Light and Dark Value Scale to explain The Law of Opposition

 

THE LAW OF OPPOSITION AS EXPLAINED BY A VALUE SCALE

 

Parke Ranch Painting by Steve Streadbeck

I have created this post to help others on their way to enlightenment, understand the principals of What is Perfection? What is Hell? Why must we not judge others including ourselves? How can one get on the path back to God? Why God? What is this Earth Life all about? What does it mean to live in the world but not of the world? And other answers. I hope you enjoy the concept. Steve Streadbeck

 2 Nephi 2:11-14

11 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, 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.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is ^ano law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. 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 ^bthere 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.

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and ^alearning; for there is a God, and he hath ^bcreated all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be ^cacted upon.

 

 

 

        0      1        2      3       4       5        6        7        8        9        10

 This is an artists’ value scale. Compare this if you will to the Law of Opposition. On the one hand you have pure light where there is no value of darkness. It is pure, undefiled, and void of sin or darkness. This is, if you can imagine, where God dwells. It is the pure state of perfection. Imperfection exists and man is aware of, but does not exist here. By observing this one can understand what it means to become perfected, or being perfect. Light or perfection only exists because of its opposition, otherwise there is no existence. On the opposite end of the scale is darkness. This is total darkness and void of purity, it is evil and sinful. There is where Satan dwells along with his followers, or they of like mind and behavior. In between lays a multitude of variations between light and darkness. They who do not keep God’s commandments live and dwell within these parameters. There are an infinite number of variations between light and dark, purity and impurity. Now as an exercise draw a line on the scale or pick a number where you believe dark becomes light, or where light becomes dark. Imagine if you will, this is where you believe yourself to be on the scale of righteousness and or evil. This is in the scriptures is where man is believed to be as he or she is navigating through life. One is neither light nor dark. In this example one may view it as sitting on a fence where one leg may be accepting darkness and the other leg the light. God said that “If you are not for me then you are against me.” You alone can and do make that determination. You must swing your leg over and start walking towards the light or He, meaning God, deems you are to be leaning towards the darkness and are not on His side or the side of light. On one side is righteousness and the other is sin. You simply can’t say that you believe in Christ and are saved. You still remain in sin or darkness because of your daily actions and lack of repentance. The light and dark varies moment to moment according to ones thoughts and behaviors. If you accept Christ it does not mean that you are pure and white nor if you do not accept Christ does it mean that you are dark and evil. It does mean that you are becoming, going towards, leaning in the direction of one or the other. You can always have a change of heart, even a mighty change of heart and go in the opposite direction. This statement as to having a “mighty change of heart,” is reversing the direction you are going and going in the direction of the light and towards God. However, most people seem to find a comfortable spot, or comfortable value between good and evil and remain there most of their lives. They live in a place where their natural bodies are comfortable. They listen to their natural senses, and sleep, drink, work, and perform life’s duties as long as it pleases them. That is where they live. Life’s test or why we have been placed here on the earth by our Heavenly Father, is to let us decide where we want to reside, and what is it that we desire and is worth working and sacrificing for. Is it heaven or hell? Light or Dark? Reward or Punishment? Or do you want no reward and no punishment (just existence)? If you think that it is mere existence then you have to think again, because we all have been granted and gained the right and do exist as a gift to us by God.

 

 Now may I address and help to define or identify the subject of “Judgment.” The moment you selected the value or line where you thought was the line where you or someone was sitting on the fence between light and dark you became a judge. We have been counseled, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” To each of us a judgment is made when we place anyone, including ourselves, on the value scale between light and dark. We cannot and do not know what laws that person has been given by which they are to be judged by God. God being the only true law giver whereby man will be judged. We cannot know nor do not know what direction a person is traveling in, whether towards God and the light or away from God and towards the darkness. All of us are susceptible of judging others and the judgment of ourselves by others. Often we are critical of church leaders because of their judgments (often personal) of members because of their actions. God or Christ are the only ones that can judge our or others behavior. They, meaning the Gods,  have chosen leaders to make judgments for them, because they cannot be here with us all the time. These individuals that are chosen, are called Bishops, and have been given the keys of revelation. They themselves are not perfect and sometimes commit sins or make mistakes but whatever mistakes they make God will make right, for not to do so he himself would be not perfect.

From the fall of Adam and Eve, which introduced opposition into the world we live in this grayscale area of sinfulness. With this introduction we were granted the gift of Agency or Free Choice. We can either choose light or dark, good or evil, righteousness or sinfulness, right or wrong, happiness or sadness, reward or punishment, joy or eternal damnation. Which is it that you or we choose. The choice is ours to make. In what direction are we going? Are we going towards God and Light or toward Satan and Darkness? The great task we have, is as an individual to control our natural behavior, or that of the natural man or physical part of us and to allow our spiritual side to take over and control our behavior. The natural man desires the physical pleasures of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste to control our behavior. These appetites lead us in the direction of evil and darkness, because Satan controls the natural mind of man. The mind of the spirit is controlled by the Holy Ghost and leads us in the direction of purity and light with desires of keeping the commandments with strict obedience to God. We are not expected to be perfect in this world but to become perfect as our Father in Heaven is. We are expected to be on the path towards perfection. When we come to the area known as Pure Light or Value scale 0 where there is no darkness it doesn’t mean that we all came to that area pure and undefiled but that we traveled through the world of impurity and arrived now clean and darkness free, only because of Christ’s atonement for our sins. (For no unclean thing can enter into the presence of God)

“In the world but not of the world’ is a statement often heard of while we are on our earthly journey. This simply means that while traveling through life’s journey we recognize that darkness surrounds us, which is “in the world,”  but that we don’t have to participate or join in it or be part of it, which is “of the world” darkness. When we finally reach a state of enlightenment or perfection we must and will embrace the knowledge and awareness that evil still exists, and that understanding this itself is enlightenment and celestial existence. This IS the Great Law of Opposition of and in all things. We can and do have moments of purity or living without sin in our lives when we embrace righteousness through repentance and keeping the commandments, but few remain there and succumb to darkness and sin. When we say that man is not perfect and can never be in this life, we mean that man is continually giving way to temptations and sin and don’t remain in a continual state of perfection. Hopefully it is important to know and remember that man can become perfect. It is possible. That possibility exists in God’s perfect Plan of Salvation. The circle within the darkness represents man living in a dark world but signifying that he doesn’t have to be dark. It reminds man that he can remain, or become, pure, clean and sin free though darkness surrounds us.

 

0        1       2       3        4        5         6       7       8      9      10

 

The Kingdoms of Reward from living a mortal life

 0  The Celestial Dimension - Where man has overcome sin through repentance, (and Christ’s atonement) good works, baptism, gift of Holy Ghost, Priesthood and sealing power. Do not feel comfortable living in any form of darkness. Glory is light and will receive a fullness of glory.

 1 – 5 The Terrestrial Dimension- All the good people of the earth that have lived according to the Terrestrial Laws. Approximately 2/3 of the earths population. (my guess) About the same number that believe in a higher deity and are trying to live a higher more wholesome way but do not accept a testimony of Jesus Christ while on the earth. Will receive a Terrestrial Glory. (light slightly diminished)

6 – 9 The Telestial Dimension-  All those people of the earth that have lived according to the Telestial Laws. Approximately 1/3 of the earths population. (my guess) Love evil and delight in the control and suffering of mankind. Will receive a Telestial Glory. (light greatly diminished)

10  Outerdarkness – Where all those who have denied Christ and chosen to follow Satan and his evil path. They are known as Sons of Perdition. There is no light here, no glory. 1/3 part of the host of heaven are all ready to be sent here, never to receive bodies. They were cast down along with Satan.

 You can think of it is as if your bodies are resurrected somewhat polluted with darkness. (refer to the value scale) Your resurrected bodies will be of the same value as you lived. Unless you become clean and white you can no longer live in the presence of your Heavenly Family. Christ will rule over the Terrestrial Glory and the Holy Ghost the Telestial Glory. Your bodies can only exist in the dimension from which you have lived and become accustomed.

 

 

Law of Opposition Word Behavior Chart

  0 through 5 The persons who desires light are:

Loving, Tender, Affectionate, Devoted, Caring, Adoring, Warm, Kind, Charitable, Forgiving, Loyal, Courteous, Obedient, Thrifty, Reverent, Trustworthy, Truthful, Chaste, Honest, Brave, Spiritual, Free, Honors parents, Non judgmental, Giving, Generous, Benevolent, Patience, Temperate, Humble, Generous, Altruistic, Helpful, Bountiful, Merciful, Pardoning, Hopeful, Prudent, Just, Lenient, Forbearing, Magnanimous, Sympathetic, Tolerant, Kindhearted, Gentle, Caring, Affectionate, Faithful, Devoted, Reliable, Dependable, Steadfast, Dedicated, Polite, Well-mannered, Considerate, Civil, Serving, Positive, Builder, Creator, Lives, Harmonious, Uplifting, Glorious, Eternal, Unfailing, Staunch, Converted, Compassionate, Happy,  Joyful, Thankful, Generous, Thankful, Prayerful

 6 through 10 The persons who desire dark are:

Liars, Cheaters, Stealers, Lustful, Angry, Covetous Destroyers,, Desires wealth, Adulterers, Fornicators, Addicted, Pornographic, Haters, are Envious, Slothful, Gluttonous, Greedy, Lazy, Wrathful, Prideful, Murders, enjoy Captivity, Confusion, Chaos, Disharmony, Bondage, Slavery, Prison, Disorder, Death, Punishment, Hell, Negative, , Eternal Damnation, Selfish, Prideful, Conceited, Ego driven, Abusers, Sad, Cold, Natural, Stingy,

 The question is where do you stand in your desires, beliefs and behaviors. Where is it that you feel comfortable? Take for example any group or individual and where do they reside in their beliefs and behaviors.  We are all God’s children through the lineage of Adam and Eve if you believe that or if you don’t then on the scale of opposites where is it that you have evolved? What kind of behaviors are acceptable to you? Society dictates to us the norms. These behaviors I believe still follow the acceptable behaviors of light and darkness.

  Cures for the 7 deadly sins: (law of opposites)

Humility   cures  Pride

 Kindness  cures  Envy

 Abstinence  cures  Gluttony

 Chastity  cures  Lust

 Patience  cures  Wrath

 Liberality  cures  Greed

 Diligence  cures  Sloth

 

The Yin Yang Scale

The Chinese explain it in this manner. The yin yang symbol teaches us, as one grows

the other diminishes, yet the other will always exist, as represented by the

small dot or opposite color within each, even though we may grow to a state

 of complete lightness or darkness. Otherwise, there can be no existence of

one or the other. Man always has the choice, to grow in righteousness,

 goodness, kindness, happiness, purity of thoughts and deeds or to grow in

 unrighteousness, impurity, corruption, sickness and evil. God wants to build,

create, endure, and exist. Satan wants to destroy corrupt, kill, maim, control,

dictate and inflict.

 The value scale illuminates the differences between light and dark and all the variants. Ask yourself

 and evaluate where do you exist on the scale? Are you growing towards light or darkness?

 

 

 

Rock Violence: The Story of How Gun Violence Came About

 Rock Violence: The Story of How Gun Violence Came About

Cain the first poor and rock-less victim, murdered Abel the first Entrepreneur who collected rocks from his garden to create a wealthy rock pile, with a rock from Abel’s rock pile. It was concluded that if it wasn’t for Abel’s rock, the human couldn’t have committed this dreadful act, and logically was the belief that it must have been the rocks fault (being inanimate and all) and not the humans (having only the limited power of reason and forethought), to commit the murder, and it was also desired in those days that following such a horrific act there become a grave necessity to criminalize ALL rocks. For if it wasn’t for the rock the murder would never have happened. Thus we have born from this act the term “Rock Violence.” The actual cause of this violent act occurred when Cain’s habitual whining about how unfair things were (due to the fact that God, if there was a God, had it in for him because God didn’t bless him with a rock pile the same as Abel’s, who was his equal, and logic always wins and must take precedence, concluding that there is no God, only Science) and it became unbearable for Abel, and calling him out on it, or bringing it to Cain’s attention, made Cain so angry, he planned the murder, thereby using the most effective thing he could think of, and that was with one of Abel’s soon to become, “Violent Rocks.” Now it is important to keep in mind and be well aware that it was written into the Charter of the Garden of Eden, that man had the freedom and innate right to carry and possess rocks. However our fore-fathers, Adam and Eve, could not possibly have understood the implications of how a rock could become a murder weapon. Therefore we now come to the postulation and make an exception to that very general rule, because the rock had now become the new weapon of choice due to its ready availability and great abundance. We are not stupid and therefore recognize that we must not include all rocks into the equation, for some rocks may be beneficial to ones survival and well being. It must be only the ones which we have labeled “Assault Rocks” due to Cain’s impulsive behavior and their menacing appearance. These rocks include the rocks that can fit into ones hands and have enough weight to insure harm or certain death to kill and maim. These may perform the same function as other rocks, however be not deceived, these are more menacing because they are dark, look formidable, and can be thrown at greater speed, or struck with much frequency and deadly accuracy.

                We recognize that pebbles, however, must not be listed as deadly because of insufficient weight, but if collected in large enough quantities may cause death when heaped upon an individual and so it is with certain reluctance one must also regulate the quantities of these kinds of rocks and limit the amount that any one person may accumulate. We also must create legislation limiting an individual’s right so that they may only possess pebbles in small enough quantities that one may be able to hold them in the palm of a single hand, and must have no sharp edges. We must also legislate against any invention or object that may enhance the force or rapidity that rocks may be thrown. Thus sling shots are no longer permissible. It doesn’t matter if you use them for hunting or sport. A rock skipping on water may become very dangerous. Suppose someone is out swimming under water and comes up at just the wrong moment when a rock is side armed across the silken water of a stream or pond. We also see no need for someone to want to throw rocks at targets like bottles, cans and papers with a “Bull’s eye” painted on it. Just think of it. How wrong is it for anyone to want to put out a “Bull’s eye.” Large boulders are exempt because they are too heavy to lift or throw and difficult to easily hide or store. Understanding this we must also regulate the purchase and transfer of boulder crushing equipment like hammers and sludge hammers that can manipulate or change large boulders into smaller rocks and or pebbles.

We must also ask ourselves and come to the conclusion that it may be possible and on some very, very rare occasions it might not be the rocks fault at all, and that fault might lie with the human. Thus the criminalizing of the rock isn’t enough. We must also look towards the rock possessors or owners. We need background checks on all humans before they can possess or purchase rocks to insure that they are not getting into the wrong hands. This applies to even law abiding citizens. Their rights must be regulated because they could innocently and unknowingly sell, loan or give one to an unstable person. The rest of the population that have no interest or need for rocks, and do not care if they even exist, desire to impose their feelings and impressions on all those who do use rocks in construction, sports, survival and protection in their daily lives. It goes without saying that the mentally ill, the criminals and all political opponents must never have access to rocks. This is always to be determined and challenged with every election until the goal is reached of total rock elimination. Hopefully the end goal here is to have one political party in control and to never let the opposing masses have access to, or the rights to possess rocks that could be potentially used against you. Concealed carry permits will be limited to those individuals who are protecting these elite legislators who have enacted these anti rock laws as well as movie celebrities, knowing full well that all actors or people impersonators hold a superior intellect and knowledge of most all things above that of the average person or persons in this land, akin to individuals just wanting to protect their homes and families, who are in actuality the majority and are simply not important enough to warrant any self protection, because after all they are not celebrities or the honored political elite. We must never assume that it is just evil people doing evil things, because this scenario is always false from the commencement.  We must always sponsor the assumption that people are by nature good and must always reject the hypothesis that it can be as simple as “Evil people doing evil things,” and the blame must always be with the weapon of choice. Here is a true fact; if you take away the weapon, you take away the murderous evil act. In our present atmosphere it is a perfectly sound deduction that with a total elimination of rocks there can be no more rock violence or political coups. We know that people are not smart enough to come up with another form of violence. Namely: physical violence, knife violence, or cart violence, or rope violence, or sword violence, or spear violence, hammer and sickle violence, or chemical violence.

 All building and road contractors must be closely regulated. There can and should never be the transferring of rocks from one person to another without proper documentation and all rocks must be registered. This is so the Government knows where every rock is, in order that it might come with rock in hand, and confiscates your rocks under punishment of fine, imprisonment or death. You may all voluntarily turn in your rocks, which will be crushed by the Government at your expense into sand that will be made into wine and beer bottles for everyone’s alcohol consumption, which will make us ALL feel better about ourselves and the present crisis, while we smoke our legalized pot and promote and build centers to inject illegal drugs while handing out condoms for promiscuity and contemplate the handling of this dreadful problem of “Rock Violence,” which plagues our society. Thank you all for your support.

This is a message from your Elect an Intellect Victim Special Interest Pac.

Thoughts that will put you on the Right Path of Life

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

RIGHT MIND, RIGHT VIEW, RIGHT BEHAVIOR

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.

1. The Universal Truth

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 through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and obtain Eternal Lives.

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)

 2. The Perfect Pattern and Order

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.

3. The Perfect Plan

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.

4. The Law of Opposition and Universal Truth

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. For God’s glory comes from the execution of the Perfect Plan.

5. The Law of Causation

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.

6. Desire and Ignorance

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.

7. Spirit Mind and Physical Mind

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.

8. Mind-Only

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.

9. The Real State of Things

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.

10. The Middle Way

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 transcending these prejudiced concepts, where duality merges into oneness.

11. The Mind of Purity

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.

12. The Spiritual Nature

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.

13. Right and Wrong

 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.

14. Judgment and Glory

Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all things shall be added to you.

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 by those in authority. Have kept their covenants made in the temple. Have not become Gods, yet have lived righteous lives and will be part of an eternal family. They are Priests and Priestesses in the Priesthood or Government of God. 3. For those who have been married for time and all eternity in a temple of God by those in authority, have kept their covenants made in the temple, will be part of an eternal family and are Gods. They are Kings and 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, and give praises to God continually.

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; They can’t hear promptings, or don’t choose to, they are mean, hurtful, resentful, deny God, choose evil over righteousness, greed, desire and passions control their lives. They steal, rob, cheat, lie, kill, rob virtue; lives, time, talents, imposters, impersonators.

15. Selflessness

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 of a mysterious medical herb that was hidden - under the tall grasses of the 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.

16. Human Defilements

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.

17. Reality of Human Life

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.

18. Purification of the Mind

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. In this town there was one who resented them and who bribed wicked men to circulate false stories about them. Under these circumstances it was difficult for the disciples to get sufficient food and lodging, and there was much abuse in that town. “We had better not stay in a town like this. There are other and better towns to go to. We had better leave this town,” said one of the missionaries. The other one replied: “Suppose the next town is like this, what shall we do then?” “Then we move to another.” The other one said: “No, there will be no end in that way. We had better remain here and bear the abuse patiently until it ceases, and then we move to another place.”

 “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."

19. Man’s Nature

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.

20. The Search for Truth

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.

21. The Ways of Practice

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.

22. The Way of Faith

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, a power that purifies them, a power that protects them from self-delusion. Even if they have faith only for a moment, when they hear the Lord's name praised allover the world, they will be led to His presence.

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.

23. The Life of Women

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 and kept many young and beautiful prostitutes with her. She called upon the Blessed One and asked Him to give her some good teaching. The Blessed One said, "Andrea, the mind of a woman is easily disturbed and misled. She' yields to her desires and surrenders to jealousy more easily than a man. "Therefore, it is more difficult for a woman to follow the Path. This is especially true for a young and beautiful woman. You must step forth toward the Path by overcoming lust and temptation. "Andrea, you must remember that youth and beauty do not last but are followed by sickness, old age: and suffering. Desires for wealth and love are women's besetting temptations, but, Andrea, they are not the eternal treasures. Enlightenment is the only treasure that maintains its value. Strength is followed by illness; youth must yield to old age; life gives way to death. One may have to go away from a loved one to live with a hated one; one may not obtain what one wishes for very long. This is the law of life. "The only thing that protects and brings one to lasting peace is Enlightenment. Andrea, you should seek Enlightenment at once." She listened to Him, became His disciple and, as an offering, donated to the Brotherhood her beautiful garden park.

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." Then she made the following three wishes to save poor people: "First, I will try to make everyone peaceful. This wish, I believe, will be the root of goodness that will grow into the wisdom of good teaching. "Second, after I have received the wisdom of good teaching, I will untiringly teach all people. "Third, I will protect the true teaching, even at the, sacrifice of my own body, life or property." The true significance of family life is the opportunity it gives for mutual encouragement and aid on the path to Enlightenment. Even an ordinary woman, if she has the same mind to seek Enlightenment, and makes the same vows and wishes, may become as great a disciple of Christ as Madonaiha was.

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.

24. Service

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.

25. The Role of the Church

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, the Church of God on the earth or the Church of Jesus Christ.

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.

26. Building Zion

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. And just like a soft breeze and a few blossoms on a branch that tell the coming of spring, so when a man attains Enlightenment, grass, trees, mountains, rivers and all other things begin to throb with new life.

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 be built.

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 is founded upon the pure mind of a single man, that single pure mind draws other kindred minds to itself in the fellowship of a brotherhood. Faith in Christ spreads from individual to family, from family to village, from village to towns, to cities, to countries, and finally to the whole world.

Indeed, earnestness and faithfulness in spreading the gospel are what build Zion. To be sure, when viewed from one angle, the world with all its greed and injustice and bloodshed appears as a devil's world; but, as people come to believe in Christ's Enlightenment, blood will be turned into milk and greed into compassion, and then, the devil's land becomes a 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 Pure Land, where the flowers perfume the air, with wisdom and the birds sing the holy Gospel is the final destination for all mankind.

Though this Pure Land is the place for taking rest, it is not the place for idleness. Its beds of fragrant flowers are not for slothful indolence, but are the places for refreshment and rest, where one regains energy and zeal to continue Christ's mission of Enlightenment.

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 by means of the great power of Elohim, may be zealous to return to the land whence they came and where they still have ties. There they will take their part in Christ’s mission.

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.

27. Yin-Yang Symbol

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.

GLOSSARY

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

Wisdom> the righteous use of truth, and complete abhorrence of error