not know that any one scripture is now as it was written then. We have no original documents. We do not know what may have been accidentally changed or even changed on purpose to fit some scribes view. Then we have the translation problem. When you translate from Greek to Latin to English or directly from Greek to English or any other language there are meanings to words and phrases that have been lost in time to the original language that can never be translated properly. Think of how many slang terms we use in our time that if written down and then read two thousand years later without our original understanding could never be understood. I find that those who are the most prone to pile one scripture on top of another (usually out of context) to prove their view are the least knowledgeable about how the scriptures came to be written. Besides this, God has not declared any scripture as holy or sacred. Mankind has done this. Man canonizes what he wants to keep around. And then there is the nature of how scripture is written. Saints look into Divine Consciousness and try to interpret what they have experienced and it is called holy. But there is always a loss in clarity between resting in super consciousness and the mental processes of writing something down. The saints or prophets personal opinions always seem to be intertwined in the revelation. It is unavoidable. Scripture is always a product of the times in which it is written. I think it is better to take the general context of a group of scriptures than it is to quote any one scripture. I think it is better to contemplate the general theme of the Gospels than to pick scriptures out of the bible as if from a department store catalog where you can choose what fits your mood. Go inside and let the Spirit give you an intuitive feeling of the rightness of your understanding of the scriptures that you are in question about. To me this is far better than trying to rationalize about them. lmr. Question: Why did the One ever separate into the Many? I can never seem to come close to a satisfying explanation of why the fall. Why the illusion of Maya (This is an Eastern term for illusionary nature of the field of primordial matter in all manifest creation, including the heavens, represented in the bible by Satan, the bejeweled angel) though there is no question to me this is what’s going on. Answer: You are asking the ultimate question. What is the nature of Divine Consciousness (God) and why does it do what it does. All of the great mystics say that the answer can only be understood when directly experienced. A relative answer would be that It does what It does because this is Its’ nature. Beyond this, there seems to be an innate impulse in Divine Consciousness to manifest itself as each and all that we know and more that we may never know. The only thing I can suggest is that you allow the Holy Spirit to take you to the direct experience of God as Self. It is the unity spoken of by the Christian saints, the enlightenment of the Hindu, the bliss of the Sufi, the nirvana of the Buddhist. Lmr Question: Thank your for the lessons on line. I need to read and reread the breathing exercises. Having trouble concentrating. ........Time is and issue now. Having real problems with not being able to feel anything akin to what I had felt before. Just feel like I’m sitting there by myself, no feeling of God at all. Do you have any suggestions? The sit seems to be so dry and empty and it is hard for me to want to go there. Sincerely, Answer: We all go through dry spells. It is a part of the process. Sometimes we get so busy that our minds will not stop thinking about our problems and we just can’t get into a spiritual mood. Doing ones’ devotional routine first thing in the morning before the mind has a chance to get overly involved in the world helps many. Also bringing some good memories into the beginning of your devotional may help: Saying a prayer that you like, holding a sacred picture or thinking of your relationship with Jesus, a favorite saint, or God or perhaps playing spiritual music quietly in the background during the breathing exercises. (But not contemplative prayer). Whatever works for you is fine. Patience and steadiness are the most important virtues you can develop. Lmr Question: How can one experience God’s love? I have meditated until I fall asleep and never seem to be able to make it a habit for long. Is it possible with a full time job and a small child and spouse? Answer: God’s love is not something separate from us but is a integral part of our own nature. All that we need to do is to look within long enough and it will be there. The expression of God’s love is to be found in the Holy Spirit. When we give of ourselves we allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us and are expressing God’s love. Look at how you feel when you give of yourself unselfishly. This is God’s love. It flows, never wants anything in return and if it is to grow within, cannot be kept to oneself . It radiates like the sun to all who will step out of the shade. This is how we should endeavor to be. It is the giving that brings joy not the taking. It is better to set a schedule that you can keep than to bite off more than you can chew. Set a time when you are alert to do your devotional practices and try to get some more sleep each night. You will find much better results. I have been in your situation most of my life and still have managed a strong spiritual life. It takes devotion and will power. Good luck, lmr Question: In lessons how did you come up with this information? I am new to Christian life. However you speak of things I know. Except it is Hinduism and Buddhism. I am sure you know that I am referring to the chakras. What saint speaks of these things? I just blew my mind when you spoke of these things? If you have worked these points already but without any Christian background how could I pass it off as the Holy Ghost? I have had experiences with the spine numerous times during meditation and sleeping. These experiences cannot be the same of what you speak of. It would not seem biblical. Answer: Actually what I speak of is quite biblical. (To me anyway) The seven centers of consciousness (chakras) that you speak of are symbolically referred to throughout the scriptures. In the Hebrew scriptures they are referred to as the seven candles on the golden lamp stand and in Revelations, the seven stars. The spiritual anatomy of a Christian is no different than that of the Hindu, Buddhist or atheist. Each society has its’ mystics that look at the same human spiritual anatomy and describes it in its’ own terms. After my study of the nature of existence and inner experiences I read the scriptures with a whole new intuitive understanding. If you read them with your present understanding you also will see the truths symbolized in the scriptures. I do not know of any saints who have written a direct explanation of the candles of light or the stars of revelations. Most were pretty closed-mouthed about what they knew as truth and only hinted at such things. If you are familiar with Church history at all, you must know that many mystics have been forced to hide and even retract what they have written to save their lives. Lmr Question: I have just discovered your page. I have saved the contents to HD and will read it this evening. Whenever I have the opportunity for dialog with others who have had mystical experiences I feel compelled to ask a question. Has your changed view of the world put you in conflict with others who see your perspective as threatening to orthodoxy? In what ways have you dealt with it? Has any such conflict discouraged you from sharing your experiences openly. I understand that these are rather pointed questions coming from a stranger so I understand if you are hesitant to answer them. It seems to me that these are questions that every mystic in every age and tradition have had to deal with. Indeed they have had great bearing on my experiences and how I have chosen to act upon them. I invite you to a dialog on these issues if you are interested and have the time. Answer: You are right. Mystics have always had this problem and this is why I teach privately rather than through a religious organization with its constrictions. I believe in allowing everyone to have their own view of reality from their own personal experience. I only wish to give people access to the methodology for opening oneself to the Holy Spirit that has worked for me. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to mankind that I consider the most important thing he did. There are other methods in other religions that also bring us to God and I respect all of them. How do mystics deal with those who do not understand the inner path? The deeper the mystical experience the more one feels at one with the whole and the less one needs to change others who are not ready to expand their awareness. The deeper the experience the less one feels the barbs of those who do not understand. (For there is less ego to be hurt.) The deeper the experience the more one will help without needing anything in return. (For there is less ego to feel puffed up.) Then we learn silence as a virtue. Do not cast your pearls before swine we are told. If someone does not want to hear about the higher reality we should in no way try to force it upon them or anyone else. Lmr Question: ……….how old should my children be before I can teach them the exercises you write about in your lessons. Answer: I do not know that there is any age that is too young to pray to the Holy Spirit with our children and this will naturally lead into contemplative prayer and eventually the breathing exercises when our children are ready for them The most important thing is to make the Holy Spirit real to our children. Get some children's books about the Holy Spirit at your church and read the books to your children daily. Talk about the Holy Spirit and explain its workings in terms that they can understand. Explain that the Holy Spirit is inside of each of us waiting to be discovered. Explain that it is Jesus’ gift to mankind. Each night as your children go to bed say a simple prayer with them. Something like, “God, we thank you for your gift of the Holy Spirit. As we sleep we ask that it look over us. We ask that it guide and protect us. In Jesus name. Amen. Then say to your child: “Now let’s take a deep breath and as we look inside let’s feel the Holy Spirit filling us with its’ light and sound, its’ wonderful peace and joy as it watches over us tonight.” Do something like this each night and you will probably be very surprised at how soon your children will be describing the Spirit’s aspects to you. If you don’t pray with your children daily you will probably have to wait until they are young teenagers before they can get a grasp of the inner journey. Good Luck, lmr Question: Here's a question: Is there a place in the mystic's journey through Christianity for the homosexual who is actively partnered, and feels in exile from the mainstream experience? Answer: I wish this world was such a place that you would not even have to ask a question like this. As far as I have ever seen, the Spirit does not care what we believe or what we do. This of course does not include hurting others or ourselves but even in that it is what these actions do to our own mentality rather than the Spirit judging our actions and saying this person is worthy of experiencing God and the next person is not. The truth is that the soul is a single point of awareness in an ocean of infinite awareness. Divine Consciousness is neither male or female and neither is the soul. When the soul is born into the world it usually assumes the orientation of the body in which it dwells but throughout the animal kingdom exceptions to this rule continue to be born. (National Geographic special) Who of us can judge Mother Nature. The most spiritually advanced Christian I have ever met is gay and rests in continuous non-duality. Maybe one in a hundred million people achieve this state. Few of even the greatest Christian, Hindu or Buddhist mystics ever achieve continuous non-duality. Having said this, I know that few will understand how it could be possible for such a thing and I do not believe that traditional Christianity is ever going to be a comfortable place for anyone outside of a traditional relationship or even outside of a traditional belief system or traditional worship, add traditional infinitum. Judge not another we are told. I wish more of us would take this to heart. Lmr 12 Questions: 1. Why did God create evil? Answer: It is a matter of perspective. In order for the physical universe to exist there must be polarity. There must be a positive and a negative aspect to it. This creates vibration and the vibration allows the physical universe to exist. I am referring to the smallest particles of existence of course but the same principle applies to the largest movements of the universe. There can be no interaction without the possibility of positive and negative actions. There could be no dream of Divine Consciousness (life, with all that is involved in it) without it. Evil is a term we use. From the viewpoint of infinity everything exists without any judgment about what it is. 2. Why would God condemn something He created (Satan & other fallen angels, sinners)? Answer: I have to agree with Origen when he writes that no one is lost forever. 3. Why would God only choose one race culture (Hebrews) to send out His message to the world? What about the people who didn’t know of them or their message? Answer: I do not think that God did. You are writing questions as if God were a personality, a big person in the sky, that deals with mankind like humans deal with each other. Picture God as an infinite ocean of consciousness. We have mystics in all societies that dive into this ocean and tell the rest of their society what they see. We call these people prophets and saviors. Few understand what they are truly trying to teach us, so we set them apart, make them special, give them the quality of seeing something that the rest of us can never attain. In infinity, no soul, no wave in the ocean of Divine Consciousness is more special than another. We all are a part of the One. What anyone has attained we all can attain. Even if some see more clearly than others, it is only the illusion of being different. 4. How can temporal lives and finite beings produce eternal, infinite results? (infinite, eternal punishment of infinite, eternal reward) Answer: Only Infinite Divine Consciousness does anything infinitely. Finite personalities can only do things finitely. 5. Why is the O.T. God so different from the N.T. God? Answer: The ocean of Divine Consciousness is always the same. With the passage of generations, the personalities of each society and the viewpoints of those who swim in the ocean change. Often people will only get their feet wet and not really understand the nature of the ocean. The ocean is the ocean, no matter who swims in it or what they feel or write about it. 6. Why is God anthropomorphic at times and abstract & transcendent at others? Answer: Read 5 7. Is the Bible the word of God? If so, what about apparent biblical contradictions? And what about John 1: 1-14, which seems to say that Jesus God is the Word? Answer: Esoterically, many mystics believe that John is referring to the Holy Spirit. But from a exoteric viewpoint anyone or anything that talks from the direct experience of God is the word of God. The greater the experience the more it is the Word and the less it is the ego. 8. Why are both Jesus and angels called sons of God? Why are both men and Jesus called “sons of man”? and 9. What did Jesus mean by “Ye are Gods”? Answer: It is a matter of realization that is usually being spoken of when the scriptures use these terms. Of course, when anyone is born of mankind they are considered a son of man but in truth we are all sons of God; which makes us gods. (small g) 10. What is the meaning of life? Why did God create us? Answer: That is the one question that must be experienced from the state of unity before it can be known. It cannot be told. 11. Are angels aspects of God? Answer: Everything and everyone is an aspect of the ocean of Divine Consciousness. (God) 12. What about reincarnation? Answer: There is much evidence that the Jewish people of Jesus’ time believed in what was called the transmigration of the soul. Origen writes that the apostles taught the doctrine privately. If this is true, that means that Jesus taught or confirmed the doctrine with them. The Romans believed that humans were material bodies only. When Christianity became a Roman state religion, the resurrection of our material body became the Church doctrine. This doctrine is not talked about much anymore. It does not matter to me what the truth of the reincarnation is. It does not change what I need to do to find God. I still need to do my daily devotional routine regardless of what the truth of it is. And when we leave the physical body and personally experience the truth of it or not we will know the truth of it or not. Question: What is your view of mankind's place in the universe? Answer: From mankind's perspective the physical universe is a very large place with us at the center of it all. I think that mankind's sense of self-importance comes from the lack of knowledge of what is out there. The mystics who can leave their bodies and travel the physical universe and heavens in their spiritual bodies say that the physical universe as well as the heavens are teaming with countless civilizations and life. Just in our galaxy, there are billions of other suns besides our own. Our sun is said to be of an average size situated on the end of a spiral of other stars on the outside edge of the Milky Way; our galaxy’s name. This does not make us very important, even in this galaxy. In the physical universe there are said to be hundreds of billions of other galaxies, each with a few hundred million to as many as thousands of billions of stars in them. There are more stars in the physical universe than there are grains of sand on any of the beaches on this earth. If you want to get a grasp on how important mankind is from the perspective of the rest of God's physical creation, go to the beach and pick up one grain of sand. In turn, talk to each of the other grains of sand on the beach and try to convince each of them that the grain of sand you are holding is the more important than the rest of them. A child always thinks that its life is the center of the universe; until it grows up and sees what else is out there. Some people as well as some religions never do seem to grow up and always think that they are the center of everything. Eventually mankind and i's belief systems will mature enough to see their true place in God’s vast creation. I guess it is only a matter of when. Question: Thank you very much for your lessons. I have found my spiritual path but as times passes I feel a conflict between my old ego-oriented world view and my spiritual path. I feel called to take a retreat or a sabbatical and this makes me very nervous because I worry that I am trying to escape from life's issues. Do you think a call to be on retreat or to stay still and listen which is how I feel is an authentic spiritual longing? Does it seem advisable to take a break from the world so that one can learn to live in it and yet not be swept away? Or should I keep trying to learn how to incorporate spiritual exercises and study in my daily life. Which I find difficult, I always fall of the wagon so to speak and it becomes another thing to feel guilty about like losing 25 pounds, and saving money, remembering birthdays, e.t.c Answer: Life is hard enough for normal people. Add to that the spiritual quest and a person needs to take a break as often as they can. I see little value in walking through the mud just to prove that you can walk through the mud and keep your mind on God. We do not have to be martyrs or ascetics to find God. The middle path is usually the best. Go on retreat. Relax and take a breath. It can only help. Question: Lawrence: I appreciate your work. Although I consider myself a Christian, my primary spiritual practice is TM, Transcendental Meditation. I suppose I have ended up doing TM because I couldn't find anybody around in a Church who thought prayer might be more than "Our Father who art..." and TM was the first thing which "appeared". I find more similarities than differences between TM and Contemplative Prayer in the Christian tradition, certainly there are also many "experiences" which are similar. For sure, in you I find a kindred spirit! I am writing to share one specific thing. I have read most (I think all) of your lessons and Q&A and nowhere did I find a comment on the aspect of my spiritual practices which I find most powerful and that is prayer in groups of people. I realize that most of your readers may not have the regular opportunity to pray with others, but it has enriched my evolution greatly. It is my opinion that when Jesus made the statement that "When two or more are gathered in my name I will be there" that he was referring to what I call "group effect"! My experience in meditation/prayer (I don't make a distinction) in a group is always deeper and more profound. Always. Currently I live in Fairfield, Iowa, which has about 3000 TM meditators. I meditate in one of our "domes" twice daily. Often there are 2-300 doing program at the same time, in the same room. My "experience" there is limited only by my physiology---as I understand what is taking place. Even when I stay at home and do my program with just my wife or one of my daughters my experience is deeper. With this email there is no implied suggestion. I felt "Nudged" to share this. It would have been easier to ignore the Nudge, but I've kept coming back to your website for some reason, perhaps this was it. I require no response, though would be more than happy to receive any questions or observations you might have about my practices or those of this community. It is quite a place. That is entirely up to you. Answer: I guess the reason I have not written about group meditation is because I try not to write about what I have not directly experienced and I have had so little experience with group meditation that it is best for me to be quiet about it. Even on retreat I have only been with a couple of dozen people. Although I try not to write about what I have not experienced, I can post your e-mail and let others read of your experience. lmr Question: Thank you so much for writing your experiences with contemplative prayer.....I have had experiences of seeing a bright gold light for several years now. I don’t know how to proceed, It is a bit into uncharted territory..… Answer: It sounds like you are experiencing the golden light of the Holy Spirit. Dive into it and let it take you to the deeper things of God. lmr Question: I thank you once again for your website, it is very inspirational and I wish you my best in your meditations and continued service to humanity's uplifting in the Holy Spirit. I have a question, where can I get some good evidence to prove to my fellow parishoners that 'OM' is the vibration of the Holy Spirit? Yogananda and several other well known gurus from the East have cited the auspiciousness of this single sound. Apparently, it is a great name of God. Any help here would be helpful. I've seen some stuff on the web, but it's pretty shallow. Again, any help is appreciated. Thanks and best wishes, Answer: As a generality, you are asking to do something that in most cases can never be done: That is you are asking someone to believe in something that is outside of their belief system. Someone almost has to change their whole belief system to let in a single concept that they feel goes against any part of that belief system. Answer: This is not one of the easiest questions I have ever been asked but I will try to give you a concise, honest and straight forward answer of my understanding of the process. As our time comes to an end on this earth, there is a natural deepening of our inner world and a natural withdrawing from the outer world. If it is truly our time to go, we should let ourselves flow with this natural process. It helps by spending as much time as is comfortable looking inward to God and giving ourselves to him. We are not asking anything in this process but simply going with the natural inner flow of consciousness that occurs at this time. We gradually let go of worldly desires and attachments, especially bodily attachments and become ready for a new reality. It is the desires and attachments that we will not let go of that makes the transition process must difficult for some. Once we have let go of these obstacles it is much easier to just step away from the physical and enter into the Spirit's waiting arms. It will take you where you need to go. We need not worry about where the Spirit is taking us. That is the Spirit's realm. If it is truly your time, then spend time looking inside and giving yourself to God and Spirit. That is all any of us need to do. God takes care of all of us. No one is ever forgotten. Lmr Question: I wanted to ask you, "How did you come about picking the church you did." I thought you might help give me advice on finding the right church. Do you believe in all of your churches theology and canon? Do you think it's pertinent that a person does? Or do you believe you "rise above" so to speak as you become more spiritually advanced? Answer: A mystic will never find an organized religion that understands the mystical path. They may tolerate and even use the mystic for their own benefit if the mystic stays quiet and tows the religious line of the religion he/she is in. Having said this, most of us need companionship. It is a part of our human nature. Most mystics or students of mysticism who belong to an organized religion (that I know) use the organization for companionship or as a social function. They usually plant little seeds of truth to those who are open to it but mostly keep quiet about their experiences. The truth is that we all have a one to one relationship with God. This relationship relegates organized religion to a secondary role which it is not content to play. By its nature, organized religion wants to be the intermediary between man and God. It therefore downplays individual experiences with God and promotes its' own dogma. That's the way it is and each person with mystical experience deals with it in their own way. Usually we learn silence as a virtue. Question: Hello, I have written to you one time before, but I know you mentioned on your web site that it takes you a while to respond, I just don't know who else to ask these questions to. If I told people about my about my experiences lately, I think they would lock me up :) Well, recently while doing the breathing exercises and visioning pulling up the Holy Spirit through my spine, inhaling and exhaling, I felt as if the energy was swirling through me. My heart began to race and my eyes fluttered very quickly, then all the sudden it felt as if I was being moved to the music that was playing while I was meditating, "it' (I think the Holy Spirit?) was moving me back and forth, sort of like wiggling me around. It did scare me, the more I breathed in the stronger it became so I stopped, I was trying to be unafraid, but I have never felt something psychically move me like that before so it was a little overwhelming the first time it happened. I have continued to meditate and I it still is moving me around, but I am trying to be less afraid each time and just let it be. I guess what I am looking for is reassurance that this is all ok, ever since I started this, which has only been a few months I now see lights differently, hear a constant humming in my ears and now this with the movement in me. I would appreciate any help you could give me about this, of course my head is going to places like, maybe I am getting myself into something I shouldn't or I'm being possessed. I just don't understand why is this happening to me so quickly? I really did not expect to feeling anything right away, I thought it would take years, I pray and meditate approximately 1 & 1/2 hrs a day. Please when you have a moment, help me to understand that this is ok, I look forward to your response. Thank you again. Answer: If you read between the lines in the scriptures and writings of the early saints you will find references to dramatic movements of the Spirit. It must be realized that there is a cleansing process in raising our consciousness to a level where we can see and hear what the Spirit can show us. In the beginning our nervous systems are just not ready for full realization. Everything that you have described is pretty much normal for a person who is ready to begin or is already beginning the journey to know God. The movement of the Holy Spirit within those who are ready for it is not the blessing but the necessary (in most of us) action required to prepare us for realization. It is often like getting your teeth cleaned. That is it sometimes feels uncomfortable and really good at the same time. It is a blessing to be as open to it as you describe but the movement of the Spirit is not the goal. It is something we may enjoy and sometimes not that will take us to God. The Apostle Paul tells us that the Spirit will reveal the deeper things of God but we have to have the courage to allow it to do this. I must admit that it is easier to allow the Spirit to do this when we have someone to ask questions of who has been through what we are now experiencing. lmr Question: I read in your lesson and from this email you mention that we cannot keep the Spirit for ourselves or it will die. I'm not sure I understand that, could you please give me some examples of sharing the Spirit with others? When I pray for others, is that sharing the Spirit? Answer: I simply meant that when not allowed to flow through us the Spirit will stop flowing within us. The Spirit is not something that we can store within us for later us. It is an active principle and the abilities we get from it come from the flowing of it through us. In other words, you cannot put it in a bottle, you can only open up expanding channels for it to flow through us. There are as many ways to share the Spirit and allow it to flow through us as there are people to share it with. Prayer is just one way. Teaching is the best because it expands the Spirit's activity in a materialistic world of people that are so lacking in its activity within them. Lmr Question: Why is getting close to God & finding out the truth about life all I can think about? I feel like I am obsessed with it or something, it is on mind all the time, particularly since I have started meditating for the Spirit to rise up through me, is this normal or I am just consuming myself with it too much? I feel like I am having trouble with being too deep, I have always been a deep person anyways but now more than ever. I almost feel a little lonely because no one I know is going through this yet and I feel like no one really understands. Plus I feel like I am on a very small level starting to see things in life differently and it seems that others that I am around at this time in my life just don't see things this way yet. I feel sorta stuck in the middle, not completely asleep anymore but not yet enlightened either. Anyways, more than anything tonight I needed just to get my feelings out but when you have a second it would be helpful to read what your thoughts are too. Did you feel this way at all on your journey? Answer: The easiest thing on earth for the mind to do is to be obsessed about something. Unrealized souls spend their whole lives grasping one obsession after another. Look at your own life and those of everyone around you if you need to confirm this. It is just how we all are. From my lessons you should be aware that you are not the mind but a soul, that is pure divine consciousness in individualized form. Whatever the mind is doing or being obsessed about that's not you. You are the one sitting behind it being led by it or do the leading. When we are obsessed we are being led by it and in the end that is not where we want to be. The mind is a much more powerful tool when it is calm at rest and fully directed by the soul when in use but the mind is only a tool that God has given the soul for its' use, nothing more. Having said that, from a practical point, it must be understood that so few are at that point of absolute control that it is not worth talking about and we might as well deal with what we have. Remember that in a previous answer to one of your questions I told you not to let your extra activities interfere with you practices. Not that you should not do them, only to not be too involved in them. The minds' tendency for obsession was the underlying reason for my reasoning. My viewpoint in giving advice for those who ask for help or eventually come to consider themselves students is how to give the best advice to keep them steady on this path. By this I do not mean attached to me as a teacher but steady in their practices because that is the only way to get from here to there. Getting there usually takes a lifetime. If you want to get from here to there, I think it is best to use a problem that you eventually want to get rid of to your advantage in the now. I will use myself as an example and you can determine the wisdom or folly of it for yourself. Forty years ago when I first started becoming open to the Spirit with visions of inner light etc. I did not understand what it was or what was happening to me but I certainly became obsessed with it. Honestly I think it served me well that no one understood, especially my wife, kids and family on both sides. My wife and her side of the family were Christian fundamentalists and came to think that I had opened myself up to the devil. My side just thought I was deluded. I learned silence as a virtue. I did not have any background in mysticism to help, did not know what meditation was and did not know where to look to find out the truth of anything. But I was obsessed with the seed that God had planted within me and it carried me through for ten years. For ten years I carried the obsession of which you write. I read everything I could get my hands on and learned everything I could about mysticism and my experiences. It took a long time to know where to look to find what I needed to learn and then my experiences needed to expand to a point where I would discern the seed of truth from all the misinformation I was reading. It seems so many who write want to have great followings but have not had enough experience to even know what they writing about. After about ten years of reading and learning from most every direction you can imagine an odd thing happened. Whereas in the beginning everyone seemed to be telling me something different, in time everyone seemed to be saying the same thing. When I look back on it, this is when my obsession with it all disappeared. Now there is another important aspect of the mind to consider. It is that the mind loves to operate in a standard pattern. It will get to be trained along a certain line of action and that is what it wants do. A person will meditate at a certain time and place and after a while the mind will want to do this even when a person is pressed to do something else at that period. This is the result of steadiness of practice. Same time, everyday, same place etc. By the time my obsession wore off my steadiness of practice had set in and this has carried me through the rest of my life. I try to keep this model for those I give advice. Not too much information too soon. Read everything from every direction till it all sounds the same. Perhaps enough struggle in the beginning with no one understanding and not enough time for practices. All of this when we are still obsessed so that when the obsession is gone and we are relying on steadiness of practice we will have the strength and knowledge and experience that carries us though the rest our lives on this path. Question: If you could please answer this email before the last, I would appreciate it. After my meditation last night I was terrified, the best way to describe it was I was hyper-sensitive to energy or something, I felt like I wasn't alone, like there was negative energy in the room. I just kept praying and surrounding myself with the white light, but it did not seem to make it stop. I tried to go to sleep but that wasn't for long. Let me tell you what I think may have happened. I read a lot so I had read about a meditation to open my Chakras, so during my meditation I visualized opening my Chakras and the white light unblocking them, starting at my crown Chakra and then each on down my body until the last one. Well, when I fell asleep I woke by what seemed to be a huge vibration starting from my tailbone and going up my body, it really terrified me, I don't even think I am explaining what happened to the full degree of it. It felt as if was physically moving me. I'll admit I don't know a lot about religion or God but I kept thinking last night why if this is the truth to God would we have to go through something like this, it would seem a loving God would not want us to be scared. I mean I feel fine today, I was just very scared last night. I thought I was safely meditating because I only meditate an hour to an hour 1/2 a day, but it still seems to be pretty intense for me. I'm sure all this is just me not truly understanding what’s happening. I was feeling pretty good before this because I had completely lost my fear during meditation, but I am feeling a lot when not meditating now. I will be at work during the day at my desk and I feel my head being pushed back and then a gentle nudge to open my mouth and just stay in that position, this happens a lot during the day. Even that wasn't scaring me, I wasn't sure what the heck it was but I was ok. Are these sensations I just described all part of the process to take me to God, is this how it will be until I reach Christ Consciousness? I also at the same time couldn't help but feel grateful last night too, that at least I am able to talk to you about this, I mean I am sure there are people out there who don't have anyone to talk to going through this process. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Answer: The path that we have chosen, breathing exercises coupled with meditation has more sensations that develop with it than other paths that do not work on the whole of the spiritual body. Usually the sensations are more dramatic or perhaps we are not that familiar with them in the beginning of the movement of the Spirit. Most would give their eye teeth to experience the sensation you write about but it is not God that puts us through any of what we go through nor is it God who has chosen anyone above others nor can we blame any of the sensations we feel on that universal consciousness. I suppose if we must blame it on anything we could blame it on the fact that our species, humans have not yet evolved a nervous system that is spontaneously capable of dealing with God awareness and gifts of the Spirit. It has only been a blink of an eye in universal awareness terms since our species was little more than standing or walking man (homohabilus) 3 million yrs ago. OK, so we call ourselves homosapiens now (thinking man) but it will probably be another 3 million yrs before our species has evolved into spiritual man where all of the awareness of God and the gifts of the Spirit occur spontaneously. If we are not in the mood to wait that long we do what we need to do to develop our nervous systems now. It is called meditation etc. and that is what speeds the development of our nervous system and therefore the awareness of God that is the natural result. But you can't blame any of it on God. Considering the state of our human development, it is our choice to strive for the awareness or not and deal with the sensations as they come or not. The worst thing we can do is to get all wrapped up in the significances of the process. There aren't any. None of the sensations and shifts of awareness mean anything of themselves and although acknowledged should be ignored. These sensations are neither good nor evil but simply the result of the process, which brings me to another part of your note. You will do yourself a grave injustice if you make this process more complicated than it needs to be. Keep your practices steady and simple. You do not need to worry about what center of awareness (chakra) is doing what, nor do you need to be delving into the thousands of variations of meditation. You will lose ground on the path and besides at your level of development it is far too early to be specific in technique for what part of the spiritual body. You might look into it 30 yrs from now. Until then do the two practices as they are written in the lessons. In case you have forgotten, they do seem to be working for you. Now, to the third part I wish to discuss, FEAR. The mental processes are strengthened by the movement of the Spirit especially the subconscious is something we should be aware of. It is not that it is given more power than the rest of the mental processes only that we are not used to dealing with it when it has more power to influence us. There is a creative spiritual power developing within that we must learn to have better control of than was usual before the movement of the Spirit. Do you really think the gifts of the Spirit happen through weak minds? The subconscious holds fear like a whirlpool that is continually throwing off ripples of imagined problems and disasters and false awarenesses. Realize them as such and ignore them with the same fervor you should be ignoring the other sensations of the process that are real. The spiritual process is like growing up all over again to a new level of adulthood and strength of mind. Those who make it to the end of the path deserve to make it to the end of the path. Spiritual children do not get there until they are no longer spiritual children but spiritual adults with the focus and strength of mind that comes with it. lmr CONCLUSION No matter what the truth actually is, people will tend to look at others and circumstances in general through the clouds in their own minds, anyway; that is from their own prejudices, fears, desires and religious dogma, rather than from what is really there. This is how it has been with the lessons. I have been somewhat surprised at the polarity in the letters I get. On one side, I have had an enlightened ex catholic monk ask to use quotes from my lessons in a book that he was writing. I have had many ask to use the lessons for courses they were teaching, papers they were writing in college and a number of people who have asked if they could post a section of the lessons to their web sites. On the other side, I have had a few scholars and lay people writing to me asking what my credentials are for writing anything at all: that I am not a "real minister" (exact quote) which I have never claimed to be anyway: Some daring me to post to my web site their lengthy scriptural rebuttals to what I have written. (I have noticed that not one person writing a lengthy scriptural rebuttal to what I have written has included that they have ever seen, heard or felt the flowing of the Holy Spirit within themselves.) I have received several letters from people who consider what I have written to be "lecto divino" (exact quote), keep the lessons by their bed and read a passage from them every night and a few letters from people who have called me and the lessons everything but "lecto divino". In either case, I see no reason for pride or hurt. I do not claim any special realization about anything. My experiences are what they are and they and my understanding of the mystical path are all in the lessons as clearly and honestly as I know how to present them. I do not want a following that I have to impress and I do not ask for financial support from anyone. This makes it very easy to be honest in looking at and relating my own experiences, good and not so good. The lessons stand mainly on my own experience with the Holy Spirit. I am sure that I have made plenty of mistakes in what I have written but they will have been honest mistakes and as I come to understand the truth of existence better, I will write about the truth of existence better. I see myself as an elder spiritual brother who has been around long enough to have made plenty of mistakes but is able to take this experience and help others through it. The Spiritual practices that I write about are exactly what I practice. What I do not practice, I do not teach and I have tried not to write about what I have not directly experienced. I am drawn to help the evolving spiritual consciousness on this planet. I feel that I am doing what I can do and still give myself the time that I need for my own spirituality. I receive a few hundred letters a year from places as far away as Japan, the Philippines, Africa, all over Europe and the Americas, even India: Letters usually asking spiritual questions and for advice with their spiritual lives and practices: Many letters of gratitude. There seems to be a tremendous need in this area. From all over the world (of the internet anyway) people write that they cannot find anyone in Christianity who understands the spiritual process or who can at least give them practical spiritual advice or even a basic understanding of what is behind their experiences. (Of course, it could be that only the people who can't find help are the ones' writing.) Some write to me often and consider me their mentor. Many more than these few, who read the lessons from the internet, write only when they need help. From the traffic that I keep track of on my web site, most who visit my site and read the lessons never write at all. I am content in this. I have no interest in forming any kind of organization to promote this path. I do realize that if you want to get anything done on a large scale, having an organization is the only way to do it. It is just that I am too solitary a person for this and enjoy living a quiet life. The only thing remarkable about me is how ordinary my life has been. But in looking at it, having lived my life in the world is probably my greatest asset when it comes to helping others who are also living in the world. I know what it is like to have a family, raise children, struggle to pay the bills, have no spiritual support and yet put in the devotional time necessary to keep the Holy Spirit active enough inside myself to progress spiritually. I have had enough years inner experience to have gained a fairly broad perspective on the path to God. In my own small way, I feel blessed to be able to help people across the world become open to the Holy Spirit and perhaps understand the path to God a little better than before. Unless the Holy Spirit guides me in another direction or leads me to expand on what I am currently doing, (And I truly hope not.) what I am now doing is how I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life. But from a larger perspective, a single individual's life is but a wisp of wind that is here and then is gone. If there is going to be a steady wind of the truth about the nature of soul and God that blows within our Christian faith it can only persist if many more who have come to directly experience the Holy Spirit, teach or at least put forward to the rest of our faith, what they have experienced. Many more need to explain their experience and understanding of the Holy Spirit and especially the methodology that has brought them to that experience and understanding. On a personal level, we cannot keep the Holy Spirit to ourselves and progress spiritually. To help ourselves, we need to help others. Most of the spiritually advanced taught others and had students long before they were considered to be spiritual masters and it is usually the helping of others that had a great deal to do with their becoming spiritual masters. It is the flowing of the Holy Spirit through us, not in trying to hold on to it for ourselves that is how the Holy Spirit increases its strength within us. As our consciousness develops the Spirit will naturally call us to develop our helping of others in a direct relationship to our expanding spirituality. If not, if we try to put ourselves out in front of others in an ego driven way, it will be as Thomas Merton has written: “He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others. He will communicate to them nothing but the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas.” I think we have all seen too many of these teachers without having to add ourselves to the list. I taught from other peoples lessons and experiences that I firmly believed to be true long before I had enough of my own experiences to write and then to teach from them in my own lessons. In teaching from other's experiences that I firmly believed to be true before teaching from my own, I never needed to inflate my own experiences to make a point and I believe that I have avoided many of the ego problems that could have resulted from this. Now that I have written the lessons, many use them in the same way that I used others'. My lessons are written in short segments so that they can be used separately for the new to mysticism or in a series for the more experienced, either to teach individuals or classes. They are available to everyone of any faith. Use of them what you want. If you need to ask a question that I have not answered or simply comment on the lessons, I can be reached at lmrichsn@yahoo.com. Lawrence M Richardson |