Gnosticism

Master of Gnosticism

By Rev. Patricia Buben

The Gnostics had a very different worldview from that of most other religions.  In their view, the natural world is temporary and evil.  For example, giving to the poor in a world that is temporary and everything is evil, would make no sense. 

Their salvation would depend on gnosis (knowledge) so the affected soul wouldn't pass the Archons. It is their fault and not the fault of the Gnostic.    

One of the second century church writers Irenaeus wrote:  "The Gnostic must indulge in everything. To be saved, they must sin. They must learn the role of the poorest farmer, to the wealthiest merchant."    

The soul aspiring to enlightenment must first rid itself of all debts and obligations. The Gnostic seeks to be like the light and return to it. According to Irenaeus, it is impossible for the spiritual element to suffer corruption, no matter what actions they have indulged in. He goes on to explain and illustrates their logic by comparing this spiritual element to a bar of gold dipped in filth, which will preserve its worth and be unaffected by the filth. Such enlightenment is not possible from the creator, for this entity cannot recognize the power greater than itself. It is flawed and imperfect, so he couldn't hope to achieve this revelation.    

The concept of salvation to the Gnostic is somewhat simple while at the same time very complex. Most religions require faith, good works or both to avoid damnation. Gnostics believe salvation comes through gnosis or knowledge. Gnosticism seems to indicate that even those who are not pursuing saving knowledge can return to the light someday.   

However there are those few unfortunate souls who seem to be damned forever. Studying the universe though comes into play when discussing the Gnostic salvation.  

There are many types of Gnosticism that spread throughout the world, but most can be defined as:  "a religious movement consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god, the demiurge, who is frequently identified with the Abrahamic God. 

Gnosticism is very interesting to study, but I did have difficulty relating to some of the underlying philosophies (especially in the beginning).  I'm glad I took the course, though.  Bishop Pat took something that was (in my opinion) very difficult to understand and broke it down thoroughly so that the concepts can be better understood.  I liked the contrast he gave between Gnostics and Christians.  It was very effectively presented.  In summary, I enjoyed the course—both the history and descriptions of the Gnostic beliefs. 

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As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.   

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Life of St. Paul

Master of the Life of St. Paul Final Essay

By Rev. Patricia Buben

One of the greatest voices which the world had ever heard was that of the Apostle Paul. He became by far the dominating figure of the Apostolic Age. Peter was great; John was great; most of the Disciples and many of the Christians of that day achieved greatness uncommon to the average individual, but Paul was greater. New Testament history confirms this truth. The greatness of Paul was realized as the direct result of his complete abandonment to the commands of Christ—especially that which states that he who loses his life "for My sake" shall "find it."    Paul achieved his greatness by being tenacious.  He was violently driven out from many cities and towns.  He always reappeared eventually, with complete confidence in the cause he espoused.  His sufferings served to make him strong. Overcoming his prior life as the persecuting Saul of Tarsus, who killed many Christians, was not an easy task.  Saul was converted when, on the road to Damascus, a vivid light appeared from heaven, blinding him.  Jesus appeared to him and asks "why are you persecuting me?" and continues to have a conversation with him directing him to go into the city to learn what he was to do.  Paul went into Damascus and remained blind for three days until Ananias restored his sight and baptized him.  Right then and there, Paul went from being the "chief of sinners" to the "chief of saints".

The success achieved by Paul was because he pursued two important avenues of the Christian experience:

-         He became the interpreter of Christ, speaking the words that Christ himself would have said under the circumstances. He had never met Christ, except in the vision on the road to Damascus.

-         Paul followed the doctrinal and theological school of thought which was nothing more than the explanation of his own, personal conversion.

These two truths explain the reasons for Paul's outstanding success in Christian living, preaching and teaching. Paul focused on the Western world, rather than the Eastern one.  So, it is Paul's influence that carried throughout the Western world and remains today. This is a very in-depth class on St. Paul and every aspect of his life and teaching.  It is very well-written and detailed.  I found it fascinating and would highly recommend it.  St. Paul is a very popular saint who is still in the minds of people today.  A good example of this is the Vatican recently validating that the body in the Tomb of St. Paul is truly his. 

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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

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Shamanism

Master of Shamanism Rev. James D. Acker/Gray Wolf RMT I have read numerous books on shamanism.    They usually tell of a system of shamanism, but rarely are their practices explained in the detail that this course was.    To be honest I wasn't expecting much more with this course, and was I ever wrong. I am a ordained minister of the Universal Life Church and a Reiki Master/Teacher. To better understand the impact this course has had upon me, you will need to know a little about me.  Though my young life was involved in many different Christian faiths, by their own definition today I am no longer a Christian. Do I believe in Christ?    Yes, but not as most others do.    I do not believe that he died because we were so very bad.    Rather I believe that the people of power at the time believed that his words were worth more with him dead.    Then they could change and alter them for their own needs.    This was told to his closest followers when he warned them to beware of such people. I also do not separate this entity others call God.    Placing him/her somewhere out in the cosmos in a realm called heaven.    Being Native American this is Great Spirit to me, and is within and without of all of creation.    How very shallow of us to think that Great Spirit is stuck with such limits as a human body.   Does Great Spirit wish to be worshipped?      I don't think so, we have been given this wonderful gift called life.     Some seem almost painful compared to others, but when you step back, remembering that our souls are immortal, wow.   What a truly wonderful thing this thing called life is.    Great Spirit wishes to have something much more precious then worship.    Unconditional love is all that is desired.     No longer blamed for things that we have brought upon ourselves. We are here to experience life, and through us Great Spirit experiences life.   Love is what is more desired then wars, turmoil or strife, but that's why we have freewill.    Great Spirit wants unconditional love by our choices, not out of some ill based threats. Off my soapbox… Back to the course…. A very complete understanding of shamanism was given.  Not only were the areas given but their ways and beliefs were explained in detail.     Most I had no idea of.   Organized faith systems have always place anything beyond their scope as evil (ie; the devil made me do it)    Finally taking the image of this person called over the years, like witch doctor, and letting others know that in fact the shaman was every form of know doctor all rolled into this one person.   Though by today's standards the methods may be considered crude, they worked then and they work today. I found myself grinning when you taught me that, some of the very people that have condemned Shamans, were actually rooted in it so deeply, (ie; Judaism and Christianity).     A Shaman (male/female) was the local doctor, the person to seek out when a problem arose.    From Siberia and outward, it was found all across the globe, and though methods differed, the purposes were the same, and everything in all of creation was connected.   Shamanism was finally taken out of the faith based system where it never really belonged, and put where if belonged, a way of life.   The tools used were not to worship, but rather to show respect to the one being connected to, spirit or real.  This of course shown with masks and rattles.   Connection to all that is, to me is the main reason Shamanism worked then and works today.    The Shaman never tried to separate themselves from the animals, plants or minerals.     They were nor a better life form, that had been given to have dominion over everything else, to be used in any manner wished, whether greed based or not.    This is probably best shown in the dealings between even humans themselves by explorers, claiming someone else's home in the name of whatever flag they waved, This connective ness is what Shamans used to accomplish their goals.   A Shaman talks to them, seeking their advice and protection, in every realm that is being dealt with.      This course, though after reading it, it made sense, hypnotism would be needed or guided journeying.     Shamanism is exactly what I knew it was, another piece of the puzzle.   Something that should be used to compliment other healing ways.     Because lets face it, it does no good fighting to destroy the illness alone, unless the cause is also treated. Shamanism, Medicine and Science should become brothers.   Only then can we hope to put illness behind us.    Sadly, human vanity stops this from happening.   Rather then using all the terms used on this course, I thought you wanted what I got from it.     This was best describes in a paragraph from the last lesson.    A Shaman is all of the following,  physician, psychotherapist, magician, performing artists, storyteller and weather person.   A Doctor whose operating room I many cases, is your soul.      I work with many people in some of these ways.    Am I a Shaman, to this I will say because I am not vain, what do others say I am. This concludes my essay, and all that is left to do is say, thank you for a wonderful course, I enjoyed every part of it, and a firm hug to Amy. ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

A Course in Miracles

It always is fascinating when I read about the ego in metaphysics. I am always reminded of when I first listened to Eckhart Tolle, on Oprah Winfrey, regarding the book A New Earth. By now we know that the ego, is part of our energy body, and it is, in fact, a false self. While it is easy to become mindful of our own egotistical mannerisms, it is not easy to break them. Many times, we become attached to a pattern of using the word, "I" or "mine". Lesson 2 teaches that The ego is the part of us that says I'm me and you're you. It also reiterates that a strong, balanced ego is necessary for getting along in this world.  The hidden goal, in this life, is to create a balance between our strong ego, necessary for getting along in this world, and the other ego, that causes sudden success in the mind, then failure. The over-inflated ego causes us to be judgmental. We must create a deflation by abolishing old patterns. The patterns are habits, which began at a younger age, or are embedded into our intellect by examples from outside forces, such as media. I'm never one to say that media is a poor influence, it isn't, but if used incorrectly, it can be, if allowed. Over-inflated egos cause rambling thoughts, and loudness in the cerebellum area of the brain. We can abolish older patterns that attach the over-inflated ego, by exercises. If an exercise is completed over a period of twenty-one days, it becomes a habit, or a way of thinking. One great way of demolishing the judgmental ego, is by stopping the overuse of the word "I". The example used here will be, "I've earned my doctorate in metaphysics. I've studied for over ten years. I will display the certificate that I earned during the twenty week course of studying. I feel that I've accomplished something that the average person does not accomplish, which in fact, I have." The ego becomes more judgmental, accusing the general population of being not as intelligent. That is the normal pattern of thought. Eventually, the ego takes over, causing the person to become more omnipotent. This is habitual. As metaphysicians, we don't speak of ourselves as greatness, as in the above paragraph states. We speak of ourselves in a smaller form, but nonetheless greater or lesser than anyone else, or equal. Others then, can emulate our mannerisms, and it becomes a transmittable, oral decree. By way of example, we pass the habit to others. This deflates the ego that chooses to be Right. This stops the demanding. Just by not using the word "I". We must be mindful of our words, if we choose to carry ourselves in the correct manner. We can still hold our head high, and be aware of all surroundings, and be present, but without the ego disruption. Now, when we explain our professional attributes, we can say, "I'm hanging my doctorate of metaphysics certificate on the wall. It took me ten years to go this route. My words will emulate what was learned. It's called leading by example." To prevent an under-inflated ego, we must also be very mindful, and create balance. Again, this has to do with thoughts and then, words. Our ego wants us to be saddened, to be grieved in situations that require us to be grieved. Our under inflated ego wants us to carry feelings of depression and guilt in our heads, in fact, it works to force us to believe ill-standing poor self esteem that the under-inflated ego possesses. As a metaphysics counselor of personal goals and grief,  (actually, a very long title for Intuitive Counselor of Metaphysics), my goal is to teach the aspect of not holding onto grief, but letting go of the ego that presents itself in those feelings. To make a list of personal goals, and helping someone get to those goals by counseling and even tapping into energies not known to the one uneducated in this field, will help others with under inflated egos. Meditation, and thought patterns are mindful abilities that help, also. People become self absorbed, and this in turn damages the healthy ego. Our place as metaphysicians is to lead others by being less absorbed, and in turn, the transformation, in lesson 2, can become reality. Seeing through spiritual eyes is a great goal. Developing our third eye area is part of our spiritual eye, and we can show others and demonstrate our knowledge by not becoming self absorbed. The world is now open for us to turn the under-inflated or over-inflated egos of the earth, into balanced, quiet of rambling thoughts, thinking from higher mind, individuals. Imagine the shift this can create! --Rev. Rhonda Straw ******************************************** To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link. Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Online Ordination

Good morning Amy, It's so good to finally receive this ordination and be empowered to marry people and I thought I'd respond to you this morning and tell you how much it means to so many besides myself. A lot of people hold an online ordination in little regard but they don't understand the power that ULC offers ministers like me.  I've been a Pastoral Care Minister for 20 years now, with a special focus on ministry ot the short term, terminally ill.  My wife and I ran the largest ministry to The Sick in the Diocese of San Jose and we wrote and administrated a program to train ministers in the Catholic Church.  We had 97 ministers, 47 active each week in one little parish in Cupertino, CA.  Yup, it was a powerful and dynamic ministry! As Catholics, there are many rules (some followed, some not) but the most difficult thing about being Catholic and hearing the strong call of God is that there are only two paths to ordination, priesthood or diaconate.  Neither path is right for me.  With ULC's empowerment of ordination, now my ministry can extend and I can be even more effective for others. Thank you for what you do and please extend my sincere regards to everyone on your team in ULC. God Bless, Rev. Chad *******************************   The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.  Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.     Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

Master of Metaphysics essay by Rev. S. C. Hawkes     I'm amazed at the amount of information I got from this course.  I thought I was fairly well rounded in my knowledge of spirituality and using spiritual "tools" to help not only myself, but those who come to me for counseling and guidance.  But the new tools I learned from this course have already begun to change not only the way I handle personal situations, but also in the way I counsel others, and I believe it has been well worth all I have put into it.     I spent many years learning to meditate for my own personal reasons and I found it not only very relaxing but it also helped with healing, both physical and emotional.  Due to a low back injury in 2000 I've been left partially disabled and in constant chronic pain and rather than depend on Rx'd narcotic pain meds, I use meditation to help keep the pain within tolerant levels.  But the centering and additional grounding skills taught throughout this course have helped a great deal.     I did find the process of constantly creating and destroying roses a bit too tedious for my particular needs, so instead I've simply developed my own sort of "armor" to shield myself from the negativity that seems to be constantly bombarding us all these days.  My armor doesn't close me off completely from everything, it's very specific in it's purpose.  I've designed it so that it acts more like a filter than true armor and it simply filters out the negative energies and allows the positives to flow on into me.  This is the technique I've been trying to teach those I have been counseling.     I found out quite by accident a few years ago that I am a natural  healer.  I had no idea I had such a gift until a good friend and co-worker was complaining one day about how much her back was hurting and I offered to rub her shoulders for her.  She gladly accepted and as I was massaging her shoulders I suddenly "felt" her pain and somehow I seemed to know exactly where it was coming from and I use my hand to sort of trace the pain back to its source and as my hand stopped over the spot I had an urge to "pull the pain out" and she suddenly asked what I was doing.  I had no idea really that I was doing anything in particular as it was almost unconscious effort so I asked her what she meant.  She said it felt like I was sucking her toes out thru her shoulders and she could actually Feel something pulling and moving inside her up towards where my hand was.  And when I took my hand away, I could feel the added weight of her pain in my arm and had to try to push it back out into the universe.  She started moving around and said she didn't know what I'd done to her but that the pain was simply gone.     The grounding and and other techniques taught in this course has allowed me to hone those healing skills and realize fully what it is I'm doing and how to control it, and better still how to rid myself of that additional pain and negativity once it's gotten in.     Though I have only a very small following at this time, and I don't really consider it a congregation as yet, I do have plans to start a spiritual counseling center and try to put all the wonderful knowlage I've gained through the seminary programs here to good use helping my community.      For the most part, I have been doing mainly weddings, baby namings, house blessings/cleansings and that sort of thing.  But I have had more and more people coming to me for more personal counseling and I'm finding that I get such personal satisfaction and enjoyment out of helping others that I am more determined than ever to move forward with my plans to do this full time rather than as simply a side-line.     Thank you for sharing all this wonderful knowledge with us and for putting together such an enlightening and insightful course. -- "Spiritual freedom means accepting the path that has been laid out for you by the universe and following it to your true destiny" Rev. S. C. Hawkes *******************************   The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.  Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.     Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Why I became ordained

This is Walter Gerorge Smith, one of your newest ordained ministers I have just received my first newsletter, so here is some relevant information about me. I asked to be ordained because the small still voice within me, the one that speaks to me in meditation, told me to.  I will benefit from your fellowship  I'm a retired Board Certified Toxicologist and licensed Pharmacist  When I retired in 1991, I certified as a yoga teacher, then a bodywork practitioner at the Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health in Massachussetts.  I began studying the vedic literature in detail with the help of the saivite monastery in Hawaii.  In 1995-6 I added ayuvedic medicine to my qualifications and then also  studied vedic astrology.  I became interested in tai chi exercises and began to explore the zen bhuddist spirituality behind them.  I served as the medical advisor to The Yoga and Relaxation Centre here in Kingston when it was a training centre for yoga teachers.  I discovered my gift of" The Laying on of Hands" and found that I could practice Usui Reiki ( the original Reiki tradition).  I was also introduced to several styles of bhuddist meditation to use alongside meditation in the yoga tradition.  Throughout all of  this, I have become amazingly aware of the nature of our God-given Universe and the meaning of humanity. I was a University Professor in England for 16 years before coming to Canada in 1967.  I am currently a certified City Hall tour guide and a certified tour guide of The Museum of The Great Lakes when needed, so I spend my summers talking to a wide range of tourists here in the city.  I spend my winters teching meditation at the Seniors Centre on two days a week.  My teaching experience helps. I am truly aware that all religions are actually different manifestations of God's truth and loving kindness. " We are all one" truly describes my spiritual beliefs.  Allow me to give to you and all other ULC ministers the following poem which I wrote for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at the time of their annual conference here at Queens University in 1997.  It was published in their Journal as part of a larger exposition on the origins of astrology. It was written for all believers in the quantum probability theory of reality  My seniors who are  meditation students love it after learning that modern science describes all aspects of the universe as frequency vibrations, so here goes, Peace of the quiet earth to you who live on her cooled magmas rim Piece of the mantle of night to you in the knowledge of time's turning trim Peace of the endless deep to you from leptons, gluons and quarks And photons swimming the vast  dark black with gravitons like arks That Peace which passes all understanding In Love and Light Rev. Walt *******************************   The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.  Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.     Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

The Miracle of Prayer

Dr. of Spirituality Final Essay – The Miracle of Prayer             As I reflect on my life and its circumstances over the course of the last year and since the beginning of this course I have learned that the power of prayer truly does bring miracles.             I have always felt that my prayer life was stable and that God truly does answer my prayers.  In my earlier years as a young Christian I would find myself asking why God wasn't answering.  Patience is but a virtue ...we all know that, but as humans we fall short daily with a common fault …lack of patience.  And secondly, I would find myself questioning why my prayers weren't always answered with what I had put my faith in.             Through this course I have learned so much more about my own prayer life.  How consistent is it?  What do I put into it?  Am I offering thanks and praise to the Lord for the blessings that He has bestowed upon me?  Am I thanking him for meeting my needs according to his word before receiving those blessings?             A few years ago I purchased a small box for my husband.  He was battling an illness and through it found his faith to be faltering.  I asked him to pray with thanksgiving in his heart and to write those prayers/prayer requests down, put them in the box and leave them in God's hands.  At the end of that year we went back through the box and to his amazement saw how God did bless and answer his prayers.  As a Hospice Chaplain I do the same with my patients and their family members.  I have also begun an exercise with those that I serve that incorporate a "gratitude list" in their daily prayer life.  By using these techniques my patients are more able to find peace and thanksgiving even in the midst of a terminal illness.             I also found myself asking "Have I truly forgiven myself as Jesus has?  I have lived to believe that in order to be forgiven we must first forgive ourselves.  In order to love others we must first love ourselves.  We are God's children and he loves us unconditionally.  Unfortunately, we live in an earthy world full of sin.  We struggle at times in the midst of this stressful world with who we truly are as God's children.  With the pressures of life in all of its demands and judgment we perceive ourselves as less than worthy.  As children of God we have to constantly remind ourselves that although forgiveness from others is at times less than easily obtained – we ultimately are forgiven.  Our Father in Heaven has offered us the most precious gift through His son Jesus Christ.  Because of Him, His ultimate love and mercy we are free.  As I work with my patients, their loved ones and even my own loved ones I try to instill in them the truth that they are free.  I teach them to forgive others as well as themselves.  I ask them to take unforgiveness and doubt to our Father asking that the Holy Spirit offer us strength and courage.  Many find that when they can lay this at the foot of the cross once and for all that they can come to peace.  In my experiences as a Hospice Chaplain, I have witnessed the difference in death experiences with patients who pass with unresolved issues as compared to those who have found peace.  Those who have found resolve with relationships and with themselves tend to pass more peacefully than those who don't.  I see it in other situations as well.  Those who know and understand that they are forgiven and can forgive others are in general happier more relaxed individuals.             In conclusion, through the teachings of this course my overall prayer life has changed.  I find myself in constant communication with my Father in Heaven.  My day is very stressful with my incredible workload, my ongoing battle with my illness and with the demands of being the only source of income in my home, but I can truly say that because of my increased prayer life I can face each day with renewed confidence and peace.  My ministry has strengthened and I see a more powerful positive difference in the way that I serve the Lord in the lives of others.  I continue to live by a few important principals – 1) I am forgiven because of Christ's ultimate love for me; 2) I am nothing without God; and 3) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Rev. Dr. Terri M. Zastovnik BSW/M.DIV/D.MIN "When God calls you to do something, He enables you to do it" *******************************   The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.  Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.     Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Mystical Christianity

Mystical Christianity by Dennis W. Zerull First my thanks to the ULC Seminary for offering this course and my gratitude to Mother Maryesah for her efforts in writing this course. It is obvious that she is passionate about her beliefs and has spent a great deal of time in study and researching the ways of the Mystics in relation to Christianity and the many other subjects she addresses in this course. I must admit that this course became a bit disjointed to me after the first half of the discourses. I feel that the author made it somewhat personal at times instead of neutral in nature which I feel after many years of teaching is the best way to allow students to come up with their own hypothesis and conclusions. I also believe that this course is a bit lengthy and could make it's points with shorter discourses. These discourses include Faces of the Divine Feminine, Reincarnation, Walking the Mystical Path, Spirituality and Sexuality. These particular discourses could have made it's point in perhaps 8 lessons rather than 12 lessons. But in retrospect this course did open some new doors of study for me and readings to become more knowledgeable on a variety of subjects dealing with mysticism. My understanding of Mysticism and Mystics is that it is a pursuit of communion with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth or God, through direct experience, intuition or insight. Throughout the history of man differing religious traditions have described mystical experience in different ways. Detachment from the world- Kaivalya in Hinduism. Liberations from the cycle of Karma- Mecca in Jainism, Nirvana in Buddhism. Deep intrinsic connections to the world- Satire- Mahayanna Buddhism, Tein Taoism. Union with God- Hennish, Neoplatonism, Theosis in Eastern and Catholic Christianity. Mystic traditions have both positive and negative values of mystical experiences. So called New Age tradition simply call these values positive and negative energies. While Jewish, Christian and Muslin traditions would refer to these as the influence of good and evil spirits or good and evil realms in the case of "out of body experiences." They all go beyond liturgical and devotional forms of mainstream faith, often seeking out inner or esoteric meanings of conventional religious doctrine and by engaging in spiritual practices such as breathing practices, meditation and contemplation, along with chanting, song, dance and talmudic study just to name a few. Further I have found that Mystics often center on the teachings of individuals considered to have special insight and in the case of Christianity, Buddhism, Mosaic Law, entire non-mystical (doctrine based) faiths have arisen around these leaders and their teachings, with few or no mystical practitioners remaining. I do like the fact the Mystics do not seem to be concerned with the opinions or the religious tools of their more conservative religious compatriots. As I further my life study of Metaphysics in relation to enlightenment, I find that there are three philosophical fields that appear to be related aspects of the mystical experience, though they have not as of yet been correlated in a systematic way. They are the nature of reality, knowledge and phenomenon or Ontology, Epistemology and Phenomenology. Ontology or the theoretical separation of "reality" from "the appearance of reality" generally focuses on the mystical experience which tend to belie ontological questions. It is rarely stated in clear affirmative particulars and seem to consist of generalized, transcendent identity statements such as "Atman is Brahman", God is Love"," there is only One without a Second" and other statements that are suggestive of immanence. Epistemology is related to mysticism and mystics to the extent that both are concerned with the nature, acquisitions and limitations of knowledge. This is where I struggle a bit with foundational issues of epistemology and mystics. How do we know that our knowledge is true or our beliefs justified ? Mystics often appear more concerned with the process as the means to true knowing. However the mystical path does use ontology as its purpose to discern between truth and illusion, yet the focus is less on finding procedures of reason that will establish clear relations between ontos and epistene but rather on practices that will yield clear perception. The goals are the same, but mystic awareness of evolving "levels of consciousness encompass another realm all together. Phenomenlogy is perhaps the closest philosophical perspective to mystic thinking and shares many of the difficulties in comprehension. Edmund Husserl the German Philosopher believed the "same first- person", experiential stance that mystics try to achieve, precludes assumptions or questions about "extra-mental existence of perceived phenomena." Martin Heideggar another German Philosopher, wrote the book "Being and Time" which is generally considered the most important philosophical work of the 20th century goes a step beyond as he asserts that, "only beingness has ontological reality thus only investigation and experiencing of the self can lead to authentic existence." Mystical Christianity would assert that "the Kingdom of Heaven" is within us, references the same approach. This being said, phenomenology and most forms of mysticism part ways in the understanding of the experience. Phenomenology is pre-conditioned by angst which arises from the discovery of the essential emptiness of the real and can go no further whereas mystics by contrast take a step beyond to "being" and describe the peace or bliss that derives from their final active connection to the "real". I emphasize that emptiness is not no-thing-ness but meaning the basis that makes everything possible and the sense of openness people experience when they simply rest their minds. I believe that an argument can be made for concurrent lines of thought throughout mysticism regardless of interaction. In this course Mystical Christianity places emphasis on subjective direct experience of the devine and other worldly transcendant goals of unity. One example is the belief of Pleiadian existence and teachings through channeling using enlightened people on Earth. This makes it very controversial to individuals who place greater emphasis on empirical verification of knowledge and truth such as science and scientists. The struggle is then that the mystic is opposed to the philosopher by the fact he/ she begins from within whereas the philosopher begins from without. Recently however science and contemplatives have come to a better understanding of one another and are bridging the so called "gap." I use the example that today a working partnership has blossomed into active collaboration between experts in Buddhist mind science and neuroscientists. The research documents the neutral impact of a variety of mental training and phenomena is being understood as the observing self begins to transcend. This can be measured in brain activity and has yielded stunning results by the Waisman Laboratory for Brain and Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin. Every day more is revealed to us as we grow closer to what I believe is a new awakening of the Earth and our understanding if the universe. Such revelation occurred with Sigmund Frued when he wrote in his book "Moses and Monotheism". He argues that Moses was an Antenist priest forced out Egypt with his followers after Akhenaton's death. Akhenaton was striving to promote monotheism. Something the biblical Moses was able to achieve. Another is Ahmed Osman author of " Stranger in the Valley of Kings, 1988" who became interested in the links between the bible and archeaological discoveries in Egypt. He believes that Atenism can be considered monothesitic and related to Judiasm and includes other similarities including a ban on idol worship and the similarity of the name Aten to the Hebrew Adon or Lord. This would mesh with Osman's other claim that Akhenaten's maternal grandfather Yuya was the same person as the biblical Joseph which is also touched upon in this course by Mother Maryesah. How much Akhenaton understood is not known but one thing is certain. That is that Akhenaton was the first monotheist and the first scientist and he certainly "bounded forward in his views and symbolism to a position which we cannot improve upon to this day. His belief in the sole Lord of the universe", James Henry Breasted. No matter how long you meditate or what technique you use or what religion you may believe in, it is important to value all systems even though they have great philosophical differences. It would be my hope that we all cultivate a good attitude toward others and helping others by practicing love, compassion, patience and contentment. Mankind sometimes doesn't appreciate how fortunate we are to have been born as human beings and as such the essence of human society is interdependence. No matter how powerful our ego tells us we are it is impossible for one person to be successful all alone. Appreciate how rare and full of potential your situation is in this world is and use it to your advantage. Get rid of destructive emotions altogether for they serve no purpose to yourself or to your fellow sentient beings. Respect others and value their contributions. I wish you all joy, happiness and freedom from suffering and it's causes. ******************************************** To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for Free, for Life, right now, use the Free Online Ordination, button -- Click the link! As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Buddhism

Upon completion of the Master of Buddhism program, I have a better understanding of the religion of Buddhism and the teachings of the Buddha.  However, I feel that that biggest impact the course had on me is that it actually made me more humble and less judgmental about other religions.  Before taking this course I was unaware that the Buddhist religion had different offshoots from the main title of Buddhism and that Buddhism falls victim to all the same issues that are seen in the other religion.  Having recently taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, I wanted to see only the good portions of this new part of my life and was not aware that it was capable of being similar to the Christian religions that I did not find satisfaction in, I wanted it to be better and more true than the religions I was raised around.  As I learned that the religion had the same issues and problems, I began to realize that it was not a "better" religion than the others, it was the religion that called out to me when I was in need of a spiritual path.  In this epiphany I was reminded of a comment Gandhi made about each individual person on earth has their own individual "religion" and that the chances of finding two people who follow any religion exactly the same is nearly impossible.  Each of us picks the teachings or rules of the religion we chose to follow, the ones we choose to ignore and the ones we choose to argue.  These differences do not make any religion or follower of a religion right or wrong, it shows the differences in each individual and what they need to find and follow their spiritual path.   This simple discovery of the fact that Buddhism is not a better more holy or superior religion to any other has made me humble and brought me back down to earth and allowed me to focus more on the teachings of the Buddha and working towards finding a spiritual teacher to help me work towards the goals of enlightenment or having a positive reincarnation not spending time worrying about proving the Buddha and I are right and my Catholic Brother and Nazarene Wife are wrong.  I spent too much of my time worrying about academic proving the validity of my beliefs and proving theirs to be flawed that I did not have the time I needed to create a relationship with MY religion.  This course has caused me to realize that Buddhism is no more pure and unflawed than other religion and spending my time proving why it is better is a waste of my effort and that I need to focus on my spiritual growth and journey.    David Ellman *******************************   The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.  Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.   The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.     Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar