I wrote recently on understanding the deeper meanings of the knowledge that many of the master teachers. I used a movie “the Karate Kid” as an analogy for many of the teachings of the masters. What I would like to do today is to expound a little more on this concept and give some examples from the bible. I use the bible as an example because it is a book that I grew up with and its teachings and concepts I am familiar. Jesus was quoted as saying many things in the bible that do have a practical application but have a deeper meaning for those that are willing to learn and understand. The practical meaning can be grounded in physical reality for the most part. The esoteric meaning has many more ramifications for us beyond the physical. In other words many of the concepts Jesus spoke about had an esoteric (hidden) metaphysical (beyond physical) meaning. Jesus would speak in parables and figuratively to the masses and then explain the deeper esoteric meaning to his disciples when they did not understand. In Mark 4:34 it is stated,

“He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.”

This was from the commentary of the writer of the gospel of Mark. In the Gospel of John 16:25 Jesus says:

“Though I have been speaking to you figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.”

The agenda of “The Church”

Jesus knew just as any good teacher that people will understand different concepts in their own way. His parables and figurative language did have practical and useful meaning from a literal stand point. in other words people could benifit from the literal meaning in their daily life.  If it did not then religion of Christianity would never have flourished. Although it did have a little help and a few slight of hand maneuvers by “The Church.”

The Church did a couple of things that really obscured the message that Jesus was attempting to teach. One was to make Christianity a fear based religion. In trying to make Christianity the “world” religion The Church outlawed many traditions that were a threat to its agenda. concepts like divination and reincarnation were outlawed and banned as heresy by the church by anyone that practiced them. Divination, things like tarot cards (came much later in history), runes, I’ching and others allowed people a direct connection to God. They would allow people to receive messages through symbols. Jesus intended to teach us how to connect to God. Reincarnation was an accepted custom throughout the ancient world well before Jesus walked the earth and during his time.

 It was so accepted that the Catholic Church banned reincarnation as heresy in 553 A.D. at the second council of Constantinople and instituted the concept of excommunication from the church. To be excommunicated meant that your soul would go straight to hell. If a person believed that they could be reincarnated then how fearful would they be of excommunication, or going to hell for eternity? Anyone would get plenty of second chances! And the sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross would be useless and absurd. Reincarnation would mean that over time we would pay for our own consequences. Since the people of the time were not widely literate whatever the church told them they accepted. The people then feared going to hell for believing they could reincarnate. they also feared the death penalty for practicing concept thought to be heretical to the church. The concept of reincarnation has been set aside in most western religions. There is no excuse for this way of thinking today. Is anyone really afraid that a man can say a few words and they would go to hell?

Christians Break a commandment just by being Christian

The second thing that obscured the message of Jesus, was The Church elevated Jesus to a stature above all other humans. In other words they made Jesus an idol rather than the example to follow. Now most of the Judeo-Christian world believes that the Ten Commandments are sacred. To break a commandment is to break one of the most sacred laws given by God! The very first commandment is:

Exodus 20:3 “Thou shall put no other God’s before me.”

If the commandments are so sacred then why would The Church elevate Jesus and make him God? Jesus had the intention of teaching us that we are just like him. That we were no different than he was.

John 10:30 Jesus says I and the father are one.

Through the scripture Jesus had a message for us that was more than the literal meaning. He was us and said so. Jesus often referred to himself as “the son of man.” Which meant he is a descendent of man. The deeper meaning being he was flesh and blood and born just like you and I. Therefore if he was just like and I and he and the father were one then you and I and the father are one.

John 8:12 I am the light of the world. Whoever, follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Here Jesus is saying when you follow my teachings you will be enlightened. The teachings are spiritual and not religious. But again the message was changed with the agenda of the Roman Catholic Church to unite the Roman Empire. The message was made to be about Jesus rather than what he was teaching. Jesus also taught that he was not a judge:

John 8:15 You Judge by human standards; I pass judgement on no one.

Jesus was saying that there is a different standard than human? I know metaphysically that he is talking about the law of cause and effect or karma. The church gave us the concept of hell to scare people in line with what they wanted. again a fear based belief. When you read the words of the gospels, Jesus did not teach a fear based belief. Paul on the other hand did. It is his message that the church spreads more the the message of Jesus.

Where is Heaven?

Jesus also spoke on the kingdom of God. If you ask most Christians where heaven is they will point to the sky. A literal place somewhere in space. As if we can get on a rocket ship and journey there. or we have to die to get to heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Kingdom of God is not a place. It is a state of mind. A state of mind is where? It is inside you. Jesus said it was not a place. He stated in:

Luke 17:20-21 “…The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, here it is, or there it is, because the kingdom of God is WHITHIN YOU.”

Could there be any other translation that this scripture could mean? You can’t see it or point to it. Heaven is within you! That means God is within you and that is how you seek him. There is no outside disconnected force that is waiting to punish us. The kingdom of heaven is a state of mind.

A funny thing happened on the way to mass in 1999. The Catholic Church said that heaven and hell are not  places. They are states of mind. I wrote about this and a link to papal edict some months back in an article titled  “The Vatican says Heaven and Hell are only mental” Yes, the same Church that decided 1500 years ago that you could be excommunicated for believing in a heretical concept like reincarnation. 

Illiteracy was a problem in ancient times

The biggest obstacle that most people had was a lack of understanding in early Christianity because of illiteracy. They were told what to believe and because they could not research it for themselves they accepted the word from the clergy. Men the people felt they could trust. The biggest problem today is that people just don’t find out information for themselves. The church doctrines have been passed down for generations and people do not question them. Even the clergy do not question the doctrines.

To not question the doctrines and dogma is a travesty. There is a message within the message from Jesus but people only look at the literal interpretation. Jesus said he spoke figuratively. He said there would be a time I will tell you plainly about my father.

The only way to not know the truth is by choice

Unlike the people of the time of Jesus you can now find the answers for yourself. You do not need an intermediary to tell you what and how to believe. If you want to get to the kingdom of God Jesus has already told you where it is. You have to be brave enough to wrestle with and question what you find. Do not stick your head in the proverbial sand. Just like Jesus you have the power to get all the knowledge he had. Religion has been fear based for centuries. That is not the intentions of the master teachers. The information is out there all any of us have to do is seek the truth.

Are you a brave soul?

Reginaldc is me

 

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