The Christ Is Not a Person: The Evolution of Consciousness and the Destiny of Man

By J.C. Tefft

Why are we born? For what purpose are we here?

The longer we remain unaware of what is taking place within us of what drives us and what can liberate us from the bonds of egocentric behavior the longer we allow what the Buddha called the sorrow of life to hold sway. The sorrow of life is the sum and consequence of our total identification with the world that is created by self.

The word Consciousness means something more than what the mind of self thinks, imagines, or conceives. Awareness in Pure Consciousness is an awareness that is other than self and beyond thought. Contrary to traditional thinking, the so-called unseen, unknown world is nothing more than Consciousness of which we are unaware. Unawareness in Consciousness has been evolving into Awareness in Consciousness since before time began.

The author of this work comprehensively sets forth a meaning of ancient scripture that likely has not been advanced to you before. He demystifies ancient legends and myths so the essential truth of ancient teachings shines through. Using ancient scripture as a guide, he insightfully explores a growing conscious awareness that has been emerging within mankind over the last few thousand years.

A must read for anyone looking to discover the deeper meaning of ancient scripture beyond a literal interpretation of the words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 11, 2009
• ISBN: 9780595624294

J.C. Tefft

Raised at the feet of enlightened souls, J.C. first experienced revelations in Cosmic Awareness as a young adult. Aspiring to understand the deeper meaning of life and the universe, this book is the culmination of 5 years of dedicated inquiry into the nature of Life, Love, and Pure Conscious Awareness, as has been realized in and ever-growing number of human beings around the world since ancient times.

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Copyright © 2008 by J.C. Tefft

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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iUniverse rev. date: 03/16/2018

Contents

Prologue: Acknowledging the Problem

What is the Nature of Evolving Consciousness?

What is the Nature of Thought?

All Profound Spiritual Teachings are in Essence, One

Regarding the Book you are Reading Now

Chapter 1: The Bible Who Wrote it and When? Who Interprets its Meaning? How did it Come into Being? What is it Actually About? How and Where Might One Begin?

Who Wrote the Books of the Bible and When

Who Interprets its Meaning?

How did the Bible Come into Being?

What is the Bible Actually About?

How and Where Might One Begin?

Chapter 2: The Story of Creation and the Evolution of the Universe

In Summary

Illustration: The Chart of Life

Chapter 3: The Garden and the Evolution of Consciousness

Chapter 4: Abraham, the Father of Faith Rebekah and Jacob’s Ladder

Rebekah and Jacob’s Ladder

Chapter 5: The Universality of Consciousness Moses and the Emergence of a Moral Code

Moses and the Emergence of a Moral Code

Chapter 6: Moses: The First Hebrew Prophet The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

Chapter 7: The Age of the Prophets The Foretelling of a New Dispensation Yet to Come

Chapter 8: Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament

Who Wrote the Books and Letters of the New Testament?

The Transformation of Jesus Through Christ

The Transformation of Paul Through Christ

Chapter 9: A Retrospective of Transformations in Pure Consciousness

Chapter 10: The Ministry of Christ Jesus

Chapter 11: The Teachings of Christ Jesus

Epilogue

The Evolution of Consciousness from a Scientific Perspective

The Evolution of Consciousness as Seen by the Ancient Mind

From Self to Other than Self

In

honor of my father who

loved the Bible.

Were it not for him and his

life’s work this book would not

have been written.

PROLOGUE

Acknowledging the Problem

Before we begin, let us first acknowledge some fundamental facts regarding the evolution of Consciousness, as a Whole. One such fact is that human beings presently abide in the vanguard of evolving Consciousness, but only tentatively so, as is plainly seen when observing the confused, chaotic, sometimes catastrophic state of present-day human affairs. This widespread, global disorder that originates solely with humankind is indicative of at least two additional facts. First, something is grossly amiss with respect to human understanding of the ultimate purpose of Life. And second, it remains to be seen whether humans, as a species, will ultimately survive, let alone realize their full potential as regards the evolution of Consciousness. *

Despite these facts, Consciousness, including Awareness in Consciousness, continues to evolve and express in and through all that appears as the phenomenal universe. Accordingly, over the past few thousand years, a certain few of the human race, in moments of transcendent insight, have been radically transformed in conscious Awareness beyond anything previously known. Subsequently, through their life and teachings, they then point the way for others to follow: not follow personally, but follow transformationally into greater Awareness in Consciousness in this Life – Now – not in a life hereafter.

Even so, despite the teachings of numerous enlightened Sages both ancient and new, the majority of humankind remains ignorant of a ‘level’ of conscious Awareness that is Other than thought. Consequently, most of us even today go about daily life in fundamentally uninspired fashion; ignorant of and therefore indifferent to the transcendent potential in conscious Awareness embodied within us. Instead, we tend to focus the Power of Life toward the amplification of evermore robust egocentric behavior and in doing so, succumb to the grand illusion that some personal or collective advantage is gained, as a result. A significant amount of Cosmic Energy is thus wasted, one might say, in the building and expanding of an ever-stronger egoic sense of self, which tends to strengthen the hold that the conceptual Mind already has on humankind. The consequence of strongly identifying with this conceptualized reality of Mind is that Pure Awareness – which is an Awareness that is Other than Mind, Other than concepts, Other than self – is not only ignored, but is also made less likely to Awaken, clarify, and come forth.

The evolution of Consciousness is motivated by Love. For Love to efficiently and freely come forth, however, it must be allowed to evolve in and through Creation on its own terms, in its own way. This means we must learn to surrender our identification with and subsequent attachment to the world, as conceived of Mind, so that Love, rather than a self-centered view, can come to life from within. In so doing, we also then support the flowering of greater Awareness within.

It cannot be denied that in humankind’s quest for self-empowerment, we have created, with remarkable ingenuity, innumerable technological wonders, many marvelous to behold. Many are created, however, for the purpose of satisfying an insatiable appetite for further expansion of self – for convenience and pleasure on the one hand, prestige and power on the other. In the meantime, we continue to prove generally ineffective at learning a better way to BE. Put in Biblical terms, we strain at gnats and swallow camels. Why? What is it that induces humankind to perpetuate this insanity that leads to ever-more chaos, violence, misery, and war? Why do we remain so tribal, so competitive, so uncaring and insensitive, not only to the needs of fellow human beings, but also to the needs of the global environment in which we live?

The primary reason, I suggest, is that humankind, in general, lack enlightenment and this lack of enlightenment translates directly into the confusion, chaos, and violence that perpetually expresses everywhere in the world. Consequently, the longer we remain unaware of what occurs within us – of what drives us or liberates us from the bonds of egocentric behavior – the longer we allow what the Buddha called the sorrow of life to hold sway. The sorrow of life is the sum and consequence of excessive identification with the world, as conceived of Mind; the sad irony of which is that holding to such a world tends to regenerate the sorrow of Life all the more. Thus the problem of sorrow, like a cancer, not only persists, but also grows.

Instead of looking into the problem of sorrow honestly and forthrightly, humans, among other things, have invented a hereafter in hopes that a Savior will one day appear to carry us away into another life; into another time and place, presumably much better than the one we created here. This mindset, if one observes it carefully, is nothing more than the unending postponement of that which we resist giving attention to Here and Now. We instead go about proving day in and day out that we are ill-prepared to be ‘saved,’ not by a Savior, but from ourselves; saved from a world that we, in ourselves, create.

This begs the question; if we, as a species, are powerless to be transformed by Love through greater conscious Awareness in this life, now, then why imagine that we, as a species, will be empowered to be transformed by Love through conscious Awareness in a life, hereafter? What is the difference between transformation in this life and transformation in a future life – later on? It seems that we would have to contend with our inherent corrupted nature as much there as here, would we not? Thus enlightenment, which involves a transformation in conscious Awareness Here and Now, not in a hereafter, must be the key that opens the door to greater freedom, love, and understanding, whereas lack of enlightenment Here and Now is a good indication that a hypothetical, hoped for transformation in an imagined world hereafter is an altogether unlikely reality.

When it comes to transformations in Consciousness we are our own worst enemy. By turning a blind eye to True Reality, we remain ineffective in resolving the deeper, inner-most problems that we ourselves create. We persist in the habit of looking to someone else, someplace else, or some miracle to save us from ourselves. This, I submit, fairly accurately describes the essential, underlying problem for all humankind. And Man, not God or the absence of a Savior, is responsible for the mess. Humankind’s ignorance and lack of Pure Awareness in this life – Now – both delays and prevents Awakenings from occurring within. Transformation by means of Awakening is not about a future time and place, but about transformation in this place – Now.

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What we are faced with today, like it or not, is a crisis of immense proportion, as unmistakably evidenced by the current state of world affairs; one that politicians, scientists, religious, and business leaders are incapable of solving of themselves. Political, economic, social, and religious reforms legislated from the halls of institutions bring about nothing more than superficial modifications to daily life. Such reforms fail to address what each of us brings to life every moment of every day within our minds and hearts, hence what we bring to life and allow to live within our individual and collective consciousness. Institutional reforms offer little, if anything, to Awaken or radically transform humankind in conscious Awareness, which is the means by which enlightenment comes.

Contrary to general perception, world religions have rarely, if ever, offered meaningful guidance in this regard. Rather than raising human beings up into an enlightened understanding, religious authorities have generally preferred to establish and articulate specific doctrines, rituals, and beliefs that ideologically differentiate themselves from others. Whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or the like, each is fashioned around distinctive symbols, rituals, and beliefs that bind them to a particular system, path, or cause. Their respective cause is invariably linked to the idea that those who accept their specific line of thinking and adhere to their particular set of practices will one day be rewarded in a life hereafter. For those who join, the promise of upcoming Glory purportedly occurs following the death of the body, after which the supplicant can expect to be admitted into a heavenly place unlike anything that exists here on Earth. This is an overly generalized, but reasonably accurate description of institutional religion’s overall take on living Truth.

By encouraging adherence to certain doctrines, rituals, and beliefs, religions generally tend to alienate one group of people from another, as well as alienate their respective worshippers from Awakening unto living Truth within. Far better to help all to see that One Source governs all Creation through already established Universal Law. Religious doctrines, rituals, and beliefs do not govern; Universal Law governs. Once one Awakens to this fact, then one can readily see that no person or group has any particular status or privilege over any other person or group when it comes to abiding in accordance with living Truth and Universal Law, regardless of what anyone practices or believes.

Learning the art of living has nothing to do with adhering to ancient, ritualistic thinking and practices passed down through time, but everything to do with learning to live in accordance with living Truth in the Eternal Present Now. This was just as true for enlightened sages of ancient times as it is today. Enlightened beings do not hold to systems of belief or ritualistic practices to attain enlightenment. Nor do they hope to enter a heaven in a hereafter. Rather, they eschew such systems and practices in favor of discovering living Truth in their own lives – Here and Now.

The institutional practice of converting people to a particular point of view or way of thinking causes more harm than good. Convincing others to believe in such things as a Savior and an imagined afterlife binds people to ignorance and complacency. It has little to do with learning to live an orderly, sane, and intelligent life in this life now. It is impossible to encapsulate God, Life or Love within a belief or an idea. It is equally impossible to attain enlightenment by practicing a ritual or holding to a belief. Rather, a radical transformation in conscious Awareness is required.

There is only One Consciousness evolving, not many, just as there is only One Source of Creation and One overall Truth. It is not your truth or my truth, Christian or Muslim truth, Eastern or Western truth, but living Truth. It is this one and only Truth, the living Truth of what actually is so that reveals the One Consciousness that expresses as all that IS – the One in the many and the many in the One.

In Truth, we are not individual beings per the limitations of Mind, but are an expression of One Being inclusive of the totality of all that appears in the phenomenal universe. We are born of One Source and empowered by One Power. Yet we are educated from the womb to think of ourselves as distinct individuals and are endlessly challenged to compete against each other to succeed in the affairs of the world. Such is the grand illusion of separateness that perpetuates misunderstandings, legends, and myths that motivate daily life even to today.

Humankind’s ongoing competitive, unyielding, and ultimately violent behavior undergoes no meaningful change unless and until a radical transformation in conscious Awareness occurs from within. For such an Awakening to flower and bear fruit we must learn to live in accordance with living Truth, as governed by Universal Law, as expressed through humans here on Earth. Those who learn to live in accordance with living Truth discover how to approach life in a new and different way. They also come to a better understanding of the nature of evolving Consciousness – what empowers it, as well as what prevents it from Awakening unto Pure Awareness within. Learning to live in accordance with living Truth in the present moment Here and Now is the only means by which the critical problems of humankind will ever be adequately understood or resolved.

To be free from sorrow, one must realize within oneself a deeper Reality of Life and well Being. As the Buddha rightly pointed out, ‘to attain the highest state … is to end sorrow.’ So one must ask, what is this ‘high state’ referred to by the Buddha? If it is found within, then shouldn’t we, like the Buddha, be looking within ourselves, rather than to others, for answers to arise?

Numerous ancient and modern sages over thousands of years have pointed to a new realization in conscious Awareness as the means by which the ending of sorrow occurs, yet the true meaning and message of their teachings continues, for the most part, to fall on deaf ears. The time of deaf ears must come to an end. We, as human beings, must accept the mantle of purpose for which we are born. Jesus pointed this purpose out in this way using the language of his time: ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ Restated in modern terms this might read, seek ye first Awareness in Pure Consciousness, be aligned with living Truth and the mystery of the unknown shall be realized within.

What is pointed to in this book is neither revolutionary nor new. It is the same Reality that has been pointed to by uncounted spiritual guides for thousands of years. The ending of sorrow does not come about through adherence to any system, method, ritual, or belief; nor is there an exclusive path to enlightenment. Sorrow ends at the moment there is a clear realization of living Truth, a clear realization of what actually is so – within you. To realize Truth, the Mind must be free of any and all attachments to systems of belief, which is to be, as the Buddha put it, in the ‘highest state.’ This requires that no interpretation, no opinion, no idea, no belief, no ritual, and no judgment be in the way. It requires a Mind that is free of all that. In that state of Mind – the highest state – sorrow ends.

What is the Nature of Evolving Consciousness?

What follows is an attempt to describe in conceptual terms the nature of evolving Consciousness. The ‘blindness’ or ‘darkness’ (to use Biblical terms) that humans experience in reference to Awareness in Consciousness can be partially attributed to the complexity and newness of certain mechanisms and faculties currently expressing within modern Man. The modern human expression is the outgrowth of multiple ‘levels’ of manifested Creation that, according to modern science, initially appeared billions of years ago. This explains, in part, why we are often perplexed and bewildered when considering the urges and impulses that arise from within. It also explains, in part, why most of us have yet to realize our true purpose in life, even though such a realization is possible.

The word Consciousness, as used here, implies more than what the Mind of Man thinks, imagines, or conceives. Pure Consciousness, for instance, points to realizations in Awareness that are quite different than Awareness of self-conscious thoughts alone. Pure Awareness underlies, one might say, all ‘levels’ of manifested Creation from the simplest to the most complex. Contrary to traditional thinking, the so-called unseen, unknown world is nothing more than universal expression of which we are yet unaware. This unawareness in Consciousness has been evolving into Awareness in Consciousness since before time began.

Every phenomenal expression arises out of One Source and as such expressions evolve, so also conscious Awareness evolves. For material expressions to come into greater Awareness, however, it was originally necessary that a variety of simple expressions evolve first within a wide range of non-complex organisms to establish a foundation upon which more complex organisms and species could eventually emerge. By the time humans appeared, unlike organisms and species that appeared before, it was now possible for evermore sophisticated mechanisms and processes to inwardly mature to the point that ultimately allowed ‘us’ to comprehend and reflect upon that which arises in the present moment from within. Humans, therefore, unlike any other species, embody the potential to ultimately become Aware of being Aware. This reflective capacity, therefore, embodied within humankind provides a more favorable environment in which Awareness in Consciousness can more readily unfold.

In this manner, that which arises in Consciousness (concepts, thoughts, feelings, and the like), together with greater Awareness in Consciousness, has progressively evolved through a chain of expression on the material plane by means of elements, mechanisms, organisms, and faculties since the universe began. By mechanisms and faculties I mean everything ranging from the earliest respiratory, circulatory, and glandular systems developed on the biological plane to Man’s thinking brain and caring heart that encompasses combined aspects of chemical, biological, psychological, and esoteric expressions. Thus, each and every material expression evolves out of that which came before and as life forms evolve, so also conscious Awareness evolves from within.

The earliest forms to evolve were the least complex, consequently the least sensitive and least Aware of evolving Consciousness. But from the earliest of forms to more recent expressions, new organisms have progressively been endowed with ever-greater potential in conscious Awareness. Thus, ever-greater Awareness has evolved as a result of a progressive unfolding of ever-more complex forms on the material plane, not only from one organism to another, but also within organisms themselves. In this way, the creative Spirit through a process of trial and error has produced and developed ever-more complex forms and functionalities capable of ever-greater Awareness in Consciousness through evolutionary time. The blossoming nature of Consciousness comes to light, therefore, in ever-greater measure in more recently evolved organisms than in previously evolved ones. More recently evolved species, such as Man, therefore, embody greater potential in conscious Awareness than previously evolved species, such as Plants and Animals.

In actuality, there is no such thing as ‘levels’ of Consciousness, but rather, different mechanisms and faculties capable of experiencing and responding to different frequencies of conscious expression, which simultaneously allows for varying ‘levels’ of conscious Awareness to be realized from within. For instance, a rock born of the Mineral world can only respond to very low, vibrational frequencies of conscious expression. This is because minerals, being among the earliest to evolve, lack the necessary mechanisms and faculties embodied within more advanced organisms that evolved later. Nevertheless, it was necessary that Minerals evolve first in order to provide a solid foundation upon which more complex forms could later materialize. Everything on the material plane has thus evolved from the simple to the more complex, from less responsive to more responsive, and from less sensitive to more sensitive, as regards conscious Awareness within.

Plants followed Minerals in evolutionary time. Accordingly, even though Plants are more complex and thus more sensitized than Minerals, they remain dependent upon Minerals for support and sustenance in order to express and live. Plants could not survive or evolve without the support of the Mineral because the realms of Plants and Minerals are inexorably linked, one evolving out of the other, while the other provides a foundation for the one.

Animals evolved based on lessons learned from Plants. And just as with Plants that arose out of Minerals, so also Animals were endowed with increasingly sensitive mechanisms and faculties, which allowed for ever-greater responsiveness to more varied frequencies than either Minerals or Plants. Nevertheless, just as with Plants, Animals benefit from and depend upon all that came before. Embodied within Animals, however, were new and improved mechanisms and faculties that brought the evolution of conscious Awareness to yet another ‘level’ of expression beyond minerals and plants.

And as with all organisms and species that have thus evolved, built upon the foundation of those that came before, so also humans emerged, rooted in and dependent upon all that preceded them. Even so, being the most recent species to appear and evolve, humans have been endowed with evermore complex mechanisms and faculties than any that have come before. Humans are thus capable of responding or ‘tuning in’ to a wider range of vibrational frequencies than any other species yet known. Integrated within Man are not only mechanisms that evolved before him, but also superior faculties that are capable of revealing within oneself an Awareness that is not only of concepts, images, and thoughts, but also of the underlying nature of Conscious expression, as a Whole. Unlike any other species, Man is capable of realizing within himself Oneness with his Creator. Even so, because this bourgeoning capacity is yet in its infancy, Man’s capacity to realize this new cosmic ‘level’ of conscious Awareness, from an overall evolutionary perspective, is not yet fully developed.

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In order to communicate at least a semblance of the nature of evolving Consciousness, what follows is an attempt to conceptually describe ‘levels’ of conscious Awareness in correlation to organisms, mechanisms, and faculties that have evolved on the material plane over time. Please be aware, however, that in truth there is no such thing as ‘levels’ of Consciousness, for only One Consciousness is evolving. But there are ‘levels,’ one might say, of conscious Awareness that correlate directly with different capabilities embodied within organisms and species themselves. These ‘levels,’ however, are not as distinct as they outwardly appear, nor are they separated or isolated from one another or isolated from Consciousness, as a Whole.

This being said, the various ‘levels’ of conscious Awareness, as arbitrarily delineated here for the purpose of this work are as follows:

• The Kingdom of Minerals: Minerals, being among the first to evolve are less sensitive or responsive to vibrational frequencies, thus are extremely limited in conscious Awareness capability.

• The Kingdom of Plants: Plants, being the next to evolve, were progressively endowed with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to vibrational frequencies than Minerals, thus are more consciously Aware than Minerals.

• The Kingdom of Animals: Animals evolved in conjunction with and/or soon after Plants. Animals were the first species to be endowed with a brain similar to, but not identical to Man’s, which, among other things, most differentiates Animals from Plants. I refer to the ‘level’ of conscious Awareness in Animals as simple consciousness.

• The Kingdom of Man: The most recent species to evolve, the ‘level’ of conscious Awareness that correlates with Man’s thinking brain is the most significant factor that differentiates Man from the Animal. I refer to this ‘level’ of conscious Awareness in Man as self-consciousness or the Mind of self in Man. But yet another distinction regarding a newly burgeoning capacity in conscious Awareness now emerging within Man and Man alone is noted below.

• The Kingdom of God: The unseen, un-manifested, formless Source of evolving Consciousness; the Creator; the One and the Many; the I Am All and In All that Is coupled with all that arises and appears therein. Historically, Awakening unto realizations of this ‘Realm’ of Conscious Awareness has been referred to, among other things, as attaining the Supreme Liberation, Nirvana, Zen, the Tao, or the Kingdom of Heaven. I refer to this most recent ‘level’ of conscious Awareness now awakening within humankind as Pure Consciousness, which implies a supra or Cosmic Consciousness. It might also be described as ‘Being’ and ‘Knowing’ in the present moment, sometimes referred to as non-dual, non-conceptualized Presence that is limitless, intelligent, and fully integrated with the Whole.

Aside from the Kingdom of God, which is All and All and In All, each ‘level’ of expression, as arbitrarily delineated above, progressing from the simplest to the most complex, is capable of realizing conscious Awareness in direct proportion to inherent capabilities supported within them. Consequently, Animals, which are endowed with more sensitive functionalities than Plants, are more receptive to a wider range of frequencies in Consciousness than Plants. Animals are thus capable of experiencing certain impulses that arise in the immediacy of the moment to a degree unknown in Plants. Yet, unlike Man, Animals are extremely limited in their ability to conceptualize or reimagine such impulses after the fact. They do not embody a mechanism capable of reimagining a significant amount of conceptualized memory. They do not, therefore, have an intellect, as intellect is predicated on memory. Nor do they have a language to re-express their experiences in either images or words.

Lacking a memory capable of reimagining conceptual images in the manner of Man, Animals are incapable of reflecting upon their condition. They can neither conceive ideas nor articulate them. They cannot analyze, compare, contrast, or reason as Man can, as they lack the cognitive mechanisms to do so. While able to experience certain impulses and communicate them in more limited ways, absent the ability to think and reason, Animals lack the verbal and artistic language necessary to communicate ideas that are constructed within the vibrational realm of thought.

If Animals did, in fact, have thoughts to express, they would have long since developed a verbal language to communicate them, as well as express them through various forms of art. But Animals do little, if any, of this. Instead, they are primarily motivated by means of biological and chemical processes to forage for food, reproduce, care for their young and protect their territory, which enables them to survive and flourish as a species. When Animals do communicate, it is largely through impulses relating to their immediate sense of the moment. Utilizing the communicative tools afforded them, Animals are capable of acting and reacting very effectively within the simple consciousness in which they live. Ironically, absent thought, Animals function more in the Now (without judgment) than most humans.

The simple consciousness that developed within Animals is more limited in capability than the consciousness of self that emerged within Man. Nevertheless, because the biological organism of Man that supports the thinking brain evolved out of the Animal, Man inherited many characteristics and tendencies that are also inherent in his Animal ancestors. This is why Man, in many respects, exhibits many of the same drives, behaviors, and tendencies inherent in Animals, particularly in reference to his biological and instinctive nature, even though he has evolved above and beyond the Animal in conscious Awareness of same.

The spoken and written word used to express and communicate thoughts and ideas that arise within Man are forms of language that developed as a result of Man’s ability to feel and think. Music and the visual arts are two other forms of language that Man uses to express and communicate feelings, inspirations, and ideas arising from within. The creation of these and other such forms of language are directly linked to the development of the intellect, as well as other sensitized faculties that express within Man and Man alone. The development of these higher forms of communication is solely attributable to the emergence of the finite Mind of self that expresses in and through the human organism.

For the most part, for every concept or image that arises of Mind, a corresponding word or symbol is created to represent it. As concepts become increasingly complex, additional words and symbols are created to represent and describe them. The words and symbols that are created correlate directly with each experience, concept or image held in memory in the Human Energy Field and nowhere else.

The expression of emotion, as it pertains to language, is a slightly different matter. Emotions trigger feelings or vice-versa, along with subsequent reactions of one kind or another that often cannot be conveyed in words alone. Where emotion is concerned, the word only conveys one’s impression of how the emotion felt, but not the emotion itself. Emotion is conveyed through transference of Energy. Therefore, as one becomes caught up in the excitement, fear, or anger in the moment, such emotion is conveyed directly to others through the enactment of the emotion itself, much like the Animal. In this way, emotional impulses are brought to life. Emotions are sensed, felt, and enacted, rather than conceived, intellectualized, and considered. Emotions are not generated out of the intellect, but the intellect, through identification with self-created images and words, can trigger emotional response, both in oneself and in others nearby.

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The human Mind, generally speaking, functions in the following manner. First, one perceives or experiences an image, thought, or movement arising within oneself, after which a concept is born, which is then given a name, followed by attachment to the human energy field where conceptualized memories are held. Thus, memories are born and strengthened with each passing image, thought, or experience – some more, some less. With each perception and/or experience, new and refined concepts are added to the mix, often identified with new and varied shades of meaning. Prior concepts are then compared, contrasted, and analyzed in relation to newer concepts held within the field. In this manner the intellect is honed and grows. As memory expands, comparative thought is increasingly brought into play, thus language evolves.

Through repetition and experience, layer upon layer of multiple concepts are constructed within memory, much the way a mason bricks up walls one brick at a time. This process, beginning not long after one is born, is the accumulation of the content of one’s conditioning. This content becomes one’s idea of him or her self, as one increasingly identifies with the thoughts and images that are held in memory. The egoic self is thus built upon images held in memory, as one conceives and subsequently identifies with same. The self, therefore, encompasses all human perceptions, imaginings, and experiences that are conceptualized and identified with over time. It becomes who we think we are and what we think life in this world is about. In this way, Man’s thinking process quite literally creates and grows into an egocentric self.

In the beginning, ignoring certain physiological differences, the finite Mind of self was the primary factor that most distinguished Man from the Animal. But Man’s capacity to conceive and reimagine concepts within the brain did not end there, for this capability was apparently created to support the advent of another ‘level’ of conscious Awareness that was yet to unfold.

In the early stages, Man’s burgeoning capacity to think and reason was at best, tenuous and weak. But with extended use, Man’s ability to think has since been fine-tuned to the point that it is now extremely well developed. Examples abound that plainly demonstrate a steady progression in Man’s capacity to think and communicate via the intellect, from the simplest of forms painted on cave walls thousands of years ago to the most complex expressions imaginable today; from before recorded history till now.

Just as Man’s ability to think and reason is above and beyond the simple consciousness of the Animal, so also Pure Conscious Awareness is above and beyond the finite Mind of self. As with other emerging functionalities in the evolutionary past, it turns out that this new faculty, if you will, this new potential uniquely embodied within Man is more sensitive to and integrated with a wider range of frequencies in Consciousness than ever before born to Planet Earth. This new potential allows Man, unlike any other species, to realize from within a ‘level’ of conscious Awareness heretofore unknown. Awakening unto Pure Consciousness, therefore, appears to be an evolutionary follow-on to the initial realization and development of the Mind of self in Man.

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According to recorded history, the fullness of Man’s capacity to realize Pure Conscious Awareness came to light for the first time some twenty-six hundred years ago, if not before, through at least two enlightened beings that we know of – the Buddha in India and Lao Tzu in China – though there might well have been others, as well. This newest ‘level’ of conscious Awareness that is presently Awakening within Man is so new in terms of evolutionary time that it is just now struggling to gain a foothold within humankind. This partially explains why most of us, even today, are barely aware of its Presence, or if so, experience it in more limited ways, as if a low light flickering. There have been a few, however, and the Buddha was one, Lao-Tzu another, and Jesus yet another in ancient times, in whom this new faculty matured and flowered in a burst of Light that superseded the Mind of self to unveil the living Truth of what actually is so. In effect, in such instances, a new human race is in process of being born (or reborn) unto Pure Awareness in Consciousness.

Pure Consciousness is not an expansion of self-consciousness, but is an entirely different reality from that which is generated of Mind. Pure Consciousness is of a higher order than Mind. It is as distinct from the Mind of self, as the Mind of self is distinct from the simple consciousness of the Animal. Just as an Animal born into the world of simple consciousness cannot enter into self-conscious thinking, so also Man cannot think or reason his way into Pure Consciousness. It is impossible to communicate the living Truth of Pure Consciousness in words, concepts or ideas. Realities in Pure Consciousness can no more be explained to the intellect than the intellect can explain finite thinking to a horse. Even so, all ‘levels’ of conscious Awareness are unalterably integrated and dependent upon the other. Enlightened beings speak of this integrated reality in terms of the Oneness of Life and the Universe.

Over the past twenty-six hundred or so years, a growing number of people have experienced (and are experiencing) ever-greater degrees of liberation from bondage to the Mind of self (which is brought about through over-identification with constructs of Mind) as Pure Conscious Awareness Awakens within them. Realizations in Pure Consciousness seem to occur most often when the self is rightly aligned (or in righteousness, to use the Biblical term) with the Presence of the Holy Spirit (or Pure Consciousness, to use a modern-day term) and thereby responsive to and in service to the Power of the Creative Spirit. Put another way, as Energy and matter comes into a synchronized service to the movement of Life, as a Whole, it simultaneously comes into greater service to God.

From Man’s perspective, it seems as though he is transformed from Awareness of self unto Pure Conscious Awareness of the Whole, not unlike when a butterfly leaves its cocoon. The emergence of self-conscious Awareness followed by a transformation unto Pure Conscious Awareness is what is pointed to in pertinent parts of profound ancient scripture. In the Bible, for instance, we read of the first flowering of multiple ‘levels’ of conscious Awareness in the book of Genesis; then progressively with ever-greater depth and insight in certain of the narratives that follow, leading up to and through the sudden transformation of the person of Jesus into Christ Jesus Awakened unto Pure Consciousness. Similarly, Siddhartha Gautama, after years of searching for living Truth, sat beneath a Bodhi tree vowing not to arise until Truth was revealed. Following forty-nine days of meditation, he, too, was suddenly transformed into the Buddha, the enlightened one.

Those who are given momentous insights into the nature of Pure Consciousness often experience, in the initial stages of its flowering, corresponding moments of inner suffering, as they are wrenched from their own attachments to the Mind of self unto new cosmic realities. This evolutionary process is metaphorically portrayed in numerous stories of ancient scripture. In the Bible, for instance, Jacob ‘wrestled a man,’ (which was himself) and ‘prevailed.’ And later, Jesus was ‘led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.’ Following this period of temptation, he finally could proclaim, ‘get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ This is to say that as the Mind of self comes into service to God and to Life, as a Whole, the world of sorrow ends. In its stead, a new reality, a new sense of being emerges that brings with it freedom from sorrow, as attachments to constructs of Mind are done away. Fully transformed beings are thus reborn, if you will, unto Pure Conscious Awareness of the Whole.

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In regards to Awareness in consciousness, Man stands at the forefront of universal expression. Consequently, at times he is driven by baser impulses inherited from the Animal, while at other times he is filled with peace and joy, as if drawn up out of the depths of despair unto a hyper-sense of joy and well- being. In the first instance, he is identified with the Mind of self, holding out against the Awakening of Pure Conscious Awareness that is wanting to bud and flower within him. In the second instance, he is less identified with the Mind of self and more closely aligned and in harmony with the Holy Presence or present moment – Now. In these more liberating moments, Man is in greater harmony with the evolution of Consciousness, as a Whole, than he is when he enacts and brings to life his inherited emotional impulses or clings to the world of concepts and thoughts that arise of Mind, while ignoring the Holy Presence within.

In terms of conscious Awareness, lower ‘realms’ of expression, such as Minerals and Plants, suffer less and are less violent in their nature because they are less conflicted in nature than Man. Being less complex and less attached to constructs of Mind, they experience less conflict within. Consequently, Minerals and Plants live in greater harmony with the universe and the evolution of Consciousness than Man. The Animal, while more violent than the Plant, is less violent than Man. Of the species that presently appear on Planet Earth, Man is the most violent and bestial of all, being also the most complex and conflicted of all.

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To live Life in the ‘Spirit of Wholeness,’ one must be open to the Power of Pure Consciousness in the present moment – Now. The Power of Pure Consciousness does not enter into one’s experience as a result of pious belief or intellectual pursuits. Life in the Spirit does not come about through comparative thought or analysis, but Awakens as one opens to the Presence of Pure Consciousness, which is to say, the present moment – Now.

When attempting to explain and interpret the teachings of enlightened beings from the point of view of self, which is the point of view of Mind, we create illusions of our own making. Rather than an open-minded approach to living Truth, we cling to images of worship, including the persons of the enlightened beings themselves. In so doing, we remain closed to the possibility of realizing living Truth in the present moment in our own lives – Now. It is impossible to approach Pure Awareness from the point of view of Mind because the Mind of self is a ‘level’ of conscious Awareness that is incapable of ‘entering’ into Pure Reality of Being. In attempting to ‘enter’ the Kingdom of Heaven in this way, we hinder, rather than encourage the Light of Divine revelation from coming forth.

To attain an enlightened perspective, one must learn to observe in detached fashion, without judgment, the egocentric, self-oriented tendencies that bind one to self-created mental images of Mind. It is present moment Awareness ‘Itself’ that liberates one from attachments to images of Mind. Jesus pointed to this reality in this way: ‘Except ye become converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ He was not speaking of converting to Christianity, for Christianity did not exist in his time. In fact, he had no interest in converting anyone to a belief in the doctrines or rituals of any religion, including the Jewish religion. Rather, he pointed out that unless one approaches that which is sacred with a mind that is free from the fetters of finite thought (as little children often do), one is not likely to Awaken unto Pure Consciousness, which he called the Kingdom of Heaven.

Humans who generally live reactively in response to images that arise of Mind tend to have greater difficulty letting go of an inherent desire to comprehend the Infinite from a finite point of view. Alternatively, from a perspective of ‘blindness’ and ‘darkness,’ humans persists in thinking of the Kingdom of Heaven as an external dimension or place in relation to the concept of a separate mind/body/organism we call a human being. Consequently, the Kingdom of Heaven is thought to be a place that humans ascend to after they physically die. Man, who does not yet know his true Self, persists to this day (albeit in subtler ways) to comprehend and explain the Infinite from a finite point of view, which is impossible to do.

The evolution of organisms and species is no longer central to the ongoing evolution of Conscious Awareness. The evolution of Awareness at this stage is primarily of an inward nature, as Pure Consciousness involves Itself within that which evolves. Awakening unto Pure Consciousness appears to have been an essential goal of the Creative Spirit from the beginning. It is a bit like all roads lead to Rome, only in this case, all roads lead to an ever expanding, ever evolving, ever involving Conscious Awareness both within and without.

From Man’s perspective, enlightenment in the light of Truth is the end of a journey, yet there is no journey from the standpoint of Pure Consciousness, for Consciousness is already Absolute and Whole. Pure Consciousness is not on a journey, it just is. The ‘path’ to enlightenment, Nirvana, or the Kingdom of Heaven spoken of in ancient times is nothing more, nor anything less than a realization of the true nature of Truth, Light, Life, Love, and true Being. And, as Jesus often pointed out, the Kingdom of Light and Love is found within, which is to say, within you and within me.

What is the Nature of Thought?

Because thoughts play such a significant role in all our lives, it is useful to understand, as best we can, the ramifications of humankind’s extensive identification with and thereby attachment to the entire world of thought. What is the true nature of thought? What are the consequences of identifying exclusively with thought?

What I call the finite Mind of self is a unique capability supported within humankind, and humankind alone, that engages the process of thought. Thoughts have value in that they enable humans to engage in a variety of useful cognitive activities, including the ability to analyze, compare, interpret and reason, all of which encompass the overall process of finite thinking. The evolutionary development of this ‘level’ of conscious Awareness correlates directly with the evolution of Man’s thinking brain. Scientists suggest that this development first began to establish itself within humankind some three million years ago, roughly coinciding with the earliest stone tools yet found. But its initial activity might date back as far as 4.4 million years within bipedal hominids recently discovered in Africa who apparently stood upright and walked on two feet. Regardless of exactly when, it has been at least some millions of years that Man’s thinking brain has evolved to the point of becoming the extraordinary, finely tuned instrument we know it to be today.

Regardless of occupation, religion, or geographic region in which one lives, one fact that is common to all humanity is the capacity to think. Whether rich or poor, white or black, eastern or western, educated or uneducated, humankind throughout the world are capable of thinking. Until recent times, Man’s capacity to think was the one ability that most distinguished him from the Animal. This unique capability allows humankind to engage in mental activities that no other living creature can do. Unlike the Animal, it allows humans to perceive and identify with a broad range of images and thoughts that arise of Mind and to act and react accordingly.

As a result of this exceptional capability, however, humans are also uniquely eligible to corrupt and/or exploit the Power of Life in a manner never intended. Intense mental and physical activity requires Energy to express, so when the mind is engaged in self-centered activity, the Power of Life, which is translated Energy, is channeled into activities that do not necessarily support the evolution of Pure Conscious Awareness in humankind. Instead, Energy is focused on the strengthening of self. Man is thus ‘lost’ or ‘asleep’ to potential realizations in Pure Conscious Awareness within. This unambiguous reality regarding self-awareness is allegorically portrayed in the Biblical story of Adam’s fall from grace, as detailed in Chapter 3 of this book.

From the moment we are born, the process of conceptualizing thoughts and experiences, which are then held in the human memory field, begins. And as we go through daily life we learn to rely upon these memorized bits of knowledge – comparing and analyzing one thought with another – as the means by which we either successfully or unsuccessfully navigate the world, as conceived of Mind. Hence from childhood onwards, we learn to conduct worldly affairs in reference to self-created images that have been experienced, conceptualized, and memorized via the thinking process. Consequently, the world created within each of us stems from a conceptualized, egocentric point of view – my view vs yours. This process, which literally creates a self-centered, dualistically conceived world, is the same for all humankind. And the content of this world, which is brought about through identification with thoughts and images held in memory, is as varied as there are people on Earth.

The problem with thoughts is not the simple fact that thoughts appear, but that we identify with thoughts to the exclusion of living Truth, which is only revealed in the present moment – Now. We thus focus the Power of Life for the purpose of enriching and expanding self, rather than Awakening unto Truth. This is what Jesus meant when he said ‘a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven’ because the accumulation of riches, whether rich in knowledge or rich in worldly possessions, is the outcome of highly charged self-centered activity. The Power of Life is not generated by self, but generated out of the one and only Source of Creation. Consequently, the purpose for which Power is used is what matters most.

The capacity to think is beneficial to carry out routine daily activity. It is an effective means by which to solve certain problems, as long as we understand the limitations concerning the kinds of problems that thoughts can solve. The process of thought is thus useful when engaged in properly. On the other hand, humankind’s excessive identification with, attachment to, and thereby dependency upon the overall thinking process brings about other kinds of problems that the thinking process is incapable of solving on its own. This high degree of dependency on finite thinking precludes Man from Awakening unto and thereby being Aware of the true nature of Pure Being, which is simply being Aware of being Aware in the present moment – Now.

Despite this fact, educational systems throughout the world tend to extol the virtues of finite thought and all that thought creates, while ignoring the living Truth of Being in the present moment – Now. It is undeniable that thought creates beautiful architecture, marvelous music, exquisite art, and engineering wonders everywhere in the world. But it is also undeniable that over-identification with thought, absent Present Moment Awareness, is responsible for all the hatred, violence, terror, war, destruction, misery, and corruption that is rampant everywhere in the word, as well. Complete identification with thought, if one observes this process closely, is responsible for creating a false sense of relationship between Man and Truth. Thought separates Man, conceptually, from what actually is so in the present moment – Now. Yet, despite these facts, Man continues to allow the finite ‘level’ of thought, which is partial, prejudicial, and not ‘Now,’ to inform and motivate his daily affairs almost entirely. He seldom questions the true nature or value of thoughts, or considers the ramifications of living life so identified with thoughts – of essentially being driven through life by reactionary impulses stemming from feelings and thoughts that arise of Mind.

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So, in what way is thought limited? The world of gross observable phenomena is initially revealed through the senses based on what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. The senses, however, are limited in themselves because they are only capable of revealing a narrow range of vibratory frequencies. The naked eye, for instance, cannot see the atomic or molecular level of appearances, nor can the ear hear beyond a narrow spectrum of vibratory frequencies. In fact, none of our senses can be relied upon to interpret anything other than gross phenomena within certain vibratory fields of appearances. So also the thinking process, which relies on the senses for information, is limited to a narrow range of vibratory information that arises out of fields.

The senses interpret perceptions that are then converted into holographic images of Mind. And holographic images tend to vary from one person to the next. If I tell you that my house is painted blue, for instance, I have no way of knowing precisely what shade of blue is then pictured in your mind. This is because each brain is wired in distinctive ways based on subtle neurological differences coupled with personal experiences now held in memory. And the more complex the image, the more difficult it is to conceive of and/or communicate that image to others.

Considering this fact in the extreme, if you and I identify with an image of God based on personal experience it is certain that my image would appear different than yours. Consequently, an image of God is always partial, imperfect, incomplete, and not Whole. In fact, an image of God is not God at all, but merely a concept that arose in Consciousness that is given a name.

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As we go through life, layer upon layer of conceptualized memories rooted in the ongoing ebb and flow of sensual, emotional, and intellectual experience become ‘hard wired’ to and thereby held in the Human Energy Field. This ongoing behavioral practice plays a progressively dominant role in everything we think and do. If touching a certain object results in pain, for instance, such as the flame was hot, then we subsequently react according to the past, painful memory of that experience. If the experience of something touched results in a favorable impression, then we subsequently react in a more open, less resistive manner per the more favorable memory of that event. The more experiences that accumulate in the field, the more we are governed by memory and the less we are inclined to approach the movement of Life with an open mind, absent prejudice, in the present moment Now – or as Jesus put it, with a ‘pure heart,’ ‘as little children’ do, absent past memories coming into play. This is the means by which each of us is conditioned to live and react egocentrically, from a self-centered point of view, as we progressively learn to live in reference to images that arise of Mind. We thus live life in reference to a limited field of knowledge that tends to preclude us from realizing living Truth in the present moment – Now.

Concepts held in memory, which are concepts of the past, are also projected into a mental construct of the future. Hence, past and future are two sides to the same coin, rooted in concepts and thoughts, as generated of Mind. With experience, the behavioral practice of reflecting past knowledge into a projected future becomes ever-more deeply ingrained. Before long, one not only lives in reference to the past, but also projects images into an imagined future without ever realizing the Presence of Pure Consciousness – Now.

Identification with concepts and thoughts brings about a sense of time. Absent identification with concepts and thoughts, there is no time. Concepts held in memory are rooted in previous experience, which is the past. Memories of the past coupled with thoughts arising now become the future when a past and/or current image is projected as the future. The future is therefore the same as the past in that it is nothing more than a concept arising in the present moment, differing only in that it is now a conceptualized future moment in time, rather than a conceptualized past moment in time. Identification with one thought vs another (win vs lose, for instance) generates the conflicted feeling of time (anticipation, dread, anxiety, and the like) out of which a psychological sense of time is born. The more one lives in accordance with a conceptualized past and future the more one ignores the eternal Present. On the other hand, absent identification with concepts and thoughts, realizations in the present moment are more likely to occur, during which the psychological sense of time ceases.

Thoughts conceptually isolate moments in time, much the way a photograph isolates an image in time. Time is then experienced by means of comparative thought. One imagines, for instance, that something has not yet been acquired or achieved and then proceeds to acquire or achieve it, bringing about a sense of time. One concept leading to the fulfillment of another concept creates the psychological illusion of time, which is a feeling that generates out of the comparative thinking process. Time is thus emotionally felt and such emotion is the experience of time.

Religious doctrines and beliefs are likewise rooted in concepts and thoughts, thus dependent upon time. We have not yet entered the Kingdom of Heaven, but if we believe, we will enter after we die. Our Savior has not yet appeared, but if we believe, he will eventually appear. We are not yet inspired or enlightened, but if we believe, we will be inspired and enlightened later on. All such notions generate out of the comparative thinking process, which is directly linked to the concept of time. None of them are pertinent, therefore, to a transformation in conscious Awareness in the present moment – Now.

Identification with the feeling of time corrupts the present moment – Now. The more one identifies with the process of thought as time, the more dread, worry, and anxiety one is likely to experience. Time thus feels real, just as worry and anxiety feel real, even though such feelings are simply the consequence of identifying with thought as time. To be free of time, therefore, one must be free of attachment to thought, and thus free of the transitory feelings of time.

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In like manner, the experience of fear is a consequence of identification with thought. A painful past experience or something that might possibly be lost to the self in the future comes to mind, followed by a feeling of fear. Thus thought, time, and fear are interrelated. The greater the attachment to thought, the greater the possibility for a feeling of fear to arise.

When in the present moment, identification with thought ceases. Thoughts do not necessarily cease to arise (though it can be so), but rather, one is simply Awake, standing, if you will, in an Awareness unfettered by thought. Thoughts that arise, therefore, no longer govern one’s being for one is no longer defined in terms of thought. This open-minded state of being in the present moment, free from attachment to thought transforms one’s Awareness of Being. It allows the movement of Life to flow freely, governed by the Source of all that IS, rather than the limitations of a self-centered mind.

When the Biblical prophet, Isaiah, foretold of a new government yet to come, he was not implying that a future Savior would one day form a new government on Earth, but instead, like a Bach concerto, he sang praises to the ‘Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace [whose] increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.’ This ‘increase of [God’s] government and peace’ comes into Being in the present moment when identification with the world, as conceived of thought, ends.

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Thought also motivates the movement of desire. Desire is the root cause of much chaos and destruction appearing everywhere in the world, making it evermore imperative that one Awakens unto the Truth of desire. Desire occurs when images arising of Mind trigger emotional yearnings to achieve, avoid, or possess said images, which in Truth are nothing more than concepts of Mind. The image is transformed into a self-aggrandizing goal when coupled with an emotional urge to obtain or achieve that goal.

At one time or another most of us experience a desire to succeed, conform, acquire, avoid, or even to be free. If one observes the movement of desire closely one might notice that the experience of desire either escalates or recedes depending on how attached one is to the image or goal, including the goal to be free. The more one identifies with an image in terms of a goal, the greater the desire to achieve or possess said goal, therefore the greater the conflict within. Conflict generates out of two competing ideas: one that