…“Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.” (1)…
1962… somewhere in England… and school assembly draws to a close… With these stout comforting words echoing in our heads, our day begins in the knowledge that Out There somewhere, a rather stern but gentle and supremely benevolent man, (whose appearance resembles a Victorian Patriarch complete with flowing white beard), watches over us with care, concern and ineffable love while we trudge off to double maths on a dreary, grey, drizzly Thursday morning.
‘Out There‘ is where we look for all the answers to all our seemingly un-answerable questions. The ancient Greeks created a fascinating mythology in an attempt to explain all the imponderables of life and in doing so, wrote some absorbing tales that would keep an eleven-year-old boy occupied for many a dull wet day.
Far from the idea of God as in… “Most blessed, most Glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise,” (1) there was a whole room-full of gods, an ancient sort of ‘league of super-heroes,’ who idled away their hours on top of Mount Olympus, only concerning themselves with the plight of humanity when some form of diversion from the daily tedium of immortality was required.
Immortality of course, meaning that they were there ‘for the duration,’ and were thus denied the mortal glory of a hero’s death, the victor’s spoils and other very mortal prizes.
When suitably motivated, the gods would take sides to help control the outcome of a mortal conflict as in the Trojan wars, so that their favourites might be victorious.
Inevitably, this could lead to gods falling out with other gods, as they, (rather curiously), seemed to suffer all the emotional frailties of mortal humans. Bouts of extreme jealousy, lust, and out-and-out hatred were all commonplace on Mount Olympus.
The god Zeus who was known for his disguises, seemed to have an insatiable sexual appetite. This led to certain mortal women whom Zeus had singled out for attention, being transformed into an assortment of creatures such as a cow (Io), and a swan (Leda), just so that Hera, the long-suffering wife of Zeus, might not suspect anything.
Hera however, was aware of his constant infidelities and would use her powers as queen of heaven to try to thwart each carefully arranged tryst, sometimes enlisting the help of other gods, with varying degrees of success.
As the inevitable resulting offspring would often become the founders of cities or great tribes, it seems that one function of these myths was to create a source of Greek national pride. Another function was to explain nature and natural occurrences.
The amorous visit of Zeus to Danae, disguised as a shower of gold, is an example of the romanticised expression of natural phenomena. The shower of gold is representing the sun’s rays, which germinate the seed buried in the ground.
One constant rule of mythology is that whatever happens among the gods above, mirrors events happening on the Earth below.
In primitive agricultural communities, recourse to war is rare and Goddess-worship is the rule. Herdsmen on the other hand tend to make fighting a profession and perhaps because bulls dominate their herds, as rams do flocks, they worship a male sky-god, typified by a bull or a ram.
It seems that mythology came about in an attempt to answer the age-old questions such as, “What happens when we die?” “Where do our souls go?” “Why are we here?” etc… etc…
The English adjective ‘mythical’ means ‘incredible’ and the fact that European mythologies don’t contain the biblical narratives says something about our notion of what is true and what is myth.
Through the ages, great teachers have arrived on Earth and the common thread which links them together is the notion that looking out there for answers to anything connected with divinity is fundamentally misguided. This thread can be traced back to Hermes who was a man before becoming deified. His better known alter-ego was the god and winged messenger known to the Romans as Mercury.
Zarathustra, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed all continued to teach that in order to touch divinity we must connect with our inner heart where the Soul resides. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is within us all, which was his way of expressing the same thing.
This ancient wisdom also tells us that because of this, far from being ‘mere mortals,’ we are all equal and divine and that our ‘immortality’ refers to the separated aspect of the eternal Soul – our Spirit – which does not die with the body, but which reincarnates. However, in spite of this great wisdom, nearly all of us seem to have got a bit lost along the way.
Moreover, all these great teachers came up against huge resistance during their lives from the established order, in the form of the church, which perceived each of them as a threat to its hegemony. We all know that Jesus was crucified, but later on in history, the established Roman Catholic Church launched a crusade against whole communities of non-Catholics, in particular the “Cathars” in France, who were mercilessly massacred.
These religious institutions had hijacked religion for the principal purpose of controlling the population.
Our ancient teachers’ words were often not written down until many years after their deaths and, as such, became open to misinterpretation and misrepresentation.
It was much simpler for the church to keep people in their place with a vengeful God and a one-and-only life, than a God of love and reincarnation. The vengeful God would punish “sinners” who could end up in that “other place” if they failed to repent. Thus the power of the church to control, mostly through fear, continued relatively undiminished until the arrival of the secular state as we have it today.
Fortunately, the Ancient Wisdom is very much alive and well, and the work of Hermes, Zarathustra, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed is being continued by Serge Benhayon. His teachings present that our problems all stem from us having become separated from our inner selves, in particular, our inner heart where our divinity lies.
Thus, by looking out there for answers, we are rather like gods playing at being un-gods and for me this has a particularly familiar ring to it, very much in the style of the Greek gods’ mythology.
If the gods had everything including immortality and supernatural powers, why would they need to concern themselves with Joe Bloggs and his wife down below? Why the need for ‘gods’ to play at being ‘un-gods’?…
We have said that what happens among the gods above, mirrors events on Earth below and so the creators of the mythical stories are frequently using examples of mortal ‘weaknesses’ causing problems among the gods. Lust, envy, greed and jealousy all abound on Mount Olympus where one would expect harmony and tranquillity.
Thus the Greek gods were really just like ‘mortals’ but with super-human powers ‘bolted on.’ In the Ageless Wisdom teachings, True Divinity resides in the inner heart and so, had the myth-creators been aware of this, they could have connected with their own divinity as sons of God.
Serge Benhayon presents in the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom that the intellect is only a receiver of energy which is out there, but the inner heart contains all the knowledge and wisdom of the universe.
To borrow and rephrase a title from a well-known nineties T.V. series about, of all things, aliens,
… The Truth is ‘IN’ there …
By Jonathan Cooke, France
References:
- net. (2018). Hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise. [online] Available at: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/14? [Accessed 7 Jun. 2018].
- Graves, R. and Guirand, F. (1996). New Larousse encyclopedia of mythology. London: Chancellor Press.
Further Reading:
Sin, Confession and the True Religion of the Ageless Wisdom
Me, my Brothers, Mohammad and Jesus at the Gym
Teachers of the Ageless Wisdom – The Lineage never dies
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Fascinating. As I have shared before, love the way you write Jonathan. Can’t wait for the book ✨
I know for myself the struggle with accepting my divinity has been given the spotlight for some time now. However, my body does give me signs that such focus is making me ill. The struggle isn’t an outer force preventing me from accepting my divinity, because when I choose to accept it it is simply there, accepted, done. No effort required.
Jonathan I agree with you that religious institutions have hijacked religion for the principal purpose of controlling the population. And history tells us of the Roman Catholic Church who launched many crusades against whole communities of non-Catholics, who were mercilessly massacred if they did not convert to their dogma. If we were to read energy we would be able to gain the insight that this control is to keep humanity down so that they do not remember their history of why we have fallen from grace and are here on earth. That is why the Ageless Wisdom teachers come to remind us that we live in the unsettlement of our spirit that separated from our soul to create an illusion we call life. If we were taught this from our cradle we would have got out of this ‘hell hole’ a lot faster.
From The Ageless Wisdom sermons we learn that ’True divinity resides in the inner-heart”. Nothing more is needed.
I’m familiar with this hymn, and is one favoured by many Christians I know. The biggest myth is the one that says we’re not Gods, and here the myth is magnificently busted. We are worthy, grand and of God, seek within and all is there.
The indoctrination of being lesser is etched deeply in with a subtle knife but the love we are runs deeper and cannot be touched. The moment we are open to feeling this, the astral game is all undone. We have begun the journey home.
Oh! I like what you have written Michelle819 I agree with you that humanity is riddled with being lesser, actually we are saturated in this energy of less. It is something that we are indoctrinated with from birth. The Astral do not want one single person to reconnect to their essence and so begin the journey home. That is why the teachings of the ancient wisdom have always been attacked and continue to be attacked, because should the truth be known to the majority of humanity and we start to reclaim ourselves in full as some of us have done, the shift in consciousness would be so great that the Astral plane would disappear. Because unbeknownst to us we are the ones that feed it in the first place through our emotions.
When we can see through the astral fog for the game of control that it is, we lessen its power over us and we realise what we have allowed. The power is, and was always, ours to claim.
Fear is such a successful tool for controlling others. Marketing, politics and the church use it both subtly and obviously which should be something we all talk about because the more we are aware, the less control it has.
Interesting that since this method of control has been around for eons, how we have not wised up to it yet! What is it about being controlled that we like? Whilst we may say we do not, we are clearly getting something out of it otherwise we wouldn’t keep falling for it…
Michelle….Perhaps…we keep falling for it because…..by doing so, we can avoid our responsibility…..?
Yes good point because we do all know we are being exploited and manipulated. It clearly doesn’t bother us enough or we would call them to account, or even better not give them what they want and they would be out of business!
Important to note since we love to play the victim game and blame everything and everyone else outside us for our woes. We also like to place our focus on projects, activism, work, study, kids etc., as a distraction from the truth we know and from the responsibility we have in the choices we are making not to live the love we are.
Oh so true and ouch! How good are we at making it about everyone else rather than know that we are far more power-full than we choose to accept and live.
it’s one of the biggest abuses of humanity to present that God, divinity, salvation, etc, it outside of ourselves. The kingdom of God is indeed within – and how beautiful it is.
The truth of our origins and the wisdom that resides within us is greater and more magical than any myth.
‘…The Truth is ‘IN’ there …’ We just have to simply connect to it.
Those stories about gods are just fascinating, but Truth is more spectacular than any story a man could tell.
We probably spent centuries searching for God in whatever format that may appear for the individual. I know for myself, there was this unrest and like many, searched ‘out there’ too.
If it wasn’t for Serge Benhayon, I would be continually searching ‘out there’ or probably had given up on life, marriage, work etc. It could have been anyone else that could have presented this, he just happens to be called Serge Benhayon, and I am forever grateful for meeting him.
Same here Sushila; I too “would be continually searching out there or have probably given up” on life in general if I hadn’t met Serge Benhayon. That choice sure put an end to giving up, not that he told me not to give up, but the sense he made of the world and my life had me seeing, for the first time, what an amazing life was waiting for me to live, so why would I want to give up on that?
Yes, having the the Truth presented cannot help but be recognised, it is just a question of whether we align to it or reject it. The paradox is that if one chooses to reject it we arrogantly think we know better, but the searching and suffering continues, while when we align the world and life make sense and one discovers true purpose. So as you say, Ingrid, ‘why would I want to give up on that?’
I feel that traditional religions have on purpose skewed our understanding of God so that we have forgotten that we were breathed forth by God as particles into the universe, and so we are Gods too. Some of those sparks of light/energy wanted to create as Gods and so the fall from Grace began into creation until we have become very dense in the form that we recognise as human-beings today. A being in a human body. This is not our natural state and we will all evolve back to the higher vibrations of energy we come from, that is why we are here on earth to return back to our original emanation and expand the universe.
“It was much simpler for the church to keep people in their place with a vengeful God and a one-and-only life, than a God of love and reincarnation.” Yes and we fell for it hook line and sinker, yet we know deep down that God is love and it is not possible for him to bring about harm or be vengeful. Until I fully understood reincarnation as presented by Serge Benhayon the only area I questioned was young children dying when they had not lived long enough to accumulate karma. Knowing we come back to re-imprint all that we left on this earth that is not love I now completely understand the part we play and it makes absolute sense. It is our own doing that causes the mayhem we see in the world today and not a vengeful or hateful God that the church has over centuries indoctrinated us with.
Yes the teachings continue in the works of Serge Benhayon and like all great teachers of the past concerted attempts are being made to shut him down. It seems for some there is nothing more repulsive and reprehensible than the truth!
Perhaps the true shock is feeling the contrast truth provides and what we then can see and feel more clearly in terms of our own choices in life.
The God playing the Un-God is a familiar term and the more I observe the more I can see how this plays out – by way of us resisting what is on offer to deepen and evolve.
To know truth is to discern from our inner heart, from and with our body, and not from the words of another. The great world teachers present the Truth and for us to ‘know’ it is from living that truth, not from their words.
Yes, it is for us to discern by way making love our lived way for then we will know what is divine truth and what is not.
Yes and then we are living the Ageless Wisdom, thereby a reflection for others to choose or not.
Fact is that we are all Gods and that most of us are living ungodly.
A great line Jonathan about Serge Benhayon and the Ageless Wisdom, “His teachings present that our problems all stem from us having become separated from our inner selves, in particular, our inner heart where our divinity lies.” A simple and beautiful foundation for life.
Indeed Jonathan, religion has been hijacked. It’s pomp and ceremony is so far removed from the simplicity of our personal relationship with soul.
Separating God from our earthy existence with stories, images, prayers, services and traditions separates us from our very nature. When we are raised respecting our divine essence there can be none of the control and suppression of the masses by the system as has been very evident throughout history – and as is the fight always been to suppress those who know and live their natural rite.
Connected to our inner heart ‘where the Soul resides’ everything makes sense. The stronger and steadier this connection is the fitter we are for life.
“The Truth is ‘IN’ there” – I love the simple truth of this.
There is so much about what our great teachers have shared that we have conveniently misunderstood, forgotten or ignored. Imagine if we had really paid attention to Zarathustra, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed and really lived the teachings that were shared, much about the world and life would be different.
What a loaded word “Convenience” is Rachel, with its attractive exterior full of promise and positive benefits but inside its dark, dark, interior containing all manor of horrors representing the price to be paid for these apparent “benefits”.
Yes, Rachel and since we have another opportunity to hear the teachings as presented by Serge Benhayon this time around, I wonder if we will learn from our historic behaviour.
If history is anything to go by I might be a bit pessimistic, but I suppose the only person I can influence is myself and I can defiantly claim that I am soaking up and learning everything I can from the deepest of inspirations that is Serge Benhayon and the teachings he shares.
I agree Rachel and then we too live, walk and reflect the truth also becoming inspirations to ourselves and others!
The truth is ‘in there’ indeed or, more precisely, ‘in here’ – and that is so for everyone in this world.
‘In here’ rather than ‘in there’ is the key.
It is here, there and everywhere which makes it even more amazing how well we manage to avoid, ignore and misinterpret it.
I never really considered the fact that the Greek gods, despite being ‘greater’ than humans were really just the optimal in human folly, emotion and behavior, rather than living up to their greater than human potential
They have certainly been given very human attributes, no different to the images of God that many today entertain.