2008-6-8 04:57:00
Mindy received some comments on her blog about my writings on overshadowing at:
http://www.freeread.com/archives/2195.php
http://www.freeread.com/archives/693.php
I'll make a few comments.
A reader comments:
"Gad! How can we know the veracity of many of the assertions made here, without seeing for ourselves? -- without experience?"
JJ:
When I first read DK's teachings of the overshadowing principle I had difficulty in accepting them but then as I contemplated the teaching I saw the principle behind it and that it fit in with the Law of Correspondences. Finally I had some experiences that verified it beyond doubt.
Reader:
"'Overshadowing" is still a concept I cannot easily assimilate, how this happens. Or WHY this would be how it gets done."
JJ:
DK [Djwhal Khul] explains that the Master can save decades of time by using the overshadowing principle. He can interact with the world without having to be born and growing into an adult. Makes sense to me.
Reader:
"Do we close our eyes to our own absolute freedom, that a light-being may see with our physical eyes, and act with all the other functions of our physical entity, in order to serve a higher cause?"
JJ:
There is no loss of freedom for the disciple when he is overshadowed. He is still the one in charge of the body and the one who makes final decisions. He is willing to cooperate with the Master because of an intimate knowing and harmony.
Reader::
"Why would a being such as Jesus NEED to be overshadowed, and be two beings, in order to be at one with the Christ nature?"
JJ:
An overshadowing has nothing to do with being one with your Christ nature. This will have already happened before the overshadowing. A Master and your Christ nature are two different things.
Why did Jesus need to be overshadowed? He explains:
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: But THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME, HE DOTH THE WORKS." (John 14:7-10)
"I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me IS WITH ME: THE FATHER HATH NOT LEFT ME ALONE.... I speak that which I have seen with my Father...." (John 8:25, 28-29 & 38)
He needed to be overshadowed by one higher than himself because he did not have the knowledge and the ability to complete the mission on his own.
Reader:
"Does this mean that the Christ cannot manifest in us, if we are not overshadowed?"
JJ:
You are confusing the Christ consciousness with the Christ. It is as DK explains that Christ is an office that is held by one entity at a time. The person holding it now will continue for about 1000 years. Then it will be held by the Master KH.
In the meantime all of us are expected to manifest the inner Christ in our own hearts and consciousness, but that does not elevate any of us to an office.
Reader:
"Is there ANY enlightened being therefore, that has NOT been overshadowed, in order to be the God-man that he is?"
JJ:
There are many degrees of enlightenment. The seeker can receive much enlightenment through his own soul. The purpose of the overshadowing is not enlightenment, but enhanced ability to serve. All will be overshadowed to some degree when they are ready and are usable in the hands of a master.
Reader:
"I get lost here...!
"I find it hard to understand, when it is apparent to me that God's biggest mystery is that of individuality."
JJ:
There is no sacrifice of individuality with an overshadowing. Such an event only happens when the will of the two entities is one to begin with. For instance, if two people want to build a house and work together on it there is no sacrifice of will for they both desire the same end. There would only be a sacrifice when the laborer is forced to build a house he does not want to build or work contrary to his will.
Reader:
"I think he is complicating things with walk-ins, divine possessions etc., and is putting too much emphasis on interpreting words and phrases literally. For instance when he quotes such things as 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.' and 'this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.' and 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come IN to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.' and 'Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.' it does not automatically imply that there has been two consciousnesses inhabiting the same body. The reference to Son and Father does not refer to two entities, the Father is the creative power and the Son is what is created. Not two separate entities in one body, but, one entities that has two attributes, the divine and the beast. There is no need for divine possession in the sense he implies, we are already divine, we are already the infinite energy that created the Universe and occasionally we connect with our higher Self. Once that connection has been established then after the first occasion it re-occurs when necessary and can occur constantly if the aspirant has required ability."
JJ:
An overshadowing is a much different step than separating the beast from the divine in us. The latter happens through personal effort. An overshadowing happens through invitation. You can't just make an effort and have one happen. It will only happen if you are useful for a divine purpose.
There are many degrees of spiritual contact with higher beings and overshadowing and divine possession are the most intense among humanity. To say that higher contact is not needed because we are divine is folly for without stimulation from teachers and higher lives we will stagnate. This is illustrated by the fact that when a child is denied human contact that his learning and growth just stops. We need each other to move forward. "No man is an island...."
Reader:
"I'm not disputing that 'overshadowing' might actually occur from time to time, for whatever reason, but JJ's literalness gets downright silly. It does not jive with the basic DK material."
JJ:
If you are a student of DK then you have to know that he taught a literal overshadowing and not a figurative one.
I do not teach by literally quoting DK or any other person in all things. I teach from the vantage point of seeing the principle through the soul. Even so I do not see any contradiction between my writings and that of DK.
Yes, there is much symbolism in the Bible, but there are also many events which literally happened and words that were literally spoken and written down.
Reader:
"As much as I respect JJ, I too think that there is so much literalness in the discussion of these scriptures, it makes me go 'Oh fooey!,' about some things said in them, that to me are so clearly symbolism, and intended to be compellingly UNspecific and not easy to pigeonhole. Like 'clouds of glory,' and so on. How disappointing would it be that such mighty words are so easily dispensed with, as simply meaning this or that. I have the feeling in the general sense that these scriptures are being cast into a mold that is, it seems to this humble self, of the characteristic disposition of theosophy to analyze and explain everything about great mysteries. It is, I would think, no accident that they are mysteries! All I got to say is, good luck!! And I would ask, about the relative degree of relevancy of such analyses to our receiving them in our hearts?"
JJ:
In the book "The Light of the Soul" DK and Alice A. Bailey commented and analyzed the mysteries and writings of Patanjali. Are you OK with that? If so then you should be OK with doing the same thing with the Bible and the words of Jesus.
That which is a mystery to the seeker is only hidden knowledge waiting to be discovered.
Some knowledge is discovered through trial and error, some through teachers, some through the emotions, some through the heart, some through the mind, and still others through intuitive levels and higher. However, when knowledge comes accept it and rejoice -- believing you will receive more.
More on the overshadowing can be found at:
http://www.freeread.com/archives/283.php
http://www.freeread.com/archives/285.php
http://www.freeread.com/archives/286.php
Copyright © 2008 by JJ Dewey, All Rights Reserved