Inner nature of God’s Kingdom

[Guest guest]

" Inner nature of God's Kingdom "

by Dominic Daley, Laurel Sherer & Christine Breese

 

The following essay is excerpted from the courses " Mystical

Beginnings of Christianity " and " Awakening to the True Self " as

presented by the University of Metaphysical Sciences.

 

Although spiritual teachers offer answers to the question of who we

really are and paths of how to come to know our true nature, people

need to take the journey inward and experience the nature of the

Divine themselves. In this way, each person is her/his own liberator

and spiritual teacher. Devotion to the path of awakening to the true

Self, openness to the grace of becoming self-realized, and

cultivation of spiritual energy are states of being which help us to

experience the nature of the true Self. The paradox of the situation

is that even though we are the true Self right now and thus do not

need to go outside of ourselves to find it, we can not know it with a

mind that is constantly racing between thoughts of the past and

future. This is why spiritual teachers offer us practices as a

foundation for realizing the true Self. Such practices prepare the

body and mind to perceive the true Self. The body and mind can be

likened to antennas, which are slightly altered here and there in

order to be better conductors for tuning into the frequency of the

Divine.

 

Once one becomes tuned into the perfection of the Divine, there is a

grounded peace that emerges. It has sometimes been likened to finally

letting go after trying so desperately to cling to rocks in a river.

Once we let go of our old perceptions of the way we think life to be

and come into oneness with the Divine, we are amazed at the river we

are a part of. We realize it was only an illusion that we were

separate from this river of Life and that we had to protect ourselves

from being swept away; for in being swept " away, " we are only swept

into the Divine, our true Self.

 

It is this slight change in our perception that leads to growth and

awakening our divine self. While very similar, sensation and

perception play different roles in how we interpret experiences.

Perception is how we interpret sensation and therefore make sense of

the world around us. Sensation is the process by which we sense our

environment, both the spiritual and visual worlds around us. For

example visual perception is how we interpret what we see, self

esteem describes the perception of how we feel. Personal growth is a

sensation that can be associated with the great awakening of the

kundalini [1] or with awakening earth energies within us. Perception

itself is imminently selective which is why meditation is so useful,

and it often helps to be guided. Through guided meditation we are

better able to visualize what we aren't absorbing and therefore open

the transcendental door of perception a little wider.

 

We come to the realization that the Kingdom of God is within us all.

The dogma of Christianity and other organized religions does not

provide us with this spiritual foundation or knowledge, really. The

ancients taught know yourself. We are of a divine consciousness that

inhabits physical temples or bodies that in turn create this material

world we find ourselves in. To know ourselves is to know God.

 

Thomas Merton says in Mystics And Zen Masters (1967):

 

" We must never forget that Christianity is much more than the

intellectual acceptance of a religious message by a blind and

submissive faith which never understands what the message means

except in terms of authoritative interpretations handed down

externally by experts in the name of the Church. On the contrary,

faith is the door to the full inner life of the Church, a life which

includes not only access to an authoritative teaching but above all

to a deep personal experience which is at once unique and yet shared

by the whole Body of Christ, in the Spirit of Christ. " [2]

 

St. Paul compares this knowledge of God, in the Spirit, to the

subjective knowledge that a man has of himself. Just as no one can

know my inner self except my own " spirit, " so no one can know God

except God's Spirit, yet this Holy Spirit is given to us, in such a

way that God knows himself in us. This experience is utterly real,

though it cannot be communicated in terms understandable to those who

do not share it. Consequently, St. Paul concludes, " We have the mind

of Christ. " Corinthians 2:16. " He who is united to the Lord is one

spirit. " I Corinthians 6:17

 

The Kingdom of God finally comes down to that place of " being

within, " not a condition we find ourselves in sometime in the future.

No, the Kingdom of God is a present, living condition with many

possibilities for goodness that we have, but hides like a seed within

every individual. It grows naturally, and feeds upon the developing

attitudes of love and practicing kind deeds. Behold, like a new

plant, it grows gradually until you yourself are part of this garden

in the Kingdom of God, within yourself and the world without. Jesus

is seen as a prophet who proclaims the Kingdom of God, but Jesus

celebrates that Kingdom as already present with his 12 disciples and

his followers. Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of Heaven is open and

available for everyone.

 

" Inner nature of God's Kingdom "

by Dominic Daley, Laurel Sherer & Christine Breese

http://www.religioustolerance.org/daley01.htm

 

About the Authors:

Dominic Daley is the Christian mysticism contributor for this essay.

Mr. Delay earned his Bachelor of Arts in Waldorf Education from

Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA in 1983. He is an artist,

novelist and metaphysical educator.

Laurel Sherer is a world traveler with a deep interest in herbal

medicine. She is a course writer and student advisor at the

University of Metaphysical Sciences, and currently working in the

field of energetic and intuitive healing. She contributes her

knowledge of personal transformation and awakening.

Christine Breese is the founder of University of Metaphysical

Sciences. She holds her Doctor of Divinity Degree in Metaphysical

Sciences and her PhD. in Metaphysical Counseling. Her website is at:

www.christinebreese.com. As editor and contributor to this essay she

wishes blessings of timelessness, peace, and self-knowledge to all

who visit religioustolerance.org

 

Resources:

University of Metaphysical Sciences, from which this essay is

adapted, is dedicating to assisting spiritual teachers as they pursue

their life purpose, live with integrity and grace, and teach others

to do the same. See: http://www.umsonline.org

Universal Church of Metaphysics is an all-inclusive gathering place

for spiritual seekers. See: http://www.ucmeta.org/

 

Footnotes:

[1] Kundalini is a Sanskrit word that refers to life-force energy

that lies coiled at the base of the human spine like a snake. When

awakened it can travel upwards through the various chakras and

ultimately awaken the higher centers of consciousness.

[2] Thomas Merton, " Mystics And Zen Masters. " Farrar, Straus and

Giroux (1999). Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com

online book store