Discussions of God

Been there, done that, and will definitely try harder next time. Glimpsing the ancient transcendent vision of “life, the universe and everything” can be appallingly inspirational on many levels but remarkably difficult to communicate. Even to say “it has to be experienced”, falls far short. All language and ideation seems insufficient. One begins to see why the Buddha is smiling.

Most discussions of “god” are partial, focusing on one aspect of the divinity to the exclusion of all others. Usually that aspect is the anthropomorphic one, God a person, a very wise and all knowing person, who seems to have set the universe in motion a while back and through some combination of magic and very clever science, keeps it going.

While on the journey, the inner one always unfolding, the situation, of you or the world, can seem out of whack, weighted in favor of the winners, monstrously unfair.  The minuses outweighing the pluses in your own account, your faults competing with your wounds for dominance, and the chances for lasting insight, never mind enlightenment, farther than any horizon.

Our journeys through the mysteries of Being and our being within it can leave us quite mystified, somehow simultaneously inspired and baffled.  It is sometimes quite the challenge to keep both feet on the ground while one’s head and heart are in the clouds.  After visiting ‘there’, with all its charms and joys, coming back ‘here’ can feel drab and quite depressing. Is it all worth it?

As we practice our chosen discipline, here in the physical, and extend our explorations in the astral, our experiences seem to sharpen our perceptions and increase the power of our intuitions, most often by clearing out the blockages built by doubt and self-consciousness, leaving us with a clarity that can sometimes be quite shocking.

At some point on our treks through the valleys and mountain paths crisscrossing the intriguing remains of mystical and esoteric teachings that come down to us from ancient times, many of which managed to survive repression by mainstream religions to be modernized by twentieth century teachers and facilitators into conveniently updated Zen, Vedanta, Magick, Sufism and the like, we come across references to the White Brotherhood, the Secret Chiefs, the Ascended Masters.

As we move along the various paths the inner journey unveils, we begin to examine, out of curiosity or concern, the lives of others.   We seem to see them more clearly, now that out own delusions of grandeur have been modified by seeing the untidy and rather tacky aspects of the current ego and some of its past life cousins.  The lenses on our vision seem sharper, less muddied by the prejudices of unconscious judgements and more influenced by the discernment conferred by true humility.

The circuit?  That’s the one where we return to where we started and see our very own footsteps in the sand that we presumed had washed away in the tides of many incarnations, those passages through personalities and cultures that we assumed had left some indelible marks, but then find, much to our pleasurable surprise, that they can fade to insignificance once we shuck the comfort zones their gates and fences provided.  Poverty and wealth, illness and health, ignorance and education, they all drop away as the feathers on Icarus’s wings as he closes in on the sun. Perhaps he dies on that final descent, or maybe he merges with the divine fire, a spark surrendering?

I have previously advised on the practice of patience when those dreaded ‘dry spells’ interrupt the joys of crazy adventures in dreamland, leaving us high and dry with no enigmas to unravel. Certainly, effort, of the strenuous sort, seems not to resolve the blank canvas that upsets us. It’s not pushing ahead determinedly that catches the elusive butterfly in flight, but a unfocused yielding to whatever may come which presses the right buttons. And that yielding, that submission, may take some time to manifest the unseen. You know, days turning into weeks and maybe months before a breakthrough.

They are two different worlds aren’t they? Or are they? One is packed with schedules and duties, commitments and challenge, the other is some kind of magical mystery tour, entertaining, annoying and mostly mystifying. One abides by the rules of making sense and the other most definitely does not. One is lighted and demanding of attention, the other is shadowy, shifty with trickery. One is rule bound with cultural norms, the other operates as though some fun-loving anarchists wrote the guide book.

I once titled a collection of essays, Laughing At The Universe Of Lies. As many of them addressed the many instances of deliberate political and economic fraud, conspiracy and cover-up, it seemed more than appropriate.  Our experience of the world, filtered most often through the corporate media, is one of public figures, drawn from the ranks of government, corporations, banking and intelligence agencies, is one of denial, double talk and bare-faced lying, only some of which is later tackled by the forces of law enforcement and justice. 

If enlightenment is just another “plight in three dimensions” but the endless implications of transcendence when we exit, then is it any more than another stage on the unfolding of our flower blossom? As blissful and serene as the experience may be, with the itch of desire and ambition no longer needing scratched, is it to be prized any more than the inching towards it that many aspirants endure, or the daily dramas and comedies that we all find ourselves in, regardless of our status in the spiritual playground?

A friend, then in the grips of Buddhist practice and philosophy, once asserted to me that we all are enlightened several times a day, but in the rush of perceptions and reactions, forget the content and how effortlessly profound it seemed. I suspected they were correct in their assessment and set myself to locating some methods whereby those inspired moments could be collated and conserved.

Being complete and whole in the moment without crutch or dependency to the past or the future, either recent or distant, has been a goal of several spiritual traditions, perhaps Zen most noticeably.  The western popularizer of that tradition, Alan Watts, certainly established it in his many books of the 60’s and 70’s, several of which came my way back then.  I also recall Ram Dass (aka Richard Alpert) spreading the notion with his popular book Be Here Now in that same decade.

As we evolve beyond the acceptable and approved norms of our society and class, risking criticism, mockery and outright rejection every step of the way, we collect various wounds along the path, those slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and we learn to deflect the blows, even as we come to recognize the old wounds they reactivate.  We become careful as to what we say and to whom…

Almost any energetic or spiritual practice will lead you to the opening door of expanding consciousness.  I have met many runners, swimmers, team sports players and yoga practitioners over the years who tell of sudden leaps in what they assume is perception, where watching themselves from near or afar becomes the new norm for at least a few seconds and sometimes minutes.  They see another self, seemingly independent of the one who stretches and sweats, one who is calm, bemused, observant.

When Higher Self envisions us, it sees divine beings lost in belief systems. Systems like democracy, progress, agriculture, manufacturing, worshipful subservience to science, prophets and deities. It sees children playing, frightened and ignorant, educated and desirous, mystified but lost in enchantments. 

As we explore the various highways and biways of the esoteric teachings that guide our inner journeys, we eventually come to the notion that some souls are ‘young’ and others ‘mature’ or ‘old’.  The distinctions manifest in a number of ways.  One is derived from the discussions arising from life-between-life regressions where some recall careful planning with guides for the upcoming incarnation, while others tend to rush in enthusiastically without much forethought, often hell bent on resuming a life dramatically cut short by violence, accident or addiction.  The feeling of being denied one’s life experiences through trauma and tragedy can be overwhelming, often dominating the ‘bliss’ potentials of astral life.

While some of us find citizenship to be “surplus to requirements” for the pressing business of career and family, and others are so disgusted with the fabrications and deceptions of politics, religion and big business they happily drop out of any such commitment, some seek to be citizens of their society, however seemingly corrupted, striving to be informed and actively engaged with the issues and challenges of the day. Others seek to be citizens of the planet, embracing the ideals of multiculturalism, brotherhood and internationalism, hoping to replace hunger with plenty and strife with harmony. And yet others strive, in one way or another, to be citizens of the soul, that amorphous enigma inhabiting all forms with the sentient spark we have come to call consciousness.

Many of us have found our way to the inner journey of spirit after either rejecting conventional religious structures and practice, finding them self contradictory and unsatisfying, or seeing that the scientific materialism we grew up with failed to explain our personal experiences with the mystical and mysterious situations that repeatedly irritated our culture’s assumptions and norms…

Various meditation techniques strongly emphasize the importance of calmly observing the self in acquiring the real knowing of who we are, where we come from and what actually motivates us to thought and action.  The term ‘mindfulness meditation’ is the most commonly used in this context.  It’s one that almost everyone on the inner journey recognizes, regardless of path or tradition.  In aiding our understanding of who we really are, as opposed to who we think we are or would like to be, it is incomparable.

Many of us do it, whether we are consciously on the inner journey or not. As one of the many aspects of compassion, it is instilled in us from an early age, as well as many past lives, where we either employed it intelligently and saw its benefits, or failed to, and realized too late how we’d short changed ourselves and others by its glaring lack.

I reckon it was at least forty years ago when I first started seeing references in past life regression books to groups of guides that the recently deceased would consult in reviewing their recent performance on earth. Entities like Seth spoke freely and illuminatingly about the purpose of many lives, and many of us were aware that both Buddhist and Hindu teachings spoke of the phenomenon without apology.

At whatever pace gives us comfort and a sense of learning we are all moving along in our inner journeys.  And whatever stage you find yourself present is of less importance than the act of doing the travel as consciously as possible. We all have our preferred methods of exploration, rituals we enact when the time is ripe and the urge is on us.

As we move along our inner journeys towards what we assume is deeper understanding of the enigmas and mysteries of our real lives, sometimes racing along without the least bit of resistance, sometimes stumbling about, absentmindedly looking for clues, we come across mentions of the Higher Self, the Monad, the source self, a being whose existence seems as remote as archangels and ascended masters to our apprentice ears, about as distant as a PhD to a kid in grade five.

It would be difficult to recall a time when I had not heard of the Akashic Records in one or other of the many metaphysical books I was reading in my youth. Whether inspired by teachers or channeled  through spirits, the references were unmistakable. In the astral, mental and causal planes at the very least, it was possible to attend a place, a situation, a focus of consciousness, where all the “events” of what we call history could be viewed and re-experienced without the willful deceptions of political and economic power plays that distort the reportage of historical reality here on earth. Beyond the proud  trumpeting of the victors’ triumph and innate moral superiority and the insulted, wounded whining of the losers and the endless ruthless cruelties of the struggles to achieve dominance, whether on a personal, tribal or empire level, lies the actual details of the process laid bare for all to see.

As we open up to our “gifts of the spirit”, our seemingly unlimited potentials, there are episodes of intense excitement, stages where astonishment is almost the familiar state of being, where we seem to be transcending ourselves every other day. We feel boosted into an orbit previously unimagined years before when we pottered about with psychic abilities first encountered in books and courses. We glide into unfamiliar territory, charmed with our new flexibility and ease of access. Growth seems unchecked, the border guards retired for the night.

At some point in this inner journey, at some stage in the shifting of poses that present themselves as personalities in the play-acting of our incarnational dramas, maybe even now as we turn to acknowledge that fly on our dinner plate or that lying skunk on the tv screen, we suddenly see the illusion of it all, and our foolishness in believing that the dream was somehow real.  The bubble that you took for granted has burst.

As we reveal ourselves, with open hearts attuned by discernment to what seems like fresh opportunities for growth, we come across those younger folks, who may not be younger souls, and in fact most likely are not, and are but unrealized seekers fumbling about for paths and portals that are not tricked out with shabbily trendy gurus and self-improvement cults, we are challenged to come up with the goods that fit the keyhole to their seemingly locked doors.

Once we have attained a level of serenity and acceptance in the face of life’s turmoil and committed ourselves to some level of compassionate action, – chakra balancing, distance healing, regression work, psychic circles, prayer groups, hugging, listening, in fact any of the modalities of sympathy and empathy, we are deposited at the door of discernment and choice.

On the inner journey of self-discovery and self-development, the call to service often comes when you are ready to reach out to others less fortunate than yourself. Of course, that’s the social gospel version. On the inner journey the ‘others’ appear lost, confused, mired in illusions. Whether it’s the recently dead, wretched in ignorance, wandering in some fog of despair, or the living, wounded by the cruelties of life’s seeming injustices, the energies of compassion draw us to their plight

We can see, all too clearly, how we entered incarnation, full of aspiration, but succumbed to that treasure trove of fears, anxieties and doubts as our inner bulb of knowing lit up their shadows. We covered up with the “common sense” that family, education, religion and society piles up around the anarchic spirit that all humans come armed with, the one that frightens those who have already absorbed some decades of rational conformity and feel wise in passing it along

For many it comes down to this: we are born, we live and then we die. Anything else is wish fulfillment fantasizing. Their certainties gives them a firm foundation to meet the various challenges life offers, one of which is the obvious: every beginning must have an end, even if it’s hiding somewhere. He who is born must inevitably die.

Even as we progress on the journey of self-revelation, casting away, one by one, the old definitions now pretty much useless, we still cling, albeit unconsciously, to our various notions of significance: (a) that we are achieving worthwhile goals, (b) that we are becoming a receptacle better able to serve the needs of humanity, (c) that our understanding of possibilities is ever deeper and wider, and (d) that our compassion for others is selfless and discerning. All these are easily recognizable to those on the inner journey as we cover our tracks with careers, families and citizenship

Whether you need the pleasures of paradise or the hell realm your guilt and grinding angers demand, it’s all ready and available when you finally employ that aging passport. You choose your bliss, pick your poison, enumerate your preferences and indulge

All of us are moving, at our own chosen speed, towards greater and greater understanding of the mystery of incarnation and the consciousness which seems to propel it all…

Gordon Phinn brings his book to a conclusion with the final two chapters. This has been a fun book to read each week.

Next week Gordon starts his weekly column here on Sovereign Abilities. Don’t miss it!

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion continues with chapter nine

Sunday Morning…

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion

Saturday – Chapter Eight…

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion continues with chapter seven

“I wondered where on earth I was. Not on earth was the answer. Galactic Federation Central was the reply to my where then? Sounded terribly sci-fi somehow. I found myself in a gallery overlooking a rectangular space engaged in a very civilized debate. There was no shouting or waving of hands, and truth be told, not much moving of lips either. I did not have headphones on, but it felt as though I did, as the comments of various delegates were, well, in my head, sort of…”

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion continues with chapter six.

“Am I talking to God, I shouted? There’s no need to shout, came the reply, I’m right here and always have been…”

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion

The story continues…

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion
The story continues…

Knowing, as you all do, that astral beings can transfer from one spot to another without actually traveling, I suddenly thought that when we are projected in our astral bodies we can do the same

The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion – Chapter Three: Monday, by Gordon Phinn

“Apparently your soul, well not exactly your soul, for it seems like there’s this other character they call the higher self, who, as he gets more adept at this incarnation thing (Eric’s term) can project more than one beam of life energy onto the planet at once. And why would he do that, you ask. Well, apparently just for the experience. Or, in mountain climbing terms, because it’s there.”

Gordon Phinn gives us chapter two in his yet unpublished novel – The Deity Is Not Up For Discussion

With our first post in the New Year 2021, we are pleased to give you Gordon Phinn’s first chapter of his yet unpublished book.

“You’re dreaming George.  You’re dreaming and you’re not quite used to it. But don’t worry you’re in good hands now.” This was not quite as helpful as I’d hoped. It was the kind of definition that left you on the outside looking in. “Well that’s good to know Mavis. I never would have guessed that being a lost soul would be so much fun.” ~ Gordon Phinn

Join, Gordon Phin in his video as he recounts an astral projection where he examines a school in another reality. Then goes onboard a UFO ship to watch as crop circles are designed. In the final part of the video Phinn finds himself in an active war zone

A guided meditation into the Upper Astral Planes where we meet three souls ready to graduate and one in orb energy body form ready to reincarnate.

Gordon Phinn, has had metaphysical experiences since the year, 1970. He has continued to grow his consciousness and share his knowledge and experiences since that time.