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Please Read this Section First
There is no new thing under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 1:9
The information and concepts presented in this book are not new. I did not invent monotheism or the idea that all truth is part of one God. Great spiritual leaders, including Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ, have taught One Truth. Melchizedek, Zoroaster, Maitreya, Padma Sambhava, Akbar, Akhenaten, Origen, and many others, dating far back into unrecorded history, have understood and taught the concept of One Truth. God is One Truth.
- Who Should Read this Book
If you believe that God and a spiritual universe exist and you are willing to consider the possibility that reincarnation might be true, you can safely read this book.
- Who Should Not Read this Book
· If you do not think God exists, why are you still reading? Put the book down now, and … back … away … slowly! On a serious note, though, this book does not try to prove the existence of God. Science has done that quite well with the Big Bang theory.
· If you think you understand the spiritual universe already (if you would not read this book with an open mind, if you think all non-Christian religions are pagan, if you think the Judeo-Christian Bible is the only sacred scripture in the world, and so forth), I would recommend that you not read this book. The principle upon which this book is founded is that God has spoken to and through every major world religion.
- Note: This book is an equal opportunity iconoclast – it steps on the toes of both liberals and conservatives alike.
· If you understand the spiritual universe already, you do not need a beginner’s guide. This book will have little or nothing to offer you.
Keep the following recommendations in mind as you read this book:
· I recommend that you read this book slowly and carefully, from beginning to end, at least once. Meditate on points or topics as you go, but do not get bogged down with minor topics, such as the Big Bang. (It is less important to understand the details about the Big Bang and how old the planet is than the details about how twin flames and masculine and feminine were created.)
· Don’t get stuck in denial. The six stages of loss, as defined by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in the book On Death and Dying, (©1969, Scribner; 2003 MacMillan) are:
A. Denial and isolation (my paraphrase: “Ignore the evidence.”)
B. Anger (my paraphrase: “Kill the messenger.”)
C. Bargaining (my paraphrase: “Maybe it’s only a little bit true.”)
D. Depression (my paraphrase: “I’m losing a cherished idea.”)
E. Acceptance (my paraphrase: “OK, it’s true.”)
F. Hope (my paraphrase: “I can’t wait to see what’s next.” OR “Wow! God and the universe are truly awe-inspiring!”)
These six stages apply to the loss of an entrenched idea just as much as to the loss of a person. Don’t let yourself get stuck in the denial, anger, bargaining, or depression stages.
· Read more about specific topics, such as reincarnation, either as you go or after you complete a first reading. Take the time to study a topic in detail before deciding whether the concept is true or false. Don’t get stuck in the “denial” stage until you have done your homework. My job is to present the ideas, not to convince you to change your mind. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn, in good conscience, as much as possible about the spiritual reality in which we live. (But this isn’t really mission impossible, as the wording might imply.)
For the concepts I think are the most important to learn about the spiritual universe, refer to “the big three,” first described in the Introduction.
If you are still having a hard time deciding what to do next, refer to “When in Doubt about How to Act,” on page 146.
· Examine these concepts and principles in the context of your own life. This is where most people will decide whether these concepts make sense.
· Look for patterns and consistency. As Einstein once said, God does not play dice with the universe. The spiritual principles upon which the universe was created are as consistent as the physical principles upon which the universe was created. Gravity doesn’t care about your skin color, cultural background, or religion. The principles of spirituality are just as consistent and universal as gravity.
· Reread your favorite scripture, such as the Bible, to see if that scripture can be understood and interpreted according to the principles explained here.
· Take things one step at a time. You cannot expect to turn your world upside down overnight, and you may not succeed if you try to absorb too many new ideas too quickly. You will be much more likely to get stuck in denial if you try to absorb too much too soon. Better to learn slowly than not at all. (Some people, on the other hand, will be able to read this book cover to cover without denial because they are ready, and they have ears to hear.)
· Follow the truth wherever it leads. If a concept is true, it is true because God created it. “Know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Does this sound a little new-age-y or perhaps ancient-Greek-philosophical? These are the words of Jesus as recorded in John 8:32. And conversely, if a concept is not true, then neither God nor you need it.
· Empty your cup first, then God can fill it. If your mind is already full, how can God get a new idea into it? Empty your mind, then read with a willing suspension of disbelief, at least temporarily. You must be willing to let go of old ideas to make room for something better or even to evaluate a new idea impartially.
- Where Did this Information Come From?
I have cited sources for the principles and concepts in this book wherever possible. For some topics, I have listed additional sources of information in the bibliography so you can study the topic further. But I can’t possibly acknowledge the source of every idea presented in this book for two main reasons:
· Some of these ideas can be found in many sources. For example, you can find many books about reincarnation at your local bookstore or library. The list of books on reincarnation I have included in the bibliography is by no means exhaustive.
· Often, I simply don’t remember where I first encountered each idea presented here, and for some concepts, I have found no source to cite. I have acquired, accumulated, learned, and internalized bits and pieces of these truths over a period of more than 40 years in this lifetime alone. Ultimately, I have arrived at this understanding through college study, reading, conversation with some very insightful people, observation, meditation, reflection, worship, intuition, and lifetimes of experience, hard work, and trial and error (read “making mistakes”). The concepts and principles in this book are battle-hardened and refined by fire.
You might think this book seems like a random or arbitrary collection of ideas. The concepts in this book are most definitely eclectic, coming from many sources and cultures, but they are far from random or arbitrary. (See previous comment about battle-hardened and refined by fire.)
I hear you asking “Who is this guy, anyway?” Professionally, I am a technical writer. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in religion (and a personal interest in comparative religion), but I have no advanced degrees. And I can’t change water into wine, walk on water, heal the sick, or raise the dead. If you are looking for credentials, I have none.
- “… and Why Should I Believe What He Says?”
Perhaps you agree with my biases:
· Monotheism is correct, God is One, and therefore Truth (with a capital T) is One also.
· The highest common denominator of eight of the major religions of the world – Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism – points to that one truth. The truth of the major religions of the world is not mutually exclusive. If you have been taught that it is, you have been taught falsely.
· The principles of spirituality are universal, regardless of culture, geography, history, or religion. This book describes spiritual truth as the author has learned it, no matter what the source. As Manly Palmer Hall says in A Commentary Upon the Quiet Way, “Those who gather to worship or to study or to dedicate their lives to the service of their fellow men are bearing witness to a faith and love within themselves. All devout persons are entitled to our kindly thoughts and moral support. The matter of creed is of slight consideration.” (Copyright © 1951, 1955, 1987, The Philosophical Research Society, Inc.). Spiritual law is just as universal as the law of gravity, and what you and I “believe” is just as irrelevant as saying that we don’t “believe” in gravity.
· Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. I have always had this bias, but I have also learned that the teachings of Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha create a seamless whole. Jesus studied in the Orient during the “lost” years, he studied the teachings of Buddha, and he taught what Buddha taught.
Perhaps you agree with my research methodology:
· I prefer the scientific (deductive) method first proposed by Francis Bacon – observation and research, hypothesis, gathering and analyzing additional data, then modifying the hypothesis to match the data – the scientific method applied here to a nonphysical or metaphysical field of inquiry. I look not only for evidence but also for patterns, consistency, and logic. If reincarnation was true when Elijah was reborn as John the Baptist, then it’s probably true for everyone (and there is in fact clear evidence that Jesus taught it to his disciples).
· As Arthur Conan Doyle has Sherlock Holmes say, “If you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth.” If one person tells you bigfoot exists, it’s difficult to prove or disprove. If a dozen people tell you, completely independently and with absolutely no possibility of fraud, hallucination, or hoax, that they saw a 7-foot hairy creature in the woods and that the creature threw rocks and banged pieces of wood together, there’s probably a 7-foot hairy creature in the woods that throws rocks and bangs pieces of wood together. If we eliminate fraud, hallucination, and hoax, the only thing left is bigfoot. A single sighting would be inconclusive, but multiple, independent sightings demonstrate a pattern that cannot be explained away, denied, or ignored. (Remember those six stages of loss?)
· If a source makes a claim about a spiritual concept that is difficult to observe directly, I know of three ways to try to evaluate such a claim:
o Ask yourself, do I have personal experience that supports or denies, proves or disproves the concept? Does the concept help make sense of my life or of what I know about the world?
o Is the concept consistent with other concepts that I do know beyond reasonable doubt?
o Is there evidence that the source has been accurate and knowledgeable about other spiritual concepts? Does the source have a track record you know and trust? This can be an important way to help you determine what’s from “left field” and what’s just a new or unusual but valid idea. And yes, there are many ideas from left field.
Perhaps you agree with my not-so-hidden agenda – to find and explain the “unified field theory” of spirituality.
Perhaps you agree with my assessment of myself: After all the lifetimes I have spent trying to learn about the spiritual life, I finally feel qualified to write a beginner’s guide. Someone with greater attainment and a superior understanding will have to write the Intermediate’s Guide to the Universe. And as for the Expert’s Guide to the Universe, I think Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ have already written that one.
And finally, I’m not asking you to agree with me, I’m presenting the results of my research into spirituality for your consideration (and for your own further research). What have you got to lose by reading this book? A few dollars? Borrow the book from a public library for free. A little bit of time? There’s always time to learn about spirituality. And what do you stand to gain? An interesting read, at worst, and at best, maybe new insight into life or a new understanding of the spiritual world in which we live, move, and have our being.
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