February 3, 2020 – Freeread

The Neglected Boat – A Parable

A reader questions my teaching that all will eventually see the vision of higher knowledge, but at different times

Perhaps a short parable will illustrate.

THE NEGLECTED BOAT

Bill, Jack, Don and Bob decided to go fishing and checked into renting a boat. There was only one boat left and they looked it over and all were excited about taking it except for Bill who had an expert knowledge of boats.

Said Bill: “This boat has been patched several times and does not look safe to me. I think we should wait a while for the next available boat and suggest to the owner that he retire this one and refurbish it.”

“We didn’t come here to wait around all day. We came here to fish and enjoy ourselves,” said Jack. This boat looks like it has served others well for years. I’m sure it can last one more day.”

Don and Bob agreed and the three were determined to rent the boat so they could proceed without delay.

Bill shook his head and said: “You’ll have to go without me. I’m going to wait for a better boat.”

But the three were impatient and rented the boat and proceeded with their fishing. After they were boating and fishing for about an hour Bob reflected on Bill’s warning and started examining the weak points of the boat that he pointed out. He noticed near his feet an area where the wood was deteriorated and damp. He spoke to the others.

“I think Bill may have had a point. The wood right here looks rotted and could spring a leak at any time. Let’s go see if Bill rented another boat.”

“Quiet,” said Jack. “You’ll scare the fish with your yapping. We came here to boat and fish and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Bob took another look at the weak area and it seemed to be getting wetter. “I think you need to take me back to the shore he said. “I want to see if Bill found another boat.”

“I can see that we are not going to be able fish in peace until we get rid of you,” said Jack as they rowed back to shore.

Bob tried to warn them about the weak spot but Jack and Don were in no mood to listen.

Bob got off the boat and found Bill who was in the process of renting a boat in good condition which a customer just returned. Jack and Don meanwhile rowed back out in the middle of the lake and resumed fishing.

After a short time Don moved over to Bob’s old seat and examined the weak spot. He took out his pocket knife and picked at it and was disturbed to find out the wood was indeed weak and soft and the area seemed wetter than it did earlier.

“Maybe Bill had a point,” he said. “This wood looks pretty bad.”

“Not you too,” said Jack. “Do you think it’s possible for you guys to just leave me alone and let me fish.”

“If it comes to fishing or risking my life, well I’ll skip fishing,” said Don.

The two sat in awkward silence for a time. Then Don noticed Bill and Bob in the new boat in the distance. “Look,” he said. “There’s Bill and Bob. Let’s row over to them and join them and tie this boat behind us and fish together in safety.”

This statement just aggravated Jack who said: “We’ll row over there all right. I’m going to put you in their boat and go off by myself and fish the rest of the day in peace.”

At that they rowed over to Bill and Bob and Don joined them. Jack started rowing off and shouted back: “Good riddance you wimps!”

But as he was rowing off his foot kicked the weak spot and a small leak started, but grew in strength. Rather than call out for help his wounded pride forced him to use everything at his disposal to plug the leak but to no avail. Finally when he saw there was no hope in salvaging the boat he shouted to the three in the other boat for help.

The three made a point to not stay too far from Jack just in case he did need their help and as soon as Bill, Bob and Don saw that he was in trouble they rowed over with full speed and saved him.

Analysis:

As the four were examining the boat to rent there was a point of truth of which only Bill was aware. The reason he was aware was because he possessed higher knowledge of boats than the other three. Because of his understanding he left the boat. Then as this same understanding became clear to the others they also left the boat.

Question: Does this analogy apply to our own progression? Some think that God will be angry at the three because of their lack of vision and just let them sink, but this idea runs contrary to the loving Father taught by Jesus.

If we are in a sinking ship do we all discover this “truth” at the same time?

When such a truth dawns upon us with surety then will not all eventually act upon this knowledge?

Even so, will all of us in the end discover higher truth and act upon it?

Evolution of Consciousness

Question: “I am curious to know what your thoughts are on DNA and the role it played when Jesus went through the process of death.”

There are a lot of teachings in circulation centering on activating various strands of DNA that are currently dormant as if this will take us to a new dimension, immortality, ecstasy etc.

None of these teachings I have read register as truth with my soul. We have two strands of DNA and I agree with scientists that the inactive DNA, sometimes called junk DNA, are remnants from our evolution. It is possible that ancient memories are stored there. It’s a little like our tail bone is evidence that our bodies evolved from the animal kingdom with tails.

Most of us are familiar with the idea that the program for our body is stored in the DNA and the ancient wisdom teaches of the existence of a permanent atom which is basically reprogrammed each time we take a new body in a new life.

All this is well and good, but a knowledge of all this may be intellectually stimulating, but unnecessary. Understanding your DNA, yet taking advantage of its workings is no more necessary than understanding how your computer works in relation to benefiting from its use. Few of us know how a chip or processor works, but this does not stop us from excelling at web page design or word processing.

Even so with spiritual things. We do not have to know all about how a miracle is produced to manifest it. Just as certain actions between male and female create the miracle of birth even though the couple do not have a clue about what makes the life come to be.

Our attention in this cycle of evolution needs to be on consciousness and not the process on a physical level. Why?

Because all the intelligence necessary for physical perfection has already been worked out and resides within our various vehicles there is nothing we need to do on a physical level to perfect our DNA, our cells or our bodies. Instead our job is to advance in consciousness and as we do this we will find that bodies will already be prepared for the higher vibration.

Even so with Jesus. His body had the same intelligence built into it as yours and mine. What made his resurrection possible, however was the state of consciousness he achieved. When we achieve this consciousness our bodies will likewise cooperate and rebuild themselves to perfection.

April 17, 2001

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The Initiation of Love

To really appreciate the manifestation of Love which was initiated by the Christ, one has to realize how different the viewpoints, attitudes and group thinking was toward love 2000 years ago. Before Jesus came on the scene the world had no great example of love as a ideal from which to pattern their lives.

There were prophets and teachers past who urged people to live good lives, to respect their fellow humans and some even encouraged harmlessness toward all life, but none presented the spiritual ideal as did Christ. None kindled the burning fire of spiritual love in its fullness as did Jesus.

There are many teachers in the religious world who are preaching the idea that we live in the most wicked era in the history of the world, but such is not the case. The goodness of the people in this age and their civility toward others is much higher now than it was 2000 years ago, and this is due in large measure to the few words spoken by Jesus which have partially permeated human consciousness.

Let us compare the actions of humanity today and the days of Jesus.

(1) Slavery.

2000 years ago a large portion of the population were slaves. Few at that time could even envision a time when all people would be free.

Today: Slavery is virtually unheard of in the civilized world.

(2) War

While we have not completely eliminated war, it is to be noted that the approach to war and victory is much different today than it was in ancient times.

Then: When a battle or war was won the victor did not keep prisoners and later release them to the defeated enemy. The captives were usually put to death and often in an horrific manner. They were often tortured for amusement and after this had their head put on a stick and displayed.

Not only were conquered soldiers put to death, but men, women and children were often totally annihilated. The Greek city of Carthage is a good example. Shortly before the days of Jesus 550,000 men women and children were completely destroyed on a whim by Rome merely because they posed a potential threat to Rome. And this was not because of a decree of a mad emperor, but by a vote put through the Roman Senate.

In those days if a child or female of an enemy was allowed to live it was either as a slave or for sexual gratification.

Now: War is still hell, but when a war is won in this age the civilized nations are often quite gracious to the defeated ones. A great example is that the United States virtually supplied the money and power to rebuild Japan after World War II and all the defeated nations were allowed by the United States and Western Europe to rebuild and maintain their own government.

Such graciousness was unheard of in ancient times.

Then too the torturing of the enemy and mass slaying of women and children is unheard of by the more civilized nations today

.(3) Human Relations.

We think people are selfish today, but 2000 years ago selfishness was much more rampant. People often had children, not out of nurturing love, but because of their usefulness as child laborers. Men often got married for the same reason – not out of love but because the guy needed an unpaid laborer in the family business. When the family income was too low a kid was often sold into slavery to pay the bills.

If a child was born retarded or handicapped he was often discretely disposed of and no one asked any questions about the missing kid.

We are probably most familiar with the entertainment of the past because of movies such as Gladiator, Ben Hur, Spartacus and so on. It was common sport for the people to watch gladiators kill each other.

We could go on but it is very obvious that humanity has made much progress in these three areas and indeed the world of Jesus’ day was much more ruthless than we are today.

In the midst of this cruel atmosphere appeared the Christ with a message of love and hope with words such as:

“A new commandment I give unto you – that you love one another.”

To love one another may seem like old words today, but at that time they were new and fresh.

The love he taught included more than family and friends for he said to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Then he went on to explain that even those considered the enemy are our neighbors.

Then he explained that if we love only those who love us we are no better than publicans and sinners. Instead we must love all people.

He not only taught about love, but demonstrated it. He worked tirelessly in healing the sick, the lame, the blind and outcasts of society. He gave his life in service and apparently received no money for it. “Freely I give,” he said.

Near the end he said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

His sacrifice on the cross was far from his only display of love, but that, along with his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane were certainly two examples that permeated the consciousness of mankind and has stayed there.

Many there are who minimize the effect of the life of Christ by complaining of the wars fought in his name, but one must look at the overall picture rather than isolated anecdotal evidence.

The world is a much better place today, however imperfect it is, because of the simple teachings and example of this Son of God.

May we all seek to do even “greater things” while always realizing the powerful initiation into love which he brought to the world.

There are al least two degrees of what the world calls love today.

The first is a lower love with selfishness attached and the second is the love brought by Christ – a spiritual unselfish love.

Contemplate on these two forms of love and the difference between them for future discussion.

April 15, 2001