Do We Need a Master?

Julian Johnson, in "The Path of the Masters", is very emphatic that the only way to achieve redemption is through the tuition of a Master. He then goes on to describe how the Master is able to travel out of his body and to reach the many upper realms away from the earth.

However, I can do this. And so can the many people I have trained with and those whom I have taught myself. The only difference seems to be the way that this travel outside the body is achieved. The Master teaches a method that begins with a deep meditation.  My friends and colleagues and I journey with the drum. The monotonous beat of the drum sends our brainwaves into the theta state and then we can journey at will.

I like the way that Johnson describes the experience of journeying:

"The student leaves his body in much the same way a dying man leaves it, except that the student does it voluntarily and the process is always under his own control, and he can come back into the body any moment he wishes to return. Otherwise, his passing out of his body is practically the same as that of a dying man. He thus learns what death means, and also what lies beyond death - even becoming acquainted with the future home to which he is to go when he finally leaves his body. He may also converse with friends who have long ago left their bodies.

"In fact, there is no death at all. There is simply a shifting of the scenes, an awakening in a new world."

It is true that journeying removes all fear of death.

Karma

Julian Johnson, in "The Path of the Masters" talks about the law of karma.  He says that we are condemned to an eternal round of reincarnation and existences on earth, all the time gathering karma and in between we are punished and again sent out to learn about karma. Johnson says that it is only when we meet a Master who can guide us that we can escape the eternal round and join the Supreme One.

I decided to journey to my Spirit Guide to ask about karma.

He said that karma is the law of cause and effect.  I was shown the positive side of karma.  If you set in motion something good - then good will be manifested. The more good you introduce to life, the more good will be created.

I asked, "What about bad karma?" Yes.  That works in the opposite way but it can be counteracted by good karma.

I asked, "What about the belief that we all have endless rounds of life on earth as a result of our bad karma?"  I was told that if you believe that - then it will happen.  Concentrate on good karma and it won't.

The Mind and the Soul

These are more quotations from "The Path of the Masters" by Julian Johnson

"Social customs, ceremonies, rites, religions and politics are all based upon mental habits and are usually handed down from one generation to another.

"The whole human race is a slave to custom... All of this is because mind, both individual and social, is machinelike in its action. It cannot reason. Can you imagine vast armies going out with deliberate aim to destroy each other if they had the power of reason? Crime and moral rectitude are both mental habits. International strife is only blind personal passion run wild, en masse.

"The mind runs on habit. The more a habit is indulged, the more deeply will it become entrenched.

"There is a point, a fatal moment, a deadly crisis, when the soul is no longer able to handle the situation. It cannot reach the mind, and the mind itself is in the grasp of a relentless fate created by its own conduct.

"It is a principle of psychology verified by the experience of everyone that whatever the mind dwells upon, that thing becomes a part of the individual. We grow like that which we contemplate. The more vividly the thought dwells upon anything, the more that individual becomes like the thing he thinks about."

The Path of the Masters by Julian Johnson

I can't remember who recommended this book.  It has been on my shelves for some time. I have found it a fascinating read. It is written by an American who was a distinguished surgeon, artist, scholar, pilot and an ordained minister of the church. He became dissatisfied with what he had learned from his Christian studies and went in search of a greater truth.  In India he finally met a Master who could answer his questions and lead him to the Truth.

I have quoted some of the things he has written which have particularly interested me:

THE MIND

"The mind is not self-conscious nor self-acting. It has no power of automation or of initiative. It is simply a machine ...

"We are not accustomed to think of mind as a machine.  We have always been taught that if there was anything that had powers of origination and initiative, it was the mind ... Mind works only when activated by the soul.

"... Mind alone cannot think, cannot will, cannot love. It cannot remember nor suffer nor enjoy. To do all of these things it must, in every instance, be activated by spirit.

"... of course, mind is a most useful instrument, provided it is kept under the control of the spirit. Mind is an excellent servant but a very bad master.  Your automobile or your airplane is a fine instrument for travel. But you must keep it under control and guide it. ... If your car is permitted to run wild, under full power, it is sure to come to grief. It knows no better than to run on as it has been trained to run. It cannot see and it cannot reason. So it is with mind, in every particular. It is your servant, but if it becomes your master it may speedily bring disaster upon you.

"Spirit alone has light in it, and spirit alone can work independently and rationally.

"We often hear people blaming others, insisting that they could do differently, if they would. Yes, but they cannot will to do differently. They can choose only what their minds have been predisposed to choose, unless a new impulse comes in from the spirit.

If a little light filters in from the spirit a person may change his course of thinking or action, but never otherwise. If the mind enjoys a certain sensation, it wishes to repeat that sensation as often as possible, quite regardless of whether that sensation is good for the person or not. And this is why we have so many drunkards, libertines and dope fiends."

Morality: Trying to Live By Someone Else's Rules?

I was having a discussion with a friend about morality. We were talking about prostitution. Should we judge and condemn prostitutes? Or should we have compassion for them?

I suggested that my friend journey to ask her guides about the subject and this is what she came up with:

A better name for morality would be "value system". A value system is beyond religion, it comes from the Source. Religions try to use morality to gain control over people. But it is not about control but about love.  A value system is about not creating pain and suffering for oneself and others. It is about love, truth, honesty and compassion.

About prostitution - be compassionate.  Prostitution is harmful because the person's soul gets covered up or lost and the person becomes soulless.

When people do bad things they become out of alignment with the highest truth. They have a lack of faith in Great Spirit. Great Spirit will provide if the person decides to move away from prostitution. Otherwise the person will suffer, will lose soul and become possessed by entities. The people who use prostitutes also lose soul. Great Spirit will provide once a person turns away from the activity.

Nothing is greater than the Law.  If society is in chaos it is because there is no value system. The value systems of religions are mostly good but become set in stone and outdated. There is no black or white. The story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruits means that everything that is against the divine value system will bring pain and suffering.

A value system is for oneself. We can tell people about our truth but it is their decision whether to follow it or not. A value system is to emancipate us. To help us to love one another and to be at peace.

There are lots of things in the world to enjoy and we should give thanks for them.  It is addiction to pleasure that causes pain. We need moderation, a middle way, balance.

The Power of the Dream

While working on a dream during our recent workshop, one participant found herself pulling on a lead, as though she was being pulled along by a large dog. The message from the dream was that she could let go of the lead. When she did, her arm and shoulder relaxed. She had been suffering for some time with a painful shoulder, but now there was no pain.

Recent Dreams and Nightmares Workshop

We are delighted to share that our last training event (17/18^th Sep) on Working with Nightmares and Dreams was a great success. This one seemed to be even more intense than the last one we ran on this topic. The participants were so willing to dive into the experience and to try out the exercises that we had planned. We worked with ordinary dreams first to gain confidence in the method and then we changed the procedure slightly for working with nightmares so that we could avoid anybody being re-traumatised during the process. Working ‘on the hoof’ we also suggested to people who do not have dreams that the method could be used with any issue that may be troubling them and this proved to be very useful. We wish to thank all those who took part for making the experience so powerful.