**** WE ARE ALL ONE
The Purpose and Design of Life – 1
I’ve been asked to write a review of basic spiritual principles and nothing could bring me more joy. I do so as an interested party, making no claim to expertise.
I may not be able to post a new part of the series every day.
This is a personal but cross-cultural view. Much of what is said here does not dovetail with contemporary religious views of these matters, but I contend that it corresponds with what the founders of those religions say.
Underlying all the views examined here is a root reality, the description of which has been called the Perennial Philosophy and the Ageless Wisdom. Its basic premise is that all life has a purpose, design and plan.
Let’s begin by looking at the reality of that Divine Plan and from there look at the Father, Mother and Child that Christians call the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost (note the different order) and Hindus call the trinity of Brahman, Atman and Shakti. Life was designed in such a way that we realize each of these three levels of reality before we return home to the One.
After looking at these, but only if time permits, I’d like to look at some of the design elements of life. In a way, I imagine, I could say that everything that exists is a design element of life because all of it was planned. As Zarathustra said: In his plan, Zarathustra says, “[God] created nothing whatever useless.” (1)
But I may nonetheless restrict myself to some of the major design elements of life.
Let’s begin a brief but detailed look at these subjects. A hundred quills and a thousand inkpots could not exhaust the resources needed to tell the full story.
The Divine Plan – 1
When considered together, the purpose and design of life are often referred to as the “Divine Plan.” I have on other occasions quoted J. Krishnamurti on the existence and nature of the Plan.
“The really important thing is … the knowledge of God’s plan for men. For God has a plan, and that plan is evolution. When once a man has seen that and really knows it, he cannot help working for it and making himself one with it, because it is so glorious, so beautiful.” (2)
I saw a fragment of that Plan on Feb. 13, 1987, in a vision, (3) and can vouch that it has never ceased to inspire my work. And here I am some 28 years later still writing about it and never flagging in that effort.
Jacob saw a depiction of the Plan in a dream:
“And [Jacob] dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
“And behold, the Lord stood above it.” (4)
It has been known to ancients and moderns alike. Here Zarathustra hints at it by the use of the word “progress,” which implies spiritual evolution: “He created the creatures for progress, which is His desire.” (5)
Before going further into an explanation of the Divine Plan and purpose of life as spiritual evolution as the purpose of life, I’d like to firm up our understanding that a Divine Plan even exists.
Archangel Michael told us on An Hour with an Angel: “What is now unfolding is the fulfillment of the plan.” (6) And on another of the shows he told us that we all participated in formulating it as it applied to us.
“Most of you have witnessed and been part of the formulations of this Divine Plan. You have asked in your heart – to me, Steve you have asked – how does this Plan get formulated? And it does not simply come from what you think of as the heavenly realms or the divine heart.
“Yes, that is where the inspiration is born. But each of you have had a piece of the formulation of this Plan. That is also why you are here. You have said, “I will go, and I will be in form, and I will part of that unfoldment. I will be part of the anchoring of that promise, of that new reality of love.” (7)
Sanat Kumara, speaking through Michelle Coutant called the period of the entire journey of a soul a Cosmic Day and implied that Ascension is a turning point in the outworking of that overall Plan:
“The Cosmic Day must be fulfilled and you, dear ones, must return to your Source and fulfill the Cosmic Day as the Plan was intended. The intention of the Plan has always been for you to return to Source.
“The Plan was never for you to fall away from the light into utter darkness. The reversal of the downfall has been created and now blessed ones, you are returning to your place in the light of your eternal God Selves.” (8)
Footnotes
For a full list of books articles available on this site dealing with the purpose of life, see “The Purpose of Life,” at http://goldenageofgaia.com/spiritual-essays/16244-2/.
(1) Zarathustra in Duncan Greenlees, trans. The Gospel of Zarathushtra. Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1978, 141. Sages from other religious traditions agree. Here is Ibn Arabi, for instance: “God has never created anything useless.” (Muhyidden Ibn Arabi, Kernel of the Kernel. trans. Ismail Hakki Bursevi. Sherborne: Beshara, n.d., 36.)
(2) J. Krishnamurti, At the Feet of the Master. Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1974; c1910, 17.
(3) The part of the Plan that I saw is described here: “Ch./ 13 Epilogue” in The Purpose of Life is Enlightenment at http://goldenageofgaia.com/spiritual-essays/16244-2/the-purpose-of-life-is-enlightenment/ch-13-epilogue/.
(4) Genesis 28:12-14.
(5) Zarathustra in GZ, 141.
(6) “Archangel Michael: This Election Clears the Way for Obama to Step into the Truth of His Being,” Nov. 8, 2012, at http://the2012scenario.com/2012/11/archangel-michael-this-election-clears-the-way-for-obama-to-step-into-the-truth-of-his-being/#more-151450.
(7) Archangel Michael, An Hour with an Angel, Jan. 23, 2012, athttp://the2012scenario.com/2012/01/transcript-of-an-hour-with-an-angel-with-archangel-michael-jan-23-2012/.
(8) Sanat Kumara, Oct. 20, 2010, through Rev. Michelle Coutant, athttp://www.transformingradiance.com/cosmicblog/.
http://goldenageofgaia.com/2013/10/the-purpose-and-design-of-life-1/
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The Purpose and Design of Life – 2
The Divine Plan -2
We don’t think of Sanat Kumara as a galactic being, but he calls Venus home, even if he is Earth’s Planetary Logos.
Whenever Ascension is discussed, the galactics refer to it as a part of the Divine Plan.
Let’s listen to other galactic beings on the subject. SaLuSa tells us that “your glorious future is absolutely certain, and it is written into the plan decreed by the Creator.” (1) There is “a divine plan in place to lift you up,” he says, “and gradually the awakening process has started to yield results.” (2)
The Divine Plan sees us follow a sacred circle which Jesus described when he said: “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.” (3)
As innocuous as that description sounds, Jesus is describing a sacred circle of descent into matter and ascension back to God. The Divine Plan for all life is that all of us follow that arc away from Source out into illusion and out of illusion back to Source again, now knowing who we are.
As part of the Plan, Ascension has been envisioned for a long time and covers a vast stretch of space, he tells us.
“The coming Ascension has been the subject of many teachings and messages for a very long time, as the end times have been clearly defined since this cycle began so long ago. It is the whole purpose of everything that has been taking place, and the plan has been played out so that you have gained the maximum benefit from it.” (4)
“The changes are affecting them and not just your solar system, but the Universe and Galaxy. It is a tremendous change of scope beyond your imagination, and involves Beings of unlimited power and love. They carry out the Will of God and in that lies your assurance that all will proceed according to the Divine Plan.” (5)
Yet, as expansive as it is, Ascension is still only one small episode in the overall Plan.
We think of Earth’s ascended masters as terrestrials rather than galactics, but most of us have spent time on other planets apparently. The distinction between the two may not be as relevant as we may think. The universal human, or Adam Kadmon, template is common in the universe, by whatever line of ascent (mammalian, reptilian, bird, even plant) we reach humanity. David Wilcock explains:
“The human body shows up in the galaxy on every planet where life can form. It’s a natural evolution. Some might get there by an insect; some might get there by a lizard; some might get there by mammals like we do; some might get there by cetaceans; some might get there even by vegetation, apparently.” (6)
I remember hearing a galactic, for instance, say that everyone in the higher-dimensional realms of the galaxy knew Jesus. Terrestrials too, like Saul, an aspect of whom incarnated as St. Paul. remind us that “the divine plan … is leading you forwards towards the moment of your awakening into your natural and fully-conscious state.” (7)
“Continue to have faith in God’s divine plan for you to awaken into the brilliant Light of eternal day where all that has caused you pain and suffering will be gone, leaving only Reality, Love, the absolute bliss of being one with your Father, complete, joyful,and forever at Peace in the enlightened Knowledge of His loving embrace.
“Then all will be clear and all shadows will have dissipated as the clarity of Reality surrounds you.” (8)
And the “terrestrial master Hilaron also reminds us that “all unfolds as set forth in the Divine Plan for your personal and collective destiny.” (9)
So the Ascension process we’re going through at the present time is a step in the Divine Plan that sees us come out from the Father and into illusion and then back to the Father again with Self-Knowledge. Ascension proceeds according to the dictates of the Divine Plan. And as we’ll see in the next part of this series, Ascension is the turning point in life, the first step up Jacob’s ladder after our long descent down.
Footnotes
(1) SaLuSa, Feb. 15, 2010, athttp://www.treeofthegoldenlight.com/First_Contact/Channeled_Messages_by_Mike_Quinsey.htm.
(2) SaLuSa, Feb. 3, 2010.
(3) Jesus in Matthew 16:28.
(4) SaLuSa, April 9, 2010.
(5) SaLuSa, April 13, 2012.
(6) Project Camelot Interviews David Wilcock, Part 2 of 4, athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bz9YPriDLo&feature=channel.
(7) Saul, through John Smallman, Jan. 18, 2012, at http://johnsmallman.wordpress.com
(8) Saul, Feb. 26, 2012.
(9) Master Hilarion through Marlene Swetlishoff, Nov. 13-20, 2011, athttp://www.therainbowscribe.com/hilarion2011.htm.
by Steve Beckow
The Purpose and Design of Life – 3
Purpose of Life
We’ve said that the underlying purpose of life is to know ourselves as God. This aim provides the reason for our illusory separation from God, our journey away from Source and our return voyage Home.
The vast majority of terrestrial and galactic sages attest to the universal task facing us. Here is Rumi hinting at it:
“There is one thing in this world which must never be forgotten. If you were to forget everything else, but did not forget that, then there would be no cause for worry; whereas if you performed and remembered and did not forget every single thing, but forgot that one thing, then you would have done nothing whatsoever.
“It is just as if a king had sent you to the country to carry out a specified task. You go and perform a hundred other tasks; but if you have not performed that particular task on account of which you had gone to the country, it is as if you have performed nothing at all. So man has come into this world for a particular task [Realization of his or her identity as God], and that is his purpose; if he does not perform it, then he will have done nothing.” (1)
The angel who wrote the Koran (Gabriel or Gabrielle) tells us: “It was not in sport that We created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them. We created them to reveal the truth. But of this most men have no knowledge.” (2) The truth that Gabrielle is referring to and that life in the world of matter, mater, Mother reveals is that all of us are God.
Sri Ramakrishna constantly reminded us of life’s purpose: “The only purpose of life is to realize God,” he said (3) and “the vision of God is the only goal of human life.” (4) “Without the realization of God everything is futile. This is the great secret.” (5)
His disciples left Dakshineswar after his death and went out into the world, teaching, as Swami Brahmananda did, that “the one purpose of life is to know God. Plunge deep into the sea of bliss and become immortals” (6) or, as Swami Premananda did, to “never forget that the goal of human life is to realize God, to have His vision.” (7) Or Swami Vivekananda: “Find God. Nothing else matters.” (8)
Modern Hindu sages agree with them:
Sri Aurobindo
“There is no I nor thou, but only one divine Self equal in all embodiments, equal in the individual and the group, and to realize that, to express that, to serve that, to fulfill that is all that matters.” (9)
Swami Niikhilananda
“The Upanishads repeatedly say that [the] realisation [of God] is the supreme purpose of life.” (10)
Ammachi
“God-Realization is our life’s aim.” (11)
The Sufi sage, Ibn Arabi, put words in God’s mouth to state the same thing: “I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known, and I created the creation so that I be known.” (12) Another Sufi sage, Hazrat Inayat Khan, also explains:
“The purpose of life … is that the only Being makes his oneness intelligible to Himself. He goes through different planes of evolution … to make clear to Himself His oneness.
“And as long as this purpose is not accomplished, the one and only Being has not reached His ultimate satisfaction, in which lies His divine perfection. “(13)
Medieval Christian saints proclaimed the purpose of life to their generation. Jan Ruusbroec for instance: “[For] the rational creature to attain the sublime beauty of God and to possess it in [a] supernatural way … is [the] reason that God created heaven and earth and all that is in them.” (14)
And Twentieth-Century spirit guide White Eagle proclaimed it: “The whole purpose of incarnation is this slow evolution of the spirit, its awakening in matter, to self-consciousness and God consciousness.” (15) It isn’t that this needs to be a well-kept secret. All sages knew it and have taught us the purpose of life.
Twentieth-Century Theosophical Society President Annie Besant reminds us that realizing is necessary, not just thinking or believing, to accomplish life’s purpose.
“The ‘end of knowledge’ is to know God — not only to believe; to become one with God — not just to worship afar off. Man must know the reality of the Divine Existence, and then know — not only vaguely believe and hope — that his own innermost Self is one with God, and that the aim of life is to realize that unity. Unless religion can guide a man to that realization, it is but ‘as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.’” (16)
I have never seen a better energetic description of that realization than this exclamation from the Sufi sage, Bayzid of Bistun: “I went from God to God, until they cried from me in me, ‘O thou I!’” (17)
After telling us that “it is the Godhead that has become these two [God and devotee] in order to enjoy Its bliss,” (18) Paramahansa Ramakrishna playfully describes the moment when Shiva or God (as the devotee) realizes its oneness with Shiva (as God): “When Siva realizes his own Self, He dances about in joy exclaiming, ‘What am I! What am I!’” (19)
In the next part, we’ll look at the circularity of the journey out from and back to God.
(Continued in Part 4.)
Footnotes
(1) Rumi in A. J. Arberry, trans., Discourses of Rumi. New York; Samuel Weiser, 1977; c1961, 26.
(2) Koran, 145.
(3) Paramahansa Ramakrishna in Swami Nikhilananda, trans., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1978; c1942, 273. [Hereafter GSR.] Now Paramahansa Ramakrishna has reincarnated again, as he prophesied he would.
(4) Ibid., 331.
(5) Ibid., 95.
(6) Swami Brahmananda in Swami Prabhavananda, The Eternal Companion.Brahmananda. Hollywood: Vedanta Press, 1970; c1944, 54. We are actually always already immortals. Swami Brahmananda really means that we will not need to be reborn into a human body; i.e., enter the Fifth Dimension.
(7) Swami Premananda in Swami Chetanananda, God Lived with Them. St. Louis: Vedanta Society of St. Louis, 1997, 201.
(8) Swami Vivekananda in ibid., 48.
(9) Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1983, 316.
(10) Swami Nikhilananda, Hinduism. lts Meaning for the Liberation of the Spirit. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1968, 31.
(11) Mata Amritanandamayi, Mata Amritanandamayi, Awaken, Children! Vallicakavu, India: Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, I, 2. [A new volume is published each year.]
(12) Muhyidden Ibn Arabi, Kernel of the Kernel. trans. Ismail Hakki Bursevi. Sherborne: Beshara, n.d., 3.
(13) Hazrat Inayat Khan, Khan, Way of Illumination. Delhi, etc.: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988, 237.
(14) John Ruusbroec in James A. Wiseman, John Ruusbroec. The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works. New York, etc.: Paulist Press, 1985, 72.
(15) White Eagle, Wisdom from White Eagle. Liss: White Eagle Publishing Trust, 1983, 49.
(16) Annie Besant, Esoteric Christianity. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1953; c1901, 21-2.
(17) Bayzid of Bistun in Huxley, Aldous, The Perennial Philosophy. New York, etc.: Harper and Row, 1970; c1944, 12.
(18) Paramahansa Ramakrishna in GSR, 305.
(19) Ibid., 393.
by Steve Beckow
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