Secrets of God

by Slawek Wojtowicz

  Since we have lived here many times before, we have gone through that process numerous times and we have played a multitude of parts before being born into our current situation. If we could see all of our prior incarnations—see ourselves being born, growing up, and aging—could we bear this knowledge? Since time is an illusion, all of our previous and future incarnations are in truth always alive. How would our sense of identity be affected by experiencing all of these “other” selves throughout the ages? How would it feel to know that you used to be a star or an alien being living in another universe? When you see your whole self spread over time and space, it is impossible to contain all of it. That’s why, when we experience that self, our little self disappears and we melt into the ecstasy of oneness. When we fully take in that experience, we can’t see ourselves as isolated individuals ever again.

  (85) Jesus said, “Adam came into being from a great power and a great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, he would not have experienced death.”

  In the process of creation, the first human being became separated from God. Adam forgot his true identity, lived his life apart from God, and then died just like billions of other people after him. Our task in this life is to discover experientially our genuine identity and then to transcend our animal nature and awaken fully before we die. Only then will we be worthy of those who awakened before us. The Gospel of Philip states explicitly that, “Those who say that the Lord died first and then rose up are in error, for he rose up first and then died. If one does not first attain the resurrection, he will die.”

  (86) Jesus said, “The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest.”

  Our place of rest is not on this planet. Deep inside we are always afraid—we know that we are not safe in our own homes, even if we turn them into fortified castles. Unlike animals, we can’t rest until we awaken from the dream and discover our true identity. We will find repose in a safe resting place only when we finally awaken and return home to our Father. Only then will the universe will feel perfectly safe.

  (87) Jesus said, “Wretched is the body that depends on a body, and wretched is the soul that depends on these two.”

  The body that depends on other bodies for survival—such as in the case of a person eating the bodies of animals—is not likely to be a very healthy body. Just like many other mystics, Jesus taught that we should avoid killing animals for food. Being truly loving means caring about the animals just like we care about other people. Those who choose to eat meat are selfish—the price of their culinary pleasure is the death of innocent beings, which are our relatives in blood and spirit. Such selfishness hurts not only our body, but also our soul, just like any other injustice towards other living beings.

  The first story of creation in Genesis tells us that God meant for us to be vegetarian. In the Essene Gospel of Peace Jesus teaches that the best food for us is the food that is still alive (e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables), as opposed to dead meat or processed food. Yet even Jesus ate fish on occasion, indicating again that no commandments or recommendations are set in stone. We are animals, too, and we need appropriate nutrition. We are a part of the food chain. Our bodies are sustained by other living organisms, whether plants or animals, and ultimately they return back to where they came from, becoming food for other animals or bacteria. The issue is where you draw the line: Can you derive balanced nutrition from plants alone? If you can’t, can you make sure that the sources of your food are sustainable? If you have to eat fish, can you make sure that the species you eat will not become extinct because of over-fishing? Recent reports reveal that about 90% of commercially harvested fish are currently on the brink of extinction (read Endgame by Derrick Jensen for more information).

  (88) Jesus said, “The messengers and the prophets are coming to you, and they will give you what belongs to you. And you, in turn, give to them what you have in your hands and say to yourselves: ‘When will they come and take what is theirs?’”

  The messengers and the prophets bring us reminders about the purpose of our existence here and call us to straighten our ways so that we can get closer to God. That message belongs to each of us—we can also hear it inside as the voice of the Holy Spirit if we choose to pay attention and listen in. We may repay the messengers for these reminders by supporting them and providing them with food, shelter, or money. However, the prophets in their eagerness to spread the message tend to forget that the Kingdom of Heaven is their inheritance as well and that their priority should be to seek it for themselves first, instead of trying to correct and chastise others. Our first duty is to awaken ourselves. Only then will we be ready to help others awaken as well.

  (89) Jesus said, “Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?”

  This saying, like most of others, has many possible meanings. From a spiritual point of view, we need to modify our thinking first (inside)—only then can our habitual behaviors (outside) be changed permanently. It can be also read as an injunction against superficial, external rituals, such as the ritual of washing of hands as a symbol for purification. Without becoming spiritually pure inside, washing hands does not make one pure and is thus meaningless. However, when we complete the process of purifying our mind we will begin to see the external world clearly. Before we awaken we are powerless to change the outside world. Nevertheless, the change that originates within is powerful beyond belief and that’s what brings salvation to the world.

  Another more physical interpretation comes from the Essene Gospel of Peace, where Jesus teaches about the health benefits of fasting and internal cleansing (enemas). While these practices by themselves are not necessarily useful for everyone, they may be an important part of some people’s spiritual pathways.

  (90) Jesus said, “Come unto me, for my yoke is easy and my rule is mild, and you will find repose for yourselves.”

  God loves us unconditionally. Thus, anything he asks us to do is meant to bring us happiness and peace. When we hear a voice inside that tells us what to do, the challenge is to determine whether this is the voice of God or that of our ego. They sound virtually the same—what varies is the content. God would not ask us to do anything hurtful or unloving to other people, while the ego does not have any qualms in using or abusing others for selfish reasons. Do you remember the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac? It was the voice of the ego that gave Abraham the idea of sacrificing his first born son. It was God who intervened at the last minute and asked Abraham not to kill his child.

  Paradoxically, we are afraid of God’s love. Our guilt and shame prevent us from getting closer to Him, and it takes a lot of work to heal our minds and to trust that God is indeed Love, Life, Joy, and Peace. He is our Father who awaits our return to Heaven like the father in the parable of prodigal son. He loves us even when we err and lose direction; we are always innocent and perfect in His eyes. Please see also the slightly longer version of this saying in Matthew 11: 28–30.

  (91) (1) They said to him, “Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you.” (2) He said to them, “You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not recognized the One who is before you, and you do not know how to test this moment.”

  Compare this with Saying 13, where Thomas is the only apostle who recognized the true nature of Jesus Christ. Even the miracles and teachings of Jesus were not sufficient for most of his contemporaries to recognize him as the son of God. Clearly, if Jesus told these people explicitly who he was, they would have stoned him for blasphemy, in spite of the miracles he performed in front of them. This exact situation is described in John 10: 22–39—the Jews from Jerusalem tried to stone him for telling them that we all are gods.

  Today, most Christians believe that Jesus was “one of a kind”—that he was totally different from everyone else and that it is virtually impossible to be as loving as Jesus was. His l
ife is used as a lofty but unachievable ideal. Gnostics tell us that Jesus was trying to convey to us a very different message: “I started like everyone else; I am not different from any of you. If I was able to awaken, you can do it, too.” He taught that God is everywhere around us, that nothing exists outside of God. People become adept at reading superficial things, such as the face of the sky and the earth, but fail to see God, the One, who is in everything, right in front of their faces—even though He reveals Himself in the beauty of nature and speaks to us through other people. We notice the trees, but fail to see the forest. The present moment is all that exists, all that is real from our point of view. If we learn to be totally present in this moment, we will find answers to all our questions by ourselves.

  (92) (1) Jesus said, “Seek and you will find. (2) Yet, what you asked me about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do not inquire after it.”

  The search for the Kingdom of Heaven requires patience and persistence. We should not stop the search or assume that we have found the ultimate answer—until we awaken. Our journey is a never-ending one. Perhaps even after we awaken we will still continue on our quest to be more and more loving and to discover answers to many mysteries awaiting us in this universe and beyond. While we search for salvation we need to keep asking questions, and many questions are important enough to be asked over and over again. The same question may have very different answers depending where we are on our path to awakening. Spiritual teachers often tell us what we need to hear at the moment, but if we ask the same question again, we may get a “bigger,” more encompassing answer than previously.

  To give you an example: One day I had an insight that I shared the same soul with my father, who abused me physically and psychologically as long as I lived in his house. I was shocked and dismayed. I did not understand how that would be possible. I read that some shamans teach that a portion of the soul may leave the body to protect itself from potentially damaging situations, be they emotional or physical. In traumatic situations the missing part of the soul may not return to the body on its own, and a shaman must intervene to return the soul essence to its legitimate owner. I wondered whether the abuse I suffered from my father led to such a traumatic loss of part of my soul. According to Soul Retrieval, a popular book on the subject written by Sandra Ingelman, another reason for soul loss is theft. Stealing a soul can be a way to dominate another person. For instance, soul theft may be seen where an abusive spouse has taken his or her partner’s soul. When you take someone’s soul you take some of that person’s power. Learning about these things was rather disturbing for me.

  Only later did I discover that we ALL share the same Self at the deepest level—that of Christ, the only son of God. While the first answer was true in a certain sense, it described only part of the truth that was necessary for me to gain compassion for my father. Ultimately we do share the same identity at the deepest level. What I learned initially was just a “special case” of a more general spiritual truth, just like Newton’s laws of physics are just a subset of laws of quantum physics.

  (93) (1) Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on the dung-heap. (2) Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest they turn them into mud.”

  This statement sounds very harsh, yet it is true that those who are not ready for the wisdom and truth of mystical teachings are unable to recognize the value of such knowledge. The knowledge should be shared only with those who are able to understand and appreciate it. Jesus has been proven right on multiple occasions throughout history: secret mystical teachings have never been accepted by the majority of people and mystics who have dared to speak out and spread their ideas have been often ridiculed, branded as heretics, and persecuted by mainstream religions.

  (94) (1) Jesus said, “He who seeks will find, (2) and he who knocks will be let in.”

  The search for God is not the exclusive domain of the privileged elite. Everyone is called, but only a few decide to respond. Faith alone is not sufficient for salvation—a conscious effort on our part is required. Curiosity, an open mind, and willingness to seek the Kingdom of Heaven are also necessary on our end. Our dedication and commitment to the search are rewarded by God, who guides each of us lovingly on our path towards Love and salvation—if we let Him to. See also Matthew 7: 7–11 and Sayings 2, 24, 59, 60, and 92.

  Paradoxically, when we finally try to knock on the door we find out that it is wide open and that it always has been. It is us who built the barriers that keep us away from Heaven. God never kicked us out of Paradise—our beautiful planet is the Paradise we have been striving for and hoping to reach in the “afterlife.” Yet there is no afterlife, since life is eternal.

  (95) Jesus said, “If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give it to one from whom you will not get it back.”

  Compare this saying with Matthew 5: 42: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not refuse one who wants to borrow from you.” By giving freely to those who can’t repay us, we are paying off our own ancient debts of love, repaying love that was given to us in the past freely in the same manner. Giving and receiving is the same thing in spiritual economics. Whenever we do something good for others without expecting anything in return, it comes back to us amplified and multiplied—we are paid back in the currency of love. Love is the only secure, inflation-proof investment we can make in this life. When our spiritual account overflows with deposits of love we are ready to approach the gates to Paradise. Giving love to others is the best investment we can make; and since in truth there is only one of us, we are ultimately giving love to ourselves. If we practice loving-kindness consistently, our life will change for better and awakening will come swiftly and naturally.

  (96) (1) Jesus said, “The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain woman. (2) She took a little leaven, concealed it in some dough, and made it into huge loaves of bread. (3) Let him who has ears hear.”

  The leaven that makes the dough rise is a symbol for Love. Love often starts small and invisible, like a leaven hidden in the dough, but it grows and multiplies exponentially, irreversibly transforming anyone infected with it. Those who discover the power of love will live much happier and more fulfilling lives than the average person. These people are always mindful of how their actions affect everyone else. They see everything in life as aiding them on the path to awakening and treat every situation as an opportunity to be kind, loving, and helpful to others. How do we determine what is most loving for anyone else? Before we awaken, the safest thing is to treat everyone the way we want to be treated ourselves. After we awaken, the most loving actions and words are those that help others to awaken as well, though they may not necessarily be perceived as loving by those not yet awakened. The merchants and money changers in the temple whose tables Jesus overturned did not see his action as loving, yet it brought them a step closer to awakening.

  See also Matthew 13: 33 and Luke 13: 20–21 for comparison. Please note that the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven in the synoptic gospels, in contrast with the above text. From God’s point of view there is virtually no difference between doing and the doer. Heaven (God’s mind) is an eternal dance of Love and it encompasses everything.

  (97) (1) Jesus said, “The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain woman who was carrying a jar full of flour. (2) While she was walking on the road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the flour leaked out behind her on the road. (3) But she did not know it; she had not noticed a problem. (4) When she reached her house, she put the jar down on the floor and found it empty.”

  Here is just one of many possible interpretations of this beautiful parable with a surprising ending. When we are born, most of us are whole and full of love—just like the intact jar full of flour. On the road leading back home many of us are accidentally hurt or even broken, and thus we are not whole anymore. The pain we experience drives us out of our bodies and away from the present. When we focus
excessively on our own pain it is difficult to be caring towards others. That’s why we gradually run out of our reserves of love, caring, and patience within—just like the jar that became empty over time.

  John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans.” The woman carrying a jar wasn’t paying attention; she wasn’t fully present in the moment—a common and very perilous condition for all of us humans. Instead of being mindful of what she was doing in the moment and instead of being fully present in the NOW, she probably pondered some past events or worried about the future. If we are not fully present, we are not really here, and if we are not here, we are not real, either. Our task is to return to our bodies and to the present time, since only this very moment is real.

  If we follow her example and keep walking the road of life mindlessly without being fully present in the moment, the love that was filling our whole being when we were born gradually escapes, leaving us empty. We then fill up with fear, unhappiness, anger, bitterness, and resentment, and end up hurting ourselves and others around us. Our negative feelings and actions bring sickness and finally death. If we don’t see the problem and try to find the remedy that will allow us to heal; if we don’t patch up the holes in our being and start filling up with love, then after we die we return to our Father with empty hands. What happens next? Perhaps we return back to this world to be reborn in a new body and to start all over again, as many Eastern traditions teach?