SATISFYING OUR DESIRE TO KNOW GOD

SATISFYING OUR DESIRE TO KNOW GOD

Our often-obsessive quest for meaningful existence and personal fulfillment, when honestly examined, can be seen for what it is-a misdirected, though perhaps sincere, endeavor to satisfy the desire of the heart to know God. We intellectualize his presence. Who fathoms Him cannot behold Him, and who beholds Him does not fathom Him.

To know God as God is, not as we may have imagined God to be, is to have all of our delusions and illusions forever banished. It is because of the existence of delusions and illusions that the perception and experience of God is veiled or obscured. Delusions are erroneous or invalid beliefs. Illusions are misinterpretations of what is perceived. The primary delusion is that people are human creatures independent of God. This causes them to believe themselves to be mortal beings that are born, endure for a while, and die.

To understand the cause of the primary delusion that blinds individual consciousness to the truth, we have to have some understanding of God and the creation process. We can examine the facts for ourselves and awaken to our own realization. And this is precisely what we are supposed to do; for if we do not become knower of what is true, we will have to be content with being believers only-and belief by itself does not satisfy the heart's desire to know the truth.

In the first instance: "This world is nothing but materialism in manifestation." In the second instance: "The individual's powers of perception are obscured by the impurities of lower instincts (illusions, the results of misinterpretation of what is perceived) and by delusion (untrue beliefs about what is perceived or thought about)." A person under the spell of illusion and delusion is ignorant on those matters about which knowledge is lacking, who otherwise may be intelligent.

We all seek to know what constitutes life, how it comes into being, and its fundamental portions that constitute a whole both individually and universally. Some people realize that everything is really an outward representation of subjective forces but desire to know how the spiritual forces of life make the transformation from the invisible into representations that comprise God. In order to begin such an intellectual journey a human being must first know the self, the vital and fundamental portion that give it the being, the knowledge of the positive and negative forces , and all the associated ramifications. A human being must also understand their corporeal existence and its care, the emotions and their conversion into mental power, and the evolution of mind to spiritual consciousness.

The universe was not produced by a cosmic whim and it is not an illusion. It is not a figment of our imagination and will not disappear when we cease to perceive it. While not an illusion, material realms are illusory because what we ordinarily see is not their entirety. Visual perception involves the reception of electro-magnetic energy by our eyes. This kind of energy travels in waves, which vary in length. Some electromagnetic waves, called gamma rays, are extremely short, measuring only about 4 ten-trillionths of an inch in length. In contrast, electromagnetic waves used for trans-oceanic broadcasts are over 18 miles long. In between are the wave-lengths used for X-rays, infrared radiation, short-wave, television waves, cellular telephone waves, and regular broadcast signals.
When we do not clearly perceive and correctly interpret what we see (and hear) we are at a disadvantage because we are not then in direct communication with our environment. Most failures to perceive clearly are due to inattention or avoidance; that is, we either do not care to observe or we do not want to do so. We may reject useful information or debate its validity rather than open our minds to the possibility that it is true and, perhaps, of value to us.

According to seers of various enlightenment traditions, the universe is an interaction of cosmic forces with origins in a field of Primal Nature which, in turn, has origins in the single, manifesting field of Supreme Consciousness we call God. In its primary state it is comprised of the original creative force the Word, space, time, and particles of cosmic force. From this primal substance all universal manifestations are produced.

When the light of the Spirit of God shines on the field of Primal Nature, its reflections become individualized or specialized as consciousness. It, being rays of God's consciousness, never become independent, or separate from God. When consciousness become identified with the field of Primal Nature their intuitive powers are diminished, causing them to be deluded-and delusion or partial unconscious-ness results in attachments to externals. This is how individuals become involved with the creation process and proceed to play their varied roles in the drama of life.

From the realm of Primal Nature, creative energy flows outward to manifest the worlds: producing a Cosmic Mental field sometimes referred to as Cosmic or Universal Mind, and fine, subtle, and gross realms. Thus multiple trillion particles of supernatural energy become involved with the world manifestation process at various levels. There is no need to feel ashamed about being embodied, or to feel that original involvement with matter was due to intentional willfulness. We became involved because of participating in the process of cosmic manifestation. However, we do have a choice in the matter of whether we blindly identify with mind and matter or whether we awaken to super conscious levels and Self-realization.

Because God is the only expressive reality of Supreme Consciousness, there is no intelligently directed power in conflict with God's actions. There is no personified evil force attempting to thwart evolutionary processes or tempt individuals away from their spiritual growth path of destined spiritual awakening. Any personal problems or challenges one might have are due to lack of right understanding which can result in illusory perceptions and misguided actions. When illusions are banished and right actions are implemented, harmony with the infinite universe results with spiritual growth.

God is the One Life, Being, Power, and Substance in manifestation. God is infinite, without beginning or end. Trying to conceptualize this reality challenges the intellect because the intellect, being a mental faculty, cannot fully grasp that which transcends it. Even so, intellectual examination of the reality of God is useful because it provides a degree of understanding and takes one to the edge of the limits of the intellect where intuition is the next unfoldment. God can be known by intuition, which is not a feeling but an insight although one might have a feeling-response when insight unfolds. God is an omnipresent field of consciousness. This is realized by the consciousness established in Self-knowledge.

Being a field of consciousness, God is not a person. During early stages of spiritual inquiry it is common for aspirants with a devotional temperament to personalize God as a father, mother, or a higher power which cares for each person. If this is one's approach to understanding and experiencing God, and one's devotion is sincere, a response is drawn from the field of God that may be interpreted as an answer to prayer. Prayer response, or having needs met with-out asking for assistance, does not prove that God cares for us as we understand caring expressed by one person to another.
The situation and the process do not need to be analyzed and explained: if the relationship satisfies the seeking heart, with results following, that is sufficient. Complete understanding will unfold with illumination of consciousness. When the reality of God is known, all else that needs to be known will be revealed (self realization).

Because God's nature is what it is, so long as we have even a faint intellectual grasp or partial intuitive insight of the reality of God, there should be no questions in our minds about whether or not God is, loves us, cares for us, approves of us, or wants us to awaken spiritually. This is all right if one is willing to learn and to grow in knowledge and grace. A contrasting condition, which is also self-defeating, is an attitude of individual superiority which may be expressed as arrogance and denial of any need for a relationship with a higher power.

Conclusion:

God is truth. God is freedom from any attachment or agitation in terms of passion, aversion or delusion. The ultimate truth is in being one with God, without blocking the possibility of realizing this truth.