Where is East?

Many people have heard of the "mystery religions" and never learn of the mysteries which they conceal.

The problem with mystery religion is keeping the mystery alive over many thousands of years.

Each new generation must preserve and pass on these mysteries.

Can these mysteries ever become lost?

The answer to that is, yes and no.

There are some factions that may lose sight of the mysteries but there will always be an illustrious soul somewhere who can see them clearly.

The mysteries are part of "Gnosis", a spirit of wisdom that comes to people in their dreams and hidden knowledge is divulged as a book opens and unravels the secrets of life and through the unconscious, everything is brought to light.

You may not believe in this spirit of Gnosis until you have had the book opened to you and your mind absorbs its contents readily without even having to read it. The pages turn and you become initiated into the mysteries.

Nothing is what it seems.

What are these mysteries?

Well, they begin with a voice crying in the wilderness.

...and a place where there is seemingly no escape, as great minds quarrel over laws and society.

Isolation and nakedness. Deserts where there is no water and endless planes with only the distant horizon.

A feeling like you are being torn into small pieces and scattered like the stars and imperceptible particles in the wind.

Parables that leave you puzzled and a strange emptiness that provides sustenance. In this naked and aesthetic state you suddenly begin to breathe.

And then peace, as you find salvation in the midst of utter chaos and turmoil.

A river with many voices and liberty, knowing... and the cohabitation with angels.

Secrets, spoken as a vesper's prayer to illuminate in a darkness that shrouds the curiosity.

The inverse of self and the reverse of ego.

Infinity contained within a single thought and love abounding.

Not secrets that conceal but secrets that reveal.

They open the chambers of the heart and free the mind so that the liberating waters fall like tears of spring rain.

In the midst of this all, there is stillness, reverence, respect, strength, purpose, meaning and understanding of all mysteries.

For many mysteries are known and hidden in the fade by the veil of consciousness.

So what is the answer to this riddle?

A single word, unspoken but known... perfect.

Abrahamic religions grew out of the desert. Their concept of Hell is a very hot place.

In Norse mythology it’s very cold.

The idea of Hell is first conceived of within Zoroastrianism of which Judaism has its roots.

HELL i. IN ZOROASTRIANISM
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hell-i

Hope all is well with you Izzy!

We’re all doing fine thank you very much.

I’m currently watching an old black and white film about how the devil uses television to make people miserable. It’s no coincidence it came out just as people were buying TV sets and going to the cinema less.

It’s called Meet Mister Lucifer, but to be honest, it’s not as good as it sounds.

Many think the real question or mystery is, 'Did Jesus even exist?"

This is not the message of Christianity.

Whether if Jesus exists or not...

The message is:

A fabled man went around gathering what seemed to be the greatest men who were alive at the time to his cause.

He was a very good man, he fed the poor, and ministered to the sick. He was loving, accepting, wise and seemingly moral.

Yet, each time he would turn his back, these men would return to their pointless, lackluster lives and forget about him.

They would forget about the kingdom of heaven, the lambs of God that needed to be fed, the people who were unfairly judged by wicked people and a system that favored the hypocrites and nailed innocent men to crosses.

This same thing happened to this man, not unlike many who are unfairly persecuted in this world for being gay or someone says she is a prostitute or a witch and the stones fly...

Yet, his friends still denied him...

It took the spilling of his blood... And many days thereafter... For these men to be changed.

And the spirit came down from heaven and rested on them and their eyes were opened to "agape".

Something they did not have before.

Suddenly these men would risk life and limb to speak of this man.

They endured stones, being run out of town and eventually they were caught and crucified, just as their master was. Murderers were change into saints.

What changed them?

Was it simple guilt, complicity and remorse or was it the cloven tongues of fire?

What changes people from hate to love?

This is the message and this is the mystery of Christ in you.

Christ in = Christian

Will you deny him or put down the fishing nets and follow him?

It is not about if he existed or not, it is about fire in a person's heart, good will, brotherhood and sisterhood and love. Something sorely missing in this world.

It is the philosophy of what brings love to a heart that is eclipsed by darkness. What changes people? Is this the spirit of God?

Science cannot answer this question, spirit may be in the realm of something far beyond the scope of science's ability to directly analyze it.

Science can only measure the effects of spirit, but not the very essence of it.

Just as light can be measured but not directly "seen" for each time it is seen it changes. And quarks are theorized and the effects of them are measured but the particles themselves are mostly unseen.

Is spirit a particle or a wave?

To assume spirit does not exist is tantamount to closing one's eyes to the existence of light...

People change and who is to say this is not the touch of the hand of the master?

This is the mystery.

Colossians 1:27 King James Version (KJV)
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Comment:
Did Jesus exist or does he exist in us?

It is not a matter of following the letter of the old law... It is a matter of caring that the law today is fair, civilized and represents humanity compassionately and with respect to all persons equally.

2 Corinthians 3:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Comment:
The constructs of the mystery religions were simply borrowed to explain the human condition. What changes people?

The people who concocted the Jesus story knew of a Jesus.

Perhaps one day they saw a man hanging on a cross and realized they had denied him through their own silence, he had done no wrong and they felt this world could not continue on the course it was going.

Figuratively, many Jesus' have existed throughout history. We live in a horrible world of injustice, fake heartless people, their falsity and zealous hypocritical laws..

It is Gnosis that can become a deterrent to this injustice.

Through knowledge we all can become aware as they did.

We can all bear the shame of denial and the rebirth of the spirit.

We can learn to care...

Or we can be part of the problem and someday maybe our lack of action will come back and haunt us when we least expect it or have the most to lose...

This almost seems apropos for some but is vengeance even the Christian way?

The cock crows and the time of decision draws nigh.

Which team are your really on?

This is one of my original 3D art pieces, I have title this one, "The Love In Your Eyes".

Carthage Discovered America? - Part 2