I will begin with praise for the course “Spirit Quest.” I found it well presented, easy to understand, and comprehensive. It has been very easy to share many of the lessons learned through this course with my friends, family and those in my ministry.
I account myself as an eclectic Gnostic Christian because I believe in the basic tenets of faith as outlined by many different schools of religious and spiritual thought. The lessons presented in “Spirit Quest” reaffirmed my beliefs and enriched my faith. I have always found it easier to learn with the hands-on exercises, especially when the information is so esoteric. The homework assignments were fun, exciting, and enriching.
How did the heart of “Spirit Quest” reach the depths of my personal beliefs to have such a reaffirming, empowering affect? In this way:
Jesus of Nazareth taught me about sin, forgiveness and how to be one with “God” and hope for an eternal home. Spirit Quest outlined the art of forgiveness in the nicest way. It made it so clear as to why it is important, and made the process of following through so plain.
Buddha taught me how to control my emotions and how to be quiet in the stillness of night. Spirit Quest gave me new approaches to the skill of grounding and focusing. We can only hear the still, small voice that whispers to us (the God of our understanding, spirit guide or whatever you believe in for guidance) if we can be still in our own mind and body long enough to listen. In these hectic times this inner quiet is very important not only for our spirituality but for our sanity as well.
The Hindu path showed me the multiplicity of the Deity, and how to tap into other dimensions. Spirit Quest gave me protection from the negativity of others within this dimension to help me quietly escape from the negative, painful, abusive energies and attitudes of others. This is all so discrete and unassuming. I was delighted to use this technique when being confronted by a former spouse who is steeped in negativity. It made the encounter almost effortless.
Allah taught me through the Koran and the tenets of Islam to follow as my heart dictates so long as I harm none (Wicca teaches the same line of thought ‘an harm none, do as ye will.). This was re-enforced over and over by the belief of ULC and the baseline of this course.
Many paths led me to believe in the three-fold law of Karma-whatever you do comes back to you three fold. Even commercialized advice guru’s like Dr. Phil, will tell you that it is bad news to try to manipulate someone else…you can only change and control yourself. He would never tell you that to manipulate another being is “bad” karma, but it is and as sentient beings we all understand that at some level. This course outlines karma and all the essences of balance, meditation etc. quite concisely.
I plan to review the course on a regular basis to remind myself of the many aspects of the spirit. Judaism teaches that there are many great writings by many great teachers whose wisdom holds true through the millennia. I won’t say that the course is great literature but the words are certainly wise and I think we will find that it will indeed hold true through the millennia…look how long these concepts have been around already….
The man known today as Jesus was not always as popular as he is today. We will take a brief look into the life of this man, his teachings, and uncover some misconceptions that Paul has propagated. Jesus only held his ministries for two years and the miracles attributed to him were valid, however not entirely word for word as the bible depicts.
The first thing that we should investigate is the name of Jesus. Most people today are convinced that this was his actual name as one might be called Bob or Sherry. This is a simple misconception. Jesus is actually a Jewish title. The person who carries this title is a savior or king of the Jews. Here there is no divine implication as the Jewish religion teaches that their savior will be mortal and nowhere is it stated that the savior will be an embodiment of God. The name of the man we know as Jesus is Yehoshua ben Joseph. This was the name given to him by his parents. He obtained the title of Jesus through his followers as he was a king of Jews, just as the hundreds of other Jesus’ through history have been.
There are other misconceptions that modern believers suffer from. Through the use of titles to represent persons we understand that Jesus is really Yehoshua. We should take the time to analyze the man that was spared instead of Yehoshua. This man was known as Barabus. Barabus was the murderous robber that the Jews supposedly chose to live and let Jesus die. The misconceptions that run through this fable are deep and unfortunately strong. We will take our time in dissecting this scenario as it will lead to a greater understanding of this whole affair.
Firstly, the men: Jesus and Barabus. We have already established Jesus’ name as Yehoshua. The commonly accepted name Jesus is nothing more than a title like president or professor, so why not Barabus? After working with this name we find it is actually two words tied together, Bar and Abus. Translating these names gives us ‘Son of’ ‘The Father’. Father is capitalized because Abus refers to the heavenly father, God.
Why would a murder be named ‘Son of The Father’? It’s true that our Barabus was a murder. However this is in the same sense that a general is a murderer. Now we know that Barabus was no regular murder. His name was James, James the Just to be exact. This was Yehoshua’s brother.
To understand how both brothers came to such a predicament we need to research their roles in the Cannite Qumran community. This Jewish community was founded by Moses when he led the Jews out of Egypt. It was founded on three basic principals. The king, the priest, and God. This was represented by twin pillars connected by an archway representing heaven; the key stone in the archway was named ‘shalom’ meaning God. Yehoshua was always the leader and thus he occupied the Kingly role while his brother was the priestly one. James only assumed this role after the decapitation of John the Baptist.
Yehoshua did not recognize his brother as the priestly pillar of this community and thus claimed that he was all of them after John the Baptist’s death. This is the origin of the greatest misconception of Yehoshua’s earthly state. When he claimed to be all of them he only intended the kingly and priestly. However, as we will learn later, Paul got this statement all backwards in his teachings. Yehoshua never clamed to be shalom or God.
Parts of Yehoshua’s teachings were a return to the basic Ten Commandments that Moses brought to his people. Yehoshua said that the other some 450 holy laws were an invention of man and a mockery of God’s intent. This proclamation, along with his ongoing insisting that he was not only the king but the priest of the community led to eventual unrest among the people and the roman leadership who oversaw the community.
On the holiest night of the year Yehoshua stormed into the Holiest of Holies to make his devotion. Only the high priest was allowed to enter here and this privilege was offered only once a year. It was this act that eventually led to Yehoshua’s arrest.
Interestingly enough, charges were brought against James for leading a raid through another city in God’s name. The Romans now had the two leaders of the Qumran community in their hands for execution. Pontius Pilot knew that executing both of them would create civil war. So he did something that had never been done and would never be done again. He offered the crowd to save one of the men. This was a tough decision, save the priest of the king. The crowd chose their priest, James. Of course, Yehoshua was crucified as this was their form of the gas chamber or electric chair. A King or any military leader is a very useful tool in death, the martyr dying for the cause.
Yehoshua died on the cross only two years after being baptized by John the Baptist. His brother James lived for another twenty years before his death. The Christian movement didn’t occur for fifty years after Yehoshua’s death. A man by the name of Paul, obtained a scroll of Qumran that spoke of the workings of the Jesus Yehoshua. It can be easily seen how the name Jesus became a staple when reading the scrolls. It looked like this was his actual name rather than a title, much like Barabus!
Paul is an interesting character. The Romans referred to him as ‘Paul, the spouter of lies’. Christianity’s nickname Paul-theism also comes from this infamous namesake. Paul preached what was written in the scrolls he found. Sadly what was written was in dialect and slang familiar to the Qumran community. The effect was like taking a news paper from England and reading it in California. Things would be mistaken in their meanings. In England a cigarette is referred to as a ‘:censor:’ I think this analogy accurately illustrates my point.
A prime example of this is the act of turning water to wine. This was a slang term for turning nothing into something. In actuality, Yehoshua baptized everyone at that wedding party. The un-baptized were water and after they were baptized they had become wine. This is only one example of the many false teachings of Paul.
The man we know today as Jesus was actually named Yehoshua and had a brother named James or as the bible referred to him, Barabus. Yehoshua did many things that were considered great enough to be written down in a time when printing presses and computers did not exist. These scrolls were later obtained and mistranslated by Paul. A man so revered by the Romans that they called him ‘Paul the spouter of lies’. Through his work Paul laid the foundations for Paul-theism or commonly referred to as Christianity.
Universal Life ChurchTaking the Spirit Quest course has been a life-changing event for me. The course has, quite literally, saved my marriage. The course has revealed possibilities that I had never appreciated before. Spirit Quest opened a closed mind, and infused me with a desire for further personal and spiritual exploration. In addition to learning some excellent tools, like creating/destroying roses and grounding, I have come to better understand myself as a spiritual being. The course has been very interesting, thought provoking, and challenging. I have especially enjoyed the many examples discussed throughout the course, since I could really relate to them. In fact, the examples seemed eerily familiar. It was almost as if the events had actually happened to me.
The course was very well designed. I reviewed each weekly offering at least three times, as suggested, prior to the next installment. I found that certain concepts, such as Forgiveness in week 2, needed to be reviewed more often. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the concept; rather, it was usually that the lesson held particular meaning for me. The lesson on Forgiveness was especially important to me. It taught me that people are often not against you, but merely acting as a result of their own pain. This simple truth was a profound revelation for me. It enabled me to see my role in causing pain in those that I love, and it made me understand that their actions were a result of their own pain. “It” wasn’t about me; it was about their own pain and spiritual path. This realization made it much easier to forgive. The idea that “carrying a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die” really illustrated the fact that forgiveness is for you- you need to forgive, other people do not need to be forgiven. I now understand that forgiveness is a gift that you give yourself.
The idea of forgiving oneself was a truly new concept to me. The understanding that I have been acting out of my own pain allowed me to begin to forgive myself for emotionally hurting those that I love the most. I am, and always will be, still responsible for my actions. However, I have been able to let go of some of the extreme guilt that I have been taught to carry. My burden, while not lifted, has been eased. I can accept myself for who I am, and I can get on with my life.
I am grateful for the many tools embedded in the Spirit Quest course. The lesson on “Grounding” has been especially helpful to me. I was not sure that I was doing the exercise properly until I began to see the effects on my surroundings. For example, prior to a budget meeting at work, I grounded myself and the room. I got to the room early and set the energy. The meeting was to be a follow-up to a particularly contentious management meeting. I knew that division directors were coming to the meeting prepared to do battle over scare resources, while attacking the proposed staffing allocations for other divisions. I spent ten minutes grounding the room prior to anyone else arriving for the meeting. The meeting was very successful and actually quite cordial. Several managers commented after the meeting that it was one of the most productive meetings that anyone could remember.
The Spirit Quest course is unique. There is such a tremendous amount of information in the course that it deserves further study. I printed each lesson and placed them in a binder. I review the lessons periodically, and I use them as a spiritual reference guide. When I am confronted by a particularly difficult situation, I refer back to Spirit Quest. This action has helped me to remember to use the tools that I learned throughout the course.
Spirit Quest has re-awakened my desire to learn and grow as a spirit. Once again I look upon the universe with a sense of wonderment that I last had when I was a child. Spirit Quest has enabled me to transcend my personal situation and given greater meaning to my seemingly mundane daily existence. I have truly been inspired. I look forward to taking additional courses from the ULC Seminary.
Thank your for offering this course on Buddhism. I found it to be very interesting and informative. I learned so many things I was not aware of before the course. I learned about the Guatama Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama) and his life and how he is considered the founder of the Buddhist Religion. Guatama Buddha was a fully enlightened being. The course covers how he was born and brought up and lived and died, technically a Hindu.
This course also covered the differences between Buddhism, Hinduism and many other religions. I also learned a lot about the other religions. Buddhism is one of the oldest religions, predating Christianity. It’s amazing that the Buddhism religion is here today. The first 200 years was only an oral tradition. This was a very in depth class. It had a lot of information from the course text, the Internet and other resources. I read several of the books suggested and enjoyed their information.
One particular area of interest was on Nivana. It is the most misunderstood term in Buddhism. Those in the West recognize the term as Heaven or a Heaven on Earth. The Buddhist describes Nirvana as the ultimate goal and it is reached in the state during enlightenment. Nirvana literally means extinguishing or unbinding; the freedom from whatever binds you. Once these bindings are totally overcome, a state of bliss is achieved and there is no longer the need for the cycle of birth and death. All karmic debts are settled.
I was unaware that there were that many types of Buddhism and meditations. This course will help me in my walk as a minister. I have a better understand of the Buddha and his religion. I can say that I have truly learned form this course and I highly recommend it.
I have very much appreciated what has been brought out by this course. The technique of it is in the developing of our clear awareness and focusing it in a particular way so that we can accurately discern what is happening while we express the Lord in every day, momentary living.
Human beings are certainly wrapped up in themselves and even when it comes to religion, apparently, everything is geared to benefit man. The salvation for man’s sake is supposed to be supreme. Well, presumably, if human beings are here on Earth, they should have some purpose. This purpose would relate to the overall picture and be included in the universe; therefore, the function of man is important in the overall picture. As long as the view is self-centered, as it is from the human standpoint, as though the end and aim of everything is to please man, then he is living in a fool’s paradise, which could hardly be described as God’s paradise. The earth was not created for man, but man for the earth. There is a difference!
As we recognize that we are vibrational beings, realizing what is in our consciousness; the truth of each person is that which observes the observer, described as “God” and is eternal. What a person focuses on is what manifests in his or her own life, giving thanks in all things is the only way to success and fulfillment.
We have often spoken of something coming down from God out of Heaven, which will take form through human beings and be expressed on earth. The capacity of consciousness in man provided by reason of the fact that he has a physical body, allows this creative process to occur when there is a right setting in the conscious of which human beings become aware. He did not cause the events to appear, he merely provided the setting for their appearance. The Lord then, is not missing in action. The events, which occur in such case, indicate the emergence of the creative _expression of God, within the range of human awareness. The consciousness of man is then not separate from the creative expression from God. Here is the true reality of oneness.
As I study the four gospels in the Bible, I find it difficult to point to any one particular passage that brings me more comfort than another. It seems to me that the gospels in general are designed to bring comfort to the world. Let me share with you some examples.
In the many healing miracles of Jesus, we find hope for the healing of each of us. It is comforting to have the knowledge that we are never beyond hope.
In the calming of the storms that were performed by Jesus, we find hope for the calming of the storms that arise in our lives. Just as the storms arose unexpectedly upon the disciples, storms arise unexpectedly upon us. In those storms the disciples had no choice but to apply a little faith to the matter. The same is often true for us. But, my oh my, what a difference a little faith (even faith the size of a tiny mustard seed) can make !!!
In the feeding of the multitudes, we find hope for the meeting of our needs. We are given the assurance that if we are seeking God's kingdom (His ways) and His righteousness (seeking "to do that which is right" - ULC Motto), our needs will be met. What a comfort that is !!!
In the love shown by Jesus, I find the message that needs to be shared with a violent world. In His acts of compassion, I find an example to follow in order to show the meaning of true love to a hurting world.
In the way Jesus dealt sternly with some people, I find the courage to stand up for those who are suffering unjustly. I also find in Him the courage to make my voice heard and my influence felt in facing up to things and dealing with things that are simply not right, especially when it comes to the harsh way in which people treat each other in our world. Compassion and kindness are in short supply and yet are desperately needed. Jesus, from time to time showed firmness, but never unkindness.
As Jesus hung on the cross and pleaded with His Father to forgive His tormentors, I find great comfort concerning the forgiveness of my sins, failures and shortcomings. I assume that the same forgiveness that was extended to them is also extended to me. It also reminds me that I need to be more forgiving of others.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The gospels teach so many lessons of comfort and encouragement that it would take volumes to deal with them.
As far as the parts of the gospels that trouble me, they are always the ones that show how far my life falls short of what it ought to be. I compare myself to the Jesus of the gospels and I realize how much improvement and how many changes I need to make. However, it also brings to mind the fact that my life is not over and there is still time for growth and maturity. The gospels give me challenges to face and goals to reach for.
I have appreciated the opportunity to study the textbook and the monthly e-mail notes. They have been very enlightening. I intend to refer back to them often as I continue to look at the life of Jesus Christ and how His teachings apply to me.
This class has been extremely helpful in many ways. The most significant difference has been in personal anger management, and all the ramifications derived therein (i.e., jealousy, envy, and resulting lack of control).
All the details of my current life situation need not be delineated, but a couple of points will suffice to make the point. At age 57, following 14 years of living on a boat by myself, suddenly becoming part of large, close family of different culture (they are proudly Mexican and I’m proudly Irish) from new parents to grandchildren, a 6 year old son to parent, a house in the suburbs (with mortgage) and a corporate sales job. There are daily challenges to a sense of humor not previously imagined.
Grounding and cleansing (with roses) has not only been helpful, but at times critical to survival. Human interaction brings out all of our emotions, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (to paraphrase a western movie title). The stronger the attraction, the stronger all of these emotions seem to be, and the greater the need to dissipate these energies. Practicing these exercises (followed by Golden Suns) have, to date, allowed me to maintain (by my definition) a level of peace most of the time.
Focusing on the lessons/challenges presented also helps tremendously toward balance. Recognizing that a contemplative existence for many years has lead to a ‘catching up’ on development/growth in emotional issues, doesn’t fix anything but it helps in attaining a “higher view”. This results, for me, in achieving a more productive prospective. A lot of work yet to do, but this course provided the necessary tools to meet the Alchemical challenges and succeed (measured by mainting the relationship, sanity (?), and personal growth).
Meditation and exercise time was very limited so many of the tools/exercises did not get all the attention they deserved. Reading each lesson 3 times turned out to be a minimal effort and falls short of providing any real proficiency. The lessons that did ‘call me’ and received more attention provided the miracle of my present state, and an Alchemical reaction that continues. The lessons are all saved and bound so the next time Spirit Quest calls to me, I can find another unremembered nugget of knowledge and get even more from this course.
In closing let me take writers’ license and paraphrase an old cliché. “A teacher in need is a teacher indeed.” Thank you from my heart.
A course that attempts to inform ministers about ancient and modern Paganism can only be commended. As such, it was good cross-reference material on a variety of subjects, from gods to elements, divination and runes.
However, I felt that it at times attempted to oversimplify the complexity of the ancient Pagan religions and to make generalizations that, if helpful as a first approach or as a way of categorizing ancient beliefs, do not necessarily reflects these beliefs themselves. For instance, there is very little archeological or historical evidence that ancient Pagans actually revered some form of Triple Goddess and Dual or Quintile God. The only place where Triple Goddesses seem to have been worshiped was Celtic Ireland, and these Triple Goddesses were not viewed as Maiden/Mother/Crone. It seems to be now an accepted fact that the latter representation was a literary creation of author Robert Graves in his book ‘The White Goddess’ published in 1948.
This generic comment does not diminish the potential usefulness of such classification in an attempt to show parallels between various forms of Pagan worship, to channel the student’s understanding, or to demonstrate some form of unity in worldwide religious views. However, the course does not seem to have that purpose, although this could have been an attempt to build a modern set of Pagan beliefs on the basis of ancient Paganism. As such, it would be a valuable effort.
The ancient Paganism – and the diversity of the belief systems of pre-Christian times warrants the use of the plural – were much more varied than our monotheistic culture is willing or able to recognize. However, Polytheism by definition is tolerant of other Gods and Goddesses, and the various forms of Paganism widely influenced each other. The late Roman Pantheon, by then predominantly Greek, is a typical example of this evolution. Even within one Tradition, local variations were many.
The main common characteristic of ancient Pagan religions were, first, a belief in countless supernatural creatures of varying degrees of power, second, the hope that these creatures are benevolent – except those who have been rendered malevolent by magic – and can grant prayers, third, that one or more of them specifically protects a nation or a location, and fourth, a number of various rites not necessarily linked to one of these particular creatures, but rooted in the hopes and fears raised by life in the ancient world. Such religions were by nature open to the cross-fertilization mentioned above, were devoid of mandatory creed and often without a universal leader or central place of worship, and were an integral part of the local culture. They answered the basic spiritual and social needs of the people of the time.
In that sense, attempting to reconstruct ancient Pagan religions can be inherently treacherous. First of all, lots of information on ancient Pagan practices and beliefs is missing, and therefore our understanding of these religions could be limited. Moreover, and probably more importantly, ancient Pagan religions were an integral part of the culture and society of the time. They cannot be understood without a deep understanding of these societies, and they cannot be practiced efficiently outside of these societies. A good example is Druidism, which cannot be practiced as it was – if at all – without druids actually acting as royal advisors, jurists and keepers of knowledge, in addition to being priests.
This should nevertheless not prevent us from using the principles of ancient Pagan religions in new religions, namely some form of neo-Paganism. Images of ancient Paganism, such as some of the Gods and Goddesses, are still as strong today as they were then and can be powerful catalysts of a modern faith, but one that would remain somewhat distant from that of our remote ancestors. I think that the course succeeded in conveying that message, although it did not explicitly do so.
Many things inspired me and felt they talked directly to me throughout the course. The most direct at this moment in my life is the final lesson 20. It is also what I am working with most intensely at present. though it is not any one thing, for they are in enmeshed in the concept of living fully and being totally fulfilled and finding this can only come from within.
Addiction has been an ever present part of my life, my main and continuing addiction of food was replaced at times in my past with drugs and alcohol. Throughout my life I have taken on the lie that I am less than, not enough and separated from Source. I had chosen to believe this, somehow it seemed easier, as the lie resounded around me, coming from all directions. At some point we must take responsibility for moving our consciousness to the truth that we are all perfect in who we are and our bodies are the temples that we as light bodies possess in this lifetime. I am amazed at this resistance in me to accept the infinite presence of the Source. It is a reflection of the world around me and now I must take responsibility, for I create that world it does not create me. I am the only one who can change myself and my world.
There is no room for blaming as this only confirms the lie. The lie is such a simple one it is the lie that says I am not enough and yet how can this be so when I am indeed created in the image of God, when I am created equal to all others. When in truth I am all others as they are me. So why the continuation of the lie when I know it for what it is. I have on some level chosen to separate myself form God from truth and now I can choose to continue existing within the fear or in the love. The simplicity of truth is amazing.
I saw a French documentary on a group of young people who had created their own form of sport it seemed more like a martial art, they have used all things around them the trees the buildings it was about seeing all that is around and within. Seeing the fear and moving through the illusion of it, though others watching it may have seen young people using everything around them to climb and jump on or over, some may have seen young displaced youth, in fact they knew the truth of no separation, moving past their fear and seeing themselves as part of all around them.
The most important thing for me to remember I am exactly where I am suppose to be and that doesn't just mean physically it also means on my spiritual journey.
Grounding is the most important aspect of this program for me. Through grounding, I have claimed my place in this physical world. Previously, I had always felt as if I were floundering; I was always at a loss to whether I belonged or not. My gauge was forever focused on those around me and their intentions for me. Well, I’ve learned that I belong right where I am; another’s likes or dislikes are of no consequence. All being equal and unique, I have a place no matter where I am.
Creating and destroying roses, and the protection rose allowed me to gather up the old negative energy that was draining my life. In these discourses I learned how to rid my spirit of energy that belonged to others; their thoughts and actions directed toward me that I had taken owned. This was sapping and blocking the positive energy level that I desired. Envisioning the sticky rose for ridding my space of negative energy made my spirit lighter and allowed me more focus for what I wanted to accomplish.
Karma reinforced the notion of what goes around comes around. I appreciated the explanation that passing judgment was putting energy where it doesn’t belong; turning something neutral into something charged. It’s interesting to learn that everything I put energy on will create or resolve karma. I remind myself of that daily, because having judgments is a hard habit to break. I’m doing better every day.
Forgiveness was eye-opening, specifically the phrase “its not personal”. That was instrumental in my being able to let a lot of resentment pass. Also, “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” That is an excellent analogy. It is not easy working through pains and past hurts, but this discourse allowed me steps that help set these negative energies free. What I can’t seem to let go, I send the sticky roses around gathering up the remnants of old energy and then blow them up.
An interesting concept from this course was the discussion about not being able to learn anything if you already thought you knew about it. This ties in with the concept of each of us finding our own path to god. Believing that we alone have the secret formula, the one true way to reach god, divides us from all others, when we should instead be recognizing and celebrating the gift of our own unique experience of God’s creation.
Much horror has been perpetrated in the world in the name of God. Believing that we alone know the truth is a very dangerous idea. It is only in recognizing that we are all travelers on the road, searching for the way to whatever our own concept of God may be, that can we be freed of the human ego trip of being right and justified in our actions.
The second concept I found of interest was the one about scientists in their white lab coats. The white lab coat being a form of spiritual dress for the religion of science rang a bell within me. I find this idea to be very true.
Western civilization has embraced the notion of reality being only that which we can demonstrate, prove and repeat under controlled conditions. The problem inherent in this is that we have no way of actually verifying or observing anything other than through our own senses. And by their very nature our senses limit us. A dog can hear and smell things that we can not perceive because of the limitations of our physical senses. Does that mean that what the dog smells or hears does not exist, because we can not hear or smell it?
That is the type of logic on which scientific experiment is based. More and more we are finding that as we create more sensitive devices we are detecting things that science did not admit the existence of in the past. How much of what we believe will be proven false by the very science that created our beliefs to begin with? We have latched on to science as the new religion although few would look at it in that way.
The interesting thing is that now the science of quantum physics has brought science back to the idea of God. Science is now demonstrating that the hard fast rules we thought the universe was working by are not so hard and fast as we thought. Quantum physics is not yet a household word. But as more and more people are confronted with it, we will be forced as a society to acknowledge that the spiritual has a real place in our lives.
As a minister I struggle with finding my place in the world. My life has been rich because of the spiritual dimension that gifts me with a true appreciation of how wondrous the world is and what a blessing it is to be alive, even in its most painful moments. But my own experiences and beliefs do not put me in a position of being able to counsel others on how they should approach life. I try to be open and listen, to perhaps point out things I see from my perspective. But, the ministry does not confer the right to impose anything on those who seek our help. It is many times difficult to stand back and be gentle, when the impulse is to rush in with what is after all, only my own opinion, the fruit of my own experience.
The ministry is both an opportunity and a burden in many respects. The opportunity lies is seeing the ministry as a prod to always examine what it is that motivates us. It gives us frequent pushes in the direction of self growth. The burden lies in the fact that it is a way to feed the ego. It is only too easy to succumb to the belief that as ministers we are closer to God than others are. The final lesson in this course spoke to that in a very real way.
We are all only fellow travelers, one no better than the other, just on a different road, at a different point in the journey. The only clear thing I can see is that our society is in a spiritual crisis, longing to find some meaning in our existence. If there is any place that I believe we as ministers can truly be of help, it is in reaching out and affirming that there is no one right way of finding God. We must all struggle to find our connection, and only in respecting each man’s right to choose his own path can we support each other.
I have never been any good at writing essays. I just finish the Spirit Quest course an thanks to your lessons on meditation an spiritual healing I have been able to control my pain. I have had chronic back pain since 1974 when I got hurt on the job an was paralyze from the waists down with the help of your lessons I have cut my pain pills from two pills six times a day to two pills twice a day I practice my meditation exercise for an hour a day an fine it very relaxing .Thanks for the great lessons an look forward to take more courses in the future.
A first characteristic common at all shamans is searching for altered states of consciousness in order to be in closer contact with the spirit world. The methods to reach this altered state of consciousness, although important, are simply tools used by the shaman to reach his or her goal. They can be varied but, although they have clear symbolical, mythological, or sociological basis, I do not think that they are the core of the shamanistic beliefs. The latter run much deeper than that.
Generically speaking, shamans seek to understand the meaning of the universe in order to help their community. Both these aspects are equally important, as shamans are not looking for knowledge and enlightenment for their own sake, but for a specific purpose: that of helping him- or herself and others. This is I think an important point that differentiates the hermit from the shaman.
The belief held by shamans in many forms of supernatural beings was prevalent in the whole world in antiquity and has not disappeared today. It persists in most major religions. A Catholic praying to a Saint to reach a specific goal is applying the same basic belief as a shaman. The main difference is probably that the shaman is aiming for an actual encounter, a closer connection, with the supernatural being. In that sense, shamanism is not far from the old Mystery religions, which aimed at creating a close personal bond between the initiate and the God through an initiation process.
However, this similarity is not the whole story. Initiates of Mystery religions aimed at reaching a more intimate relationship with their favorite Deity, and following this path was generally a personal choice that would only bring enlightenment to the individual. Shamanism first of all seems to look for more varied experiences within the spirit world, not only to build a relationship with a single entity. In addition, the aim of the shaman is not only enlightenment, but also the healing of him- or herself and others. In that sense, shamanism is probably more altruistic than the ancient Mystery religions.
On the other hand, the healing function during antiquity was probably adequately covered by other – more mainstream – religions than Mystery religions. The social need was therefore already covered, and there was no need for Mystery religions to duplicate that process. It can probably be argued that the rise of science and medicine in our modern world took care of the need for healing for most people, therefore turning religions into purely philosophical and theological forums. I believe, however, that the need for spiritual healing is still there, and unfortunately not adequately covered in our time by either science or mainstream religions.
The role of magic in shamanism is as strong as it was in ancient Pagan religions, and even in the ancient Hebrew religion on which Judaic and Christian religions are based. This importance of magic actually never left popular belief, despite attempts from the organized religions of our time to eradicate it. It is also very strong in most Neo-Pagan religions today, which is a first common link between the latter and shamanism.
Strangely enough, Animism, the belief that a soul or spirit exists in every object, becomes more and more current within these Neo-Pagan religions. Their followers usually believe in the immanence of the Divine and the presence of God in the whole creation. This belief is not far from Animism, and is another important link between these Neo-Pagan religions and shamanism. Another such link would be the generic lack of organized church structure beyond the tribe or the circle.
I particularly liked the explanation given by the course on the seven principles of shamanism. They basically are based on the fact that our reality is entirely subjective, and that the will of the individual can change it as he or she wishes, without actual limitations. This is not only true of relations with the spirit world, but also of our daily life. By applying these principles and following the spiritual goals of the shaman, I believe one can become a better person, even if he or she does not attempt to reach altered states of consciousness to enter the spirit world. However, it is only be doing the latter than one would become a shaman.
The course was very interesting from a religious, anthropological and sociological point of view, and its principles can be applied by both shamans and non-shamans alike.
Although some of the positions taken in this course are not entirely in line with my personal beliefs, I found that it was enlightening in many ways.
First of all, the course is based on serious studies of the mind and spirit by a serious practitioner. This in my opinion is one of its very important characteristics and sets solid foundations for its conclusions.
Although I agree that most of the problems are created by the conscious mind’s tendency to fragment and analyze, I would like to point out two things. First, I do not think that it is inherently negative to differentiate oneself from the whole, as long as that differentiation is made while acknowledging that one is also part of the whole. This can be a quite difficult task, but I believe this to be more accurate than one or the other possibility considered separately. Second, I believe some problems also exist are created by the unconscious mind. To use the image of the dark room and the flashlight, there could be obstacles in the room beyond the range of the light beam that would make us stumble and fall. Phobias would be a typical example.
I would think that problems should be broken down into ‘simple’ problems, which the conscious mind can resolve with some more thought and inventiveness, and ‘deeper’ problems that the conscious mind would not be able to solve, and for which one must rely on the higher mind. The first ones do not require miracles: they require conscious action and responsibility. Many problems can be solved that way, and I think they should. It is to the second ones that miracles should be applied. One should not attempt to rely on miracles to solve every simple problem of one’s life.
The conscious mind is the realm of the ego, which defines the personality. I think it would be a mistake to consider the ego as ‘wrong’, or as being – simply because of its existence – the source of all our problems. In my view, the problem is not the existence of the ego. I believe that we should not shy away from our differentiation, but rather accept that it is part of the whole. I would not say that ‘we are not our ego’, but rather that ‘we are much more than our ego’. In that view, the problem is not the ego itself, it is the imbalance of the ego created by fear, quite aptly highlighted in the course under the headings ‘over-inflated’ and ‘under-inflated’ egos. I believe our first task should be to use the perspective of our higher self and its Love to balance and center the ego. In that sense, when the course talks about something negative ‘coming from the ego’, I would prefer to say that it comes from the ‘imbalanced ego’. Being hostage to the ego would be wrong, but we should be able to balance and accept our ego while at the same time being host to God.
The course presents an interesting view of the concept of sin. My personal belief is that sin does not actually exist. Of course many people, including myself, perform bad or evil things, but these are simply that. They are not sin in the sense of disobedience from the orders of God. I do not believe that there are actual instructions from God that could be disobeyed. Moreover, and I think the course describes this very well, the ‘original sin’ of believing to be separated from God does not exist either. This original sin cannot be real, as we were never actually separated from God. It is an illusion. Once we realize that God is and has always been with us and within us – probably in our higher mind – we can let go of the illusion of being unworthy and entirely separate from God and each other. But neither are we ‘better’ than others: we – and the whole creation – are all equally worthy and united by God.
There is one point, which I already mentioned, on which I have to come back. If we never actually separated from God, but if the ego and the physical world were created as symbols of the separation, then the ego and physical world would be creations of God, or at least created with the assent of God. This last sentence even sounds funny, because how could anything be created without the assent of God? I do not believe the physical world to be an illusion, a ‘dream world’ or ‘world of forms’ to use course terminology. In fact that ego and the physical world are creations of God and we should not ignore them. If everything else than Love would be an illusion, what would be the point?
Having a personality and living in a physical world is not contradictory with acknowledging our everlasting union with the Love of God through the higher mind. We can be both unique and part of the One, as long as we understand that we are not better or worse than the rest of Creation. Following the teachings of the course, we should let Love – I would tend to qualify it as Divine Love or Perfect Love – help us balance our ego by casting out the fear and open the channels to the higher mind in order to restore the connection with God that we always had but forgot we had. Through Perfect Love, we would restore Perfect Trust, not only in God whom we never left and never abandoned us, but also in ourselves and the other.
Our challenge, for which the methods explained in the course prepares us quite well, should therefore be to become more and more aware of the presence of the Divine within us and to use the Love of God to balance our ego. By understanding that we are at the same time unique and part of the Divine, we will grow in love and respect for the others, not because separateness is an illusion of the ego, but because we would have understood that we are all individual facets of the same diamond.