RIGHT
MIND, RIGHT VIEW,
RIGHT
BEHAVIOR,
RIGHT PATH
The author Steve
Streadbeck reserves all rights.
It is not to be copied
First Printed June 5,
2005
Self Published
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RIGHT MIND, RIGHT VIEW, RIGHT BEHAVIOR. 2
1. The Universal Truth 2
3. The Perfect Plan 2
4. The Law of Opposition and Universal Truth 2
5. The Law of Causation 2
6. Desire and Ignorance 2
7. Spirit Mind and Physical Mind 2
8. Mind-Only 2
9. The Real State of Things 2
10. The Middle Way 2
11. The Mind of Purity 2
12. The Spiritual Nature 2
13. Right and Wrong 2
14. Judgment and Glory 2
15. Selflessness 2
16. Human Defilements 2
17. Reality of Human Life 2
18. Purification of the Mind 2
19. Man’s Nature 2
20. The Search for Truth 2
21. The Ways of Practice 2
22. The Way of Faith 2
23. The Life of Women 2
24. Service 2
25. The Role of the Church 2
26. Building Zion 2
27. Yin-Yang Symbol 2
GLOSSARY.............................................................................................. 2
By Steve Streadbeck
These truths come from the teachings of Christ, Buddha and modern day
science. For God gave unto Adam and Eve the whole truth, and as the years went
by many precious things were omitted. Buddha embraced the truths he found which
led him to his enlightenment. If you examine the Chinese language and alphabet
you see that they came from the religious background of the Creation and hold
many great and noble truths. Christ restored these truths in our latter days
through the Prophet Joseph Smith and they are contained in the Book of Mormon
as well as the Bible. I changed a few words from many of Buddha’s teachings and
used scriptural vocabulary to show that the truth is the same wherever you find
it. The Book “Right Mind, Right View, Right Behavior, Right Path” is to be used
as a handbook for daily life. It is a behavioral work that should be read,
studied and put into practice. Then when things become difficult in your life,
or you lose your way, remember its’ teachings and they will guide you to a
better way of life and back to God. This book is not intended as a substitute
for the scriptures but only as a source of consolidated truths as found within
them, coupled with science. So much of mans’ pain and suffering comes from the
deluded mind. If one could always think Right, using the Spiritual Mind, and
then obtain the Right View, meaning have the right perspective and ability to
discern between truth and error, he would have the Right Behavior, which would
put him on the Right Path and then his world of delusion, pain and suffering
would vanish away and only happiness would exist.
Sources for these ideas come from “The Teaching of Buddha,” of the Bukkyo
Kendo Kyokai. The Scriptures; “Book of Mormon,” “The Doctrine of Covenants,”
“Bible,” “Pearl of Great Price,” the writings of Brigham Young, a talk by Cleon
Skousen, the book “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene, a paper by Arval L. Streadbeck which led me to this direction
of a Unified Teaching of both Religion and Science, and the writing of “The
Intelligence Factor” by Steve Streadbeck .
The essence of man began long before his life
on the earth. The essence of life or another word for it is “Intelligence” has
always existed as well as truth and will always exist. It is the divine nature
of man and it is his true spiritual nature. It is this self existent intelligence that has
been organized by God and put into a spiritual body which is joined with a
temporal or physical body and finally joined with a perfected, celestialized
one that will become his identity throughout eternity. We were created in the
image of our God and we like him, have a body of flesh and bones. We are His children
and are all brothers and sisters, both spiritually and temporally. In the
beginning of man’s existence on the earth, God gave to man the Truth’s about
everything. There were no divisions of Religion, Science, Philosophy, Medicine,
Literature, Language, History and Government.
The Universal Truth’s were taught and all things were unified.
There is one truth that helps man to
understand all the great and noble truths. I call it the Great and Universal
Truth: It is that all things are a compound in one, and understanding this
principle of the non-duality of all things, man can understand the truth of
everything. That all truth is circumscribed into one great whole.
There was given to man because of this Great
and Universal Truth a wonderful and noble gift. This Great and Noble Gift is
the gift of Agency, or the freedom to choose for oneself.
There was given to man the understanding of a
Great and Universal Law of Nature. The Universal Law of Nature is that there
are two things which make up the building blocks of all nature. There are
things to act and things to be acted upon. Understanding the Universal Truth
one will come to understand the Law of Opposition.
There has been given to man knowledge of all the
truths. Universal Knowledge is the understanding of all things. God possesses
this knowledge, and man can also. It is not enough to have knowledge alone but
we must gain the wisdom to use it.
Wisdom is the mental function which enables
one to perceive life without error and to distinguish between what is true and
what is false. One who has acquired this perfectly can become like God himself.
Therefore, this is the most refined and enlightened wisdom distinct from
ordinary human intelligence.
For man to become like God he must understand
the Nature of God: Understanding the Universal Truth, Universal Law, Universal
Gift, Universal Knowledge and the Law of Nature and Law of Opposition, helps
man to understand his true nature. We learn that man was created in God’s image
and likeness.
There is a power whereby all things are
governed known as the Universal Power: The Priesthood as it is known in heaven
and on earth is the power and authority whereby God acts. Man cannot assume
that power by desire, study or any other earthly means, but by God only,
through the laying on of hands by one who has received that authority from God
himself.
There are Seven Perfect Laws of Things:
Perfect Order, Perfect Pattern, Perfect Harmony, Perfect Peace, Perfect Love,
Perfect Government, and Perfect Plan.
Understanding the Perfect Order of Things
helps man understand the all powerful nature of God. God has been given all
power, knowledge and agency, to change any law and order of things, yet will
not, for he knows if he did so it would bring about his own destruction as well
as that of man. There is a perfect order of things otherwise God and man would
not exist.
Understanding the Perfect Pattern: As man is,
God once was, and as God is, man may become. This is God’s work, to bring to
pass the immortality and eternal life of man. The pattern God has set for us is
to follow his example. His example was given to us through his Only Begotten
Son. The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words the bringing forth of “Intelligences,”
which are the “Essence particles” spoken of, unto exaltation and eternal lives.
Understanding Perfect Harmony; is
understanding The perfect balance between things.
Understanding Perfect Peace: When there is
perfect harmony, pattern, order, love, government, power and plan.
Understanding Perfect Love: It is the
selfless love of humanity, or the pure love of Christ, and will endure forever.
It is more than an act; it is an attitude, a state of heart and mind, which
accompanies one’s works. It is given unconditionally and is characterized as
selfless and self-sacrificing, emanating from a pure heart and a good
conscience. It is the love known as Charity.
Understanding Perfect Government: The
Priesthood is the Government of God and power that governs all things, directs
all things, and sustains all things. It is the principle that God regulates,
controls, dictates and manages his affairs, worlds, kingdoms and
principalities. He can delegate this power and has given it to others to govern
things underneath him and above him with which he has to do.
Understanding the Perfect Plan: The plan
whereby all mankind may be perfected in the kingdom of God
The Law of Unification: All truth is unified
into one great whole. The laws of everything (Science and Religion) are the
same.
The Law of Sameness: Everything is one
eternal round. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The plan for man
is the same. We can progress and become as God is, line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little there a little, until we gain all knowledge, though it
may take an eternity.
The Plan is the same, the Law is the same,
the Order is the same, the Love is the same, the Harmony, is the same, the
Pattern is the same, the Government is the same and the Peace is the same,
forever and ever. Understanding these Truths one comes to understand that ALL
these Truths are circumscribed into one great whole which is the Universal
Truth. It is possible that all truth can be understood as simply as
Intelligence and Matter, which is the same as an Energy Particle and a Matter
Particle, which make up everything in the universe; Truth and Error, can be
understood as the same as one’s and zero’s, or the knowledge of what to do and
what not to do, or knowledge of all truth; and the Law of Opposition, the
non-duality nature of all things or that all things are a compound in one, that
good doesn’t exist without evil nor God without the Adversary and that because
of this we have choice.
Here is a thought that may help you to
understand the Great and Universal Truth that I want to call;
“One Thing Is Two Things”:
There are just two things that make up all
things or everything,
Intelligence and Matter.
There are just two things that make up
Intelligence,
Light and Truth.
There was just two things that were presented
to Adam and Eve,
Tree of Life and Tree of Opposition.
There are just two things that make up Knowledge,
Truth and Error.
There are just two things that make up Opposition,
Something and Its’ Opposite.
There are just two things that make up Agency,
Choice and No Choice.
There are just two things that make up the
Building Blocks of Nature,
Things that Act and things to be acted upon.
There are just two things that make up Mankind,
Man and Woman.
There are just two things that make up God’s
purpose,
Righteousness versus Evil.
There are just two things that make up the
path to follow,
Good and Evil.
There are just two things that make up Man’s Nature,
Spiritual and Natural.
There are just two things that make up the
Earth’s Nature,
Spiritual and Natural.
There is just one thing that makes up the
Universal Truth of Everything,
That all things are circumscribed into this one
great principle,
that all things are made up of two things and
are one. (a compound)
Everything in existence is made up of and
from two tiny particles known as the energy particle and the matter particle.
God teaches us that the energy particle is the particle that acts and the
matter particle that which is acted upon.
These two particles are the building blocks
of nature and have always existed. They cannot be created, made or destroyed.
They can however be joined together to form other elements, from which
everything in nature is formed.
These energy particles form strings of
energy, and vibrate or resonate at different frequencies. When joined with
matter particles these strings make up all the elements of nature. They are also
known as Life and are in everything; the air that we breathe, the light that
shines, the rocks and earth under our feet, the water that we drink, the food
that we eat, and the elements that compose our very bodies.
These energy strings have been called
“Intelligence.” There is however one special string that is called the
Self-Existent Intelligence. It maintains a self identity, and awareness of
existence. It has been referred to as ones’ “Mind,” “Light of Truth,” “Essence
of Life,” or “Spirit.” It is eternal in nature, and can obtain and retain
knowledge or truth. It can be found and exist in varying degrees or strengths.
There is an area outside of organized space
known as Outer Darkness in which these particles or strings and matter exist in
an unorganized, chaotic state. Quantum mechanics best describes the conditions
of this space.
God can communicate with these elements and
organize them. They can be organized, reorganized and disorganized.
God’s greatest creation is man and He (God)
is our Heavenly Father. He took the Self-Existent Intelligence from outer
darkness and placed it into his spiritual offspring, forming a spiritual personage.
This spiritual personage is the spirit of man which is placed in him at time of
his birth on the earth, when he becomes a living soul.
Man was created in Gods image and was given
dominion over all the earth. The plants, earth, skies, water, and animals are
subject to his will. There is no other thing that has a Self-Existent
Intelligence other than man. Animals, plants and all things have spirits or
intelligence, yet do not possess a spirit like unto man’s.
Everything that man has, is, or will become,
is given to him by God. (Elohim)
This is the eternal nature of man. His
intelligence, has always existed and will always exist. Man was with God as an
intelligence, and just as God progressed from that state to the all knowing,
all present, all powerful God that he is, so also can man.
Man will ever be in God’s debt. He, or his
intelligence, was taken from outer darkness where he would have remained
forever if it were not for God’s intercession, and has been given the
opportunity to progress and become a God himself should he so desire and
achieve. The glory of God is intelligence, or the exaltation of intelligence’s
from eternity to eternity.
Understanding this principle of man’s true
nature, should create in him a most profound and deep humility and undying
gratitude and love for God. Imagine what you were, before God’s merciful
intercession, and it will help you become that which is in your eternal nature.
The plan is to take the intelligences from
outer darkness and give them a way by which they may obtain glory and
exaltation. What one may achieve is through obedience to the laws and
ordinances set by God.
According to the Law of Sameness everything
is one eternal round. (same pattern, same order, same plan etc.) God takes
these intelligences from outer darkness and organizes them into all things. The
earth, sky, water, plants, animals and also man.
It was not in the plan for our Spirits to
remain in heaven. In this heavenly state we had no opposition and could not
progress, for all things were constant.
We were given the Great Universal Gift of
Agency. But, how could there be agency without choice? And so the plan must
incorporate choices.
The Great Universal Truth teaches us that all
truth is circumscribed into one great whole, and there must be opposition in
all things. There can be no happiness if there is no suffering.
There can be no reward if there are no good
works, and there can be no punishment if there is no sin. There can be no sin
if there is no law.
God is the one and only one qualified to make
the law and give us the path for us to follow.
Joy comes from keeping the commandments and
receiving our rewards.
The test or trial of earth life is to prove
our worthiness to receive our rewards. It is a test of character, faith,
obedience and righteous living.
In the pre-existence God counseled with our
spirits and we were asked if we wanted to be tested and tried. There was a
choice given. To live as spirits in a non progressive state, or go to an earth,
receive a temporal body and be subjected to pain and suffering that we might
understand and experience all things, and become like our Father in Heaven.
We were taught that a Spirit in a spiritual
body could never experience pain, hunger, suffering, happiness, joy, bliss. It would
never have to learn anything, do anything, be anything, achieve anything.
We were asked if we wanted to be like Him,
God the Father. We were instructed as to what this path would entail.
Two plans were presented. Again, choice and
opposition. One plan was presented by the eldest son Jesus Christ and the other
by another son Lucifer.
Christ’s plan was that of free will. Man
could choose and through his good works receive his rewards and possibly
Godhood. Christ’s plan incorporated the Universal Truth.
Satan’s plan was that of compulsion, or the
plan that was in direnct opposition to Christ’s plan. All would be saved but
that there would be no rewards, because there would be no good works. The
reward would be his. He would rule and reign over them forever. Those that
would follow him were deceived into believing that the easiest path was the
best. Lucifer’s plan failed because it didn’t incorporate the universal truth.
Truth and error have always existed along
with his Self-existent Intelligence or mind. It is an eternal truth.
Truth and error can be portrayed in this
example. The principle is like 1’s for ON, and 0’s for OFF. Example: A rocket
ship whose program fires an engine to correct itself whenever off course, it
depends on the course set to determine its path. If the course was set for the
earth, the rocket’s engines would fire when off course. On or off depending on
which engine would fire to bring it back on course. If the rocket was going off
to the left the left engine would fire briefly to bring it back to the right.
When it goes to far to the right the right engine would fire and bring it back
left. The path would be its true course. If its course was set for example to the
Sun where it would be consumed, could also be called its true course but a
course set on sure destruction.
It depends on the course set whether it leads
to truth and eternal life, which is God’s life, or not to God’s life which is
often referred to as hell or Satan’s life, or the opposite course. There is
only one path to truth and happiness, you are either on it or you are not. This
is where we get the expression, “the path is narrow and straight and few there
be that find it.”
There was only one plan that gives you the
path to truth. That of Jesus Christ’s where all men are free to choose for
themselves.
Atonement can be understood in this story.
There was a man who owed his neighbor a lot of money. The law was simple. He
must pay his debts or go to prison. A stranger stepped in and paid the money
for him. He was now in this stranger’s debt. The stranger would retire the debt
as long as the man didn’t get in debt again. If he did, he would not pay the
debt the next time and the man would have to suffer in prison for both debts.
Where there is a law given there must be a
reward and a punishment given.
Man needed a mortal
body to experience opposition and to be tried and tested, and so God made man
in his image and likeness and placed him here on earth. He placed in man his
spirit or the breath of life, and he became a living soul.
At the end of man’s life he will be judged
according to his works, and if he kept the laws and the covenants which he
makes he will be blessed, and if he didn’t, he will not.
The rewards man will receive can be as great
as becoming a God himself. However, not all will want to become Gods just like
not all men want to become leaders here on this earth. The responsibilities may
be just too great.
It is said that, “In Gods house there are
many mansions,” or places prepared for all men and women according to their
strength of character and laws kept. Christ will atone for their sins thus
allowing man to enter into God’s presence, void of sin, and stand before Him
pure and clean to receive his or her reward.
The world is full of suffering, and suffering
came into the world to fulfill the seven Perfect Laws. The Great Universal
Truth says; “All things are a compound in one.” This truth contains the law of
opposition. “For it must needs be, that there is opposition in all things.” At
first it appears that opposition is by nature a dual principle, good and evil,
but in truth it is a compound, for there can be no good if there be no evil.
This is known as the non-duality of nature. Understanding this you understand the
Great Universal Truth.
God placed the tree of “Knowledge of Good and
Evil,” as well as the “Tree of Life,” in the Garden of Eden. Partaking of this
forbidden fruit Adam and Eve would become as the Gods, knowing good and evil,
but would be subject to pain, suffering and death, both spiritually and
physically. Partaking of the “Tree of Life” they would live forever in the
Garden of Eden, however never being able to experience joy, happiness and God’s
life.
Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he
should act for himself and man could not act for him self save it should be
that he was enticed by the one or the other.
If not so, righteousness could not be brought
to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.
If there were no opposition, all things would remain as dead, having no life
neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither
sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it must have been created for a
thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its
creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his
eternal purposes, and also his power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
Birth is suffering, old age is suffering,
sickness and death are suffering. Without suffering there would be no
happiness.
If one were to examine all compounds they
would discover that within each exists a set of opposites. Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Light and
Dark, are all compounds in one. Without Evil there could be no Good, without
Suffering there could be no Happiness, and without Light there would be no
Dark. (See Yin-Yang Symbol)
If you say there is no law, you also say
there is no sin. If you say there is no sin, you also say there is no
righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if
there is no righteousness nor happiness there is no punishment nor misery. And
if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not,
neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to
act nor be acted upon; wherefore all things must have vanished away.
Found within man there are two minds. The
Spirit Mind and the Physical Mind. This is the Duality of Minds. The spirit
comes to the natural body, as an eternal, undefiled and pure personage, and
dwells in a temporal, corruptible, imperfect and impure personage.
The natural man is an enemy to God, for it
leads man away from his own personal Spirit as well as the Spirit of God.
The cause of human suffering is undoubtedly
found in the thirsts and desires of the physical body, of which Satan has
control and influence. It is easily influenced and deluded by evil illusions,
appetites and desires. It continually seeks that which is satisfying and
desirable, even unto death.
If these thirsts and desires are traced to
their source, they are found to be rooted in the intense desires of physical
instincts.
If desire and greed can be controlled then
the appetites and passions can be controlled and suffering will be ended.
God is righteousness and has given to man the
path to follow that will lead him to eternal happiness, and has given man his
Agency to act for himself. This earth life is for man to choose for himself,
righteousness or evil, eternal life or eternal damnation, to follow God or
Satan. And to gain experience and knowledge.
Finding the way for oneself is not enough. We
must guide, help and support others along the way to truly become enlightened
or receive the Celestial
Kingdom
There are causes for all human suffering, and
there is a way by which they may be ended, because everything in the world is
the result of a vast concurrence of causes and conditions, and everything disappears
as these causes and conditions change and pass away. Rain falls, winds blow, plants bloom, leaves mature and
are blown away. These phenomena are all interrelated with causes and
conditions, and are brought about by them, and disappear as the causes and
conditions change. One is born through
the conditions of parentage. His body is nourished by food’ his spirit is
nurtured by teaching and experience.
Therefore, both flesh and spirit are related to conditions and are
changed as conditions change.
Blossoms come about because of a series of
conditions that lead up to their blooming. Leaves are blown away because a
series of conditions lead up to it. Blossoms do not appear independently, nor
does a leaf fall of itself, out of its season. So everything has its coming
forth and passing away; nothing can be independent without any change. It is the everlasting and unchanging rule of
this world that everything is created by a series of causes and conditions and
everything disappears by the same rule; everything changes, nothing remains
constant.
There was once an old man who did the same
thing every day of his life and suffered miserably. He was asked by a youth,
“Why do you do these things? Can’t you see that you are miserable? Don’t you
want to be happy?” This caught the old man by surprise, and after a few minutes
responded; “I don’t know why I do these things. I have been doing them so long
that it had become a habit with me and I forgot that I could change them.” The
old man changed the conditions of his suffering and he immediately became
happy. When different things happened in our lives we can change or control the
conditions and avoid suffering.
Man is born into this world under different
conditions. He is affected by causes and conditions. The different conditions
may be; parents, race, customs, culture, wealth, poverty, dedication, sex,
nurturing, climate, religion, and many more.
If one is weak, then one is always looking
for excuses for that weakness. Others may also be weak in character and feed on
their own weaknesses that they may cause themselves more suffering.
Don’t be deceived by these delusions and
deceptions. Strength comes from within ones own Spiritual Mind.
Delusions are manifest in weaknesses and come
in varied forms, such as alcoholism, drug abuse, and sexual perversions. An
alcoholic makes a choice to be alcohol free all day while at work and upon
arriving at home chooses to drink until he or she falls asleep. If one has the
ability to choose, then it is not something that can’t be changed. A disease is
a sickness one gets involuntarily or a bodily malformation is and was not a
choice. Alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual perversions, self pity and all other
kinds of destructive behavior are choices made by man and can be controlled very
often by one’s own mind.
No matter what the conditions, we must learn
to accept the ones we can’t change, and change the ones we can, to end
suffering and bring about our happiness. We must learn to control them not them
control us. Herein lays man’s strength of character.
If the Spirit is strong it will have power
over the flesh and be able to change causes and conditions favorably for
happiness and Celestial Life. If the flesh is strong, then it will lead the
Spirit to destruction, suffering and misery.
Where is the source
of human grief, lamentation, pain and agony? Is it not to be found in the fact
that people are generally desirous.
They cling
obstinately to lives of wealth and honor, comfort and pleasure excitement and
self indulgence, ignorant of the fact that the desire for these very things is
the source of human suffering.
From it's beginning,
the world has been filled with a succession of calamities, over and above the
unavoidable facts of illness, old age and death.
But if one carefully
considers all the facts, one must be convinced that at the basis of all
suffering lies the principle of craving desire. If avarice be removed, human
suffering will come to an end.
Ignorance is
manifested in greed that fills the human mind.
It comes from the
fact that men are unaware of the true reason for the succession of things.
From ignorance and
greed there spring impure desires for things that are, in fact unobtainable,
but for which men restlessly and blindly search.
Because of ignorance
and greed, people imagine discriminations where, in reality, there are no
discriminations. Inherently, there is no discrimination of right and wrong in
human behavior; (where there is no law there can be no sin. If there is no
right there can be no wrong) but people, because of ignorance, imagine such
distinctions and judge them as right or wrong.
Because of their
ignorance, people are always thinking wrong thoughts and always losing the
right viewpoint and, clinging to their egos, they take wrong actions. As a
result, they become attached to a delusive existence.
Making their deeds
the field for their egos, using the working of discrimination of the mind as
seed, beclouding the mind by ignorance fertilizing it with the rain of craving
desires, irrigating it by the willfulness of egotism, they add the conception
of evil, and carry this incarnation of delusion about with them.
In reality,
therefore, it is their own mind that causes the delusions of grief,
lamentation, pain and agony.
This whole world of
delusion is nothing but a shadow caused by the mind. And yet, it is also from
this same mind that the world of Enlightenment appears.
In this world there
are three wrong viewpoints. If one clings to these viewpoints, then all things
in this world are but to be denied. First, some say that all human experience
is based on destiny; Second, some hold that everything is created by God and
controlled by His will; Third, some say that everything happens by chance
without having any cause or condition.
If all has been decided by destiny, both
good deeds and evil deeds are predetermined, weal and woe are predestined;
nothing would exist that has not been fore-ordained. Then all human plans and
efforts for improvement and progress would be in vain and humanity would be
without hope.
The same is true of the other viewpoints,
for, if everything in the last resort is in the hands of an unknowable God of
blind chance, what hope has humanity except in submission? It is no wonder that
people holding these conceptions lose hope and neglect efforts to act wisely
and to avoid evil. In fact, these three conceptions or viewpoints are all
wrong: everything is a succession of appearances whose source is the
accumulation of causes and conditions.
The greatest mystery a man ever learned, was
to know how to control the human mind, and bring every faculty and power of the
same in subjection to God; this is the greatest mystery we have to learn while
in these tabernacles of clay.
Though both the body mind and the spirit mind
appear to be one, they are separate and not always so distinct. No other animal
on the face of the earth is the same as man. He alone possesses the
self-existent intelligence known as his Spirit which has always existed and will
always exist. It is the self identity part sometime known as his mind, self
awareness, and the portion known as “Me.”
The struggle in life is the struggle between
the two minds. The physical mind is not the spirit mind and the spirit mind is
not the physical mind. The human mind is an aggregate of causes and conditions.
It is in constant change and more often than not controls the Spirit.
Conscience is conversation between the Spirit
Mind and the Natural Mind.
When man came to earth he was subjected to things
of the flesh. The mortal flesh has been and will ever be subject to the evil
influences of the Son of the Morning. The Spirit came to the body pure and
undefiled and influenced by the Light of Christ. The Light of Christ has been
given to man and allows him to distinguish between good and evil. If the mind
were controlled by the Spirit, (its’ individual spirit), it could do this and
that as it would determine; but the Spirit often is controlled by the natural
mind and flies from what it knows is right and chases after evil reluctantly.
If one is asked whether the body is constant
or impermanent, he will be obliged to answer “impermanent.” If one is asked
whether impermanent existence is happiness or suffering, he will generally have
to answer “suffering.” In Gods merciful plan the post life affords man a
permanent body and happiness.
However, while on the earth there must be the
trying and testing of our Spirits while joined with a physical body, where we
can gain experience, knowledge and wisdom. We are proving to ourselves, not to
God, by our choices, what our true character is, and we are gaining experience
that could not come to us but through life’s experiences.
The body of man is the instrument that feeds
the mind with experience and desires. The mind is often clouded with
misconceptions or illusions which confuse and cloud judgments when reacting to
the bodies experiences. It is deceived by impure desires.
We are learning to make correct choices,
manage, build, create, raise a family, and to serve others. All of which gives
us knowledge and wisdom, to be used throughout the eternities. The human mind, in its never-ending changes,
is like the flowing water of river or the burning flame of a candle, not ceasing
for even a moment. A wise man, seeing and hearing deceptive illusions , should
break away from any attachment to desires and think only of others and not of
self, if he is ever to attain Enlightenment or Celestial Life.
There should be no such thing as “mine,” or
possession of things in ones own mind. There is nothing that we have that has
not been given or loaned to us by God. Think of all things in those terms and
humble yourself before Him.
Both delusion and Enlightenment originate
within the mind, and every existence or phenomenon arises from the functions of
the mind, just as different things appear from the sleeve of a magician.
The activities of the mind have no limit,
they form the surroundings of life. An impure mind surrounds itself with impure
things and a pure mind surrounds itself with pure things; hence, surroundings
have no more limits than the activities of the mind.
Just as a picture is drawn by an artist,
surroundings are created by the activities of the mind.
Because man is easily confused we should
understand the need to have pure surroundings. While the surroundings created
by the Spirit are pure and free from defilement, those created by the minds of
ordinary men are not so.
In the course of a normal conversation words
can be used that may lead the mind in an impure direction if allowed to do so.
Hence the dirty mind.
Pictures and events, movies, Television and
magazines distract our minds into impure thoughts. We make things impure or
pure within our own minds.
There once was an artist who hired a nude
model to set for a picture he was painting. The subject was neither pure nor
impure within his mind, nor to the viewer or observer. This does not mean that
it is one way or the other. It is neither.
The mind that creates its surroundings is
never free from memories, fears or laments, not only in the past but in the
present and the future, because they have arisen from ignorance.
Man fears death because he doesn’t understand
life. Both life and death arise from the mind and exist within the mind. Until
one learns the true nature of man, fears and delusions will exist. Hence, when
the mind that concerns itself with life and death passes on, the world of life
and death passes with it, and man is free to concentrate on the spiritual
world.
An unenlightened life rises from the mind
that is bewildered by its own world of delusion. If we learn that there is no
world of delusion outside the mind, the bewildered mind becomes clear; and
because we cease to create impure surroundings, we attain Enlightenment.
In this way the world of life and death is
created by the mind, is in bondage to the mind, is ruled by the mind; the mind
is the master of every situation. The world of suffering is brought about by
the deluded mortal mind.
If the mind is impure, it will cause the feet
to stumble along a rough and difficult road; there will be many a fall and much
pain. But if the mind is pure, the path will be smooth and the journey
peaceful.
One who is to enjoy the purity of both body
and soul walks the path to Celestial life, breaking the net of selfish, impure
thoughts and evil desires.
There is in reality no fundamental
distinctions among things. All things are a compound in one. The apparent
distinctions exist because of people’s absurd and discriminating thoughts, and
the need to communicate these thoughts.
We make distinctions such as north, south,
east and west in order to communicate directions as to which way to travel, or
to find where some object is located. If one were to assign a different value
to an item than the one we know, only confusion would exist and no goal could
be reached. Mathematical numbers from one to infinity are each complete
numbers, and each in itself carries no distinction of quantity; but people make
the discrimination for their own convenience, so as to be able to indicate
varying amounts.
In action there is no discrimination between
right and wrong, but people make a distinction for their own convenience.
If man were left to make arbitrary
distinctions between right and wrong each would be on a separate path and there
would be no progression.
People grasp at things for their own imagined
convenience and comfort; they grasp at wealth and treasure and honors; they
cling desperately to mortal life.
They make arbitrary distinctions between
existence and non-existence, good and bad, right and wrong. For people, life is
a succession of graspings and attachments, and then, because of this, they must
assume the illusions of pain and suffering.
God can prevent a lifetime of graspings and
attachments to false realities and pain and suffering by assigning true values
to things, giving him rewards of eternal happiness.
The scriptures and God’s anointed teach man
what the values are to be. Man cannot assign his own distinctions to actions
and get back to God. The path is narrowly defined and strict obedience
required.
When man indiscriminately assigns values it
is because he wants a broad path filled with desires and passions. This path
will eventually make him an enemy to his own Spirit and to God.
He insists that no one has the right to
assign values for him if he truly is free. Adhering to a ridged value system
causes him the illusion of pain and suffering, but in reality it is setting him
free and will help him find joy.
Enlightenment is seeing truth and being free
from foolish delusions.
The world, indeed, is like a dream and the
treasures of the world are an alluring mirage. Like the apparent distances in a
picture, things have no reality in themselves but are like heat haze.
Set not for yourself treasures on earth for
they are but illusions, rather set for yourself treasures in heaven. Remember
that these things are for your good and for the progression of your Souls.
To those who choose the path that leads to
(Celestial Life), there are two extremes that should be carefully avoided.
First, there is the extreme of indulgence in the desires of the body. Second,
there is the opposite extreme of ascetic discipline, torturing one’s body and
mind unreasonably.
There are those who’s extreme interpretation
of the gospel offends even the most righteous amongst them. Their children
abandon them and their friends shun them. Then there are others who’s extreme
desires for the pleasures of the body prevent them from righteous association.
Remember that all things are a compound in
one, and it is wise to not follow the extremes. Choose the middle ground. It is
walking uprightly before the Lord and loving both Saint and Sinner.
As has been said, all things appear or
disappear by reason of an endless series of causes. Ignorant people see life as
either existence or non-existence, but wise men see beyond both existence and
non-existence something that transcends them both; this is an observation of
the Middle Way
The important thing in following the path to
Celestial Life is to avoid being caught and entangled in any extreme, that is,
always follow the Middle Way
One should avoid being caught by pride of
personality or praise for good deeds; or caught and entangled by anything else
that keeps you from the right path.
If a person is to avoid being caught in the
current of his desires, he must learn at the very beginning not to grasp at
things lest he should become accustomed to them and attached to them. He must
not become attached to existence nor to non-existence, to anything inside or
outside, neither to good things nor bad things, neither to right nor to wrong.
For man cannot know which to attach himself to unless he finds God’s true path.
Enlightenment exists solely because of
delusion and ignorance; if they disappear, so will Enlightenment. And the
opposite is true also: there is no Enlightenment apart from delusion and
ignorance; no delusion and ignorance apart from Enlightenment.
And if there be no righteousness there be no
happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no
punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if
there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no
creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things
must have vanished away.
Therefore, be on guard against thinking of
Enlightenment as a “thing” to be grasped at, lest it, too, should become an
obstruction. When the mind that was in darkness becomes enlightened, it passes
away, and with its passing, the thing which we call Enlightenment passes also.
As long as people desire Enlightenment and
grasp at it, it means that delusion is still with them; therefore, those who
are following the way to Enlightenment must not grasp at it, and if they reach
Enlightenment they must not linger in it.
When people attain Enlightenment in this
sense, it means that everything is Enlightenment itself as it is; therefore,
people should follow the path to Enlightenment until in their thoughts, worldly
passions and Enlightenment become identical as they are.
When your thoughts become identical with
Christ’s and his with God’s, then we are one with God. This helps us to
understand how God and the Son and the Holy Ghost are one.
This concept of universal oneness – that
things in their essential nature have no distinguishing marks – is called “non-substantiality”, having no self-nature,
no duality. It is because things in themselves have no form or characteristics
that we can speak of them as neither being born nor being destroyed. There is
nothing about the essential nature of things that can be described in terms of
discrimination; that is why things are called non-substantial.
As has been pointed out, all things appear
and disappear because of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely
alone; everything is in relation to everything else.
Wherever there is light, there is shadow;
wherever there is length, there is shortness; wherever there is white, there is
black. Just like these, as the self-nature of things can not exist alone, they
are called non-substantial.
By the same reasoning, Enlightenment can not
exist apart from ignorance, nor ignorance apart from Enlightenment. Since
things do not differ in their essential nature, there can be no duality.
People habitually think of themselves as
being connected with birth and death, but in reality there are no such
conceptions. When people are able to realize this truth, they have realized the
truth of the non-duality of birth and death.
It is because people cherish the idea of an
ego-personality that they cling to the idea of possession; but since there is
no such thing as an “ego,” there can be no such things as possessions. When
people are able to realize this truth, they will be able to realize the truth
of “non-duality.”
People cherish the distinction of purity and
impurity; but in the nature of things, there is no such distinction, except as
it rises from false and absurd images in their mind.
In like manner people make a distinction
between good and evil, but good and evil do not exist separately. Those who are
following the path to Enlightenment recognize no such duality, and it leads
them to neither praise the good and condemn the evil, nor despise the good and
condone the evil.
People naturally fear misfortune and long for
good fortune; but if the distinction is carefully studied, misfortune often
turns out to be good fortune and good fortune to be misfortune. The wise man
learns to meet the changing circumstances of life with an equitable spirit,
being neither elated by success nor depressed by failure. Thus one realizes the
truth of non-duality.
Therefore, all the words that express
relations of duality – such as existence and non-existence, worldly passions
and true knowledge, purity and impurity, good and evil – none of these terms of
contrast in one’s thinking are expressed or recognized in their true nature.
When people keep free from such terms and from the emotions engendered by them,
they realize the universal truth of “All things are a compound in one.”
For it must needs be, that there is an
opposition in all things. If not so, righteousness could not be brought to
pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.
Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should
be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor
corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor
insensibility.
Just as the pure and fragrant lotus flower
grows out of the mud of a swamp rather than out of the clean loam of an upland
field, so from the muck of worldly passions springs the pure Enlightenment of
Eternal Life. Even the mistaken views of heretics and the delusions of worldly
passions may be the seeds for Godhood.
If a diver is to secure pearls he must
descend to the bottom of the sea, braving all dangers of jagged coral and
vicious sharks. So man must face the perils of worldly passion if he is to
secure the precious pearl of Enlightenment. He must first be lost among the
mountainous crags of egoism and selfishness, before there will awaken in him
the desire to find a path that will lead him to Enlightenment.
Both Jesus Christ and Buddha have taught the
teaching of non-duality or the law of opposition, from the discriminating
concept of two conflicting points of view. It is a mistake for people to seek a
thing supposed to be good and right, and to flee from another supposed to be
bad and evil.
If people insist that all things are empty
and transitory, it is just as great a mistake to insist that all things are
real and do not change. The only thing that is the same is God who is, “the
same yesterday, today and forever.”
If people assert that everything is
suffering, it is also a mistake; if they assert that everything is happiness,
then that is also a mistake. Teach the Middle Way
Among humans there
are many kinds and degrees of mentality: some are wise, some are foolish, some
are good-natured, some are bad-tempered, some are easily led, some are
difficult to lead, some possess pure minds and some have minds that are
defiled; but these differences are negligible when it comes to the attainment
of a Celestial Life.
The world is like a
lotus pond filled ‘with many varieties of the plant; there are blossoms of many
different tints. Some are white, some pink, some blue, some yellow; some grow
under water, some spread their leaves on the water, and some raise their leaves
above the water.
Mankind has many more
differences. There is the difference of sex, but it is not an essential
difference, for, with proper training, both men and women may attain
Enlightenment.
One must possess five
qualifications: good health, confidence, diligence, sincerity of purpose, and
wisdom. If one has these qualities, they regardless of gender, it is possible
to attain Enlightenment. It need not take long to learn these teachings, for
all humans possess a nature that has an affinity for Enlightenment or Celestial
Life.
In the practice of
the way to a Celestial Life, people see with their own eyes and believe with
their own minds. The eyes that see and the mind that believes are the same eyes
and the same mind that, until that day, had wandered about in the world of
birth and death.
If a king is plagued
by bandits, he must find out where their camp is before he can attack them. So,
when a man is beset by worldly passions, he should first ascertain their
origins.
When a man is in a
house and opens his eyes he will first notice the interior of the room and only
later will he see the view outside the windows. In like manner we can not have
the eye notice external things before there is recognition by the eye of the
things in the house.
If there is a mind
within the body, it ought first to know the things inside the body; but
generally people are interested in external things and seem to know or care
little for the things within the body.
If the mind is
located outside the body, it should not be in contact with the needs of the
body. But, in fact, the body feels what the mind knows, and the mind knows what
the body feels. Therefore, it can not be said that the human mind is outside of
the body. Where, then, does the substance of the mind exist?
From the unknown
past, being conditioned by their own deeds and deluded by two fundamental
misconceptions, people have wandered about in ignorance. First, they believed
that the discriminating mind, which lies at the root of this life of birth and
death, was their real nature; and, second, they did not know that, hidden
behind the discriminating mind, they possessed a pure mind of Enlightenment
which is their true nature. This pure
mind is the mind of the Spirit, the self-existent intelligence which we all
possess and was put into man with the breath of life.
When a man closes his
fist and raises his arm, the eyes see it and the mind discriminates it, but the
mind that discriminates it is not the true mind.
The discriminating
mind, is only a mind for the discrimination of imagined differences that greed
and other moods relating to the self have created. The discriminating mind is
subject to causes and conditions. It is empty of any self-substance, and it is
constantly changing. But, since people believe that this mind is their real
mind, the delusion enters into the causes and conditions that produce
suffering.
A man opens his hand
and the mind perceives it; but what is it that moves? Is it the mind, or is it
the hand? Or is it neither of them? If the hand moves, then the mind moves
accordingly, and vice versa; but the moving mind is only a superficial
appearance of mind: it is not the true and fundamental mind.
Fundamentally,
everyone has a pure clean mind, but it is usually covered by the defilement and
dust of worldly, desires which have arisen from one’s circumstances. This
defiled mind is not of the essence of one’s nature: something has
been added, like an intruder or even a guest in a home, but not its host.
The moon is often
hidden by clouds, but it is not moved by them and its purity remains
untarnished. Therefore, people must not be deluded into thinking that this
defiled mind is their own true mind.
They must continually
remind themselves of this fact by striving to awaken within themselves the pure
and unchanging fundamental mind of Enlightenment. Being caught by a changing,
defiled mind and being deluded by their own perverted ideas, they wander about
in a world of delusion.
The disturbances and
defilements of the human mind are aroused by greed as well as by its reactions
to the changing circumstances.
The mind that is not
disturbed by things as they occur, that remains pure and tranquil under all
circumstances, is the true mind and should be the master.
We cannot say that an
inn disappears just because the guest is out of sight; neither can we say that
the true self has disappeared when the defiled mind which has been aroused by
the changing circumstances of life has disappeared. That which changes with
changing conditions is not the true nature of mind.
Let us think of a
lecture hall that is bright while the sun is shining but is dark after the sun
goes down. We can think of the light departing with the sun and the dark coming
with the night, but we cannot so think of the mind that perceives lightness and
darkness. The mind that is susceptible to lightness and darkness can not be
given back to anybody; it can only revert to a truer nature which is its
fundamental nature.
It is only a
“temporary” mind that momentarily notes changes of lightness and darkness as
the sun rises and sets.
It is only a
“temporary” mind that has different feelings from moment to moment with the
changing circumstances of life; it is not the real and true mind. The
fundamental and true mind which realizes the lightness and the darkness is the
true nature of man.
The temporary
feelings of good and evil, love and hatred, that have been aroused by
surroundings and changing external conditions, are only momentary reactions
that have their cause in the defilement accumulated by the human mind.
Behind the desires
and worldly passions which the mind entertains, there abides, clear and
undefiled, the fundamental and true essence of mind.
Water is round in a
round receptacle and square in a square one, but water itself has no particular
shape. People often forget this fact.
People see this good
and that bad, they like this and dislike that, and they discriminate existence
from nonexistence; and then, being caught in these entanglements and becoming
attached to them, they suffer.
If people would only
give up their attachments to these imaginary and false discriminations, and
restore the purity of their original minds, then both their mind and their body
would be free from defilement and suffering; they would know the peacefulness that
comes with that freedom.
We have spoken of the
pure and true mind as being fundamental; it is the Spiritual-nature, that is,
the Self-existent Intelligence.
One can get fire if
one holds a lens between the sun and hemp, but where does the fire come from?
The lens is at an enormous distance from the sun, but the fire certainly
appears upon the hemp by means of the lens. But if the hemp would not have the
nature to kindle, there would be no fire.
In like manner, if
the Holy Spirit is concentrated upon the human mind, its true nature, which is
Spiritual, will be enkindled, and its light will illuminate the minds of the
people with its brightness, and will awaken faith in Christ. He holds the lens
of Wisdom before all human minds and thus their faith may be quickened.
Often people
disregard the affinity of their true minds for Christ’s enlightened wisdom,
and, because of it, are caught by the entanglement of worldly passions,
becoming attached to the discrimination of good and evil, and then lament over
their bondage and suffering.
Why is it that
people, possessing this fundamental and pure mind, should still cling to
illusions and doom themselves to wander about in a world of delusion and
suffering, covering their own Spiritual-nature while all about them is the
light of the Holy Spirit?
Once upon a time a
man looked into the reverse side of a mirror and, not seeing his face and head,
he became insane. How unnecessary it is for a man to become insane merely
because he carelessly looks into the reverse side of a mirror!
It is just as foolish
and unnecessary for a person to go on suffering because he does not attain
Enlightenment where he expects to find it. There is no failure in
Enlightenment; the failure lies in those people who, for a long time, have
sought Enlightenment in their discriminating minds, not realizing, that theirs
are not true minds but are imaginary minds that have been caused by the
accumulation of greed and illusion covering and hiding their true mind.
If the accumulation
of false beliefs is cleared away, Enlightenment will appear. But, strange
enough, when people attain Enlightenment, they will realize that without false
beliefs there could be no Enlightenment.
Spiritual-nature is
not something that comes to an end. Though wicked men should be born beasts or
hungry demons, or fall into hell, they never lose their Spiritual-nature.
However buried in the
defilement of flesh or concealed at the root of worldly desires and forgotten
it may be, the human affinity for Celestial Life is never completely
extinguished.
There is an old story
told of a man who fell into a drunken sleep. His friend stayed by him as long
as he could but, being compelled to go and fearing that he might be in want,
the friend hid a jewel in the drunken man’s garment. When the drunken man
recovered, not knowing that his friend had hid a jewel in his garment, he
wandered about in poverty and hunger. A long time afterwards the two men met
again and the friend told the poor man about the jewel and advised him to look
for it.
Like the drunken man
of the story, people wander about suffering in this life of birth and death,
unconscious of what is hidden away in their inner nature, pure and untarnished,
the priceless treasure of their Spirit Being.
However unconscious
people may be of the fact that everyone has within his possession this supreme
nature, and however degraded and ignorant they may be, God never loses faith in
them because He knows that even in the least of them there are, potentially,
all the virtues of a Celestial Being.
So Christ awakens
faith in them who are deceived by ignorance and cannot see their own
Spiritual-nature, leads them away from their illusions and teaches them that
originally there is no difference between themselves and God.
Elohim is one who has
attained Godhood and people are those who are capable of attaining Godhood;
that is all the difference that lies between them.
But if man thinks
that he has attained Enlightenment, he is deceiving himself, for, although he
may be moving in that direction, he has not yet reached it.
Spiritual-nature does
not appear without diligent and faithful effort, nor is the task finished until
Celestial life is attained.
Once upon a time a
king gathered some blind men about an elephant and asked them to tell him what
an elephant was like. The first man felt a tusk and said an elephant was like a
giant carrot; another happened to touch an ear and said it was like a big fan;
another touched its trunk and said it was like a pestle; still another, who
happened to feel its leg, said it was like a mortar; and another, who grasped
its tail said it was like a rope. Not one of them was able to tell the king the
elephant’s real form.
In like manner, one
might partially describe the nature of man but would not be able to describe
the true nature of a human being, the Spiritual-nature.
There is only one
possible way by which the everlasting nature of man, his Spiritual-nature, that
can not be disturbed by worldly desires or destroyed by death, can be realized,
and that is by Jesus Christ and His noble teachings.
There
is no such thing as Right OR Wrong. There is however such a thing as Right AND
Wrong. They cannot exist one without the other.
When all things are compounds then all things
within the compound contain elements of both. On some occasions the same act
can be Right and Wrong. In one culture it may be alright to have more than one
wife, in another it would be a sin. It might be acceptable to kill or sacrifice
humans in one culture, and in another you would be put to death for doing so.
In one area of the country it might be alright to marry a close family member,
and in another you would be put in prison. It might be acceptable to lie, to
have sex out of wedlock, to cheat, and to steal if it helps your business, but
if your children do it at home you beat them or throw them out of the house.
For some it may be ok to kill animals, eat meat, work on Sabbath, to enslave,
to abuse, take drugs, or behead their enemies, and for others it is most
definitely not acceptable.
In one country you can drive on the right
side of the road and in another it is not permissible. In one culture you must
ask the Chief of the tribe permission to marry another member of the tribe, or
in yet another culture you are given in marriage at age three and when you come
of age twelve you marry that person.
There is the controversy as to whether one
should accept same sex marriage or not. In action there is no right and no
wrong. This is where mankind gets in trouble. All the millions of opinions in
the world try to establish what is right and what is wrong. Each group could
decide for themselves when the world was large, but now as the world shrinks
some are trying to impose their beliefs on all.
Even the Promised Land of America is not
exempt from this behavior. A dictator may believe what he is doing is for the
benefit of his people, and that Socialism is good and Democracy is evil.
Throughout the history of the world there
have been the despots, dictators, liberators, Kings and Presidents, Emperors,
Republics, Socialists, Communists, Governments of all kinds, Czars, Popes and
Priests, and religious leaders of all kinds trying to project their wills or
beliefs on others.
Who in all the world can tell man what is
right and what is wrong? The answer is that no MAN can. For there is no right
or wrong, it is a compound and there is right and wrong within the compound.
God and God alone has established the value
system whereby man is governed. Without God all would be chaos and lost. There
will never be a time in the history of the earth when man will agree on what is
right and wrong for all mankind.
There was a point in time on the earth when
right and wrong was non existent. It happened only for a brief time, eternally
speaking, when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. They lived in an
immortal state with all things beautiful, and an unlimited supply of delicious
things to eat. There was no right and wrong until God gave to Man the law and
Satan the power. Satan knew that he would have no power over the children of
man unless he could get one of them to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good
and Evil (Opposition), and introduce to them mortality, and the ability to have
children, that he could have power over them. What would happen when they
partook of the fruit? Their bodies would be subject to opposition.
This meant that all things opposite were
introduced. Life and death, right and wrong, good and evil, black and white,
pure and impure, clear and cloudy, Liberal and Conservative.
The great gift to man is agency and there
could be no agency without choice. There were only two things required of Adam
and Eve. One to “Multiply and replenish the earth,” and two, “To not partake of
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” which
accomplished both things at the same time. Again a compound in one. Also
at this time God sent his Holy Spirit to the earth to balance the power given
to Satan. And God said to Satan, “You shall have power to bruise his heel, he
shall have power to crush thy head.” And God gave man instructions and
commandments that tell him what is right and wrong, but allows man to choose
for himself.
First of all we must talk about what God
wants, for we know that we can never decide what man wants or thinks what is
right or wrong. God describes for us what it means by giving us another
compound.
Sin is the transgression of the law, and all
unrighteousness is sin. There can be no sin without law. One can’t sin unless
he or she knows better. He that knows not good from evil is blameless.
God gave us a great gift. Because the veil
was placed over our eyes, we had no knowledge of God nor good and evil. So that
we might recognize what is right and wrong when it is presented before us, He
gave to us the Light of Christ. This
great gift given to all men allows us all to know what is good and what is evil
according to God. If man listens to that spirit he will know how to rule and
reign over the children of man.
If it were possible that we could have just
men to be our kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people
according to his commandments, if this could always be the case then it would
be expedient that we should always have kings to rule over us. However, Kings
don’t listen to God and establish His laws, but establish their own or laws
from an opposing source.
Seek first the kingdom of God
All men shall be judged according to their
works, and every man shall receive according to his own works.
God has given us commandments or laws, and we
have chosen to come here to prove ourselves that we could live those laws. To
see if we will do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us.
Every day is a judgment day. Ask yourself “Am
I keeping his commandments?” Our true character shows forth as we live our
lives. Do we follow Satan and the natural man or God and our spiritual nature?
Our words, our thoughts, our actions are
performed according to a celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law.
At the time of our death we are partially
judged. Is the direction or the course we are on leading towards God or
somewhere else? We go to either paradise if good or spirit prison if not.
Following the spirit world we are judged. We
are resurrected with glory and bodies, Celestial, Terrestrial or Telestial.
Celestial Glory: is the highest kingdom
prepared for man. This is the glory for those who have kept the commandments.
They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and
were baptized…That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and
cleansed from all their sins, and have received the Holy spirit. These are they
who overcome the world by their faith. These are they who are just and true so
that the Holy Ghost can seal their blessings upon them. It is divided into
three heavens. 1. For those who have not been married in the temple and remain
as Administering Angels to the Gods. 2. For those who have been married for time
and all eternity in a temple
of God temple of God Queens
unto the Most High God and will have Kingdoms of their own. (Those who will be in the 2nd heaven have not
been revealed, however deduction tells us the answer.) All who inherit the
Celestial kingdom will live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ forever
and ever.
Terrestrial Glory: These are they who
rejected the gospel on earth, but afterwards received it in the spirit world.
These are they who are honorable people on the earth, but who were blinded to
the gospel of Jesus Christ by the craftiness of men. These are also they who
did receive the gospel and a testimony of Jesus, but afterwards were not
valiant. They will be visited by Jesus Christ, but not by our Heavenly Father.
They will not be part of an eternal family; they will live separately and
singly forever and ever.
Telestial Glory: These did not receive the
gospel unto themselves nor the testimony of Jesus either on earth or in the
spirit world. These are they who suffer for their own sins in a hellish state
until after the Millennium, when they will be resurrected. “These are they who
are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves
and makes a lie.” These are as numerous as the stars in heaven and the sand on
the seashore. They will be visited by the Holy Ghost, but not the Father or the
Son.
Outer Darkness: These are they who had
testimonies of Jesus through the Holy Ghost and had known the power of the
Lord, but allowed Satan to overcome them. They denied the truth and defied the
power of the Lord. It would have been better for them if they had never been
born. There is no forgiveness for them. They denied the Holy Spirit after
having received it. They will not have a kingdom of glory. They will live in
eternal darkness, torment, and misery with Satan and his angels forever and ever.
Characteristics of those who inherit the
Celestial Kingdom; Kind, loving, generous, shows charity towards all men, is
giving of time, talents, and materials, strong in faith, virtue, confident
before God, Holy Ghost is his constant companion, power and influence over
others maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, long
suffering, gentleness, meekness, and by love unfeigned, without hypocrisy and
without guile. Covenant to give all their time, talents, and materials to the
building up of the kingdom
of God
Characteristics of those who inherit the
Terrestrial Kingdom; Ego personalities, self becomes most important, usually
chooses righteousness over evil but self over God or others, tries to cover their
sins, make excuses. “Ere he is aware, he is left to himself, to kick against
the pricks, to fight against God.” They can’t part with time, talents,
materials, aspire to the honors of men, cover sins with excuses, control or
dominion, gratify desires, prideful, ambitious.
Characteristics of those who inherit the Telestial Kingdom
We have been speaking
of Spiritual-nature as though it were something that could be described, as
though it were similar to the “Natural-mind” of other teachings, but it is not.
The concept of an
“ego-personality” is something that has been imagined by the natural mind which
first grasped it and then become attached to it, but which must abandon it. On
the contrary, Spiritual-nature is something that must first be discovered. In
one sense, it resembles an “ego-personality” but it is not the ‘‘ego’’ in the
sense of ‘‘me" or ‘‘mine," but it is in the sense of “I am.”
It is not good for
man to believe in the existence of an ego.
This can be explained
in a parable. A mother took her sick child to a doctor. The doctor gave the
child medicine and instructed the mother not to nurse the child until the
medicine was digested.
The mother anointed
her breast with something bitter so that the child would keep away from her of
his own volition. After the medicine had time enough to be digested, the mother
cleansed her breast and let the child suck her. The mother took this method of
saving her child out of kindness because she loved the child.
Like the mother in
the parable, Buddha, in order to remove misunderstanding and to break up
attachments to an ego-personality, denies the existence of an ego; and when the
misunderstanding and attachments are done away with, then He explains the
reality of the true mind that is the Spiritual-nature.
Attachment to an
ego-personality leads people into delusions, but faith in their
Spiritual-nature leads them to Enlightenment.
It is like the woman
in a story to whom a chest was bequeathed. Not knowing that the chest contained
gold, she continued to live in poverty until another person opened it and
showed her the gold. Christ opens the minds of people and shows them the purity
of their Spiritual-nature.
If everyone has this
Spiritual-nature, why is there so much suffering from people cheating one
another or killing one another? And why are there so many distinctions of rank
and wealth, rich and poor?
There is a story of a
wrestler who used to wear an ornament on his forehead of a precious stone. One
time when he was wrestling the stone was crushed into the flesh of his
forehead. He thought he had lost the gem and went to a surgeon to have the
wound dressed. When the surgeon came to dress the wound he found the gem
embedded in the flesh and covered over with blood and dirt. He held up a mirror
and showed the stone to the wrestler.
Spiritual-nature is
like the precious stone of this story: it becomes covered over by the dirt and
dust of other interests and people think that they have lost it, but a good
teacher recovers it again for them.
Spiritual-nature
exists in everyone no matter how deeply it may be covered over by greed, anger
and foolishness, or buried by his own deeds and retribution. Spiritual-nature
can not be lost or destroyed; and when all defilements are removed, sooner or
later it will reappear.
Like the wrestler in
the story who was shown the gem buried in his flesh and blood by means of a
mirror, so people are shown their Spiritual-nature, buried beneath their
worldly desires and passions, by means of the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual-nature is
always pure and tranquil no matter how varied the conditions and surroundings
of people may be. Just as milk is always white regardless of the color of the
cow’s hide; either red, white, or black, so it does not matter how differently
their deeds may condition people’s life or what different effects may follow
their acts and thoughts.
There is a fable told
in India Himalayas . For a long time men sought for it in vain, but
at last a wise man located it by its sweetness. As long as the wise man lived
he collected this medical herb in a tub, but after his death, the sweet elixir
remained hidden in some far-off spring in the mountains, and the water in the
tub turned sour and harmful and of a different taste.
In like manner
Spiritual-nature is hidden away beneath the wild growth of worldly passions and
can rarely be discovered, but the prophets have revealed it to the people, and
as they receive it by their varying faculties it tastes differently to each
person.
The diamond, the
hardest of known substances, cannot be crushed. Sand and stones can be ground
to powder but diamonds remain unscathed. Spiritual-nature is like the diamond,
and thus cannot be broken.
Human nature, both
its body and mind, will wear away, but the nature of the Spirit can not be
destroyed.
Spiritual-nature is,
indeed, the most excellent characteristic of human nature. Although in human
nature there may be endless varieties such as men and women, there is no
discrimination with regard to Spiritual-nature. Pure gold is procured by
melting ore and removing all impure substances. If people would melt the ore of
their minds, and remove all the impurities of worldly passion and egoism, they
would all recover the same pure Spiritual-nature.
There are many
mansions prepared for man. The Terrestrial kingdom is reserved for those who
have not been able to remove the impurity of selfishness, and hold tight to
their “ego-personalities.” God teaches man the Spiritual-nature of
unselfishness by instructing us to give all that we have; our time, talents and
possessions, to and for others, helping all the children of God to come back to
Him. Only in this way can we discover our true Spiritual-nature and obtain Eternal
Life.
There are two kinds of worldly passions that
defile and cover the purity of one’s Spiritual-nature. The first is the passion
for analysis and discussion by which people become confused in judgment. The
second is the passion for emotional experience by which people’s values become
confused.
Both delusions of reasoning and delusions of
practice can be thought of as a classification of all human defilements, but
really there are two original worldly predicaments in their bases. The first is
ignorance, and the second is desire.
The delusions of reasoning are based upon
ignorance, and the delusions of practice are based upon desire, so that the two
sets are really one set after all, and together they are the source of all
unhappiness.
If people are ignorant they cannot reason
correctly and safely. As they yield to a desire for existence, graspings,
clingings and attachments to everything inevitably follow. It is this constant
hunger for every pleasant thing seen and heard that leads people into the
delusions of habit. Some people even yield to the desire for the death of the
body.
From these primary sources all greed, anger,
foolishness, misunderstanding, resentment, jealousy, flattery, deceit, pride,
contempt, inebriety, selfishness, have their generations and appearances.
Greed rises from wrong ideas of satisfaction;
anger rises from wrong ideas concerning the state of one’s affairs and
surroundings; foolishness rises from the inability to judge what correct
conduct is.
These three — greed, anger and foolishness —
are called the three fires of the world. The fire of greed consumes those who
have lost their true minds through greed; the fire of anger consumes those who
have lost their true minds through anger; the fire of foolishness consumes
those who have lost their true minds through their failure to hear and to heed
the teachings.
Indeed, this world is burning up with its
many and various fires. There are fires of greed, fires of anger, fires of
foolishness, fires of infatuation and egoism, fires of decrepitude, sickness
and death, fires of sorrow, lamentation, suffering and agony. Everywhere these
fires are raging. They not only burn the self, but also cause others to suffer
and lead them into wrong acts of body, speech and mind. From the wounds that
are caused by these fires there issues a pus that infects and poisons those who
approach it, and leads them into evil paths.
Greed rises in want of satisfaction; anger
rises in want of dissatisfaction; and foolishness rises from impure thoughts.
The evil of greed has little impurity but is hard to remove; the evil of anger
has more impurity but is easy to remove; the evil of foolishness has much
impurity and is very hard to overcome.
Therefore, people should quench these fires
whenever and wherever they appear by correctly judging as to what can give true
satisfaction, by strictly controlling the mind in the face of the
unsatisfactory things of life, and by ever recalling Christ’s and Buddha’s
teachings of good-will and kindness. If the mind is filled with wise and pure
and unselfish thoughts, there will be no place for worldly passions to take
root.
Greed, anger and foolishness are like a fever
If a man gets this fever, even if he lies in a comfortable room, he will suffer
and be tormented by sleeplessness.
Those who have no such fever have no
difficulty in sleeping peacefully, even on a cold winter night, on the ground
with only a thin covering of leaves; or on a hot summer’s night in a small
closed room.
These three — greed, anger and foolishness —
are, therefore, the sources of all human woe. To get rid of these sources of
woe, one must observe the precepts, must practice concentration of mind and
must have wisdom. Observance of the precepts will remove the impurities of
greed; right concentration of mind will remove the impurities of anger; and
wisdom will remove the impurities of foolishness.
Human
desires are endless. It is like the thirst of a man who drinks salt water: he
gets no satisfaction and his thirst is only increased.
So it is with a man who seeks to gratify his
desires; he only gains increased dissatisfaction and his woes are multiplied.
The gratification of desires never satisfies;
it always leaves behind unrest and irritation that can never be allayed, and
then, if the gratification of his desires is thwarted, it will often drive him
“insane.”
To satisfy their desires, people will
struggle and fight with each other, king against king, vassal against vassal,
parent against child, brother against brother, sister against sister, friend
against friend; they will fight and even kill each other to satisfy their
desires.
People often ruin their lives in the attempt
to satisfy desires. They will steal and cheat and commit adultery, and then,
being caught, will suffer from the disgrace of it and its punishment.
They will sin with their own bodies and
words, sin with their own minds, knowing perfectly well that the gratification
will ultimately bring unhappiness and suffering, so imperious is desire. And
then, the various sufferings in the following world and the agonies of falling
into it follow.
Of all the worldly passions, lust is the most
intense. All other worldly passions seem to follow in its train.
Lust seems to provide the soil in which other
passions flourish. Lust is like a demon that eats up all the good deeds of the
world. Lust is a viper hiding in a flower garden; it poisons those who come in
search only of beauty. Lust is a vine that climbs a tree and spreads over the
branches until the tree is strangled. Lust insinuates its tentacles into human
emotions and sucks away the good sense of the mind until the mind withers. Lust
is a bait cast by the evil demon that foolish people snap at and are dragged
down by into the depths of the evil world.
If a dry bone is smeared with blood a dog
will gnaw at it until he is tired and frustrated. Lust to a man is precisely
like this bone to a dog; he will covet it until he is exhausted.
If a single piece of meat is thrown to two
wild beasts they will fight and claw each other to get it. A man foolish enough
to carry a torch against the wind will likely burn himself. Like these two
beasts and this foolish man, people hurt and burn themselves because of their
worldly desires.
It is
easy to shield the outer body from poisoned arrows, but it is impossible to
shield the mind from the poisoned darts that originate within itself. Greed,
anger, foolishness and the infatuations of egoism — these four poisoned darts
originate within the mind and infect it with deadly poison.
If people are infected with greed, anger and
foolishness, they will lie, cheat, abuse and be double-tongued and, then will
actualize their words by killing, stealing and committing adultery.
These three evil states of mind, the four
evil utterances, and the three evil acts, if added together, become the ten
gross evils.
If people become accustomed to lying, they
will unconsciously commit every possible wrong deed. Before they can act
wickedly they must lie, and once they begin to lie they will act wickedly with
unconcern.
Greed, lust, fear, anger, misfortune and
unhappiness all -derive from foolishness. Thus, foolishness is the greatest of
the poisons.
From desire action follows; from action
suffering follows; desire, action and suffering are like a wheel rotating
endlessly.
Although the Spiritual-nature is possessed by
all people, it is buried so deeply in the defilements of worldly passion that
it long remains unknown. That is why suffering is so universal and why there is
this endless recurrence of miserable lives.
But, just as by yielding to greed, anger and
foolishness, evil deeds are accumulated and condition rebirth, so, by following
the teachings, and repentance, the evil sources will be cleared away and living
in the world of suffering will be ended.
People in this world are prone to be selfish
and unsympathetic; they do not know how to love and respect one another; they
argue and quarrel over trifling affairs only to their own harm and suffering,
and life becomes but a dreary round of unhappinesses.
Regardless of whether they are rich or poor,
they worry about money; they suffer from poverty and they suffer from wealth.
Because their lives are controlled by greed, they are never contented, never
satisfied.
A wealthy man worries about his estate if he
has one; he worries about his mansion and all other possessions. He worries
lest some disaster befall him, his mansion burn down, robbers break in,
kidnappers carry him off. Then he worries about death and the disposition of
his wealth. Indeed, his way to death is lonely, and nobody follows him to
death.
A poor man always suffers from insufficiency
and this serves to awaken endless desires — for land and a house. Being a
flamed with covetousness he wears out both his body and mind, and comes to
death in the middle of his life.
The whole world seems pitted against him and
even the path to death seems lonesome as though he has a long journey to make
and no friends to keep him company.
Now, there are five evils in the world.
First, there is cruelty; every creature, even insects, strives against one
another. The strong attack the weak; the weak deceive the strong; everywhere
there is fighting and cruelty.
Second, there is the lack of a clear
demarcation between the rights of a father and a son; between an elder brother
and a younger; between a husband and a wife; between a senior relative and a
younger; on every occasion each one desires to be the highest and to profit off
the others. They cheat each other, there is deception and a lack of sincerity.
Third, there is the lack of a clear
demarcation as to the behavior between men and women. Everyone at times has
impure and lascivious thoughts and desires that lead them into questionable
acts and often into disputes, fighting, injustice and wickedness.
Fourth, there is the tendency for people to
disrespect the rights of others, to exaggerate their own importance at the
expense of others, to set bad examples of behavior and, being unjust in their
speech, to deceive, slander and abuse others.
Fifth, there is the tendency for people to
neglect their duties toward others. They think too much of their own comfort
and their own desires; they forget the favors they have received and cause
annoyance to others that often passes into great injustice.
People should have more sympathy for one
another; they should respect one another for their good traits and help one
another in their difficulties; but, instead, they are selfish and hard-hearted;
they despise one another for their failings and dislike others for their
advantages. These aversions generally grow worse with time, and after a while,
become intolerable.
These feelings of dislike do not soon end in
acts of violence; yet they poison life with feelings of hatred and anger that
become so deeply carved, into the mind that people carry the marks late
throughout life.
Truly, in this world of lust, a man is born
alone and dies alone, and there is no one to share his punishment in the life
after death.
The law of cause and effect is universal;
each man must carry his own burden of sin and must go along to its retribution.
The same law of cause and effect controls good deeds. A life of sympathy and
kindness will result in good fortune and happiness.
As years go by and people see how strongly
they are bound by greed, habit and suffering, they become very sad and
discouraged. Often in their discouragement they quarrel with others and sink
deeper into sin and give up trying to walk the true path; often their lives
come to some untimely end in the very midst of their wickedness and they suffer
forever.
This falling into discouragement because of
one’s misfortunes and sufferings is most unnatural and contrary to the law of
heaven and earth and, therefore, one will suffer both in this world and in the
world after death.
It is true that everything in this life is
transitory and filled with uncertainty, but it is lamentable that anyone should
ignore this fact and keep on trying to seek enjoyment and satisfaction of his
desires.
It is natural in this world of suffering for
people to think and act selfishly and egoistically and, because of it, it is
equally natural for suffering and unhappiness to follow.
People favor themselves and neglect others.
People let their own desires run into greed and lust and all manner of evil.
Because of these they must suffer endlessly, unless they repent, and do these
things no more.
Times of luxury do not last long, but pass
away very quickly; nothing in this world can be enjoyed forever. Therefore,
people should cast away, while they are young and healthy, all their greed and
attachment to worldly affairs, and ‘should seek earnestly for Celestial
Life, for there can be no lasting reliance or happiness apart from it.
Most people, however, disbelieve or ignore
this law of cause and effect. They go on in their habits of greed and
selfishness, being oblivious of the fact that a good deed brings happiness and
an evil deed brings misfortune. Nor do they really believe, that one’s acts in
this life condition the following life and implicate others with regard to the
rewards and punishments for their sins.
They lament and cry about their sufferings,
entirely misunderstanding the significance their present acts have upon their
eternal life. They think only of present desire and present suffering.
People are ignorant and selfish, and are
concerned only with the desires and sufferings of the passing moment. They do
not listen to the ‘good teachings’ nor do they ‘try to understand them then;
they simply give themselves up to the present interest, to wealth and lust.
From time immemorial, an incalculable number
of people have been’ born into this world of delusion and suffering. It is
fortunate, however, that the world has Christ’s teachings and that men can
believe in them and be helped.
Therefore, people should think deeply, should
keep their minds pure and their ‘bodies well, should keep away from greed and
evil, and should seek good.
To us, fortunately, the knowledge of Christ’s
teachings has come; we should seek to believe in them and wish to be found
spotless before God. Knowing Christ’s teachings, we should not’ follow others
into greedy and sinful ways, nor should we keep the teachings to ourselves
alone, but should practice the teachings and pass them on to others.
People have worldly
passions which lead them into delusions and sufferings. There are five ways to
emancipate themselves from the bond of worldly passions.
First, they should
have right ideas of things, ideas that are based on careful observation, and
understand causes and effects and their significance correctly. Since the cause
of suffering is rooted in the mind’s desires and attachments, and since desire
and attachment are related to mistaken observations by an ego-self, neglecting
the significance of the law of cause and effect, and since it is from these
wrong observations, there can be peace only if the mind can be rid of these
worldly passions.
Second, people can
get rid of these mistaken observations and resulting worldly passions by
careful and patient mind-control. With efficient mind-control they can avoid
desires arising from the stimulation of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and
the subsequent mental processes and, by so doing, cut off the very root of all
worldly passions.
Third, they should
have correct ideas with regard to the proper use of all things. That is, with
regard to articles of food and clothing, they should not think of them in
relation to comfort and pleasure, but only in their relation to the body’s
needs. Clothing is necessary to protect the body against extremes of heat and
cold, and to conceal the shame of the body; food is necessary for the
nourishment of the body while it is training for Enlightenment. Worldly
passions can not arise through such thinking.
Fourth, people should
learn endurance; they should learn to endure the discomforts of heat and cold,
hunger and thirst: they should learn to be patient when receiving abuse and
scorn; for it is the practice of endurance that quenches the fire of worldly
passions which is burning up their bodies.
Fifth, people should
learn to see and so avoid all danger. Just as a wise man keeps away from wild
horses or mad dogs, so one should not make friends with evil men, nor should he
go to places that wise men avoid. If one practices caution and prudence, the fire
of worldly passions which is burning in their vitals will die down.
There are five groups
of desires in the world. Desires arising from the forms the eyes see; from the
sounds the ears hear; from the fragrances the nose smells from tastes pleasant
to the tongue; from things that are agreeable to the sense of touch. From these
five doors desire come the body’s love of comfort.
Most people, being
influenced by the body’s love of comfort, do not notice the evils that follow
comfort, and they are caught in a devil’s trap like a deer in the forest caught
in a hunter’s trap. Indeed, these five doors of desires arising from the senses
are the most dangerous traps. When caught by them, people are entangled in
worldly passions and suffer. They should know how get rid of these traps.
There is no one way
to get free from the trap worldly passions. Suppose you caught a snake, a
crocodile, a bird, a dog, a fox and a monkey, six creatures of very different
natures, and you tie them together with strong rope and let them go. Each of
these six creatures will try to go back to its own lair by its own method: the
snake will seek a covering of grass, the crocodile seek water, the bird will
want to fly in the air, the dog will seek a village, the fox will seek the
solitary ledges, and the monkey will seek the trees of a forest. In the attempt
of each to go its own way there will be a struggle, but, being tied together by
a rope, the strongest at any one time will drag the rest.
Like the creatures in
this parable, man is tempted different ways by the desires of his six senses,
eyes, ears, nose, tongue, touch and mind, and is controlled by the predominant
desire. If the six creatures are all tied to a post, they will try to get free
until they are tired out, and then will lie down by the post. Just like this,
if people will train and control the mind there will be no further trouble from
the other five senses. If the mind is under control people will have happiness
both now and in the future.
People love their egoistic comfort, which is a
love of fame and praise. But fame and praise are like incense that consumes
itself and soon disappears. If people chase after honors and public acclaim and
leave the way of truth, they are in serious danger and will soon have cause for
regret.
A man who chases
after fame and wealth and love affairs is like a child who licks honey from the
blade of a knife. While he is tasting the sweetness of honey, he has to risk
hurting his tongue. He is like a man who carries a torch against a strong wind;
the flame will surely burn his hands and face.
One must not trust
his own mind that is filled with greed, anger and foolishness. One must not let
his mind run free, but must keep it under strict control.
To attain perfect
mind-control is a most difficult thing. Those who seek Enlightenment must first
rid themselves of the fire of all desires. Desire is a raging fire, and one
seeking Enlightenment must avoid the fire of desire as a man carrying a load of
hay avoids sparks. But it would be foolish for a man to put out his eyes for
fear of being tempted by beautiful forms. The mind is master and if the mind is
under control, the weaker desires will disappear.
It is difficult to
follow the way to Enlightenment, but it is more difficult if people have no
mind to seek such a way. Without Enlightenment, there is endless suffering in
this world of life and death.
When a man seeks the
way to Enlightenment, it is like an ox carrying a heavy load through a field of
mud. If the ox tries to do its best without paying attention to other things,
it can overcome the mud and take a rest. Just so, if the mind is controlled and
kept on the right path, there will be no mud of greed to hinder it and all its
suffering will disappear.
Those who seek the
path to Enlightenment must first remove all egoistic pride and be humbly
willing to accept the light of Christ’s teachings. All the treasure of the
world, all its gold and silver and honors, are not be compared with wisdom and
virtue.
To enjoy good health,
to bring true happiness one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first
discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can
find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to
him.
Just as treasures are
uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears
from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life,
one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. The scriptures, which
tell people how to eliminate greed, anger and foolishness, is a good teaching
and those who follow it attain the happiness of a good life.
Human beings tend to
move in the direction of their thoughts. If they harbor greedy thoughts, they
become more greedy; if they think angry thoughts, they become more angry; if
they hold foolish thoughts, their feet move in that direction.
At harvest time
farmers keep their herds confined lest they break through the fences into the
field and give cause for complaint or for being killed; so people must closely
guard their minds against dishonesty and misfortune. They must eliminate
thoughts that stimulate greed, anger and foolishness, but encourage thoughts
that stimulate charity and kindness.
When spring comes and
the pastures have an abundance of green grass, farmers turn their cattle loose;
but even then they keep a close watch over them. It is so with the minds of
people: even under the best of conditions the mind will bear watching.
At one time
missionaries were staying in the town of Salem
“There are profit and loss, slander and honor,
praise and abuse, suffering and pleasure in this world; the Wise One is not
controlled by these external things; they will cease as quickly as they
come."
Man’s nature is like
a dense thicket that has no entrance and is difficult to penetrate. In
comparison, the nature of an animal is much easier to understand.
Thus people can be
classified in many different ways, but nevertheless, their natures are hard to
understand. Only God understands them.
There are three kinds
of people.
Telestial Man: They
are those who cause other people to suffer along with themselves. They are
those who, by cruelty, by stealing, by killing, or by other unkind acts, cause
others to suffer. They are those who are like letters carved in rock; they
easily give way to anger and retain their angry thoughts for a long time. They
are those who are proud, act rashly and are never satisfied; their natures are
easy to understand.
Terrestrial Man: They
are those who, because of wrong teachings, practice austerities and cause
themselves to suffer. They are those who are courteous and always act after
consideration; their natures are hard to understand. They are those who are
like letters written in sand; they give way to anger also, but their angry
thoughts quickly pass away. They are those who are selfish and are always
thinking of themselves and rarely think of others.
Celestial Man: They
are those who do not suffer themselves and save others from suffering. The
people of this category, by following the teachings, do not give way to greed,
anger or foolishness, but live peaceful lives of kindness and wisdom. They are
those who are like letters written in running water; they do not retain their
passing thoughts; they let abuse and uncomfortable gossip pass by unnoticed;
their minds are always pure and undisturbed. They are those who have overcome
natural desires completely; and are always thinking of others; it is almost
impossible to understand their natures.
In the search for truth there are certain
questions that are unimportant to obtain a Celestial Life. Of what material is
the universe constructed? Is the universe eternal? Are there limits or not to
the universe? In what way is this human society put together? What is the ideal
form of organization for human society? If a man were to postpone his searching
and practicing for Enlightenment until such questions were solved, he would die
before he found the path.
Suppose a man were pierced by a poisoned,
arrow, and his relatives and friends got together to call a surgeon to have the
arrow pulled out and the wound treated. If the wounded man objects, saying,
"Wait a little. Before you pull it out, I want to know who shot this
arrow. Was it a man or a woman? Was it someone of noble birth, or was it a
peasant? What was the bow made of? Was it a big bow, or a small bow, that shot
the arrow? Was it made of wood or bamboo? What was the bow-string made of? Was
it made of fiber, or of gut? Was the arrow made of rattan, or of reed? What
feathers were used? Before you extract the arrow, I want to know all about
these things." Then what will happen? Before all this information can be
secured, no doubt, the poison will have time to circulate all through the
system and the man may die.
The first duty is to remove the arrow, and
prevent its poison from spreading. When a fire of passion is endangering the
world, the composition of the universe matters little; what is the ideal form
for the human community is not so important to deal with.
The question of whether the universe has
limits or is eternal can wait until some way is found to extinguish the fires
of birth, old age, sickness and death; in the presence of misery, sorrow,
suffering and agony, one should first search for a way to solve these problems
and devote oneself to the practice of that way.
The Prophets teach us what is important to
know and not what is unimportant. That is, it teaches people that they must
learn what they should learn, remove what they should remove, train for what
they should become enlightened about.
Therefore, people should first discern what
is the most important, what problem should be solved first and what is the most
pressing issue for them. To do all this, they must first undertake to train
their minds; that is, they must first seek mind-control. Suppose a man goes to
the forest to get some of the pith that grows in the center of a tree and
returns with a load of branches and leaves, thinking that he has secured what
he went after; would he not be foolish, if he is satisfied with the bark, wood
for the pith which he was after? But that is what many people are doing.
A person seeks a path that will lead him away
from birth, old age, sickness and death, or from misery, sorrow, suffering and
agony; and yet, he follows the path a little way, notices some little advance,
and immediately becomes proud and conceited and domineering.
He is like the man who sought pith and went
away satisfied with a load of branches and leaves. Another man becoming
satisfied with the progress he has made by a little effort, relaxes his effort
and becomes proud and conceited; he is carrying away only a load of branches
instead of the pith he was seeking.
Still another man finding that his mind is
becoming calmer and his thoughts clearer, he, too, relaxes his effort and
becomes proud and conceited; he has a load of the bark instead of the pith he
was looking for.
Then again, another man becomes proud and
conceited because he notices that he has gained a measure of intuitive insight;
he has a load of the woody fiber of the tree instead of the pith.
All of these seekers, who become easily
satisfied by their insufficient effort and become proud and over-bearing, relax
their efforts and easily fall into idleness. All these people will inevitably
face suffering again.
Those who seek the true path to Enlightenment
must not expect any offer of respect, honor or devotion. And further, they must
not aim with a slight effort, at a trifling advance in calmness or knowledge or
insight. First of all, one should get clearly in mind the basic and essential
nature of this world of life and death.
The world has no substance of its own. It is
simply a vast concordance of causes and conditions that have had their origin,
solely and exclusively, in the activities of the mind that has been stimulated
by ignorance, false imagination, desires and infatuation. It is not something
external about which the mind has false conceptions; it has no substance
whatever. It has come into appearance by the processes of the mind itself,
manifesting its own delusions. It is founded and built up out of the desires of
the mind, out of its sufferings and struggles incidental to the pain caused by
its own greed, anger and foolishness. Men who seek the way to Enlightenment
should be ready to fight such a mind to attain their goal.
"Oh my natural mind! Why do you hover so
restlessly over the changing circumstances of life? Why do you make me so
confused and restless? Why do you urge me to collect so many things? You are
like a plow that breaks in pieces before beginning to plow; you are like a
rudder that is dismantled just as you are venturing out on the sea of life and
death. Of what use is my life if we do not make good use of it?
"Oh my temporal mind! You may be born as
a king, an outcast and to beg for my food. Sometimes you are born in heavenly
mansions and dwell in luxury and in ecstasy; then you plunge me into the flames
of hell.
"Oh, my foolish, foolish mind! Thus you
have led me along different paths and I have been obedient to you and docile.
But now that I have heard the teaching, do not disturb me any more or cause me
further sufferings, but let us seek Enlightenment together, humbly and
patiently.
"Oh, my earthly mind! If you could only
learn that this life is transitory; if you could only learn not to grasp after
things, not to covet things, not to give way to greed, anger and foolishness;
then we might journey in quietness. Then, by severing the bond of desires with
the sword of wisdom, being undisturbed by changing circumstances - advantage or
disadvantage, good or bad, loss or gain, praise or abuse - we might dwell in
peace.
"Oh, my dear mind! It was you who first
awakened faith in us; it was you who suggested our seeking Enlightenment. Why
do you give way so easily to greed, love of comfort and pleasant excitement
again?
"Oh, my mind! Why do you rush hither and
thither with no definite purpose? Let us cross this wild sea of delusion.
Hitherto I have acted as you wished, but now you must act as I wish and,
together, we will follow the Spiritual Mind.
"Oh, my dear mind! These mountains,
rivers and seas are changeable and pain-producing. Where in this world of
delusion shall we seek quietness? Let us follow the teachings and cross over to
the other shore
of Enlightenment
Thus, those who really seek the path to
Enlightenment follow their spiritual mind. Then they proceed with strong
determination. Even though they are abused by some and scorned by others, they
go forward undisturbed. They do not become angry if they are beaten by fists,
or hit by stones, or gashed by swords. Even if enemies cut their head from the
body, the mind must not be disturbed. If they let their mind become darkened by
the things they suffer, they are not following the teachings of Christ. They
must be determined, no matter what happens to them, to remain steadfast,
unmovable, ever radiating thoughts of compassion and good-will. Let abuse come,
let misfortune come, and yet one should resolve to remain unmoved and tranquil
in mind, filled with peace.
For the sake of attaining Enlightenment, one
should try to accomplish the impossible and one should endure the unendurable.
One must give what he has to the last of it. If he is told that to gain
Enlightenment he must limit his food to a single grain of rice a day, he will
eat only that. If the path to Enlightenment leads him through fire, he will go
forward.
But one must not do these things for any
ulterior purpose. One should do them because it is the wise thing, the right
thing, to do. One should do them out of a spirit of compassion, as a mother
does things for her little child, for her sick child, with no thought of her
own strength or comfort.
For those who seek Enlightenment there are
ways of practice that must be understood and followed: First, disciplines for
practical behavior; Second, right concentration of mind; and Third, wisdom.
What are disciplines? Everyone, whether he is
a common man or a way-seeker, should follow the precepts for good behavior. He
should control both his mind and body, and guard the gates of his five senses.
He should be afraid of even a trifling evil and, from moment to moment, should
endeavor to practice only good deeds.
What is meant by the concentration of mind?
It means to get quickly away from greedy and evil desires as they arise and to
hold the mind pure and tranquil.
What is wisdom? It is the ability to
perfectly understand and to patiently accept the Universal Truth, to know the
fact of suffering and its nature; to know the source of suffering, to know what
constitutes the end of suffering, and to know the Path that leads to the end of
suffering.
Those who earnestly follow these ways of
practice may rightly be called the disciples.
Before a farmer gathers a harvest in the
fall, he must first plow the ground, sow the seed, irrigate, and remove the
weeds as they come up in the springtime. Likewise, the seeker of Enlightenment
must follow the ways of practice. A farmer can not expect to see the buds
today, to see the plants tomorrow, and to gather the harvest the day after. So
a man who seeks Enlightenment can not expect to remove worldly desires today,
to remove attachments and evil desires tomorrow, and to get Enlightenment the
day after.
Just as plants receive the patient care of
the farmer after the seed has been sown and during the changes of climate and
"during the growth from plant to fruit, so the seeker of Enlightenment
must patiently and perseveringly cultivate the soil of Enlightenment by
following the ways of practice.
It is difficult to advance along the path
that leads to Enlightenment so long as one is covetous of comforts and, luxuries
and his mind disturbed by the desires of the senses. There is a wide difference
between the enjoyment of life and the enjoyment of the True Path. As already
explained, the mind is the source of all things. If the mind enjoys worldly
affairs, illusions and suffering will inevitably follow, but if the mind enjoys
the True Path, happiness, contentment and enlightenment will just as surely
follow."
Therefore, those who are seeking
Enlightenment should keep their minds pure, and patiently keep and practice the
ways. If they keep the precepts they will naturally obtain concentration of
mind; and if they obtain concentration of the mind it will be just as natural
for them to grasp wisdom, and wisdom will lead them to Enlightenment.
Indeed, these three ways (keeping the
precepts, practicing concentration of mind and always acting wisely) are the
true path to Enlightenment. By not following them, people have for a long time
accumulated mental delusions. They must not argue with worldly people, but must
patiently meditate in their inner world of a pure mind in order to attain
Enlightenment.
If the ways of practice are analyzed, they
will reveal the right path.
The Path refers to right view, right thought,
right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right concentration.
Right View means to thoroughly understand the
Universal Truth, to believe in the law of cause and effect and not to be
deceived by appearances and desires.
Right Thought means the resolution not to
cherish desires, not to be greedy, not to be angry, and not to do any harmful
deed.
Right Speech means the avoidance of lying
words, idle words, abusive words, and double-tongues.
Right Behavior means not to destroy any life,
not to steal, not to lie, not to cheat, not to covet, or not to commit
adultery.
Right Livelihood means to avoid any life that
would bring shame.
Right Effort means to try to do one's best
diligently toward the right direction.
Right Mindfulness means to maintain a pure
and thoughtful mind.
Right Concentration means to keep the mind
right and tranquil for its concentration, seeking to realize the mind's pure
essence.
The four view-points to be considered are:
First, to consider the body impure, seeking to remove all attachment to it,
second, to consider the senses as a source of suffering, whatever their
feelings of pain or pleasure may be; third, to consider the mind to be in a
constant state of flux, and fourth, to consider everything in the world as
being a consequence of causes and conditions and that nothing remains unchanged
forever.
The four right procedures are: First, to
prevent any evil from starting; second, to remove any evil as soon as it
starts; third, to induce the doing of good deeds; and fourth, to encourage the
growth and continuance of good deeds that have already started. One must
endeavor to keep these four procedures.
The practice of Offering gets rid of
selfishness.
If one gives away a gift only when
convenient, or because it is easier to give than not to give, it is an offering,
of course, but it is not a True Offering. A True Offering comes from a
sympathetic heart before any request is made, and a True Offering is the one
that gives not occasionally but constantly.
Neither is it a True Offering if after the
act there are feelings of regret or of self-praise; a True Offering is one that
is given with pleasure, forgetting oneself as the giver, the one who receives
it and the gift itself.
True Offering springs spontaneously from
one's pure compassionate heart with no thought of any return, wishing to enter
into a life of Enlightenment together.
There are seven kinds of offering which can
be practiced by even those who are not wealthy. The first is the physical
offering. This is to offer service by one's labor. The highest type of this
offering is to offer one's own life. The second is the spiritual offering. This
is to offer a compassionate heart to others. The third is the offering of eyes.
This is to offer a warm glance to others which will give them tranquility. The
fourth is the offering of countenance. This is to offer a soft countenance with
smile to others. The fifth is the oral offering. This is to offer kind and warm
words to others. The sixth is the seat offering. This is to offer one's seat to
others. The seventh is the offering of shelter. This is to let others spend the
night at one's home. These kinds of offering can be practiced by anyone in
everyday life.
There are Four Unlimited States of Mind that
the seeker of Enlightenment should cherish. They are compassion, tenderness,
gladness and equanimity. One can remove greed by cherishing compassion; one can
remove anger by tenderness; one can remove suffering by gladness, and one can
remove the habit of discrimination of enemies and friends by cherishing an
equitable mind. It is a great compassion that makes people happy and contented;
it is a great tenderness that removes everything that does not make people
happy and contented; it is a great gladness that makes everyone happy and
contented with a mind of joy; there is a great peacefulness when everyone is
happy and contented, and then one can have equal feelings toward everybody.
With care one may cherish these Four
Unlimited States of Mind and may get rid of greed, anger, suffering, and the
minds of love-hate, but it is not an easy thing to do. An evil mind is as hard
to get rid of as a watchdog, and a right mind is as easy to lose as a deer in a
forest; or an evil mind is as hard to remove as letters carved in stone, and a
right mind is as easy to lose as words written in water. Indeed, it is the most
difficult thing in life to train oneself for Enlightenment.
There was a young man named John who was born
in a wealthy family but was of delicate health. He was very earnest to gain
Enlightenment and became a disciple of the Blessed One. On the path to
Enlightenment, he tried so hard that finally his feet bled. The Blessed One
pitied him and said, "John my boy, did you ever study the harp at your
home? You know that a harp does not make music if the strings are stretched too
tight or too loose. It makes music only when the strings are stretched just
right.
"The training for Enlightenment is just
like adjusting the harp strings. You can not attain Enlightenment if you
stretch the strings of your mind too loosely or too tightly. You must be
considerate and act wisely." John found these words very profitable and
finally gained what he sought.
Once there was a prince who was skillful in
the use of the five weapons. One day he was returning home from his practice
and met a monster whose skin was invulnerable. The monster started for him but
nothing daunted the prince. He shot an arrow at him which fell harmless. Then
he threw his spear which failed to penetrate the thick skin. Then he threw a
bar and a javelin but they failed to hurt the monster. Then he used his sword
but the sword broke. The prince attacked the monster with his fists and feet
but to no purpose, for the monster clutched him in his giant arms and held him
fast. Then the prince tried to use his head as a weapon but in vain. The
monster said, "It is useless for you to resist; I am going to devour
you." But the prince answered, "You may think that I have used all my
weapons and am helpless, but I still have one weapon left. If you devour me, I
will destroy you from the inside of your stomach." The courage of the
prince disturbed the monster and he asked, "How can you do that?" The
prince replied, "By the power of the Truth." Then the monster
released him and begged for his instruction in the Truth.
The teaching of this fable is to encourage
disciples to persevere in their efforts and to be undaunted in the face of many
set backs.
Both odious self-assertion and shamelessness
offend mankind, but dishonor and shame protect human beings. People respect
their parents, elders, brothers and sisters because they are sensitive to
dishonor and shame. After self-reflection it is meritorious to withhold honor
from one's self and to feel ashamed by observing other people. If a man
possesses a repentant spirit his sins will disappear, but if he has an
unrepentant spirit his sins will continue and condemn him forever. It is only
the one who hears the true teaching rightly and realizes its meaning and
relation to oneself who can receive and profit by it. If a man merely hears the
true teaching but does not acquire it, he will fail in his search for
Enlightenment.
Faith, modesty, humbleness, endeavor and
wisdom are the great sources of strength to him who is seeking Enlightenment.
Among these, wisdom is the greatest of all and the rest are but the aspects of
wisdom. If a man, while in his training, loves worldly affairs, enjoys idle
talk or falls asleep, he will be retired from the path to Enlightenment.
In training for Enlightenment, some may
succeed quicker than others. Therefore, one should not be discouraged to see
others becoming enlightened first. When a man is practicing archery, he dose
not expect quick success but knows that if he practices patiently, he will
become more and more accurate. A river begins as a brook but grows ever larger
until it flows into the great ocean.
Like these examples, if a man trains with
patience and perseverance, he will surely gain Enlightenment.
As already explained, if one keeps his eyes
open, he will see the teaching everywhere, and so his opportunities for
Enlightenment are endless.
There is an old saying: "Keep your mind
level. If the mind is level, the whole world will be level." Consider
these words. Realize that all the distinctions of the world are caused by the
discriminating views of the mind. There is a path to Enlightenment in those
very words. Indeed, the ways to Enlightenment are unlimited.
Those who take refuge in the gospel
treasures, the Lord, the Gospel and the Scriptures, are called the disciple’s
of Christ.
The disciple’s of Christ observe the four
parts of mind-control -the precepts, faith, offering and wisdom.
The disciple’s of Christ practice the
precepts of the commandments: not to kill, not to steal, not to commit
adultery, not to lie, and not to take intoxicants of any kind.
The disciple’s of Christ have faith in His
perfect wisdom. They try to keep away from greediness and selfishness and to
practice offering. They understand the law of cause and effect, keeping in mind
the transient nature of life and conform to the norm of wisdom. A tree leaning
toward the east will naturally fall eastward and so those who listen to the
teaching and maintain faith in it will surely be able to receive the Celestial Kingdom
It has rightly been said that those who
believe in the gospel treasures, the Lord, the Church and the Gospel are called
the disciple’s of Christ.
God is the one who attained perfect
Enlightenment and used His attainment to emancipate and bless all mankind. The
Gospel is the truth, the spirit of Enlightenment and the teaching that explains
it. The "Church is the perfect brotherhood of believers in the Lord and
Scriptures. We speak of Godhood, the Gospel and the Church as though they are
three different things, but they are really only one. Christ is manifested in
His Gospel and is realized by the Church. Therefore, to believe in the Gospel
and to cherish the Church is to have faith in Christ, and to have faith in the
Lord means to believe in the Gospel and to cherish the Church. Therefore,
people are emancipated and enlightened simply by having faith in the Lord.
God is the perfectly Enlightened One and He
loves everyone as though each were His only child. So if anyone regards God as
his own parent, he identifies himself with Christ and attains Enlightenment.
Nothing in the world brings greater benefit
than to believe in Christ. Just hearing His name, believing and being pleased
even for a moment, is incomparably rewarding.
On the long journey of human life, faith is
the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is
the greatest possession.
Faith is the hand that receives the Gospel;
it is the pure hand that receives all the virtues. Faith is the fire that
consumes all the impurities of worldly desires, it removes the burden, and it
is the guide that leads one's way.
Faith removes greed, fear and pride; it
teaches courtesy and to respect others; it frees one from the bondage of
circumstances; it gives one courage to meet hardship; it gives one power to
overcome temptations; it enables one to keep one's deeds bright and pure; and
it enriches the mind with wisdom.
Faith is the encouragement when one's way is
long and wearisome, and it leads to Enlightenment.
Faith makes us feel that we are in the
presence of God and it brings us to where His arm supports us.
Faith softens our hard and selfish minds and
gives us a friendly spirit and a mind of understanding sympathy.
Those who have faith gain the wisdom to
recognize the Lord’s teaching in whatever they hear. Those who have faith gain
the wisdom to see that everything is but the appearance that arises from the
law of causes and conditions, and then faith gives them the grace of patient
acceptance and the ability to conform to their conditions peacefully.
Faith gives them the wisdom to recognize the
transient nature of life and the grace not to be surprised or grieved at
whatever comes to them or with the passing of life itself, knowing that,
however conditions and appearances may change, the truth of life remains always
unchanged.
Faith has three significant aspects:
repentance, a rejoicing and sincere respect for the virtues of others. People
should cultivate these aspects of faith; they should be sensitive to their
failings and impurities; they should be ashamed of them and confess them; they
should diligently practice the recognition of the good traits and good deeds of
others and praise them for their sake; and they should habitually desire to act
with God and to live with God.
The mind of faith is the mind of sincerity;
it is a deep mind, a mind that is sincerely glad to be led to God’s presence by
His power. Therefore, the Lord gives a power to faith that leads people to the Celestial Kingdom
Faith is not something that is added to the
worldly mind -it is the manifestation of the mind's Spiritual-nature. One who
understands God is a disciple himself; one who has faith in God is a disciple
himself. But it is difficult to uncover and recover one's Spiritual- nature; it
is difficult to maintain a pure mind in the constant rise and fall of greed,
anger and worldly passion; yet faith enables one to do it.
Thus faith is fruitful and sacred. But faith
is hard to awaken in an idle mind. In particular, there are five doubts that
lurk in the shadows of the human mind and tend to discourage faith.
First, there is doubt in the Lord's wisdom; second,
there is doubt in the Lord's teaching; third, there is doubt in the person who
explains the Lord's teachings; fourth, there is doubt as to whether the ways
and methods suggested for following the Path are reliable; and fifth, there is
a person who, because of his arrogant and impatient mind, may doubt the
sincerity of others who understand and follow the Lord's teachings.
Indeed, there is nothing more dreadful than
doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships
and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is
a sword that kills.
The beginnings of faith were long ago planted
by the compassion of the Lord. When one has faith, one should realize this fact
and be very grateful to God for His goodness. One should never forget that it
is not because of one's own compassion that one has awakened faith, but because
of the Christ's compassion which long ago threw its pure Light of Christ into
human minds and dispelled the darkness of their ignorance.
He who enjoys the present faith has entered
into their heritage. Even living an ordinary life, one can be in the presence
of the Lord, if he awakens faith through His long continued compassion.
It is, indeed, hard to be born in this world.
It is hard to hear the Gospel; it is harder to awaken faith; therefore,
everyone should try one's best to hear the Lord’s teachings.
There are four types of women. Of the first
type there are those who become angry for slight causes, who have changeable
minds, who are greedy and jealous of others' happiness, and who have no
sympathy for the needs of others.
Of the second type there are those who grow
angry over trifling affairs, who are fickle and greedy, but who do not feel
envious of others' happiness and who are sympathetic for the needs of others.
Of the third type there are those who are
more broad-minded and do not become angry very often, who know how to control a
greedy mind but are not able to avoid feelings of jealousy, and who are not sympathetic
for the needs of others.
Of the fourth type there are those who are
broad-minded, who can restrain feelings of greed and retain calmness of mind,
who do not feel envious of others happiness, and who are sympathetic for the
needs of others.
When a young woman marries, she should make
the following resolutions: "I must honor and serve the parents of my
husband. They have given us all the advantages we have and are our wise
protectors, so I must serve them with appreciation and be ready to help them
whenever I can."
I must be respectful to my husband's teachers
because they have given my husband sacred teachings and we could not live as
human beings without the guidance of these sacred teachings.
"I must cultivate my mind so that I will
be able to understand my husband and be able to help him in his work. I must
never be indifferent to his interests, thinking they are only his affairs but
not mine.
I will conserve the income of my husband and
will not waste it for any selfish purpose."
The relation of husband and wife was not
designed merely for their convenience. It has a deeper significance than the
mere association of two physical bodies in one house. Husband and wife should
take advantage of the intimacies of their association to help each other in
training their minds in the holy teachings. An old couple, an "ideal
couple" as they were called, once came to the Lord and said, "Lord,
we were married after we had been acquainted in childhood and there has never
been a cloud in our happiness. please tell us if we can be remarried in the
next life." The Lord gave them this wise answer: -"If you both have
exactly the same faith, if you both received the teaching in exactly the same
way, if you perform charity in the same way and if you have the same wisdom,
then you will have the same mind in the next life."
Sarah, the young wife of the eldest son of
the rich merchant, Josephus, was arrogant, did not respect others and did not
listen to the instruction of her husband and his parents and; consequently, some
discord arose in the family. One day the Blessed One came to visit Josephus and
noticed this state of affairs. He called the young wife, Sarah, to Him and
spoke to her kindly, saying: "Sarah, there are seven types of wives. There
is a wife who is like a murderer. She has an impure mind, does not honor her
husband and, consequently, turns her heart to another man. "There is a
wife who is like a thief. She never understands her husband's labor but thinks
only of her desire for luxury. She wastes her husband's income to satisfy her
own appetite and, by so doing, steals from him. "There is a wife who is
like a master. She rails at her husband, neglects the housekeeping and always
scolds him with rough words. "There is a wife who is like a mother. She
cares for her husband as though he were a child, protects him as a mother does
her son, and takes good care of his income. "There is a wife who is like a
sister. She is faithful to her husband and serves him like a sister with
modesty and reserve. "There is a wife who is like a friend. She tries to
please her husband as if he were a friend who had just returned from a long
absence. She is modest, behaves correctly and treats him with great respect.
"Lastly, there is a wife who is like a maid-servant. She serves her
husband well and with fidelity. She respects him, obeys his commands, has no
wishes of her own, no ill-feeling, no resentment, and always tries to make him
happy." The Blessed One asked, "Sarah, which type of wife are you
like, or would you wish to be like?" Hearing these words of the Blessed
One, she was ashamed of her past conduct and replied that she would wish to be
like the one in the last example, the maid-servant. She changed her behavior
and became her husband's helper, and together they sought Enlightenment.
Andrea was a wealthy and famous courtesan of Versailles
There are no distinctions of sex on the path
to Enlightenment. If a woman makes up her mind to seek Enlightenment, she will
become a heroine of the True and Living Path.
Madonaiha, the daughter of King Jared, was
such a heroine. She had great faith in the teaching of the Blessed One and made
in His presence the ten following vows: "My Lord, until I gain
Enlightenment I will not violate the sacred precepts; I will not be arrogant
before people who are older than myself; I will not become angry with anyone.
"I will not be jealous of others or envy their possessions; I will not be
selfish either in mind or property; I will try to make poor people happy with
the things I receive and will not hoard them for myself. "I will receive
all people courteously, give them what they need, and speak kindly to them;
consider their circumstances and not my convenience; and try to benefit them
without partiality. "If I see others in solitude, in prison, or suffering
from disease or other troubles, I will try to relieve them and make them happy,
by explaining the reasons and laws to them. "If I see others catching
living animals and being cruel to them or violating any such precept, I will
punish them if they are to be punished, or teach them if they are to be taught,
and then I will try to undo what they have done and correct their mistakes, to
the best of my ability. "I will not forget to hear the right teaching, for
I know that when one neglects the right teaching one quickly falls away from
the truth that abides everywhere, and will fail to reach the shore of Enlightenment
If every husband and every wife would
constantly do whatever might be possible to ensure the comfort and happiness of
his or her companion, there would be very little, if any divorce. Argument
would never be heard. Accusations would never be leveled. Angry explosions
would not occur. Rather, love and concern would replace abuse and meanness.
Once there was a Bishop who was notably
successful in presiding over his Ward. Because of his wisdom he was admired,
loved and respected. He explained the principles of his administration as
follows:
The best way for a leader to preside over his
Ward is first of all to rule himself. A leader should come before his people
with a heart of compassion, and should teach and lead them to remove all
impurities from their minds. The happiness that comes from good teachings far
exceeds any enjoyment that the material things of the world can offer.
Therefore, he could give his people good
teaching and keep their minds and bodies tranquil. When poor people come to him
he should open his store-house and let them take what they need, and then he
will take advantage of the opportunity to teach them the wisdom of ridding
themselves of all greed and evil.
Each man has a different view of things
according to the state of his mind. Some people see the city where they live as
fine and beautiful, others see it as dirty and to attack any other country and
it does not need any weapons of attack.
When people are happy and satisfied, class
differences disappear, good deeds are promoted, virtues are increased, and
people come to respect one another. Then everyone becomes prosperous; the
weather and temperature become normal; the sun and the moon and stars shine
naturally; rains and winds come timely; and all natural calamities disappear.
The duty of a good leader is to protect his
people. He is the parent or father of his people and he protects them. He must
raise his people like parents raise their children, giving a dry cloth to
replace a wet one without waiting for the child to cry. In like manner, the
leader must remove suffering and bestow happiness without waiting for people to
complain. Indeed, his ruling is not perfect until his people abide in peace.
The members are the church’s treasure.
Therefore, a wise leader is always thinking of his people and does not forget
them even for a moment. He thinks of their hardships and plans for their
prosperity. To lead wisely he must be advised about everything about people's
comforts and their sorrows.
To be in a position to rightly award, punish
or praise, he must be thoroughly informed as to the guilt of bad men and the
merits of good men.
A wise leader gives to his people when they
are in need, and collects from them when they are prosperous for the good of
those who are in need.
A wise leader will protect the members by his
power and dignity. One who thus leads one's people is worthy to be called a
Leader.
The Leader of Truth is the true Priesthood
Leader. He not only leads the Ward, but the church in the four quarters of the
world.
He is also Lord of Wisdom and Protector of
all Virtuous Teachings. Wherever he goes, fighting ceases and ill-will
vanishes. He leads with equity by the power of Truth, and by vanquishing all
evil he brings peace to all people.
The Leader of Truth never breaks the
commandments. He never cheats or abuses or lies or talks idly. His mind is free
from all greed, anger and foolishness. He removes these ten evils and in their
place establishes the ten virtues. Because his rule is based upon Truth he is
invincible. Wherever Truth appears violence ceases and ill-will vanishes. There
is no dissension among his people, and, therefore, they dwell in quietness and
safety; his mere presence brings peacefulness and happiness among them. That is
why he is called the Leader of Truth.
Since the Leader of Truth is the true
Priesthood Leader, all other leaders praise his excellent name and lead their
own organizations after his example.
A wise leader will temper his verdicts with
compassion. He will try to consider each case with clear wisdom and then make
his verdict in accord with the five principles.
The five principles are: First, he must
examine the truthfulness of the facts presented.
Second, he must ascertain that they fall
within his jurisdiction. If he renders a judgment with full authority, it is
effective, but if he does so without authority, it only causes complications;
he should await the correct conditions.
Third, he must judge justly; that is, he must
enter into the mind of the defendant. If he finds that the deed was done
without criminal intent, he should discharge the man.
Fourth, he should pronounce his verdict with
kindness but not harshness; that is, he should apply a proper punishment but
should not go beyond that.
A good leader will instruct a sinner with
kindness and give him time to reflect upon his mistakes.
Fifth, he should judge with, sympathy but not
in anger; that is, he should condemn the sin but not the sinner. He should let
his judgment rest upon a foundation of sympathy, and he should use the occasion
to try and make the sinner realize his mistakes.
Let us imagine a desert country lying in
absolute darkness with many living things swarming blindly about in it.
Naturally they will be frightened and as they run about without recognizing one
another during the night, there will be frequent squirming and loneliness. This
is indeed a pitiful sight. Then let us imagine that suddenly a superior man
with a torch appears and everything around becomes bright and clear. The living
beings in the dark solitude suddenly find a great relief as they look about to
recognize one another and happily share their companionship.
By
"a desert country" is meant a world of human life when it lies in the
darkness of ignorance. Those who have no light of wisdom in their minds wander
about loneliness and fear. They were born alone and die alone; they do not know
how to associate with their fellow men in peaceful harmony, and they are
naturally despondent and fearful.
By "a superior man with torch" is
meant Christ, and by His wisdom and compassion He illumines the world. In this
light people find themselves as well as others and are glad to establish human
fellowship and harmonious relations.
Thousands of people may live in a community
but it is not one of real fellowship until they know each other and have
sympathy for one another. A true community has faith and wisdom that illuminate
it. It is a place where the people know and trust one another and where there
is social harmony. In fact, harmony is the life and real meaning of a true
community or an organization.
Of organizations, there are three kinds.
First, there are those that are organized on the basis of the power, wealth or
authority of great leaders.
Second, there are those that are organized
because of its convenience to the members, which will continue to exist as long
as the members satisfy their conveniences and do not quarrel.
Third, there are those that are organized
with some good teaching as its center and harmony as its very life.
Of course, the third or last of these is the
only true organization, for in it the members live in one spirit, from which
the unity of spirit and various kinds of virtue will arise. In such an
organization there will prevail harmony, satisfaction and happiness.
Enlightenment is like rain that falls on a
mountain and gathers into rivulets that run into brooks, and then into rivers
which finally flow into the ocean. The rain of the sacred teaching falls on all
people alike without regard to their conditions or circumstances. Those who
accept it gather into small groups, then into organizations, then into
communities and, finally, find themselves in the great Ocean of Enlightenment Church of God
The minds of these people mix like milk and
water and finally organize into a harmonious Brotherhood. Thus, the true
teaching is the fundamental requirement of a perfect organization and, as
mentioned above, it is the light which enables people to recognize one another,
to become adjusted to one another and to smooth out the rough places in their
thinking.
Thus, the organization that is formed on the
perfect teachings of Christ can be called a Church. They should observe these
teachings and train their minds accordingly. Thus, the Church will
theoretically include everyone, but, in fact, only those who have the same
religious faith are members.
The Church will have two types of members:
There will be those who are teaching the lay members the spiritual matters of
the church, and those who are supporting the teachers by offering the needed
food and clothing, or the temporal affairs of the Church. They together will
disseminate and perpetuate the teaching. Then, to make the Church complete, there
must be perfect harmony among the members. The teachers teach the members and
the members honor the, teachers so that there can be harmony between them.
Members of the Church should associate
together with affectionate sympathy, being happy to live together with
fellow-followers, and seeking to become one in spirit.
There are six things that will help to lead a
Church to harmony. They are: first, sincerity of speech; second, sincerity and
kindness of action; third, sincerity and sympathy of spirit; fourth, equal
sharing of common property; fifth, following the same pure precepts; and sixth,
all having right views.
Among these things, the sixth or "all
having right views" forms the nucleus, with the other five serving as
wrappings for it.
There are two sets of seven rules to be
followed if the Church is to be a success. The first is, as a group: (1) they
should gather together frequently to listen to the teachings and to discuss
them; (2) they should mingle freely and respect one another; (3) they should revere
the teaching and respect the rules and not change them; (4) elder and younger
members are to treat each other with courtesy; (5) they should let sincerity
and reverence mark their bearing. (6) they should purify their minds in a quiet
place which they should, nevertheless, offer to others before taking it for
themselves. (7) they should love all people, treat visitors cordially, and
console the sick with kindness.
A Brotherhood that follows these rules will
never decline.
The second is, individually each should: (1)
maintain a pure spirit and not ask for too many things; (2) maintain integrity
and remove all greed; (3) be patient and not argue; (4) keep silent and not
talk idly; (5) submit to the regulations and not be overbearing; (6) maintain
an even mind and not follow different teachings; and (7) be thrifty and frugal
in daily living.
If its members follow these rules, the
Brotherhood will endure and never decline.
As mentioned above, a Brotherhood should
maintain harmony in its very essence; therefore, one without harmony can not be
called a brotherhood. Each member should be on guard not to be the cause of
discord. If discord appears it should be removed as early as possible, for
discord will soon ruin any organization.
Blood stains can not be removed by more
blood; resentment can not be removed by more resentment; resentment can be
removed only by forgetting it.
Once there was a king named Kishkumnor, whose
country was conquered by a neighboring warlike king named Kimnor. King
Kishkumnor, after hiding with his wife and son for a time, was captured but
fortunately his son, the prince, could escape. The prince tried to find some
way of saving his father but in vain. On the day of his father's execution, the
prince in disguise made his way into the execution ground where he could do
nothing but watch in mortification the death of his ill-fated father. The
father noticed his son in the crowd and muttered as if talking to himself,
"Do not search for a long time; do not act hastily; resentment can be
calmed only by forgetting it." Afterward, the prince sought after some way
of revenge for a long time. At last he was employed as an attendant in Kimnor's
palace and came to win the king's favors. On a day when the king went hunting,
the prince sought some opportunity for revenge. The prince was able to lead his
master into a lonely place, and the king, being very weary, fell asleep with
his head on the lap of the prince, so fully had he come to trust the prince.
The prince drew his dagger and placed it at the king's throat but then
hesitated. The words his father had expressed at the moment of his execution
flashed into his mind and although he tried again he could not kill the king.
Suddenly the king awoke and told the prince that he had had a bad dream in
which the son of King Kishkumnor was trying to kill him. The prince,
flourishing the dagger in his hand, hastily grasped the king and, identifying
himself as the son of King Kishkumnor, declared that the time had finally come
for him to avenge his father. Yet he could not do so, and suddenly he cast his
dagger down and fell on his knees in front of the king. When the king heard the
prince's story and the final words of his father, he was very impressed and
apologized to the prince. Later, he restored the former kingdom to the prince
and their two countries came to live in friendship for a long time."
The dying words of King Kishkumnor, "Do
not search for a long time," mean that resentment should not be cherished
for long, and "Do not act hastily" mean that friendship should not be
broken hastily. Resentment can not be satisfied by resentment; it can only be
removed by forgetting it.
In the fellowship of a Brotherhood that is
based on the harmony of right teaching, every member should always appreciate
the spirit of this story. Not only the members of the Brotherhood but also
people in general should appreciate and practice this spirit in their daily
lives.
The Church is an important part of ones
lives. Don’t let anger, resentment, or hurt feelings keep you away from the
Brotherhood. It will enrich your lives and the lives of your families, from
generation to generation, and is a necessary part in obtaining Enlightenment.
As has been explained, if a Brotherhood does
not forget its duty of spreading the gospel and of living in harmony, it will
steadily grow larger and the teachings will spread more widely.
This means that more and more people will be
seeking Enlightenment, and it also means that the evil armies of greed, anger,
and foolishness, which are led by the devil of ignorance and lust, will begin
to retreat, and that wisdom, light, faith and joy will dominate.
The devil's dominion is full of greed,
darkness, struggling, fighting, swords and bloodshed, and is replete with
jealousy, prejudice, hatred, cheating, flattering, fawning, secrecy and abuse.
Now suppose that the light of wisdom shines
upon that dominion, and the rain of compassion falls upon it, and faith begins
to take root, and the blossoms of joy begin to spread their fragrance. Then
that devil's domain will turn into Zion
If a man's mind becomes pure, his
surroundings will also become pure.
In a land where the true teaching prevails,
every dweller has a pure and tranquil mind. Indeed, Christ’s compassion
untiringly benefits all people, and His shining spirit exorcizes all impurities
from their minds. A pure mind soon becomes a deep mind, a mind that is
commensurate with the Straight and Narrow Path, a mind that loves to give, a
mind that loves to keep the precepts, an enduring mind, a zealous mind, a calm
mind, a wise mind, a compassionate mind, a mind that leads people to
Enlightenment by many and skillful means. Thus shall Zion
A home with one's wife and children is
transformed into a home where the Spirit of God is present; a country that
suffers because of social distinctions is likewise transformed into a
fellowship of kindred spirits.
A golden palace that is blood-stained can not
be the abiding place for the Lord. A small hut where the moonlight leaks in
through chinks in the roof can be; transformed into a place where Christ will
abide, if the mind of its master is pure. When Zion
Indeed, earnestness and faithfulness in
spreading the gospel are what build Zion Land of Purity
It seems an impossible task to empty an ocean
with a small ladle, but the determination to do it, even if it takes many, many
lives, is the mind with which one should receive Enlightenment.
Christ is waiting on the other shore; that
is, His world of Enlightenment, wherein there is no greed, no anger, no
ignorance, no suffering, no agony, but where there are only the light of wisdom
and the rain of compassion. It is a land of peace, a refuge for those who
suffer and who are in sorrow and agony; a place of rest for those who take a
break in their spreading of the teachings of the Gospel.
In this Pure Land of Zion there are boundless
Light and everlasting Life. Those who reach this haven will never return to the
world of delusion.
Indeed, this
Though this Pure Land
The Saviors' mission is everlasting. As long
as men live and creatures exist, and as long as selfish and defiled minds
create their own worlds and circumstances, there will be no end to His mission.
The children of God, who have crossed to the Pure Land
As the light of a small candle will spread
from one to another in succession, so the light of Christ's compassion will
pass on from one mind to another endlessly. The children of Light, realizing
His spirit of compassion, adopt His task of Enlightenment and Purification, and
pass it on from one generation to another in order to make this Land glorified
eternally and forever.
The Yin-Yang or sometimes said “Ying-Yang”
symbol best describes the principle of the Universal Truth or Law of
Opposition. The symbol is black (Yin) and white (Yang) in color. This
demonstrates the opposition of Yin and Yang. Some of the opposites of Yin and
Yang are shown. Yang is left and it rises. Yin is right and it descends.
The shape of the symbol is circular. The
outer circle represents “everything.” This indicates that Yin and Yang form a
wholeness. If Yin or Yang were removed, the balance and flow would be broken.
This represents the interdependence of Yin and Yang.
As Yang rises it grows and occupies the space
left by Yin. As Yin grows, it occupies the space left by Yang. This represents
the interconsumption of Yin and Yang. Notice also that the quantity of Yin and
Yang are equal. As Yin consumes Yang, Yang simultaneously consumes Yin.
Following the flow of the symbol, at Yang’s
height, it descends and becomes Yin. At Yin’s fullness, it rises and becomes
Yang. This is the intertransformation Yin and Yang. Note: The natural flow of
energy in the universe is clockwise, which is represented in the symbol.
The dots within the Yin and Yang elude to the
presence of Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. No one thing is completely Yin
or Yang, but has aspects of the other. This is a representation of the infinite
divisibility of Yin and Yang.
While Yin would be dark, passive, downward,
cold, contracting, and weak, Yang would be bright, active, upward, hot,
expanding, and strong.
The concepts of Yin and Yang and the Five
Agents provided the intellectual framework of much of Chinese scientific
thinking especially in fields like biology and medicine.
The organs of the body were seen to be
interrelated in the same sorts of ways as other natural phenomena, and best
understood by looking for correlations and correspondences. Illness was seen as
a disturbance in the balance of Yin and Yang or the Five Agents caused by
emotions, heat or cold, or other influences.
Therapy thus depended on accurate diagnosis
of the source of the imbalance. The earliest surviving medical texts are fragments
of manuscript from early Han tombs. Besides general theory, these texts cover
drugs, gymnastics, minor surgery, and magic spells. The text which was to
become the main source of medical theory also apparently dates from the Han. It
is the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine, supposed to have been written
during the third millennium BC by the mythical Yellow Emperor. A small portion
of it is given below.
The Yellow Emperor said "The principle
of Yin and Yang is the foundation of the entire universe. It underlies
everything in creation. It brings about the development of parenthood; it is
the root and source of life and death it is found with the temples of the gods.
In order to treat and cure diseases one must
search for their origins. "Heaven was created by the concentration of
Yang, the force of light, earth was created by the concentration of Yin, the
forces of darkness.
Yang stands for peace and serenity; Yin
stands for confusion and turmoil. Yang stands for destruction; Yin stands for
conservation. Yang brings about disintegration; Yin gives shape to things.
The pure and lucid element of light is
manifested in the upper artifices and the turbid element of darkness is
manifested in the lower orifices. Yang, the element of light, originates in the
pores. Yin, the element of darkness, moves within the five viscera (internal
organs). Yang the lucid force of light truly is represented by the four
extremities-and Yin the turbid force of darkness stores the power of the six
treasures of nature.
Water is an embodiment of Yin as fire is an
embodiment of Yang. Yang creates the air, while Yin creates the senses, which
belong to the physical body. When the physical body dies, the spirit is
restored to the air, its natural environment. The spirit receives its
nourishment through the air, and the body receives its nourishment through the
senses.
"If Yang is overly powerful, then Yin
may be too weak. If Yin is particularly strong, then Yang is apt to be
defective.
If the
male force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive heat. If the female
force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive cold. Exposure to repeated
and severe heat will induce chills. Cold injures the body while heat injures
the spirit. When the spirit is hurt, severe pain will ensue. When the body is
hurt, there will be swelling. Thus, when severe pain occurs first and swelling
comes on later, one may infer that a disharmony in the spirit has done harm to
the body. Likewise, when swelling appears first and severe pain is felt later
on, one can say that a dysfunction in the body has injured the spirit
"Nature has four seasons and five elements. To grant long life, these
seasons and elements must store up the power of creation in cold, heat,
dryness, moisture, and wind. Man has five viscera in which these five climates
are transformed into joy, anger, sympathy, grief, and fear.
The emotions of joy and anger are injurious
to the spirit just as cold and heat are injurious to the body. Violent anger
depletes Yin; violent joy depletes Yang. When rebellious emotions rise to
Heaven the pulse expires and leaves the body.
When joy and anger are without moderation, then cold and heat exceed all
measure, and life is no longer secure. Yin and Yang should be respected to an
equal extent.
The Yellow Emperor asked, "Is there any
alternative to the law of Yin and Yang?" Qi Bo answered: "When Yang
is the stronger, the body is hot, the pores are closed, and people begin to
pant; they become boisterous and coarse and do not perspire. They become
feverish their mouths are dry and sore, their stomachs feel tight, and they die
of constipation. When Yang is the stronger, people can endure winter but not
summer. When Yin is the stronger, the body is cold and covered with
perspiration. People realize they are ill; they tremble and feel chilly. When
they feel chilled, their spirits become rebellious. Their stomachs can no
longer digest food and they die. When Yin is stronger, people can endure summer
but not winter. Thus Yin and Yang alternate. Their ebbs and surges vary, and so
does the character of the diseases."
The Yellow Emperor asked, "Can anything
be done to harmonize and adjust these two principles of nature?" Qi Bo
answered: "If one has the ability to know the seven injuries and the eight
advantages, one can bring the two principles into harmony. If one does not know
how to use this knowledge, his life will be doomed to early decay. By the age
of forty the Yin force in the body has been reduced to one-half of its natural
vigor and an individual's youthful prowess has deteriorated. By the age of
fifty the body has grown heavy. The ears no longer hear well. The eyes no
longer see clearly. By the age of sixty
the life producing power of Yin has declined to a very low level. Impotence
sets in. The nine orifices no longer benefit each other. Those who seek wisdom
beyond the natural limits will retain good hearing and clear vision. Their
bodies will remain light and strong. Although they grow old in years, they will
stay able-bodied and vigorous and be capable of governing to great advantage.
For this reason the ancient sages did not rush into the affairs of the world.
In their pleasures and joys they were dignified and tranquil. They did what
they thought best and did not bend their will or ambition to the achievement of
empty ends, thus their allotted span of life was without limit, like that of
Heaven and earth. This is the way the ancient sages controlled and conducted
themselves. "By observing myself I learn about others, and their diseases
become apparent to me.
By observing the external symptoms, I gather
knowledge about the internal diseases. One should watch for things out of the
ordinary. One should observe minute and trifling things and treat them as if
the were big and important. When they are treated the danger they pose will be
dissipated. Experts in examining patients judge their general appearance; they
feel their pulse and determine whether it is Yin or Yang that causes the
disease. To determine whether Yin or Yang predominates, one must be able to
distinguish a light pulse of low tension from a hard, pounding one. With a disease of Yang, Yin predominates,
with a disease of Yin, Yang predominates.
When one is filled with vigor and strength, Yin and Yang are in proper
harmony. Translated by Mark Coyle http://fly .srk.fer.hr/~shlede/ying/yang.html
The symbol is also known as Tai Ji or Tai
Chi. In the martial arts it represents the smooth and continuous representing
the Tao or ‘way’. The sign is the soft and open hand and the hard fist of the
other hand is placed in the palm of the open hand.
Boson> an ENERGY
particle
Error> in opposition to
truth, laws and knowledge of laws that could be destructive to what is right,
good, and true.
Elements> the particles of
energy called life’s force or intelligence, and the particles of matter at
their basic forms.
Energy Particle>Boson, Intelligence,
Truth, Light of Truth, Life, Spirit
Fermions > a MATTER
particle
God’s Space>Once man has been
ordained to organize matter he goes to the edge of organized space and
organizes his own space. The space where God dwells and the eternal round
begins again. In our case near KOLOB is where God dwells and we are within his
organized space. Jesus Christ will have his own and likewise the Holy Ghost as
well
as Abraham and Joseph Smith. They will always be part of God’s dimension and
visit their families and will never be released from their priesthood
responsibilities.
Intelligence> that particle
that acts, and can be joined with matter, has capacity to adhere to truth or
error, life’s force, light of truth, can exist in varying ascending degrees,
not to be confused with intelligence as smart or knowledgeable
Kingdom>that area in
eternity inside of organized space governed by a priesthood organization
Light > knowledge,
understanding, comprehension, enlightenment also can mean light, as radiant
beams of energy
Matter Particle>Fermions, Matter,
Primal Matter, Particles capacitated to receive intelligence
Organized
Intelligence>
Intelligences organized by God into varying forms of existence: rocks, trees,
intelligent beings, a portion of divinity, have the capacity to learn and be
taught,
Outerdarkness> That area outside of organized space where the two
basic particles exist in a non organized chaotic state.
Portion of Divinity> the organized
intelligence of the intelligent being organized by God that exists in all of us
and capacitates our progression to becoming Gods ourselves, through our
faithfulness in keeping the commandments and adherence to truth and abhorrence
of error
Quicken >To make alive,
to resurrect, or to change a person so that he can be in the presence of God.
God
hath quickened us together with Christ, Eph. 2:4–5 (Col. 2:6, 12–13). Christ was put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit, 1 Pet. 3:18
(D&C 138:7). No man has seen God,
except quickened by the Spirit, D&C 67:11.
Redemption is through him that quickeneth all things, D&C 88:16–17. The Saints will be quickened and caught up to
meet Christ, D&C 88:96. Adam became quickened
in the inner man, Moses 6:65.
(Guide to the
Scriptures | Q Quicken.:Entry)
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great
things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20 Thou,
which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt
bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
(Old Testament |
Psalms 71:19 - 20)
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
(New Testament |
Romans 8:11 )
15 And whether they were in the body or out of
the body, they could not tell; for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration
of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state,
that they could behold the things of God.
(Book of Mormon | 3
Nephi 28:15)
11 But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but
not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have
beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was
upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.
(Pearl of Great Price
| Moses 1:11 )
Satan and one third part of Hosts of Heaven>Cast out of God’s
presence and sent to earth. They receive not earthly bodies and will follow the
same fate as the Sons of Perdition. They are stripped of their spirit bodies
and sent to outerdarkness into disorganized chaos forever. Usually not visible
to man but exist around him having influence to tempt and persuade him into
going against Gods will. Have no power over man except what God allows
Self Existent
Intelligence>Intelligences
attached to matter and organized by God. They have individual characteristics
modeled by and after the characteristics of God, and after they have been
thoroughly trained, they can conform to the highly complex instruction they
receive from the Father, the Son, or members of the Priesthood authorized to
perform certain acts under the guidance of the Father or the Son. These were known
as the noble and great ones.
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized
before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble
and great ones; (Abraham 3:22 )
Space> that area in
eternity that has been organized and contains a kingdom
Space Dimensions>There are 10
different space dimensions. Each having a unique harmonic frequency and joined
intelligence and matter compatible with each space dimension. Several
dimensions can be co-existing within the same area yet not being visible to the
other dimensions. Example; on the earth exists in the same time dimension the
spirits of Satan, Man in his temporal world and the spirits that have died
waiting for the resurrection. If we had faith enough our bodies could be
quickened or changed, or modified to receive the right frequency so that the
spirits around us and even Christ could be seen. After the final judgment our
bodies will be quickened to a state that is compatible with the glory that we
will receive. We will not ever be able to change this arrangement of intelligence and specific matter. (Matter
specific to that glory) “Bodies
celestial, terrestrial and telestial.”
Spirit Body>The joining of the
organized intelligence with a spirit body becomes the spiritual offspring of
God. They have the capacity to learn,
speak, govern and given free agency.
Spiritual
Creation>Everything
was created spiritually before it was created temporally under the direction of
the Father by the Son and Michael.
Transfiguration>(see
also Change, Changing; Transform; Translated Beings; TG Transfiguration,
Transfigured; Translated Beings; BD Transfiguration, Mount of)(Index | T
Transfigure, Transfigured:Entry)
Sons of Perdition>They are stripped of
their bodies and their organized intelligences are sent into outerdarkness.
Never being able to receive any glory throughout all eternity. Their bodies
elements remain on earth and become celestialized.
Telestial >Visited by the
Holy Ghost
See
telestial in previous section. Those living here have been resurrected with
bodies telestial and cannot visit other glories.
Terrestrial > Visited by
Jesus Christ
See
terrestrial in previous section. Those living here have been resurrected with
bodies terrestrial. They cannot visit other glories.
Temporal Creation>The temporal creation
of all things was patterned after the spiritual creation. Man and woman placed
on the earth as well as Satan and his followers.
Time Dimension>Our time is different
from God’s yet the two exist harmoniously together. The time is one thousand of
our years to a day of the Lord’s time. God’s time is based on a great star near
him called Kolob.
4 In answer to the question—Is not the
reckoning of God's time, angel's time, prophet's time, and man's time, according
to the planet on which they reside?
5 I answer, Yes.
(Doctrine and
Covenants | Section 130:4 - 5)
The Fall>The changing of man
and earth’s elements from a celestial or eternal state to a temporal state.
Possibly
moving from one time dimension to another coupled with mortality.
Three Degrees of
Glory
> Visited by Elohim
CELESTIAL
3 Where the Gods dwell. Preparation
state waiting for their ordinations.
CELESTIAL
2 Gods in training with their families.
CELESTIAL 1 Celestial beings who have not received the
covenant of marriage. Those living here have been resurrected with bodies
celestial. Are able to visit other glories.
1 WHEN the Savior shall appear we shall see him
as he is. We shall see that he is a man
like ourselves.
2 And that same sociality which exists among us
here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory,
which glory we do not now enjoy.
(Doctrine and
Covenants | Section 130:1 - 2)
Truth> all laws and
knowledge of laws by which everything operates in eternity, that are good, and
right, just, and true.
Universal
Elements>Everything
that we know of contains intelligence and matter, the rock, gases, light,
water, man, everything animate or inanimate.
Urim and Thummim> Instruments
prepared by God to assist man in obtaining revelation and in translating
languages. In the Hebrew language the
words mean "lights and perfections."
The Urim and Thummim consist of two stones set in silver bows and
sometimes used with a breastplate (D&C 17:1; JS-H 1:35, 42, 52). This earth will become a great Urim and
Thummim in its sanctified and immortal state (D&C 130:6–11).
(Guide to the
Scriptures | U Urim and Thummim.:Entry)
6 The angels do not reside on a planet like
this earth;
7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a
globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are
manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.
8 The place where God resides is a great Urim
and Thummim.
9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal
state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the
inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior
kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell
on it; and this earth will be Christ's.
10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation
2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one,
whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;
11 And a white stone is given to each of those
who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no
man knoweth save he that receiveth it.
The new name is the key word.
Valiant or Valiancy> firm, strong, courageous,
robust in adhering to the truth, can exist in varying degrees in ascending
degrees from error to truth
