WHIRLPOOLS IN THE RIVER

This quote is from Charlotte Joko Beck in Jack Kornfield's book "The Buddha Is Still Teaching":

WHIRLPOOLS IN THE RIVER

We are rather like whirlpools in the river of life. In flowing forward, a river or stream may hit rocks, branches, or irregularities in the ground, causing whirlpools to spring up spontaneously here and there. Water entering one whirlpool quickly passes through and rejoins the river, eventually joining another whirlpool and moving on. Though for short periods it seems to be distinguishable as a separate event, the water in the whirlpools is just the river itself. The stability of a whirlpool is only temporary. The energy of the river of life forms living things—a human being, a cat or dog, trees and plants—then what held the whirlpool in place is itself altered, and the whirlpool is swept away, reentering the larger flow. The energy that was a particular whirlpool fades out and the water passes on, perhaps to be caught again and turned for a moment into another whirlpool.

We’d rather not think of our lives in this way, however. We don’t want to see ourselves as simply a temporary formation, a whirlpool in the river of life. The fact is, we take form for a while; then when conditions are appropriate, we fade out. There’s nothing wrong with fading out; it’s a natural part of the process. However, we want to think that this little whirlpool that we are isn’t part of the stream. We want to see ourselves as permanent and stable. Our whole energy goes into trying to protect our supposed separateness. To protect the separateness, we set up artificial, fixed boundaries; as a consequence, we accumulate excess baggage, stuff that slips into our whirlpool and can’t flow out again. So, things clog up our whirlpool and the process gets messy. The stream needs to flow naturally and freely….We serve other whirlpools best if the water that enters ours is free to rush through and move on easily and quickly to whatever else needs to be stirred. The energy of life seeks rapid transformation. If we can see life this way and not cling to anything, life simply comes and goes.

The Power of the Word GOD and the Meaning of the Crucifixion

More from Volume 3 of "Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East":

Chapter XV (Location 1375)

(The following is a quote from Jesus appearing to the group in Hardwar)

“I will talk to you just as I wish you to talk to yourself.  If you will make these statements true or make them a part of yourself, you will need no other.  These statements are in no wise to be used as formulas.  Students can use them to bring their thoughts in accord with Divine Principle or, as many say, ‘to train their thoughts to the one point’.  We use the word GOD as often as possible, repeating it many times.

“It is a well known fact that the oftener you say or use the word GOD, knowing it to be the highest principle in-dwelling and flowing through you, the greater benefit you will derive from it.  Allow me to repeat, - our thought is, ‘You cannot say GOD or use the name too much’.

“See God as Creative Principle flowing through you; concentrate and energize that principle, and send it out with more dynamic influence.  Because of the fact that it always flows through you as well as around you, you are able to give it a greater impetus by sending it out with the whole force of your being, impelling it outward.  Man’s body is the medium through which this force is transformed and added impetus is given it, in order to do a greater work and be sent forth in greater form.

“Thus, there is far greater force added to this principle through the fact that millions are magnifying its radiations and sending them out; yet one man standing forth in full dominion can conquer the world.  Thus, see what millions could accomplish.

“The more you use this name, knowing that it is the in-dwelling God Principle that you are establishing within you, the higher the rate of vibration of your body.  These vibrations become correlated and respond to the Divine vibrations which the word God means and gives forth.  Should you say GOD once, meaningly, your body will never return to the same vibratory rate that it was giving off at the time you used the word GOD.  With this thought in mind, make these statements your very own; put them in your own language if you so desire.  They are from you and not from any outside source.  Just try for a time and see what it will do for you.  Recall that every time you think GOD, you are God’s Divine Plan.  These are not my words, they are your words coming from the Christ of God, yourself.  Bear in mind that Jesus, the man, became the Christ as He expressed light, which is pure life of God.

“God, my Father, the Divine Principle flowing through me, is all; and all that God is, I AM.  I am the Christ of God, God-man.

“All that God my Father is, is for God-man to use; thus I AM is entitled to use all substance.  In fact, God my Father is pressing out all substance to God-man in unlimited measure.

“God Principle is my Father; I AM the Christ of God; both in whole and complete union.  All that God has, the Christ of God is.

“Let us take the word GOD.  Why is it that this word has so much power?  It is because of the vibrations that are released when the word is spoken – they are of the very highest, they are the Cosmos, the most effective vibration.  They come in on the Cosmic Ray and set up the highest field of radiation.  This field is all-inclusive, all-penetrating, all-existing, and rules all mass.  They are the ruling elements of all energy and this vibration is the vehicle that carries light and life.

“The ruling intelligence back of this radiation is what we term GOD and, through its radiation, the intelligence pervades everything.  From this radiation field both light and life emanate.  When man accepts these, he unites them in his body; they are one.  This body responds immediately to the light vibration and he is God vibration; his body radiates light.  Thus, one standing forth as God is often invisible to one functioning in a lower vibratory field.  This is the reason that the word GOD is so powerful.

“Because of this sustaining word GOD, your Bible has maintained such influence and longevity.  Think of the number of times the word is written and thus, spoken, in that great book.  See the different lines of radiation of light and therefore, life and energy that go out from each word wither written or spoken.  Each word carries its vibrations to the very soul of all who speak, hear, or see the word GOD; and as the soul responds to that vibration, the book from which the radiations come forth is lifted and exalted correspondingly as the soul is exalted by the vibrations.  Thus, the book is given life, power, and immortality.  It is in reality the word GOD that has accomplished this.  Thus, you can say that the book is the word of GOD in the spiritual sense and not in the literal sense of the word.

“Too many take the Bible literally, instead of giving attention to its true spiritual value.  This lack of consciousness matters little, as the spiritual vibrations set aside those set up by this attitude of thought.  When they think or say GOD once, those vibrations far outweigh their lack of understanding.

“It is the survival of the Bible that has proved such a stumbling-block to the scoffer and critic.  The atheist fails utterly to explain why the word GOD supersedes and has complete dominion over the word Evil.

“Repeat God thoughtfully for a time, then try to set up a vibration in your body with the word Evil.  If you have not already experienced this, it will be a revelation to you.  Many scientists proclaim that the theistic hypothesis is impossible.  Do not mind them, for the things which they pronounced impossible yesterday are being accomplished today.

“Do you not know that it is high time to go within your house, put it in order, and find out what the Word GOD will do for you?  Think attentively for a moment, try it and see if it will not cause you to drop all differences and bickerings.  Speak GOD with your whole soul and feel the exhilaration that causes you to treat your brother more kindly and deal with him more justly.  Place God before you and the mist of the long-forgotten ages will be dispelled as a wisp of smoke.  The intellect may frown upon this.  Don’t mind the intellect; it has erred many times.  Stand forth with the word GOD dominant within you and a whole world of strife and confusion cannot touch you.

“When you know positively that GOD or supreme vibration does exist and that it is ALL POWER, you can use it to accomplish ALL THINGS.  With it you can transport yourself from place to place.  If you are in one place and the need is for you to be elsewhere, recall it is the self that is holding you stationary, not GOD.  You are using God power in limitation if you remain where you are.  Let go of self, erase limitation, put forth the command that you are the Christ of God, one with the God vibration and power.  The instant you make it definite that you are God vibration, you will be at your destination.  Just thinking a thing does not accomplish that thing.  YOU MUST KNOW AND DO; then love and worship the source principle enough to do it.

“Faith shows the way through thought; but it takes the actual command of the Christ of God, that you are that vibration.  The instant you allow that vibration to take full command, you GET UP AND DO IT.  The KNOWING through love and worship becomes the accomplishment.  That you are unconscious of their radiations does not set aside the fact of their existence.  Through faith in their existence, then knowing that they do exist, you become conscious of their existence; then you can use them.

“When you express a vibration and are in tune with that vibratory field, you are invisible to things that express in a lower vibratory field.  Thus, if your body vibrates with the speed of light, you are invisible to those that cannot see light.  Light is Life; thus, if you live wholly in the vibrations of light, your body is pure life.  Light, and Life, is God.  Thus all are GOD when they live in the God vibration.

“’The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall by unto thee an everlasting light and thy God, thy glory’. [Isa. 60:19]  The Lord Christ of God has no more need of light when his body vibrations are in unison with God vibrations.  His body is light, purer than that of the noonday sun.  The Lord (or law of) God, expressing pure life (light) through Jesus or man, becomes the Christ upon earth.  Each man becomes the Christ when the Lord (law) or law of God is understood and actually lived.

“’I AM the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life’.

“’The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.  Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came and whither I go.  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.  And yet, if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one that bears witness of myself and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

“’Then said they unto him.  Where is thy Father?  Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also’. [8:12-19]

“How can you walk in darkness if you walk hand in hand with God?  If you let God triumph, your works and accomplishments are eternal.  You came forth with this vibration and as long as you live true to this light, you will never perish or change – these vibrations go on forever.

“Many have lived noble lives and accomplished noble deeds, all accomplished through God vibrations.  Thus they have the power to create by lowering these vibrations and allowing the aqueous substance to consolidate into form.  Aqueous substance is that substance which contains all elements.  Scientists will discover that all elements can be resolved into this aqueous or vaporous condition.  In this state, all substance vibrates or radiates at the same rate of vibration.  Thus, by lowering the vibrations to the rate at which the particles of the element will coalesce or come together, you may produce the element desired.  Here the Cosmic radiations play an important part.  Here the transmutation takes place.

“Many great souls have lived and their works have passed with them, because they were unconscious of the power that sustained them.  They, as well as others, were unconscious of their works and thus were forgotten.  Had they recognized this power and then, through definite thought and action consolidated these deeds, their accomplishments would have stood forth as a mountain that could not be forgotten; the same as the great mountains of accomplishments that stand forth before humanity today, as, for example, the Great Pyramid of Egypt.

“Is it not much greater to live the Christ life?  Is it not worthwhile to make this your ideal?  Does this not completely erase the petty things of life?  Do you not see the accomplishments of the ones that dared to step forth and live the Christ Life?

“As you accomplish this, you stand on the Mount of Transfiguration.

“Man’s law and prophecy disappear and the triumphant Christ stands alone, but not lonely.  You can do this, all can do it, if they but will.

“Now you know that you and the Father are One.  This is the testimony of two standing together as one law and this testimony IS TRUE.  Thus, if you judge, your judgment is true.  If you bear record of this origin, your record is true.  As you know your origin with the Father, you never pass on, you always know the Father.  ‘If they had known one, that is my Father, they would have known me’, for our vibrations would have been in perfect accord.

“’Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in him and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

“’Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.  Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come’. [John 7:28-34]

“You know that the spiritual and material is merged within the Christ.  Spirit knows, ‘I come not of myself, I am of the Father’.  The temple (body) must become a pure channel through which the Christ shines forth.  When the Christ is risen in the individual, then will he do greater miracles than these which I have done.  As you seek, you will find the Christ in me and the Christ in you, brothers one and all.

“Your hour shall come when the Christ appears to each one of you as an individual; then will you be lifted up into the Christ consciousness and glorify the Father as I have glorified Him.

“It is written [in Matthew 27:46] that my last words on the cross were: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’  This is a complete mistranslation.  The words actually were: ‘My God, my God, thou has never forsaken me or any of thy children, for thy children can come to thee as I have come.  They can see my life as I have lived my life.  Thus, by living that life, they do incorporate the Christ and become One with you, God my Father’.

“There was never a thought of desertion or separation.  The Christ of God stood forth definitely, long before that hour.  Had they burned my body, I could have reassembled it from the same particles that were released in the seeming destruction.  Had they divided every particle of the body, it could have been reassembled instantly; there would have been no change.

“Man is so constituted that when he stands forth with the understanding of the Christ of God, he releases enough intelligent energy and that energy and intelligence so completely envelop him that, should the body be disintegrated and the life element become separated from the particles, this intelligent life principle could reassemble and consolidate those same particles in the same form in which it had expressed itself.  The mould or pattern is there; it is built of, and in, the substance which cannot be destroyed.  It would only be necessary to reassemble the substance and fill the mould, interpenetrated with the same life element, and you would have the perfect pattern or image as before.

“Thus, you can see that the crucifixion did not harm me; it harmed only those who attempted to harm the Christ Principle.  It was an example of the fulfilling law of the Great Principle, a pathway which all humanity may follow.  Thus following, they become the Christ of God, their ideal consolidated into imperishable form.  Not even this body was destroyed.  Its vibrations were so high that the mere act of fastening it to and raising it upon the cross was but a symbol that those who crucified me had finished all limitation which the mortal could put upon the body.  The necessity for the completion of the fulfillment of mortal limitation was to place the body in the tomb and roll a great stone thereon and completely seal the tomb.  Thus the cry: ‘It is finished.’

“When the mortal is finished, immortality is complete.  Thus it is impossible to confine the immortal body of man even in a rock-hewn tomb.  The rock could have been dissolved to release such a body, had such a necessity arisen.  Thus you see that the whole scene was a symbol of man’s heritage.”

The Light of Life from Vol 3 of "Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East"

Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, Vol. 3

Chapter XIV

(The following is a quote from Jesus appearing to the group in Hardwar)

“A breath of wondrous glory sweeps across the chords that vibrate with a life pure and divine.  It is so pure that the waiting silence stops, and intently listens; the fingers of the great and knowing One of yourself, touches your hand with lingering softness; and the voice as always is telling you of the Father’s great and glorious love.  Your voice is saying to you, ‘I know you are with me, and together you and I are God’.  Now the Christ of God stands forth.  Won’t you erase every limitation and stand with me in spirit?  Greater thoughts have not been given than these I give unto you.  It does not matter that men say it cannot be.  You, each one of you, are standing forth the Divine Master, conquering and in full dominion, just as you have seen me conquer.  The time is here; the fulfilling pure thought that you have sent out to the Divine Master has come to fruition in your own body and the soul has taken complete command.  With me you soar to heights celestial.

“We lift these bodies up until their shining radiance becomes a blaze of pure, white light and together we have returned to the Father from whence all have come forth.

“God our Father is pure light emanation and from this vibrating light all come forth; in this vibration all stand together with God.  In these vibrating emanations of light all material consciousness is erased and we see creations projected forth from the formless into form, all things renewed every instant.  In the primal cosmos, aqueous or God substance, all things exist and, because of that existence, the vibrations are so high that none perceive them.  Unless one stands forth in spirit as we do, it is necessary to raise the vibrations of the body to spirit vibrations.

“Now we can see creation going on all the time, as creation is caused by the radiation of cosmic light vibrations generated in the great Cosmos; and this radiation is the great universal life or light energy that sustains all and is called the Father of radiation or vibration.  It is the Father of radiation because its radiation will shatter any other radiation or vibration.  In reality it only sets them aside in order that other forms may take their place.

“When our body vibrates in tune with Spirit vibrations, we are light vibrations, the greatest of all vibrations.  God the Father of all vibrations.

“It will soon be proved that these cosmic rays constitute such a terrific bombardment that they are destructive to so-called matter.  These rays are from the source of all energy, the Father of all elements, the source from which all elements come.  This is not destruction, this is transmutation from so-called matter to spirit form.

“It will soon be known that these cosmic rays have such tremendous penetrating power that they penetrate through all mass, shattering as it were, the very heart or nucleus of a so-called atom, transmuting it into atoms of other substance and thereby creating other elements of higher order; and in this way, creation advances into a higher emanation of pure light or life itself.

“These radiations, which have such tremendous penetrating power, are readily distinguished from all radiations coming from the earth or sun galaxy and have complete control over all these radiations or vibrations.  It will soon be known that these radiations come from a universal source, unseen, and that the earth is continuously subjected to a terrific bombardment of these rays that are so potent they change or transmute atoms of one element into the Infinite particles of another element.  It will also be found that when this cosmic ray strikes the nucleus of an atom, it does shatter it.  It separates this atom into the minute particles of another substance, causing transmutation from a lower to a higher element.  Thus, these radiations do not destroy matter; they transmute it from a lower to a higher element, - from the material to spiritual.

“This higher element is as man dictates; it is higher as he names and uses it for a higher purpose.  When man stands forth in spiritual vibrations, he can fully determine and regulate these rays and their mode of action.

“Thus to man, standing in spiritual vibrations, transmutation is going on all the time all about him.  Transmutation is but creation in the higher sense.  Thus all are created where they stand.  Creation never ceases; it is continuous, never ending.

“The emanations of radiation from the Cosmos are made up of light and are composed of so-called light bullets that burst forth from the Cosmos.  This greater Universe is around and encloses and surrounds all universes, to the extent that the suns absorb and bring into its central sun, conserve, concentrate and build up, all the energy that is dissipated from the universes.  This central sun becomes so full of vibrating, pulsing energy, and this energy becomes so condensed that the so-called light bullets are shot out with such radiating force that, when they collide with the nucleus of another atom, that atom is shattered but not destroyed.  Its particles are transmuted into particles of other elements which are finally assimilated into the element to which they belong; then the element comes to life.

“Life is the energy that is released by this so-called bombardment of light bullets; and that portion absorbed by the particles released is called the life of the particle, or of the whole element; while the portion of the energy released but not absorbed as life, is returned or drawn back to the Cosmos as it were.  It is again concentrated and condensed until it can be again shot forth to collide with and shatter other atoms, thus creating the particles that go to create the atom of another element.

“Thus creation is continuous, everlasting; expanding and concentrating, then through reduced vibrations, condensing into form.

“This intelligent, emanating, Energy – is God, controlling the universe around us, as well as controlling the universe of our bodies which are spiritual and not material.

“This transmutation is not disintegration.  The intelligence so directs that only a few of these light bullets strike the nuclei of other atoms, at a time ratio and in complete conformity to law, so that no manifestation is overbalanced.

“Man, one with his supreme intelligence, can in an orderly way, step up this impingement, so that his needs are fulfilled instantly.  In this way, man hastens the slow process of nature.  He does not interfere with nature; he works with nature in a higher rate of vibration than that in which nature works in the lower order of concept.  ‘Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest’.  [St. John 4:35]  All is vibration and corresponds to the plane or field upon which vibration acts.  The planes or fields spoken of have no reference to the concentric bands or shells that surround the earth.  These concentric shells or layers are ionization bands which enclose the earth and reflect back vibrations originating on the earth but they do not impede or shut out Cosmic light rays.  It is through them that transmutation or creation is going on all the time.  Even our bodies are transmuted from a lower to a higher condition and we become the conscious directors of this change by keeping the thoughts and, therefore, the body attuned consciously to the higher vibrations.  Thus we attune the body consciously to a higher vibratory rate and we become that vibration.

“In this condition the master waits.  As you stand now, you are master, you are ruler over all conditions.  Now you know that the glory and the consciousness of a Divine creation is far above any material thought.

“The first step is fully and completely to control all outer activities of thought, mind and body, with the thought always uppermost that you are cultivating the habit of perfection, the God habit, the Christ-of-God habit.  Do this wherever you are, every time it comes to you during your working or resting hours.  See this perfect presence within you.  Get into the habit of seeing this perfect presence as your real self, this Christ-of-God presence.  Then go a little further, See a Divine White Light, dazzling in purity and brilliance emanating forth from the very center of your being.  See it shining forth with such brilliance and glory that it emanates from every cell, fibre, tissue, muscle, and organ of your whole body.  Now see the true Christ of God standing forth, triumphant, pure, perfect, and eternal.  Not the Christ of me, but your own true Christ of God, the only begotten of your Father God, the only true son of God, the triumphant and all conquering Godhead.  Step forth and claim this as your divine right and it is yours.

“Every time you say, ‘God’, know fully that you are presenting God; and you will do the world a greater service by so doing than by presenting me as the Christ of God.  It is far greater and nobler to see yourself as the Christ of God, you yourself presenting God to the world and beholding God as yourself.

“You sit back and pray to me to intercede for you.  It is wonderful that you do present me to the world as the Christ of God and recognize the God qualities presented through me, just so long as you do not make an idol or image of me and then pray to that idol.  The moment you make a graven image of me and pray to that image, you debauch me and yourselves.  It is well to see the ideal that I or anyone else presents, then make that ideal your very own.  Then we are not apart or separate from God; as such, man conquers the world.  Do you not see the greater thing to be accomplished by standing forth ONE with us in God?

“If you cultivate this with love, reverence, devotion, and worship, it becomes a habit and soon it is all of you, your daily life and existence.  In a short time you have brought forth Divinity.  You are once more the Divine Christ, the first-born of God.  You are One with Primal Spirit, Energy.  Actually feel, see, and take hold of this Great Light; accept, declare, and know positively that it is yours; and in a short time, your body will actually send forth this light.

“In every age and every condition, all through the great immensity, this supreme light has existed; it is everywhere.  This light is life.

“When anything is made plain, we are enlightened regarding it.  The light shines forth into our conscious concept.  Soon the LIGHT of LIFE will shine forth to your watching eye, as it has to all great ones.  Many of these great ones are portrayed standing forth in a great blaze of light.  Although you may not see it, this light is real and is life, radiating from your body.”