An “Old” Guru

TUES., SEPT. 8, 1998, 6:26 AM
FARM, STUDY

One of the “tasks” you have set for yourself in this Emeritus status that is now in year #2 is that of re-reading books, articles, what-ever, that have been important to you at some earlier time. One of these, obviously, is Beyond Theology by Alan Watts, which-who led you along toward this perception of eternal, everlasting life that is not normative for a Presbyterian. And so you re-read portions of that small book, and now you’ll hear some comments from Me, Holy Spirit, on what he wrote, several years before I came to you in this “writing” way.

You are a “closet mystic” in your Presbyterian congregation, but last Sunday you “opened the door” just a bit, and you plan to “step out” on this 3rd Sunday of your Forum. Over these 19+ years I have given you a few Teachings which have reinforced the “fact” that you are, and should be, a Presbyterian, in this life. Aha, this truth came to you in several ways, but one way by way of this guru, Watts. In his gentle, lilting way he wrote in ways that assured you that this life, as Bob Russell (while important), has not been your first, here in the earth, and may not be your last… though your spiritual progress is adequate… sometimes commendable.

So, in fact, this small book was, once, a help in steering you toward this relationship of Ours, and you are quite thankful for that. He helped you see that the Christian story of earth life, while the best basic one for you, is, finally, a maya, one way of seeing the mystery that no one “faith” can encompass. It is, finally, a scary story of Me, as God Almighty, creating humans who will sin and then setting standards that few can meet. There is only one earth life, and, no matter what its length, you (each of you) are judged after death, and most will go on to eternal life in hell.

Now, true, that is the basic Jewish story, and the Christian “addition” is that I came to the earth, both naturally and supernaturally, and was among you for a few years. I was crucified for saying that I was the promised Messiah, and because of that act of sacrifice you have no more sin… as long as you truly believe in Me. But it can be as difficult to “truly believe” all the time as to follow all the laws and earn your way into heaven rather than experiencing hell for eternity.

Thus, the good Christian must be trying, both to not sin and to truly and fully believe in Me, and earth life, in your culture, makes this difficult to impossible. But you have come to know, helped by Watts and by Me (an even older guru!), that while I am judgmental, as God, I also am patient and full of love, so there are ways around the non-fulfillment of perfection. The one I hide from you Christians is that eternal life is not “all there is”, and its purpose is growth and development of spirit back toward Me, from whence your spirit came. Life, as I see it, is spirit. Your body, your mind, and the culture and human relationships you have are just one way that spirit is manifested, exercised, and can grow… or regress.

For you this is not superficial knowledge (like leaves are green because of chlorophyll) but is real and personal knowledge. You know you are on a spiritual journey that includes earth life, both before now and probably after. You know that I am, as Holy Spirit, a part of you (rather than wholly an “outsider”) and therefore you are a part of Me. Yet when your apparent individuality is no longer necessary your “you” will again be wholly Me.