Mystical Christianity: lesson 18 (assignment)

Do you believe that the soul of Jesus of Nazareth had previous incarnations, and if so, how does this change your view of traditional Christianity? Yes, although I'm hesitant to wholeheartedly subscribe to the term "incarnation" with respect to Jesus and the Christ Spirit. Incarnation suggests that the individual soul of Jesus (the human being) is the Christ which was incarnate in other individuals previously. This is, of course, one possibility. This scenario coincides perfectly with the Christmas story, i.e. that Jesus was the Christ from birth. Nonetheless there is another possibility: that Jesus was a highly evolved individual (meaning he had undergone many incarnations and had attained an advanced spiritual level) who attained Christhood in his lifetime. This scenario could be illustrated by the descent of the dove (Holy Spirit) upon Jesus at his baptism. So, we must ask ourselves whether the Christ is a being that incarnated in various individuals throughout history, or whether the Christ is a condition (comparable with Nirvana) that one attains at the culmination of one's spiritual evolution (meaning Christhood and Buddhahood are essentially the same). In other words, once you've attained a certain point in your spiritual evolution, the Christ Nature becomes manifest in you. Of course, I've felt for some time now that Jesus was not (is not) the sole manifestation of the Christ. But when I realized this, it radically changed my view of Christianity: I no longer so Christianity as a unique revelation that must be preached to those of other faiths in order for them to be "saved".  It is just one of many revelations, suitable to a particular time or place (or culture or temperament of people). What other incarnations, masculine or feminine, would you suggest for the Christ energy?             In addition to those mentioned in the lesson, the first that I would add is the Buddha (I was rather surprized that Buddha was not mentioned) – including not only the 'historical Buddha', but also other possible buddhas and bodhisattvas. I would also include both Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary (although I leave the door open to other interpretations of Mother Mary – perhaps as the feminine face of the Father, i.e. the Great Mother). What is the significance of proposing that Jesus of Nazareth was one of several incarnations of the Christ? This proposition has huge implications for religious unity. The Christ has manifested at various places and times under various forms and in ways culturally appropriate for the people in question. If we recognize this truth, that all religions spring from the same Source, all religious conflict will cease.   What are your beliefs regarding heaven and hell? For me, heaven and hell are metaphors for conditions created by human beings in this life. As for the afterlife, I believe that between incarnations souls spend a period of education (and possibly purification) in the Spirit World. For some this may resemble something like heaven or hell (or, purgatory), but this condition is only temporary (comparable to Buddhist ideas of heaven and hell – temporary states of rest or purification between incarnations). J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 17 (assignment)

Mystical Christianity Course through the Universal Life Church Seminary

1.      In your opinion, why do bad things happen to good people? Among traditional Christians the answer given to this question is often "God is testing us". I, however, don't believe God imposes such tests. Karma is definitely involved, but not exclusively, and not necessarily individual karma. Because we live in a society with other people and in the natural world, we are subject to influences other than just our personal karma. For example, maybe we should consider collective karma of a particular group, nation or even of humanity as a whole, in addition to individual karma. But we also must consider the laws of nature, as well as cause and effect. For example, if a hurricane hits a certain region and kills many people, it's not because those individuals had some karmic debt to pay. Rather, it's a matter of human society being impacted by natural events. If a city is built in a hurricane (or earthquake, or tornado, etc.) prone area, it is not surprising if that city is impacted by hurricanes from time to time. This isn't anyone's fault (nor is it some retribution from God) – just the collision of natural processes with human society. To bring the same example down to individual terms, if someone stands in the middle of the road it is not surprising if that person eventually get hit. The fact that the person is hit does not mean God is punishing that person, or that karma from a past life is taking effect – it is just cause and effect in the natural world. Of course, cause and effect is intrinsically linked to karma. But all cause and effect is not necessarily moral. 2.      How do you resolve the ancient dilemma of how a loving and just God can allow tragic things to happen? There are two keys to this problem (the famous "problem of evil"): free will and rational natural processes. Free will requires that choices have consequences. If we cannot influence the outcome of something – for good, and yes, for bad – then we don't really have free will. Along the same lines, in order for our free will to be meaningful, our surrounding have to be rational, i.e. there must be rules. If God were to arbitrarily intervene in the world then we would not be able to make sense of the world as there would be no consistency. Thus, when humans have free will – with freedom to make either good or bad choices – it follows that others (humans, animals, the environment, etc.) may be negatively affected by the actions of some. Also, when nature functions according to set rules, it is inevitable that human activity and natural activity will collide at some point (see the above example). Also, the whole dilemma must be viewed from a cosmic perspective. What seems evil and tragic to us here and now, may look differently when view from afar (with consideration given to reincarnation, cosmic cycles, karma, etc.). 3.      Describe the way you see karma working in your life. It is very hard to see from up close.  The further removed we are from an event the easier it is to see the karmic aspect. For me, this often means that events (even those which at the time seemed negative) bring about unexpected results later down the road. I've found that even what seemed like relatively small decisions or insignificant events have led (usually through a chain of events) to drastic changes in my life's direction.   4.      Do you believe that karma is one hundred percent responsible for your current circumstances or are there other important factors involved? If so, what are they? No, not 100% -- neither from previous lives or this life.  I believe that the karma of those around me comes into play, as well as my personal decisions and those of the people I come into contact with. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 16 (assignment)

Have you ever had memories or experiences that your rational logic could not explain? Where do you believe the experience or information originated? Yes, I have had feelings (not exactly memories or experiences – more like impressions) of familiarity with certain places, music, foods, with which I had no prior contact. My best guess for explaining such familiarity is reincarnation. How would you define the concept of resurrection? For me, resurrection is rising to a new life after dying to a former one. Thus, after the death of our physical body we are born into the spiritual world – meaning that our "death" in one world is "birth" in another. Likewise when we leave the spirit world to reincarnate on the physical plane, the process is reversed. What do you believe regarding the pre-existence of the soul? I believe that human souls have all pre-existed in some form. This does not necessarily mean that everyone's soul had a previous human existence on this earth. Some may have come from evolved animals whose animal souls have crossed the threshold into the human realm. Others may originate from other worlds. We mustn't limit ourselves to this planet alone in conceptualizing reincarnation. As for me personally, I always had a strong sense of pre-existence even when the religious beliefs being taught to me said otherwise. As a child, thinking that there was a time when I didn't exist in some form was quite unbelievable to me. Thinking about when my parents were growing up, I felt sure that I existed somewhere or somehow – I couldn't accept that at that time I had no existence whatsoever. Are you a physical body having a spiritual experience, or a spiritual body having a physical experience? What for you is the difference? The difference lies in the essence of who we are. I believe I'm a spiritual    body having a physical experience, i.e. the essence of what constitutes "me" is spiritual. That does not mean, however, that the physical body is just an illusion or is not important in its own way. J.P.A.