In a sense, it could be said that the atheist might be more connected than someone who believes in God--especially if that belief is in the God of separation. Aren't atheists simply skeptics, people who demand hard and fast physical evidence before they believe anything? As such, many are really only rejecting the idea of organized religion's portrayals of God. Their skepticism, of course, rules out all matters of faith, not only doctrinal -- so that would include these teachings as well. But that doesn't mean they can't feel that all is well and create in accordance with the universal principle of matching energy.

I have described a somewhat passive feeling (that of "all is well") but there is a more active awareness and belief in a higher power. It is knowing that all is well and that the intention of the universe (another reference to the power) is always toward good. It means being totally confident that Infinite Mind will arrange all of the details to bring all of our desires into manifestation so long as our faith and focus of attention is unwavering-- even when things don't unfold as we had planned. It means knowing that Divine Guidance is always available and accessible simply through asking. "Ask and you shall receive; knock and it will be opened." And then there is a level of more keen consciousness that recognizes that all of this power is really love. It is the part from which emanates warmth, compassion and an eagerness to be in the game of life by giving and contributing.

Whether it is at the level of generally flowing with the law of attraction or at the more active level of creation, it could be agreed that we are working with Infinite Mind power. However, the power is still at work whether we are in harmony with it or not. We can't escape the power. Hear that? It's with us, always. We (our minds) are powerful focusing mechanisms of universal energy which is always flowing through us. The Power is not separate from us. Like holding a powerful hose that we can't turn off, we must be conscious how we train it and where we aim it. When we are experiencing pain and misery in our lives, the power of Universal Mind is still at work. Any undesirable conditions we experience are "because" we are such powerful focusers…and don't realize it.

God As All That Is

I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time.
-Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

God doesn't require that you study Him, or venerate Him. Since God is All That Is, He is not outside of and beyond oneself. (Note: I am using the masculine pronoun here as a device.) Coming into unity with God has nothing to do with religion or reverence. It has everything to do with operating consistent with the way the Universe operates -- that is to say, the way energy operates. Everything is energy; All That Is is energy; you are energy. Everything we see on this physical plane, all material substance, is energy, having taken on form. So God's not the point (God just is, regardless). You're the point--the point of attraction, experiencing life and events according to your rate of vibration as an energy being. Thought and energy…energy and attraction.

While the laws themselves have no bias, the intent of the universe is still motivated by love. Its movement is always toward furtherance of good. We should attempt to match this intention. The best way to do that is to surrender to what is, to flow with the currents of life, giving up all resistance. If we can trust that the universe is always providing for us according to our vibrational rate, then we can cease resisting and being unhappy about current conditions and circumstances that may not be desirable. We are well served to maintain awareness that the only thing that hinders the flow of good is our own resistance. To allow that which we desire requires that we go with the flow rather than digging in our heels in an attempt to hold it back, as though we are convinced that there is more bad than good coming.

By coming to understand this God, we come to know that our desire is that of the Universe. And that the plan for us to be happy, to live joyfully is as much the plan of Infinite Mind as it is our desire. It is one and the same. It is simply our role to create our lives according to this plan by learning to accept this most wonderful truth. Accepting this truth is of utmost importance. Once we are able to accept that we are unlimited and infinitely powerful, everything else then just falls into place.

The Force Which Powers The All That Is

Lace and frills, hearts and valentines, flowers and rings, couples and adoring smiles and sugar and spice and everything nice. These unfortunately are the foremost images that leap to mind when one sees or hears the word "love". I say "unfortunately" not because there is anything wrong with these images but rather because they limit the idea of love to one that is mostly feminine and soft. For that reason, it's an image that men have difficulty relating to. Many, if not most men, upon seeing a chapter heading labeled "Love", would likely pass it by. The images are inadequate to express the magnificent and limitless power of love. The word doesn't reflect the concept. I would prefer that it included other images, stronger, more weighty ones--maybe not a freight train, but how about something, say like The Force from the Star Wars movies. It should include masculinity as well as the feminine for it is much more than frills and lace. The word love, like the word God, has been distorted (though that's probably fitting for they really are inseparable), wrapped in imagery that casts it as something other than it is.

If God is All That Is, as we have come to see it (i.e., Universal Consciousness), we can understand that it appreciates (loves) all aspects of itself. All physical expression of that consciousness--that includes us--are part of that awesome power of love. When we entered this world however, taking on this physical form, we seemed suddenly to be separate beings as we saw other individual forms that were not us. Our being seemed confined to the seeming limits of our bodies. This feeling of separation is part of the illusion that seems to be a natural part of this physical experience. To the extent that we go with the ego's illusion of separation, we are inconsistent with love. So it is also our work in this experience to come to see the illusion for what it is and to rediscover our oneness. This reorientation, in which we rediscover our eternal and infinite nature, really is the essential purpose of these teachings.

Infinite Mind Seeks To Experience Itself

Universal Subconscious Mind seeks to know itself and experience its glorious and magnificent nature. It is Oneness, All That Is. It is unified consciousness. It can only satisfy its urge to experience itself by experiencing something other than itself. It does that by becoming physical things, units that are separate from each other. In this way, contrast to pure positive consciousness is created. From this desire to know itself by becoming physical matter, this Infinite Intelligence, if you will, has become the physical universe (and beyond it, infinitely so). Our physical world then is Universal Subconscious Mind expressing as material substance. And since it is the purpose of all life to be an expression of All That Is, steadfastly expanding consciousness, life is constantly evolving. The motion of consciousness is always toward expansion--always more--always lifeward, always propelled by love.

The individual physical expressions of All That Is are unique and they are creative. It is through creation that consciousness progresses (evolves). Being unique means that each expression of the Universal Subconscious is different from every other. If this were not true, there would be no point in creating "other". Nothing different can be learned from sameness. And so we come to understand that each one of us is one of those unique expressions of God. We are expressing in our own unique and individual ways, pushing consciousness forward as is the plan.

Understanding this, we can see why conformity, whether blindly followed or imposed upon, goes against the intent of the universe. This is why totalitarian, authoritarian or fundamentalist states remain stuck. No new ideas are "allowed" (a key word in these teachings). New ideas are necessary for advancement, whether in technology, politics or arts and culture.

Our Physical Selves

We as human beings are part of the Universal Subconscious, also spun off into physical form with the purpose of expanding consciousness. Like everything in the universe, our bodies are made up of atoms, gobs of energy gathered together in such density and manner as to be perceived as the form our body has taken. The particular individual form it takes is directly a result of and consistent with our thought, belief and focus of attention. It is the focused center of our individualized consciousness. In fact, the particular atoms that you are attracting this moment are not the same atoms that any other thing is attracting.

Our focus upon our bodies and lack of awareness of our eternal aspect causes our sense of separation from the rest of creation. This perception is an illusion. To take a look at this from a different perspective, consider how things might appear at the atomic level. From science, we know that the atom is made up of smaller particles--neutrons, protons, electrons among others. We know that at the sub-atomic level, there is more space between the particles than there is matter. Therefore, if we apply this to our bodies, as dense as our flesh and bone may seem, there is far more "empty" space than matter. If our eyes were capable of zooming into views such that one could see at the magnifications of a powerful microscope, we might be surprised to find that where our skin seems to meet air may not be so clearly defined as we think. These seeming limits of ourselves, as has been stated in other ways, are an illusion. We are all one and the same, while at the same time, we are individual expressions.

While we are part of All That Is, we are purposefully provided with free will (the power to make individualized choices) in order that we may express our individual and unique purpose. In this way, we do our part in pushing consciousness forward.

One of the great ironies is that those who believe in a universal consciousness of which we are all one, place a high value on individuality--not conformity, while those who believe they are separate from all other, gravitate toward conformity in the outer. To the latter, sameness and predictability are less threatening, more comfortable.

Next in Part 3, the psychological components and mechanisms behind the illusion of separation and limitation.

End Part 2; Go to Part 3

Copyright © 2001-2008, William Gunderson
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