 89. Jesus or Christ |
And that Christ-consciousness is what would be called the "living spirit." It's like the statement, "Eat of my flesh, drink of my blood." He didn't expect people to come and tear off his arms or drink out of his veins; that is the "universal form" speaking, saying "Consume the universe into yourself; drink of the universe (universal mind which is "in" each person) so that you may know the Father." That's not Jesus speaking; that's the Christ or "Christ consciousness," or "Christ mentality." And the problem occurs that much heavy violence has been done through interpreting that initial statement as a statement of Jesus the man, rather than as a statement of the Christ. It's misinterpretation has led to proselytizing, which has led to a lack of acknowledgment of other people's ways of meeting (attaining) the Christ other than through the form of Jesus.
- End of statement
But when that which is perfect has come (at-one-ment, self realization, Satori, Nirvana, Tao, heaven, superconsciousness) then that which is in part (the ego, or separate mentality) will be done away with (ye can not serve two masters at the exact time...it's either union or non-union.) When I was a child (egoicselfish) I spoke as a child (self-centered in the ego mentality). I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man (a true and natural being in the condition eternal spirit and the inner witness to body mind thoughts, emotions) I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror (only a reflection of our own egoic mind), dimly, but then face to face (direct contact as consciousness, reality, truth).
-I Corinthians 13:10, 11, 12
The New Testament is designed to appear as a single coherent account of the life and total "teachings" of Jesus and his disciples or apostles. However, modern scholarship has begun to demonstrate that the New Testament is a strategically collected and edited conglomeration of many examples of oral and written material from the early centuries following (as well as preceding and including) the period of Jesus' presumably historical ministries. The New Testament is essentially an exoteric or outer and public manual of instruction. And it was created by the exoteric public cult of Jesus that became the official church of the Roman Empire. What is being indicated here is that the historical Christian church (in various sects) was and is essentially an exoteric or publicly oriented "institution." And it intentionally limited its communications to exoteric matters when it first designed and established the "New Testament" as the basis of all of its instructions. In and by that process, the "esoteric" teaching and practice was separated from the official institution and it was gradually and completely lost. However, we may find aspects of the "inner circle" teaching described in certain texts of the "New Testament," particularly the gospel and the letters of John the Beloved. And it was only that "inner circle" teaching and practice that represented the full teaching of Jesus and his school. The outer, public teaching of Jesus and his followers was not much different from that of the other exoteric religious sects of the Middle East (such as Judaism) at the time of Jesus. And the public teaching was essentially directed toward the winning of converts, who would later be "baptized" and instructed in the non-public setting of the "inner circle." In the writings attributed to John the Beloved, we find aspects of the teachings of the "inner circle," spoken more or less clearly. Thus, the teaching of "John the Beloved" survives as a testimony to the actual teaching and practice of Jesus within his "inner circle" of converts. And if one approaches that literature from the point of view of higher spiritual understanding, received through awakened practice outside the outer cultism of exoteric religion, then the teaching of "John the Beloved" can be rightly interpreted or understood.
