THE MYSTIC GOSPELS OF JESUS THE CHRIST,

containing:

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JUDAS ISCARIOT

THE EVANGEL OF ANDREW THE APOSTLE

THE GNOSTIC GOSPEL OF SIMON OF CANAAN

THE MYSTIC GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALEN

scribed by:
Richard S. Francis
Copyright 2001 by Love Ministries, Inc., Liberty Township, Ohio

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
*******

A work such as this is never the creation of a single person, but rather, a synergy between the
self and the beloved friends who have made possible the work. Among my very special, bright, unique,
compassionate friends, I am blessed with an extraordinary abundance. Special and personal thanks are
due to the following:

Ann Blufeather, who supported and nourished, as well as educated, me during the first critical decades
of my life.

Mary "Maribee" Butler, whose eagle-eye helped to polish the present manuscript to a point where it was
very nearly perfect, who has enriched our lives with her gentle friendship.

Viqi Fairchild and Dana Pilloli, who have made it possible to open the Institute of Agapology and
Metaphysics in Cincinnati, Ohio, and whose own work is infused with a bright spiritual Love.

Pat Fields, who gave the greatest gift-- life, in the pure and selfless service of Love.

Maria Francis, whose bottomless Love has been the major source of life's continuity and inspiration,
and whose Love has more than once saved me. I am greatly honored to know you.

Karen "Aurora" Ludwick, a real "jewel" of a heartfriend, a wise lady, a good friend, and a great
proofreader. Thanks for helping in this often confusing journey.

Frank Merriman, who has facilitated education in the Way in this "kindergarten" world, and who is the
finest role-model for teaching: May he sing forever.

Greg Sexton, whose giftedness gave us the "Buttercup Bungalow." Every day, we are reminded of your
special genius.

Shirley Sexton, whose tenacity to live closer to her dear sister paid off, and who selflessly gave of her
time to make it so. We are also grateful for your fine taste, elegance, and refinement.
*******
May whatever merit is produced by this book be shared with all hearts everywhere.
*******
The author can be contacted at: rmfrancis@juno.com

********
DEDICATION:

To Maria Francis, whose Loveflowers have ornamented the Garden of Pleasure in my heart, and to Pat
Fields, whose kind, compassionate Love has already given golden years of joy and peace on earth, this
book is dedicated with sincerest, profoundest Love.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
*******
Author's Preface: The "Revelation" of new "Inspired" Gospels

The Gospel According to Judas Iscariot

The Mystic Evangel of Andrew the Apostle

The Gnostic Gospel of Simon of Canaan

The Mystic Gospel of Mary Magdalen

AUTHOR'S PREFACE: THE "REVELATION" OF NEW "INSPIRED" GOSPELS
***

The newly revealed Mystic Gospels are Judas, Andrew, Simon, and Mary. They have no claim to
infallibility similar to that which is ascribed to the "official" works of the Gospels of the Christian Greek
Scriptures (usually mis-designated the "New Testament"). Nor are they designed in any way, shape, or
form either to compete with, or to replace, the fine and beautiful Gospels contained in the Scriptures.
Instead, they are ancillary or supportive works designed to enhance, amplify, and embellish Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John. These ancient classics are justly and universally recognized as "inspired."
The origin of these new Mystic Gospels is found in a more literal, if possibly more prosaic, form of
inspiration. For this word implies an "in-spiriting." The "Spirit" is God, and God is Love. Since these
Gospels were inspire by Love for all humanity, they can be said to have been "inspired." But this does
not mean that their origin is, or was, supernatural. Nor does it imply that they are infallible or
unquestionable-- a superstition at best. These Gospels were not written in trance, and they were not
"channeled" in some altered state of consciousness. Their origins are not claimed as extraterrestrial, or
even extradimensional. I still do believe, however, that we are all aided, at least on some days, in
some ways, by the spiritual. This works through our unconscious Mind.
But granted even that the Source of a work such as the present is the unconscious, is it reliable?
That is, does it faithfully and accurately represent the teachings of Jesus Christ? Insofar as any real
"Christspirit" does really exist, it must be a component/function of the unconscious Mind. That is,
spiritual phenomena and knowledge/wisdom come tot he conscious mind through the vehicle or path of
the unconscious. Since the teachings of the new Mystic Gospels do represent "truth" or reality as known
to the most spiritual people in the history of the world, i.e., the mystics, these teachings no doubt do
indeed represent the ideas of the Christ, as spoken through Jesus and other great masters and sages.
Now, let me be crystal clear: I am not the kind of person who believes that Jesus appears in my
bedroom, or office, and dictates things directly. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the present work
arises from the wisdom of God or Love. When I say that the words are from God, I do not mean a
supernatural Being in the sky. Instead, what I intend to convey is that the concepts here revealed
represent the will of Love-- within the individual and the community.
I hasten, nevertheless, to dissociate myself from the disreputable practice called "channeling," a
kind of "new age" superstition, notorious for its appeal to the gullible and desperate. No aliens or
voices of souls or spirits) were involved in the production of the new Mystic Gospels. Indeed, I was fully
conscious, rational, lucid, and aware during the entire writing of these Gospels.
That fact, however, does not imply the other extreme, that these Gospels were written from the
conscious mind. They were not formulated word-by-word in the laborious process of conscious
construction or creation. Like perhaps every good book, and certainly every "godbook," this one "wrote
itself." That is, I served as the "scribe" or emanuensis for a creative effort (dare I say "Power") that was
largely unconsciously directed. The words were not dredged up by an act of will or memory, but
presented themselves intact and whole, often in entire sentences at once. This was not traditional
"automatic writing," but was more a kind of "dance" between the conscious mind and the
Superconscious areas of the unconscious.
Are these works "fiction"? Technically and literally, the answer is maybe. That is, no absolute
historical veracity can be demonstrated beyond doubt, and so is not claimed, for the events and
environments described. But the teachings are by no means fiction. The teachings reflect the most
elevated and noble jewels of the great tradition known as "mysticism." This tradition is universal, but
certainly well-represented in the history of Christianity. In the first two centuries, the unorthodox
Gnostics were openly mystical. They evolved into a number of odd and strange groups, with bizarre
teachings, but their core of mysticism remained fixed and grounded in the solid historical traditions of
general Christian mysticism.
Later generic, "small g" gnostics, otherwise known as "mystics," appeared throughout the history of
the Church. They taught and wrote in both Catholic and Protestant varieties of Christianity. Many of
the most excellent luminaries of Western history embraced mysticism. These included saints, scholars,
sages, masters, and teachers. Such notables as Jesus, Paul, John, Dionysus the Aereopagite, St.
Hildegard, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Julian of Norwich, St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St.
Francis, Henri Amiel, Angela of Foligno, and dozens of other Christian mystics represent the very
"jewels" of Christianity. It was crystal clear to them, as it is to me, that Jesus himself was undoubtedly
a mystic.
A major prooftext of Jesus' mysticism is found in the canonical Gospel of John. In this text (17:3),
we find the basic essentials of the mystical view of reality (truth). Here, in prayer, Jesus says, "This is
timeless life, to know thee, ..." The Greek adjective aionian, often translated "everlasting," or, more
correctly, "eternal," literally means "ageless" or "timeless." The "reward" promised in the Greek
Scriptures, then, is not "everlasting" life. It is precisely this "timeless" life. It is a kind of life that can
be lived in the here and now. It is a life completely free of the limitations and restrictions of time. It
is purely a life of Mind or Spirit, not bordered by the boundaries of time. Being timeless, the being who
"knows God" is birthless and deathless. She already intrinsically possesses everlasting life, which is why
she does not need it as a reward.
This"timeless" life is an interior life of exquisite peace, deep tranquillity, great detachment, and
bottomless Love.
The word used in John 17:3 for "know" is a verbform of the Greek word gnosis. Gnosis means, in
turn, a direct, immediate, powerful experience of God. This powerful verb cannot with accuracy or
precision be reduced to the diluted, weak, and superficial "taking in knowledge," as at least one version
of the Scriptures has attempted to do.
Learning about God compares to gnosis roughly as reading a report on the chemistry of lemons
compares to placing several lemons in the mouth. Knowing about God is analytical only, while
knowing God, with gnosis, is experiential. Gnosis is a moving, touching, lifechanging experience. It
immediately blows away old assumptions, and has such a powerful effect on the individual that she
feels as if she has been "born again," or "reborn." /This "earthquake" experience shakes the old self to
pieces, destroying it.
After this experience, she sees, and indeed lives, life very differently. She begins to live as a soul
having an earthly experience, rather than as an earther having spiritual experiences. Her selfimage is
radically transmuted. She becomes a true "daughter of God," living, not in "flesh" (lower nature) but in
"spirit" or from the inner Superconscious Mind of Love.
This special "knowing" or gnosis was not a minor teaching. Jesus' own ministry and calling were
based upon a gigantic consciousness-transformation that he had passed into during his fortyday fast in
the wilderness. Stated differently, Jesus' entire career was based on his own inner transformation.
This is not exactly radical, but it is often taken for granted by "Christians" that one can somehow be a
Christian without having experienced any mental transfigurations. At best, this results in a mechanical
or legalistic counterfeit of Christianity. For the undeniable core of Christianity is Love-- a major theme
of all mysticism, its very essence. And Love, in its widest definition, is the mystical experience.
The new Mystic Gospels present Jesus as a mystic. They present also some ancillary teachings that
are not at all orthodox. ("Orthodox" is defined as agreeing with the official teachings of the organized
church.) In fact, when it comes to truth, orthodoxy is not at all what it is cracked up to be. It leaves
very much to be desired. It does almost nothing to fill the natural human spiritual void.
Early Christians were not dogmatically or doctrinally homogeneous. Each housechurch (for there
were no formal churchbuildings during the first centuries) was free to make decisions regarding
doctrinal matters. Intellectual conformity in these matters was never the mark of a true Christian.
There simply were no doctrinal "acid tests." A true, genuine Christian was marked only by her devotion
to the Christ, and by her consistent practice of universal, unconditional Love.
Individual Christians within the housechurches had the option of complete doctrinal freedom.
Beliefs about God, the soul, eternity, the kingdom, and other concepts were widely variable. No
Christian was forced into the mold of "orthodoxy," for that structure had not yet even been conceived
or created.
It should not surprise us, then, when we find Jesus teaching, in the new Mystic Gospels, pure
heterodoxy or "heresy." Like the Docetist Gnostic Christians of the second century, Jesus teaches not
only that He is a kind of "phantom" in his physical being, but that all people are similar nonphysical
nonmaterial entities. The world itself is nonmaterial in nature, since it is entirely of mental substance.

Also, like the Nestorians of the fifth century, similarly ignorantly labelled as Heretics" by the
paranoiac orthodox churchfathers, Jesus clearly teaches a vital distinction between the historical man
Jesus and the everlasting indwelling spirit in the heart of every person, called the "Christ." Because of
his full union with this inner Christ, or God, Jesus is presented as a mystic.
How is a "mystic" defined? A mystic is a person who embraces the existence of God, not as external
"parent" in the sky, but as a deep part of the unconscious mind. This, they say, is the "Love-core" of the
Mind, the inner "Fountain" or Source of all Love, the Christ-nature or Buddha-nature. At this level of
pure Mind, only Love, beauty, joy, peace, and other divine components exist, in uncontaminated and
unpolluted forms. God exists, they imply, at a level so profound that it is collective. In other words, at
this level of the unconscious, it is not "your" unconscious mind, or "my" unconscious mind, but "our"
shared Mind. At this very deep level, we are all unified, forming a great Supermind. It is at this level
that the "unconscious" is known as the "Superconscious."
I did attempt to prepare myself to write from, and to tap into deeper levels of the unconscious
Mind. These, I feel, contain historically accurate records of the words and activities of Jesus. To
prepare myself for this task, I did, for many weeks, a special form of mindclearing meditation, or, as it
is called in these Gospels, "mantric prayer." I used the name "Jesus Christ" as a mantra. I was
successful in precisely attuning to this Superconscious area, and in its verbal transcription. So, it is my
personal belief that the words of these Gospels do reflect the essence of teachings actually brought to
the world by the man known as Jesus of Nazareth.
So, the present work flows from the "in-spiriting" of its scribe. It arises from an inner "revelation" of
Superconscious material. The unconscious mind contains records, at very deep levels, of every thought
ever imagined, every word ever spoken, and every event ever enacted. This occurs in a part of the
unconscious mind called the "collective unconscious." Specifically, Eastern mystics have always called
this akasha, or the "akashic records." This represents an area of memorystorage. It is analogous to ltm,
"longterm memory," but its capacity is much greater. It has been recognized by various names, such as
"genetic memory," "karmic memory," "racial memory," etc.
In deed, in deeper levels of meditation, it is possible to decode these ancient mental records, and
enfold them into one's conscious mind. After they "float up" from the unconscious depths into conscious
awareness, they can be written down. This is precisely how these Gospels were produced.
Therefore, this record, though it does not originate with ancient manuscripts, does convey accurate
and precise truths. Some of these relate to mysticism, and all share mystical experience as the uniting
golden thread, or core.
"Mysticism" is a word which has been seriously abused and radically misunderstood and regularly
misused, even by scholars and journalists, who should know better. So, although we have mentioned it
above, it must be elaborated slightly here. Probably it is good to begin with a few short notes about
definitions.
The word "mysticism" does not imply an antiscientific, prescientific, or unscientific view of the
world. In some ways, in fact, mysticism is the ultimate expression of realism, for it rejects much that
is merely theoretical, including the very existence of an independent selfstanding material world. So,
while it cannot be said to be exactly "scientific" in the present rather primitive understanding, it is
based entirely on observations which are objectively verifiable. Also, mysticism never sees science as a
nemesis, the way it was viewed by antique religious systems. Nor does it imply merely fuzzy thinking,
or the exploration of the supernatural. It is different from psychism, parapsychology, supernaturalism,
and spiritualism. Instead, it implies a transcendental view. Nevertheless, like all true spirituality,
genuine mysticism is practical. It is useful in everyday life. This is because it is solidly founded upon
and rooted in the human experience.
In harmony with this perspective, one of the strongest components of the Mystic Gospels is their
humanistic emphasis. This is the opposite of the supernaturalistic presentation of Christ so common
in history, and still in vogue among literalists and fundamentalists. The Jesus of these Gospels is
profoundly human. He is a "true man" who has made the amazing discovery that he is also "true God."
He, having discovered the Love-principle deep within, has decided to fuse entirely with It. He longs to
become a manifestation or incarnation of this Love. And, like many mystics, he succeeds. But this
reidentification can occur only after the fullest, most complete deidentification from his egoself.
(Mystics are notorious for claiming that they also are "God.") But this mystical man, in claiming to be
god, did not abandon his essential humanness.
Jesus of these Gospels is a man with whom we can all identify. He is no ghost, no spirit, no God on
high, no superman. Instead, in these Gospels, he is presented as a man, with human problems. These
include a complex and challenging relationship with Mary Magdalen. He also found the solution to these
very real problems, by turning his life over to the inner higher Power of Love. Thus does he set a
perfectly rational and practical example for all of us to follow.
In harmony with this humanism, the dramatic emphasis on miracles, which often marks other
narratives of his life, is completely missing from these Gospels.
Instead, his teachings are emphasized. One cannot help but believe that Jesus himself would have
wanted it this way. For he did not want to be remembered as a magician or trickster, but as a servant
of Love. The impression that he wanted to leave upon the world was that of his teachings of
compassion, goodness, and kindness.
The mystical approach to life, discovered by Jesus and others, arises from the radical discovery that
we cannot actually prove at all the existence of an "external material" world. The most that we can
prove is that sensations or perceptions of such a world do exist. But since perceptions/sensations are
mental events, we have proved the existence of only Mind, not of the world. We cannot simply assume
that an independent "external and material" world actually does exist. "So, understandably, mystics
have denied the real existence of any "external" or "material" world. This is not as bizarre as it might at
first appear. This mystical worldview presents the world and cosmos as a kind of dream. This is an
idea that is not subject to disproof, for anything that you could do to disqualify it philosophically, you
could as easily do in a dream. And, in a dream, anything-- including the miraculous-- is possible. So,
paradoxically, this mystical worldview, which downplays the miraculous, also allows for it.
Historically, mystics have postulated that only Mind really exists, or has "absolute reality."
Everything else, including the entire "material" world, depends upon Mind in order to exist; Mind
depends on nothing else, but is independently self-existent. This question, so carefully examined in
Buddhism, was also an aspect of the form of early Christianity called "Gnosticism." So much in early
gnostic writings concerns itself with the question of "mind" (The Greek nous), and Mind was clearly a
major theme of universal or intercultural mysticism. (The generic or "small g" form of gnosticism is
synonymous with mysticism.)
There is overwhelming evidence, especially in the Gospel of John, that Jesus taught a form of
mysticism in which He and the Father were "one," and in which they lived "in" their followers. This will
never be accepted by strict fundamentalists, literalists, historicists, or legalists, who have an aversion
to all things mystical. But an objective consideration of all available facts does strongly incline in favor
of the view that Jesus must have been a practicing mystic.
These Gospels, although clearly representing the earliest esoteric teachings of Jesus, are
nonetheless presented, due to the sensitivity of their subject, as works of "quasifiction."
The most common argument against the truth of these Gospels is that the Spirit no longer reveals
itself to people directly. That process, it is argued, ceased centuries ago. But I see this as an arbitrary
dogma, based on the weak and unverifiable assumption that ancient peoples were inevitably different
from us, and spiritually superior.
The contrary idea, called "progressive revelation," holds that the divine Mind is as capable of
revealing aspects of itself in the twenty-first century as it ever was. This implies that God is capable of
revealing Him/Herself to any of us, at any time. This can happen in our own living rooms, bedrooms, or
in our yards. It can happen in parks and other public places, in forests and seashores, on mountains or
beaches, in caves or on the subway. The point is, we do not need "spiritual specialists" to demand and
command our personal beliefsystems. While there is a valid and valuable place for spiritual people in
society, they miss the point entirely if they see, or present, themselves as "leaders." For each of us has
an inner, interior, or implanted Master. This Master, the true spiritual Leader, lives and thrives
potentially in every human heartmind. It is the Love-principle. As the only valid Master, it has the
right to demand exclusive devotion and obedience, for, as Jesus said, "You cannot serve two masters."
So, these Gospels are not written as the basis of any new religion. They do support a movement
within religions, a return to Love, and to a personal, even intimate, relationship with infinite Love.
Contact with active Love is gradually driving us away from mechanical or literalistic religion, back to
personal responsibility and personal faith. I hope, trust, and pray, at any rate, that Judas, Andrew,
Simon, and Mary will not be used like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, to support disturbing,
destructive, divisive denominational disputes. This would constitute abuse.
This is because Jesus inarguably and clearly wanted the unification of human beings under the sole
guide of Love. He taught no "doctrines" in the modern sense of that word, although he did teach what
might be called a "worldview." Jesus was not a Catholic or a Protestant. Indeed, he was not even a
Christian, since that word was not invented until after his death. And his history makes it abundantly
clear that he was not a recognized, accepted, traditional religious Jew. It is clear that he was soundly
and unequivocally rejected by the Jewish teachers and religious authorities of his time.
Jesus, then, was not a Jew, and was not a Christian. What, then was Jesus? Paradoxically, he was
not a religious man. Instead, he was a deeply spiritual one, who taught a mystical ideal that might be
summed up as "Love plus nothing." Indeed, it has been noted that if Jesus had known what people
would do with his words, he never would have spoken a single word. That seems a bit radical, but it
does convey the great paradoxical truth that people have widely and wildly distorted his simple
message of Love. They have, in fact, used "truth" or "rightness of doctrine" to torture, kill, and hate
one another.
The teachings of Jesus have contributed, nonetheless, to the overall enrichment of civilization. If
one can find the patience, wisdom, and tenacity to sort through all the accretions and layers of
commentary, and then, commentaries about the commentaries, that fill the libraries of religious
institutions, one can arrive at a crystal-clear, stunningly simple, teaching of universal, unconditional
Love. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that Love would mark those who were truly his disciples. If
Jesus had taught a particular dogma, and thought it indispensable, ten additional Gospels could have
been written, to explain, elucidate, and elaborate the details of his doctrinal system. Since Jesus did
not teach any doctrine, but rather a Way of life, this was not done. And his Way is remarkably
refreshing, easy, joyful, peaceful, and clear.
Being a "Christian" does not mean believing the "right things" about Jesus or about the Bible, but it
means living rightly-- living by the principles of eternal, universal Love, in as consistent and
unconditional a way as possible.
Jesus' God was Love; his "religion" was also Love. As the global population grow spiritually, under
the direction of the inner God, the deep Love-nature in the unconscious Mind, we will outgrow our
paranoid, parochial, and petty differences. We will instead find points of agreement and unity. Before
now, this has been impossible among Christians, even though they all share and "practice" the "same
religion." It is hoped that these Gospels will help in bringing together Christians, and others, from many
traditions. Perhaps they can be a stimulant to effective, Lovebased dialog.
The "universal" Christian, at any rate, does not fearfully have to reject other faiths as inferior or
ignorant. In fact, she is so sound and solid, so stable, in her deep roots as a being of truth, she can
afford to embrace variations of this coretruth even if it is expressed in alien terms or cultures. Thus,
she can claim the ultimate progressivity in her Christianity by declaring it to be a guiding idea, not just
a dead, exclusivist doctrine, or set of intellectual dogmas, mere words, heartless computations. She
can become a Buddhist Christian, for example, or a Hindu Christian, with no internal contradiction,
knowing the great truth that "truth is one.

Richard Francis,
Shalimar 3 Retreat

DEDICATION: To the two most extraordinary beings with whom any life has ever been graced or
blessed, Maria Francis and Pat Fields, both of whom have given of every microparticle of heartmind to
make this life richer, and even possible.
I give you my ultimate respect, admiration, gratitude, and Love.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JUDAS ISCARIOT
*******

CHAPTER 1.

Verse 1. This is the story of a remarkable man, a "miraculous" man, written by an ordinary man, who
writes with the intensity of a scorpion. This astounding man is quite unlike anyone else whom I have
ever met! 2. He calls himself the "son of man," and the "son of God," and only laughs when those of
the Jewish religion suggest that he is a "Messiah." 3. His disciples and friends want to make him
something special, but he immediately, forcefully rejects all selfattention and selfglorification. He is a
quiet and humble man, quite ordinary in appearance. 4. He is about my height, with brown hair and
eyes, and does not stand out in a crowd. Often, he strikes me as far too gentle or indirect, yet he
admits that he is God. 5. He says that all are God, and quotes the ancient text that reads, "I said, 'Ye
are gods.'" 6. As he has explained it, he is the clear incarnation of the Logos of Love. He says that the
Way is to become transparent like a piece of pure quartz crystal. 7. This allows the inner Love of God
to shine through. It is the pure Love that is God, he teaches. 8. His desire is to allow it to live
unimpeded within his heart.
He has disowned the self called Jesus. 9. He says that he is much more, even as he has told me that
I am infinitely more than Judas. Jesus, he says, is just a kind of "mask," a game, like those played by
children. 10. Again, it is a role like those played by stage-actors in the Roman theater. He is the full
embodiment of Divine nature in human form. 11. He is the incarnation of the quality of Love or God. I
feel blessed greatly even to have known him. 12. And he has increased my joy even more by selecting
me as one of his special friends, to share his teachings with the world. To these twelve alone has he
revealed the deepest mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. 13. To the others, he speaks mostly in
parables.
I have taken, during the past few years, careful notes of his words and actions. 14. This I have
done so as with accuracy to set forth the story of his life in this book. The ancients wrote exactly such
accounts, which later became recognized as Scriptures and histories. 15. I have no such high
ambitions. I simply pray that this record will prove to be of some value to someone, especially to those
who do not yet know the good news that death is illusion, and God is Love.
16. To make sure that this account was reliable, I spoke to those who were closer to Jesus than I,
or who knew him longer. The first person with whom I spoke was his mother-- the woman whom he
says, "used to be My mother, when I was human." 17. Her name is Mary.
She said, At the tender age of fifteen, I had been betrothed to a forty-two year-old carpenter, and I
was very unhappy about this. 18. In time, of course, I came to love Joseph deeply and dearly, but at
the time, it felt as if the flowers of youth were being snatched away from me. He was so serious! And
stern, grim, and grumpy. 19. I felt trapped, and scared. Would I never see the sunshine of youth, or
know the dance of freedom?"
20. "How did Joseph respond?" I asked. "Did he want you, such a young woman?"
"No, not at first. 21. His first wife had died a few years earlier, and, although he did want a wife,
the last thing that he needed, or wanted, was another child. And this is what he said to me."
22. "How did the two of you come together?" I asked.
"In the poor areas of Nazareth-- and Nazareth was nothing else-- our two families were bound
together by various family-obligations, some of them legal, others moral, others having to do with
debts. 23. I was a part of a payment for a debt that my family owed to his family."

CHAPTER 2.

Verse 1. She wept silently. "Poor Joseph! He worked so hard, so much, every day. For him, the
world was never a very friendly place. 2. It was a cruel, harsh task-master. Joseph never made peace
with the birds or dogs, never just bathed in the wideness of the sky, never celebrated the perfume of
the flowers. 3. He was a very practical man, and that was all that mattered to him."
"He thought that nature was made for human uses," I interpreted.
4. She nodded. "Trees were made for only carpenters, water for washing, sunlight for vegetables. I
was terrified of this grim man, for I had grown up under my mother's influence.
5. Her name was Ann, and she was a poetically sensitive and beautiful woman. She celebrated
everything as the gift of beauty, and of God." There was a distant look in her eye.
6. "She used to call rain 'liquid silver life falling from heaven,' and used to say that, during a shower,
heaven was 'making love' with the earth."
 7. "Growing up protected by her gentle presence and filled with her love of life, I never had too
much contact with my father. I knew nothing about men in general, and wasn't sure that I really
wanted to learn. 8. The act of 'knowing' a man," she reddened a little, "was filled with fears. My
young friends had told me all kinds of terrible things. 9. I even thought that, to lie with a very strong
man might actually kill me!" She smiled weakly, but it was a haunted smile. 10. "So, I didn't exactly
welcome Joseph, and that really wasn't fair to him. Oh, I could have done so much better!" She wiped
her tears.
11. "How did he react?" I asked.
"He saw my behavior as rebellion, as going against the community, against the laws of Jehovah. For
him, intimacy was not a joy, but a duty shared by husband and wife. 12. He knew that the ancient law
said clearly that the wife was the 'possession' of a man. A man, he said, owned his wife just as he
owned his donkey or his cloak or his staff.
13. "I was not reared to think this way. To me, husband and wife were to become best friends,
intimate lovers. 14. They were to like each other, to be friendly, to play together as well as work
together. That's what Ann taught me."
15. "What did Joseph think of that?" I asked, sensing the answer.
"It infuriated him. 16. He said that I was arrogant, haughty, self-willed. He threatened to bring me
before the elders as a wife 'not in subjection,' or 'not submissive' to her husband. 17. That could have
created serious trouble!"
There were then a few minutes of silence, during which we quietly mourned the traditional men of
power who shackled women. 18. Again, Mary spoke:
"But it's the next part of my story that's really exciting, and unbelievable. 19. It's because of this
that I have a reputation for being a little strange, or mad." She laughed a little, and I joined her. 20.
"Even some of my son's own disciples think that I'm not all here. And yes, I still think of him as my son,
even though he says that he is really a soul, not a body."
21. "This is where it gets interesting," I said.
"Right," she said. "One bright afternoon, when I was yet again doing my endless menial jobs around
the house of my mother, a man appeared in the house. 22. He must have come in the back door when
I was distracted, but I heard nothing. Instantly, I was terrified. I just turned around, and he was
standing in the large room near the window. 23. I must have gasped, but he only smiled, beautifully,
silently. I scrambled to find the large house-knife which we use to cut meat, but couldn't find it. I
feared that he might be a madman.
"24. But he made no move to attack. Instead, he greeted me, and said something strange about
being 'favored by the Most High.' 25. Even though I can't remember it all, I'll never forget those words.
And I'll never forget him! Despite his harmlessness, being in his presence made me feel very strange,
like my mind was swimming or floating away, like people describe being drunk. And I got goose-flesh,
and my hair stood on end. 26. Back then, there were many people who talked about God because they
were mad. It was hard to tell a holy man from a madman."
"It's still that way," I said. We smiled again. 27. "Some of the most dangerous are the Zealots in the
'army of Jehovah'-- violent men who want to solve all problems by force and anger."
28. "Yes," she agreed. "Jesus says that if you live by the sword, you'll die the same way."
29. "I'm sure that's true, especially if you consider the many lives of the soul. But there has to be
some alternative to the mad violent force of the zealots. Jesus even goes so far as to command his
followers to 'love their enemies.' Now, that strikes me as the opposite kind of extremism."
30. "Maybe," she responded uncertainly. "But I know that he really recommends Love in all
situations."
31. "Anyway," I said, "it's hard to tell inspiration from insanity, at times. A lot of the leaders say
that even Jesus is insane."
"The elders disagree even among themselves, and so are confused," she said. "I wouldn't take them
too seriously." She remained silent for a few minutes, and then picked up where she had left off:
CHAPTER 3.

Verse 1. Her mind drifted back to when the strange stranger had appeared to her. "I'd never seen a
man like him," she said. 2. "He was at least a head taller, it seemed to me, than any other man I'd
ever met."
"People in Nazareth are often short," I pointed out.
3. "Yes, but he also had hair the color of sunlight, or like golden wheat. And his eyes were the
deepest blue, darker than the sky, and had a funny look about them. 4. It was as if they went on
forever, bottomless. I don't know; does this sound silly?"
5. "No, not at all," I assured her. "Please tell me more."
"Well, because my own skin is fair, and my eyes light, and I have a little gold in my hair, the
neighbors and other Nazarenes used to accuse me of being fathered by a Roman."
6. "Were you?" I asked, and immediately regretted my bold probing.
She shrugged as if thinking nothing of my rude intrusion. "I don't think so," she said simply. 7.
"Anyway, this stranger was no Roman. He wore white, like a desert-dweller. 8. There was something
about him which I just cannot put into words. He seemed to be hiding some deep inner mystery. 9. It
was just a feeling. But his presence, even though he did nothing, seemed to enfold me in warmth,
comfort, compassion-- love!" 10. She almost shouted the final word, as if it were a revelation. "Yes,
just being with him somehow made me feel good, and somehow holy. 11. I don't mean to be silly, but I
did feel as if I had been on a mountain all day, praying. That's the kind of deep peace I felt."
"So you were no longer afraid?" I asked.
12. "No, all my fear evaporated like dew in the desert sun. It was all gone, every tiny bit of it. I
felt only comfort, warmth, like being enfolded in a warm blanket by my mother.
13. Isn't that the strangest thing?" Wonder filled her voice.
"What did he say?" I asked.
14. "He said, for I have long since memorized the words, 'The Lord God of the universe has favored
you, O blessed among all women. 15. From the depths of your heart, the Lord has heard the call of
your incessant devotion. Within a few months, the Power will overshadow you, and a holy spirit will
bubble up from deep within your inner Self. 16. Soon, you will be found to be with child. He who is
formed within you will come to the earth to draw his being and nature directly from the Spirit, and will
teach others to do this. 17. The indwelling of this spirit, made holy, will cause him to be known as
God's son.' As soon as he had said this, he turned and left.
18. "I was stunned and troubled by these disturbing words. I could hardly move, and felt as if all
this were happening in a dream. My arms and legs felt heavy, but when I finally came to myself, I
searched for the man, and found that no one had seen him."
19. "Or, at least, no one admitted it," I said, purposely cynical.
She looked at me. "Right," she said. 20. Then, rethinking, she said, "Suspiciously, no one in
Nazareth ever seems to see anything."

CHAPTER 4.

Verse 1. "No one sees anything unless it provides the fodder for good gossip," I added. and we both
smiled knowingly.
2. "Funny," she said at last. "The presence of this man would have made for some great gossip. Yet
still, no one saw him."
3. "What happened then?" I asked.
"When I returned, I found the house so still, it was very strange, even a little frightening. 4. There
was still a strong sense of presence there, and a scent of roses."
5. "Did anyone else sense the presence, or smell the fragrance?" I asked, again playing the skeptic.
"No," she answered. "I was alone in the house. 6. All of a sudden, a hush descended over the house
like a wind or spirit from heaven. 7. I began to feel very warm, and dreamy again, like my mind was
floating. Everything appeared unusually bright and radiant, almost as if everything were glowing. 8.
And it wasn't sunlight, because it had grown cloudy outside. Shadows seemed to flee."
9. "What was going on inside your mind?" I asked.
"Like I said, strange things. Terrible things seemed to become sweet. Ugly things seemed beautiful.
10. Ignorant and violent men seemed holy. Rich people seemed poor, and I cried for their emptiness.
11. The elders seemed like jesters, and I laughed at their foolishness until I cried. Brilliantly educated
men seemed like naive little children. 12. And I saw the richness of the poor, and the genius of the
uneducated. I saw the utter poverty of fame, riches, and distraction. 13. All the world was alight with
God, and it was all light. It was light being moved into different patterns by minds, and even solid rock
became transparent and filmy like fog. 14. Mere road-dust became spectacularly beautiful, like the
rare gold of Ophir."
"How did you feel when you sensed all this?" I asked.
15. "I doubted my own mind, my own sanity. Perhaps, I thought, I had not eaten enough, or had
not had enough sleep, or was simply under too much stress, or had been exposed to too much sunlight.
16. The very last thing that would have ever occurred to me was what was actually happening: I was
being touched by the miraculous, by the Mind of God. 17. I was being immersed in pure Love."
18. "That is how the Power entered your life?" I asked.
"No, it had always been there. But that was just how it showed itself to me. 19. I have always
been sensitive. Neighbors have always mocked me because of this. They call me a 'romantic dreamer,'
and say that I am 'other-worldly' or even 'spooky.' 20. They say that I am a 'witch,' that I have a demon
sometimes. I believe that I have an angel, the angel of my higher Self, which they cannot understand.
21. I learned long ago that you tell only certain people about your sensitivities-- people such as you."
22. "I'm honored," I said sincerely. Our eyes met, and, just for a moment, our minds fused, and I
sensed what a gigantically loving soul she was, just how sensitive and profoundly sincere. I blinked, the
room swam, and then I returned to normal, but forever changed.
23. She staggered a little as she rose, and I knew that she knew. With some effort, she continued,
"That night, the strange man came to me in a dream." Her voice was very weak, but became stronger
as she picked up the pace, and flared with enthusiasm: 24. "We soared like eagles into the deep blue
sky, encircled by white doves. Love drew me into the most exalted ecstasy. There are simply no words
that can even come close to describing the rapture of those hours. 25. Love drew us into each other's
arms, and Love burned away all fear, all hesitation. Love made us bold, and we kissed boldly, clinging
to each other, hanging in mid-air like angels.
26. "He brought us back to earth, and I allowed him gently, tenderly to peel off my cloak. We lay in
fields of giant luminous wildflowers. It was breathtaking, and that was the first time that I had ever
experienced union with a man. 27. I shivered with pure delight, and my body was pulsing, throbbing
with repeated responses. It was exhilarating! It was gorgeous! It was ecstatic! 28. All my darkest
fears were driven out by the sun of Love, dawning in my heart. I was in Love with Love, and I wanted
to absorb this beautiful man. 29. I wanted total fusion of heart, mind, body, and soul. I wanted to
live in him, and he in me, forever!"

CHAPTER 5.

Verse 1. "In golden fields, in dark forest, beside the still waters, beneath the full moon, again and
again we experienced Love's fullest ecstatic union. 2. We loved until I was driven into irresistible bliss.
Love swept me away, until I disappeared in Love, without a trace.
3. "But as the sun was setting on the second day of that magical time, I caught a glimpse of a cross
of wood on a distant hill. Yet when I sought to look directly at it, nothing was there. 4. I told the
story to my companion, and he explained that the cross had disappeared into my being, as my own
being had disappeared into the Cross of Love. Does that make any sense to you, Judas?"
5. "It sounds like the experience of gnosis to me," I ventured, referring to the ultimate dissolution
of the person into the Love-consciousness of God. 6. Jesus had always described this as the apex of all
spiritual pursuits.
7. "There was a strong sense of Eden in all this," she continued, "as if we had somehow returned to
original innocence, or purity. There was no shame or guilt. 8. For we were 'married' souls. Does that
make any sense at all?"
"I think that it does," I replied.
9. "I should explain that I was not burning with lust, but flaming with Love. Although pushed by
the strongest inner drive, I was free of the usual passions, and soared above their grasp. 10. This great
passion for fusion had only pure Love as its object-- oneness with the inner God, the Love-nature.
Through the clear, bright mind of this man-angel, I penetrated into the deepest, most hallowed of the
mysteries of the being of God.
11. For a dazzling moment, I saw the entire world, all creatures, as interwoven. I touched oneness. I
saw the great secret that no one was ever alone. 12. All people, all creatures, were mysteriously
fused, like the fingers of a single hand. 13. No one could ever act without affecting everyone else. So,
the primary virtue was to harm no one, to live a harmless existence committed to non-injury. We are
called by Love to live so as never to injure any self-aware creature-- physically, mentally, emotionally,
or spiritually. 14. The kingdom of God is like a net, cast into the 'sea' of the cosmos. Its web includes
the flowers, stars, rainbows, and all of us. 15. It gathers into its Love everyone and everything, uniting
them all in cosmic Mind." She paused, and looked at me. 16. I became again lost in the shining orbs of
her lustrous eyes. "I know that you believe, Judas, that the kingdom of God must come through the
actions of men."
17. "God must act through the concerns of men," I said.
"Yes, that is so, as my son has always taught that the unlocking of the inner Love is the Way in which
God acts. But God also acts directly to unlock the heart, and the real 'kingdom' consists of the interior
Love-nature. 18. Do you see that the 'kingdom' is not a political thing made by men?"
"I can see where it could be both a political creation and a creation of mind," I yielded, but only
slightly.
19. "The kingdom of God is a structure within the heartmind," she said plainly. "It is created by
Love, and by Love it unites people. 20. It does not bring people together through force, or by mere
mental agreement. One does not 'join' a human organization, but one is renewed and reborn as a being
of Love."
21. We were silent for a while, and then she continued: When I awoke from that glorious dream, I
immediately reached out for the man-angel. But nothing was there. 22. Yet in that very nothing, I
sensed everything. Somehow the very totality of Love was now inside me, given me as a gift from him.
23. The room, the broad sky, the fields, even my reaching hand, were no more. All had also become
dream-images, so that the dream had been a dream within a dream."

CHAPTER 6.

Verse 1. "Jesus says that the Mind of the Father is continuously dreaming up the world," I added.
"Yes," she nodded excitedly. 2. "That's the revelation that I had. The dream, in some strange way,
had not been a dream, and yet it had." She shook her head slowly. 3. "I know that this doesn't make
any sense."
"It's one of the great paradoxes of God," i volunteered.
4. "Jesus says, 'Great truths are often paradoxical.'"
Mary nodded, and smiled. "Anyway," she continued, "after the experience, when I sought to find
even myself, I could not. 5. I felt a new life, and a new identity, growing within me. It was the life of
a daughter of God, a different life altogether. 6. I knew that I had been made pregnant, but not just
by a man. I had been in intimate contact with Life, and with the Source of life, itself. 7. The seed
within me was that of the sun, the flowers, the stars." She sighed heavily. "Can you make any sense at
all of this, Judas?"
8. "What I can understand, by intuition, I greatly love," I replied.
 She smiled brightly. "I felt that I was made pregnant by the wind, by the fire, by my own heart, by
the Love of the infinite. 9. I was penetrated and infused by a spirit, the spirit of holiness. And if
people choose to call this madness, then they must live with the fruit of their own ideas."
10. "There is hardly a worse 'hell' than being strangled by doubts," I said, understanding her pain.
"Jesus says that all hells are self-created."
11. "Yes, so let them doubt if they must," she said. "But I know what I know. 12. And since then, I
live in a cosmos where anything is possible. What can anyone name that the
God of the universe cannot do? 13. For it was he who smiled upon the union of soul with spirit, and
soul with flesh, all of which became my son. In Him, heaven found its most perfect union with earth,
fire with water, spirit with awareness. 14. The Mind shone through him, and was not blocked. Like
Him, I touched God. And throughout the history of the world, those who have touched God have never
been understood. 15. The man-angel came to me as a gentle friend, and unfolded me like a flower.
He was everything I ever wanted or needed, everything I could never be.
16. "And now, after thirty years, I am not even certain that it was a dream." As she spoke, she
seemed to be filled with a radiant inner glow. "Was it all only the light of mind from which fantasies
are spun?"
17. "But is not this world itself spun from that same light?" I asked, smiling.
She returned the smile, nodding. "Yes, of course. 18. It really doesn't matter just how it happened.
The fact is, I gave birth to a remarkable son."
19. "That is certainly undeniable," I said.
"Jesus," she said, "who dreams more than anyone, knows the Power. 20. He has completely turned
his life over to it."
"As I hope we all shall do someday," i replied.
21. Whenever Mary spoke with me, I thirsted to touch that Power, to immerse myself in its
baptism, to be saturated with it, to disappear into its Flow, leaving not a trace of my personal self. 22.
I longed to become Love, as she was doing, and as her son had already done. Still, again and again, I
found myself shackled to the reasons why it could not be so-- reasons that, like hells, were all self-
created.

CHAPTER 7.

Verse 1. She moved back to the story, a distant look in her eye again: "After a timeless period of
intense stillness, the room became filled with a warm wind. 2. Thunder and lightning seemed to fill
that room only, as outside, it was calm. Flashing spheres of light danced around the room. 3. I was
still in ecstasy, barely realizing what was happening. In fact, I did not care. 4. For when the divine
touches you, you do not care about anything, anything at all, except Love."
After another pause, I asked, "Did your mother believe that your experience was real?"
5. "I never really knew. We didn't talk much about it, and she left this world within a couple of
years. 6. Still, I remember that, that night, her eyes filled with tears. I know that they were tears of
uncertainty, but also of pride."

CHAPTER 8.

Verse 1. "Joseph exploded, fiercely angry," Mary said, "when he found that I was with child. I can't
really say, now, that I blame him. 2. My story was really unbelievable, and, coming from a sixteen-
year-old girl, it was even more incredible." She laughed a little. 3. "I'm not sure that even I would
believe it.
"The whole thing caused some bitterness between us. 4. It remained, at least in hints or traces, for
years. I can't help but wonder whether he trusted me ever again. Oh, well." 5. She shrugged, then
continued: "He was going to divorce me secretly. But he had a dream in which he saw the golden-
haired man-angel. 6. That surprised, amazed, and frightened him. He was a bit superstitious, you
know. Anyway, the man-angel told him not to divorce me.
7. "As it became more obvious that I was with child, the rumors began to spread. Some of the
neighbors said that I had been raped by a Roman named Stada. 8. Others accused another Roman
named Pandera. As for the Jewish men, they considered me something of a witch, and avoided me
completely, lest their 'purity' be contaminated.
9. "The elders disfellowshipped me for fornication. No one was allowed to have anything to do with
me, even to speak to me. 10. Those elders only mocked my story. Then, even more bizarre and
terrible rumors began to grow. They started to say that I had been raped by a demon, or an angel. 11.
I guess if an angel rapes women, he is a demon." She smiled sadly.
12. "Anyway, I was saddened by how ready and quick the people were to believe the worst. Later,
when the time for the tax-census approached, we had to go to Bethlehem.
13. "The place was filthy, noisy, and crowded. Joseph always called it the 'trip from hell.'" Again,
the sad smile. "I was sick most of the time. 14. Joseph was tense, frustrated, and very angry. For we
could find no place to stay, and, as a last resort, moved into a stable, just to get out of the cold rains.
" 15. "The smell was horrible, and the roof was a sieve of leaks. I remember that another down-pour
had just started, following many others. 16. Cold winds, the last residues of winter, ripped through
the gaps in the walls, and our wet skin was icy.
"At last, after nightfall, we were able to get warm together, and fell into a restless sleep. 17.
Everything that could have gone wrong did. Yet I remember so clearly the next morning. 20. It
dawned so brightly, with a blue sky, and a delightful aroma of fresh hay filled the stable. Again, I had
an odd sense that things were somehow illuminated from inside, glowing. 21. Birds were singing loudly
and prettily outside, and, strangely, I remember the scent of roses. Joseph and I were absurdly happy
that that particular night had finally ended. 22. Joseph was on the verge of smiling-- and, for
him, that was like dancing in the street. We were both still dirty and tired, but ignored this in the
morning freshness.
23. "The world seemed new, and I felt as light as the wing of a dove. I was not even hungry,
although I had been ravenous every day for the previous two weeks. Joseph hurriedly pushed a bunch
of hay together, begging me not to give birth in that place, as if I controlled it!" 24. She smiled
weakly. "I just lay back on that hay, and breathed in gratefully the warm March breezes, as the
morning sun poured in upon me. I still felt exhausted, for the night's sleep had not been good.
24. "We had disturbed a couple of sheep who lived there, and our donkey was not pleased either.
He bellowed loudly and grumpily, making a sound so loud that it made me shudder.

CHAPTER 9.

Verse 1. "Joseph was still angry that no one would offer us help, and complained bitterly about
the people of Jehovah. This was unusual for him, but those people were supposed to have special
regard for the person in need, especially if he were a fellow Jew. 2. Their fellow-feeling was supposed
to be the highest in the world, and they often bragged about it. But this morning, no aid was forth-
coming at all, from anyone.
3. "Despite his being shaken by the prospect of the inevitable upcoming birth, Joseph was still
strong. He did panic a couple of times, but just as quickly settled again, into a strong and reassuring
presence. 4. But even as I cried out in labor, I was certain of one fact: I did not want Jesus to be
anything like Joseph. 5. For Joseph was too harsh, rigid, and "strong." He was hard. 6. He did not
enjoy life. He was never soft.
7. "Night fell. The hands of a carpenter are not those of a physician, but in the dreamy strangeness
of midnight shadows, love can make up for a great deal. 8. When I needed him most, Joseph was
strong for me. For a moment, it was almost as if all had been forgiven-- although it was not so. 9. The
two sheep and the donkey were the first creatures in the world, besides Joseph, to see Jesus.
Somehow it seemed fitting and right that the first to see him were his beloved animals, for he so loved
them. 10. Within a couple of hours, both Joseph and I had collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
 "I held the baby Jesus up into the faces of the sheep, and I swear he focused on their little faces.
11. 'Look at this precious little daughter of God called "Sister Sheep." He smiled and flailed his arms
with excitement, reaching out to stroke the animal. 12. Now, I am well aware that all this is very far
beyond the capacity of any newborn, but this is exactly what happened. Both sheep bleated
simultaneously, and I swear that they had friendly eyes, even though this is beyond the abilities of
sheep. 13. Perhaps Jesus' smile-- impossible for a newborn-- was his first 'miracle.' 'In the ancient
rituals of Jehovah,' I explained, as if the baby could understand, 'Sister Sheep gave her life for the sins
of the people. 14. She walks to the slaughter in complete silence and humility.' As soon as these
words were uttered, the smile disappeared from his face, and I detected powerful sadness in both Jesus
and the sheep.
15. 'This little creature of God,' I said, 'is surely the sweetest of all.' Tears began to roll down the
baby's cheeks and, impossibly, he cried in silence for a long time. 16. I drew him closer to my breast,
for by then, I was also sobbing.

CHAPTER 10.

Verse 1. "Next, I took Jesus over and showed him the donkey. Jesus stared intently into the
animal's eyes, as if understanding. 2. 'Jesus, meet Brother Donkey. He carries the great burdens of
human life, lifting them from the back of men, his whole life. 3. How much he gives! How humble he
is! Some men could learn humility and service from this poor beast of burden."
4. "Just before daylight, the people outside could be heard to be shouting and running. Joseph, still
half asleep, staggered outside, grumbling, to make certain that there was no danger to me or the baby.
5. When he returned, still groggy, he mumbled something vague about a bright light in the sky.
Strangely, he seemed uninterested, and wanted only to sleep.
6. 'What I would give,' he said, 'for a silent night!'
7. "Within a few months, Joseph and I found a tiny shack, where we could live. For Joseph had not
yet arranged contracts with the local people to do their carpentry. 8. He was in competition with local
favorites whom the people had known for years.
"So, we were still very poor. 9. What we could never have guessed is that, near Jerusalem, seven
of the world's most gifted professional astrologers were furiously consulting their celestial charts and
diagrams. 10. They were convinced that a special soul was about to enter the earth-world. They were
looking, of course, for Jesus. 11. Their traditions taught that when certain astrological configurations
occurred in the heavens, a special soul would come to earth from a higher realm or dimension. That
soul would descend from a heavenly sphere of being. 12. For many years, decades, they had carefully
watched the skies. Then, they had at last seen this line-up which they sought. 13. Excitedly, they
spoke of a "new age," or a beginning of a cosmic cycle, which they called the Age of the Fishes. 14.
The Age of the Ram had just passed, and Jesus was to be the most important symbol-- they called him
the "archetype"-- of this new age.
15. "My son was, then, born under the sun-sign of the double fish. He would, they said, become the
model and pattern for a completely new kind of human being. 16. He would introduce people to new
capacities for joy and Love within their hearts and minds.
"These astrologers had come from Persia and other parts of the world. 17. They included a 'master
of the hidden Torah.' "They left Jerusalem with instructions from King Herod, a superstitious fool,
to find the special child. 18. Then, they were to report back to the king. Their own intuition alerted
them to the fact that Herod was evil, and so they determined never to see his face again.
19. "When their camels pulled up to the house, Joseph's suspicions were immediately alerted. When
he found out that they were non-Israelites, suspicion turned quickly, almost instantly, to hostility. 20.
The only one whom he did not take an immediate dislike to was the Torah-master-- and he didn't really
trust him.
Very quietly and gently, the old master explained that the law of Jehovah prohibited astrology, not
because it was evil, but because it was practiced by non-Jewish peoples in ancient times. 21. Even
carpentry could be evil, said the man, if it were used to create idols. Many of the ancients who
practiced the art of astrology were evil and ignorant, and many others were idolaters. 22. It was felt
that this artscience would draw Jews into evil influences, and that is why it was forbidden. 'If only evil
people used plows, you would forbid your children from using plows,' explained the master. 22. It took
Joseph a while, and he stubbornly refused reason for a time, but the old man's kindness gradually
softened even him. The master's real secret was that he radiated Love. 23. Even Joseph melted,
although just barely, under his soft radiance.
"Still, he did not trust these men. 24. He kept an eagle's eye on them all the while that they were
there. The massive, glowing sky-light had followed us, and now could be seen high above the house.
25. For a long time, it had terrified Joseph. He refused even to talk about it. Once, I even heard him -
fervently praying for it to go away.

CHAPTER 11.

Verse 1. "Joseph came, in time, to believe that the circle of bright light might be the visible
radiation of an angel. I think that he got this idea from a dream. 2. So, after a time, he no longer
resisted it, or hated it. He just accepted it.
3. The astrologers and mystics were very kind as they explained to Joseph what Jesus was. He was
what, in their tradition, was called a "special soul" from the "higher spheres."
4. The Jewish master claimed that Jesus was a mashiahh. A "messiah," he explained, was any one of
many beings in the history of the world. 5. Each had a specially reactive response to the interior
presence of God. Jesus, he said, would be called to be a teacher. 6. Even ancient prophecies could be
interpreted to have indicated his birth and present life. Joseph was a poor reader, and even less a
scholar, but seemed impressed, and relaxed a little more.
7. "Jesus, another explained, would be what was called a 'nucleus for world-forces.' Energy would
be attracted to him, a kind of energy that could heal bodies and change minds. 8. But Joseph turned
away from 'pagans,' whom he felt could teach him nothing about spirituality. He arrogantly assumed
that his culture had it all. 9. But at least he was not actively hostile.
"He still distrusted astrology, regarding it as 'evil.'
10. The old rabbi assured him that they, as 'scientific astrologers,' recognized and worshipped only the
'one true God.' That seemed further to pacify the nervous Joseph.
11. "'Do you believe in Jehovah?' Joseph asked. The master quietly, carefully explained that
"Jehovah" was a vision of only a part of God. 12. But this image or idea had been seriously modified,
even compromised, by human culture. God in his totality, he said, was much greater even than Hebrew
tradition suggested.
13. While uncomfortable with this answer, Joseph yielded, for the moment, to the obviously
greater wisdom of the teacher. The master said that God was Love, 'and those who worship him must
worship in spirit, not just in ritual.' 14. I was so impressed by this Kabbalahmaster that I memorized
these words. 15. 'The heart of every being is a temple,' he said. Joseph clearly continued to be upset
and agitated, for he was a man of iron law and stern organization. . 16. The master's mysticism
suggested chaos to Joseph's mind. My husband was comfortable only within what my son would call the
'shackles' of tradition and rigid law. 17. Joseph felt that if everyone followed 'inner guidance,' society,
civilization, and religion would collapse. Joseph felt secure only with the Governing Body, the
Sanhedrin, and the elders, always telling him what to do. 18. Please don't misunderstand: joseph was
not at all a 'bad' man. He was just what my son would call 'spiritually crippled' by an over-dependence
on laws and traditions. 19. To his dogma that one must be a 'part of Jehovah's theocratic organization
to know God's Love,' the old rabbi replied, 'What, then, of the birds and the flowers? 20. They do not
belong to any organization, yet God takes care of them.' Joseph, for once, was speechless, stunned
into silence. 21. 'How much more are human beings worth than flowers," said the old master softly.

CHAPTER 12.
 Verse 1. "Not much later, Joseph was even more shocked when I suggested that we move to the
center of the pagan world, Egypt, to escape the mad king Herod. I had experienced this revelation
through a dream, and he must have thought me crazy-- a feeling that I was beginning to get used to. 2.
Feelings became so strong that, if not for the child, he would have divorced me. For he was always,
besides being a hard-headed donkey, a man of real honor." Mary smiled. 3. "But it wasn't until Joseph
had his own startling nightmare that he was convinced that we should go to Egypt after all. Joseph
related: 'A tall man with golden hair stood in the room where I had fallen asleep on my mat.
4. I grabbed the knife that I kept beneath my pillow, and attacked the strange intruder. Somehow, I
seemed to go right through him. 5. He seemed so quick and clever that trying to stab him was like
trying to pierce smoke. Then I became paralyzed, unable to move. 6. By then, I wasn't really sure
whether I was awake or asleep. The man shouted, "Go to Egypt!" in a voice like thunder, and then,
disappeared before my eyes.' 7. Now Joseph was no dreamer, like me. He never exaggerated. So if
he says that it happened this way, it did. 8. Joseph was shaken, scared to the core. But by the next
day, he wanted to forget the entire event. 9. I told him that if he did dismiss the stranger, the man-
angel would just come back, over and over again. When I said that, all the blood rushed from his face.
10. Joseph feared Egypt, and argued that Satan might be the one who wanted us there. But I kept
insisting that it was God who wanted to save our son. 11. After a few days, Joseph gave in, and we
headed for Egypt. As we traveled the difficult roads, I kept whispering to my young son, 'Nothing is
impossible with God,' and similar messages. 12. I must have had a hundred of them. I told him, 'God is
within you,' 'God is Love,' 'Everything is good,' and similar ideas, and must have repeated them, on the
long trek, a thousand times. 13. Not that I want any credit for Jesus' work. God forbid! I just want
you to know how special Jesus was, right from the beginning. 14. He was born extraordinary, and just
became wiser and brighter as he grew. He didn't, as you probably know, attend the traditional religious
schools of Palestine. 15. Instead, he was largely informally educated by masters whom we met in
Egypt. Joseph, for years, insisted that he be trained as a carpenter, but I would not hear of it. 16. I
steadfastly refused. When Jesus returned to his home, some of the people still assumed that he was a
carpenter! Can you believe that? 17. Herod started killing all the children under two years of age, so
we left Judea just in time. I hid this news from the sensitive Jesus until he was an adult, and even
then, he was shattered and crushed to the point where I wondered whether he would ever recover.
Thank Love he did!
18. Jesus still feels enormously guilty."
"Is that why he wants to die himself" I asked.
20. "Possibly," Mary answered. "Anyway, that troubles me greatly, and I never stop worrying about
him.
"So do I, Mary," I replied. "So do I."
21. After she stopped weeping, and collected herself, Mary continued: "In Egypt, we shared a very
small hut with another family. They had three children, all older than Jesus.
22. Joseph found small odd-jobs to support us. One day, while he was gone, a very old man knocked at
the door. 23. Since the other family had gone to market, Jesus and I were alone. I invited him in.
24. He was completely bald, but very tall and straight, and walked with dignity. He had the most
beautiful eyes, I would swear that they glowed. 25. They were the color of sapphires. His face was
round as the moon, and he was very pleasant.
26. He wore a long black cloak, and radiated a kind of powerful peace. From the time that he
entered, he did not remove those remarkable eyes from the sleeping Jesus.
27. "He introduced himself as Andujai, and said that he had come because of an intuition that had
led him to this very place. Jesus, he said, was a special soul from the higher spheres.
28. This was exactly what the astrologers had called him, so I was intrigued. Like their gold, incense,
and myrrh, a gift also accompanied this man. 29. He handed it to me. It was a group of small scrolls,
the "Scrolls of the Ages," which he said contained the 'wisdom and thoughts of the sages.' 30. The
scrolls contained Egyptian writing, with an Aramaic translation. 'Read these to the boy every night, as
he sleeps,' he told me. 31. 'Please keep this secret, for his own people would never understand.'
After having lived with Joseph, I could easily understand that, and did as he requested. Later, I found
the works fascinating. 32. They discussed sacred geometry, the invisible bodies of man, the astrology
of Egypt, the great mysteries, hidden history, healing arts, dreams, Hindu and Buddhist ideas, Taoist
concepts, the nature of mind and world, the nature of God, and many other esoteric and mystical
matters."

CHAPTER 13.

Verse 1. "Since then, Jesus has committed much of this material to memory, and Andujai has since
sent many, many others. I was sealed with a vow of holy silence never to reveal the contents, as they
are very powerful.
2. Andujai says that learning never ends. Joseph, rest and bless his soul, never knew about any of
this. During most of his early life, those sacred books were Jesus' only companions.
3. He spent most of his time alone, but said that he was never alone, for his 'father' was everywhere. I
do believe that Joseph actually felt some jealousy. 4. Still, Jesus was never understood by anyone. He
found his own mind to be the most interesting object in the cosmos, and he studied it continuously.
5. "When very young, he told me that he had been meditating for millennia. In some ways, you might
say that his mind became his world. 6. All the neighbors dismissed him as a 'worthless dreamer.' That
hurt me, but it seemed not to affect Jesus at all. 7. From the beginning, his was a world of mystical
mysteries and hidden wonders, a world of dreams and of the fantastic. In his mind, he soared not only
beyond the borders of Palestine, but beyond those of the world.
8. "When he was seven, we took him to his first funeral. His eyes were riveted to the body. 9. He
found it absolutely captivating. In his eyes, pain mingled with defiance, acceptance with resistance.
10. He seemed stunned that we could actually believe that anything as exciting and beautiful as life
could ever end at all. He embarrassed us terribly when he went up to the coffin and shouted at the
corpse: 11. "Come back! Come back into the body! Your family misses you, and they want you to
come back." 12. He looked with strong focus at a point in the room, as if someone were there. "Don't
you want to go back into your body? 13. Why can't you? Why won't you?" He started to get frustrated,
shouting at what seemed to be empty space.
14. He turned to the body: "Rise, I tell you! Come back to the land of the living! It's not too late!"
15. Joseph had to drag him away. It took a while for him to realize that the person was actually
without life. 16. He seemed to think that the dead body was a person playing some strange game. I
saw an inner fire ignited in him that day.
17. It was at once a fascination with death and a declaration of uncompromising war against it. It was
as if he were making a holy vow that he would never share the same world with death. 18. Death was
just too great an obscenity-- at least, as we understood it, as the end of life. He would never come to
terms with it, never embrace death as nothingness. 19. He would never allow a place for
extermination within his being.
"What really disturbed and surprised him was not just the fact of death, but the responses of those
left alive. 20. For, above all things, he hated suffering. His young heart was filled with excruciating
compassion for the mourners. 21. He could not understand why everyone was weeping. With his
special sensitivity, he took it for granted that everyone knew that the 'dead' had moved on to a more
glorious and beautiful life in heaven, which he called the 'Homeworld.' 22. He was stunned that people
actually believed that the dead were forever unconscious.
"He always saw a light near any dead animal, and claimed that if this light came back into the body,
the body would live again in this world. 23. If the light did not return to the body, the soul would go
to the 'Homeworld.' If only he could show the sad people that death was not the end of life!
24. This thought, over the years, grew into a kind of obsession with him. His most important
determination, he said, was to prove that death was an illusion. 25. He longed to turn death into an
occasion for celebration and joy. As a young man, he used to quote the great Jewish mystic sage
Solomon. 26. That ancient master wrote, 'The day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.'
It was not death itself which he hated, for he knew that it was natural. 27. Instead, he could not
stand the pain that it brought to the living. And so he thought the solution to be the erasing of their
ignorance. 28. He also hated the hypocrisy of those who claimed to believe in an afterlife, but lived in
terror, as if none really existed. When he was only seven, he said, 'Those who must till live in this
world are the ones to be pitied.' Can you imagine?
29. "I explained that mourners cried for themselves, for their loneliness could last a long time. Do
you know what he said? He said, 'How could their loneliness last a long time, when life on earth lasts
but a moment?' 30. This he said when only seven! He also said, 'How can people love life and hate
death, as if they were separate?' 31. He said, 'To live thinking that way must be a very bad dream.'
Even way back then, the things that he used to say would astonish me. 32. And he still believes these
things. Just yesterday, he told me, 'When I die, I will be very sad, and exceedingly happy.'

CHAPTER 14.

Verse 1. Jesus talked today about the "kingdom," but it is dramatically, strangely different from any
other "kingdom.". He has a very vivid style of teaching-- not at all like that of the formal rabbis and
elders. 2. He says that his "synagogue" is the fields and mountains. His "Scriptures" are written in the
"hearts of Love everywhere."
3. He can't seem to stop talking, obsessively, about Love. He defines Love as "ultimate Reality," or
God. 4. He calls it his "magnificent obsession." He thrives on this kind of talk the way other men
thrive on bread and water. 5. He even calls it his "food." His spirituality is not at all like the lifeless,
dull traditions and religions of our forefathers. 6. He even contradicts the sacred writings of the Holy
Scriptures. He says that he, and all good people, are a "fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets."
7. The great commands of the Scriptures he ignores, including the most sacred of all, the Sabbath.
He teaches that human beings are more important than the laws of Jehovah.
8. "The Sabbath," he claims, "was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
His talk is often quite blasphemous. 9. It burns the ears of the righteous and pious. The leaders
and rabbis have explosively rejected him as a heretic, blasphemer, and even demoniac.
10. Still, he is unwavering in his obsession that we must give up all for the sake of establishing an
international "kingdom of Love," a communion of good people united by Love.
11. He is also determined to create an extended family to include "all who have hearts of Love."
This he calls an "externalization" of the inner kingdom. He demands that his disciples never divide
themselves by disagreements about doctrines, Scriptures, or teachings. 12. "No one knows everything,"
he says. "What is important is not what a person believes, but how she lives. 13. Treat each other
with kindness, tolerance, respect, and compassion, no matter how varying are your beliefs," he
commands.
14. He hates and despises traditional religion. "Religion is a very bad idea," he says. 15. "It has
divided and hurt people since the beginning of history. Do not practice religion, but spirituality, which
is Love." 16. Thus, he is back to Love again. He always comes full circle, back to Love.
17. For "Love," we who follow him have sold everything.
We have moved in together, and decided to share all things in common. 18. This is partly because
Jesus says that we own nothing anyway. "You can only borrow things while on earth, a short time. 19.
You own nothing. Ownership is a convenient illusion. 20. Only the cosmic Mind, God, owns all things.
Thus, as his children, his heirs, it is all yours. 21. Heaven and earth, and all that fill them, belong to
you. But you own nothing personally. 22. It is you as the Communion of Love who own all things." So,
he teaches ultimate generosity. 23. He says, "Give to everyone who asks of you," a command that can
be followed only by the very poor.

CHAPTER 15.
 Verse 1. "Give to the poor and needy, support the weak and the sick," says Jesus. "Be charitable,
give until you have no more to give. 2. Cling to, depend upon, no things of this world. Place all faith
and trust in the Invisible-- in the Mind that is the Creator of the cosmos."
3. "Change a picture painted by an artist, and you change only that one picture. But change the artist,
and you change every picture that she will ever paint-- thousands of pictures."
4. So we do not need to change the "picture" of the world. Instead, we must work always to influence
the Mind that "creates" or "dreams up" the world. This we can do by repeatedly filling our minds with
Love. That is real and permanent change.
5. "Invest not in the dry dust of this world, but in the treasures-- the rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and
sapphires-- of inner Mind."
Strangely, he does not tell us to imitate the scribes, wise men, scholars, or Bible-teachers to find
the perfect life.
6. To live the perfect life, he says, is to live like the birds, flowers, sheep, and nursing infants. "They
are not always trying to control things, not always worrying and fretting, not always babbling about
religion, not trying to be superior.
7. They live in utter simplicity, so simple that they have no formal religion. So, never worry about
tomorrow. 8. Taking care of today is work enough. Seek first Love, as the major and most important
thing in your life, and the kingdom of Love, and everything else that you need-- food, clothing, and
shelter, will be provided. 9. This is a guarantee from the Father of the All."
This is not literal. 10. We cannot live like birds-- making a bowl of grass in which to live, and
eating only seeds and worms. But the principle of never worrying, not trying to control or think too
much about everything, is valid. 11. There is much to be said for the principle of simplicity-- in
thought, in speech, in relationships, in material things, in living.
There are twelve special friends whom Jesus has selected to represent the twelve basic kinds of
persons. This is so that his followers might be a "microcosm" representing the entire population of the
world. He commissions us to share with all.
12. So, we do quite a bit of walking, and often stop in a field, on a mountain, near a stream, or in
the market, to hear Jesus talk. These places he identifies as his "temples" or "synagogues." 13. Mary
his mother sometimes visits him, but he pays her no special respect. "I love her deeply, but she is no
longer my mother," he says.
14. "What is your god?" he often asks. Then, he says, "Whatever you spend most of your time
worrying and thinking about, and use most of your time to serve-- this is your God, no matter what you
say." 15. The only valid and true God is Love. "You must have no God other than your Father in
heaven."
16. But, since he also teaches that "the Father is "in you," we know that this "Father" is Love. And we
understand that "heaven," like the "kingdom," is a condition or state within us. The "Father" is the
cosmic Mind deep within us all, and dwells in this interior "heaven." 17. "When you know him, you will
neither want nor need anything else." Here, Jesus means to "know" with gnosis-- a direct, immediate,
profound, intimate experience of God as the inner Love-nature. This is miles beyond simply knowing
about God, as in studies.
18. Since even our bodies are part of the projected illusion, the lightworld of matter, we are not to
serve even the body as master. We cannot serve money, fame, sensuality, pleasure, or career. 19. We
must serve only Love, for "you cannot serve two masters. If you love one, you will repel the other."
20. This commitment means to give our lives, our full obedience, to Love alone. Never will we give
our obedience to any man or system. It is this vow of obedience to inner Love-- that will someday
create the worldwide brotherhood and sisterhood of the "communion" of Love. This is the
"externalization of the kingdom, but the kingdom itself is the Love of the heart. 21. You become a
"member" or subject in this "kingdom" only by being "pure in heart," and turning over your will to the
will of Love. This means that, instead of "What do I want?" or "What can I get?" your first question must
always be, "What does Love want?"
22. With his incessant, relentless, continual repetition of this Love-theme, it is no wonder that the
practical, hardnosed leaders, who are more politicians than theologians, have rejected him as a
hopeless idealist. They simply dismiss and ignore him. 23. But, like them, I must admit that I too wish
that he would address the real worldly issues, such as Roman injustice and cruelty, and the liberation of
the Jewish people.

CHAPTER 16.

Verse 1. Jesus continues to speak of the "Father of light," and the "Father of the All." The Jews are
beginning to catch on: 2. He is not talking about their beloved "Jehovah," but about a greater,
infinitely superior, God. In fact, he recently said to the Jewish religious leaders: 3. "Your father is an
illusionist and the father of illusions." When they objected that their "father" was Abraham, he said
clearly, 4. "Your father was a murderer from the beginning," implying that their spiritual "father,"
Jehovah, was imperfect.
5. No more heinous blasphemy could ever be imagined. The Jews have killed men for much less. 6.
Yet Jesus speaks as if he were invincible, fearless-- or else, as if he wanted to die. 7. Sometimes,
indeed, I fear for his sanity. He believes that his soul had already planned, even before his birth, for
the Jews, through the Romans, to murder him. 8. It is almost as if he teases them, begging for death.
He fears no one.
9. Nothing, at any rate, could ever be more explosive, dangerous, or controversial than to speak of
a God other than Jehovah, for all Jews see that as idolatry. This sin, they teach, is worthy of death.
10. For centuries, the Jews have seen themselves as the exclusive bearers or owners of the one true
and real God, whom they call "Jehovah." 11. All other nations, each of which has its own god, have
been dismissed as ignorant or inferior. Other "gods" are presented as stupid, benighted, spiritually
backward. 12. All other gods have been seen as purely evil. Preaching any god other than Jehovah
has been seen as the unforgivable sin. 13. It is also a crime.
Jesus comes right out and directly, boldly says that the God of the cosmos is not Jehovah. 14.
"Jehovah," he explains, is only the god of the material world, but there is a much higher, even infinite,
God, which he calls the "Father." Worse still, he says that this "Father" is "in" his disciples. 15. Now,
Jehovah was always viewed as "king"of heaven and earth, a lawgiver and judge. But Jehovah was never
said to be "in" his worshippers. 16. So, in an important way, this mystical God of Jesus is radically
different from Jehovah.
This situation is serious, and dangerous. 17. If they do decide to torture and kill Jesus, they will do
the same with all those of us who follow him. Jesus is headed not only for personal oblivion, but will
take with him, down into destruction, the entire movement of all his followers. 18. So, I fear that the
Way, as sublime as it is, will be lost. I have even gone so far as to beg him to call the Father "Yahweh"
or "Jehovah" just to soothe his radical critics among the Jews. 19. But he steadfastly refuses. "It's
more than just words or names," he says. "God is not Jehovah, and Jehovah is not God." 20. When he
takes the scrolls and demonstrates the atrocities and barbarities ascribed to Jehovah by the ancients,
his argument becomes undeniable. 21. How sweet and pleasant is the Lord of Love compared with this
old primitive myth of the war-god. Jesus refuses to bend on this issue. 22. He will not compromise
even to placate the angry, powerful elders, who are starting to curse him. They have already
disfellowshipped him from the community of Israel. 23. They have also barred and banned him from
their synagogues.

CHAPTER 17.

Verse 1. "Why do you insist upon judging?" Jesus asked the formal scribes. They were professional
students of the Biblical texts. 2. "Have you not read that the 'sin' of Adam was 'partaking of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil'? Why, then, do you continue to divide the world into 'good' and 'evil'? 3.
Adam's sin has become your preoccupation and occupation." So did he cause the professional scribes to
become his enemies.
 4. As if this alienation were not enough, Jesus drove in his message like a nail: "You teachers of
Jehovah's law make it your profession to distinguish 'good' from 'evil.' 5. Is sin your profession? If not,
why are you following Adam?"
6. "But," answered a scribe from among the Pharisees, "one must distinguish between good and evil
in order to walk the good path and avoid the evil."
Jesus replied, "Have you not read, in Genesis, where God creates the entire world and then declares
it to be 'very good'? What God has declared 'good,' no man should call 'evil.'"
7. "Then," asked the scribe, "how do we distinguish good from evil?"
8. Jesus answered, "Good is Love, and evil is deliberate action against Love. In everyday affairs,
good must be distinguished from evil, and the good followed and the evil avoided. But in timeless life,
only good exists. When one touches the light, evil disappears. the one guided by absolute good must
have faith in it, and then Love will guide him into the right path."
9. "So do you recommend that we destroy or ignore our laws?"
10. "Destroy or ignore all laws that do not pertain to Love, for only the Law of Love is needed." A
group of eight scribes had gathered, and when he said this, they began to murmur against him. For
they were avid supporters of the ancient Mosaic laws.
11. "Our ancestor Moses," said another challengingly, "gave us many laws. Are you saying that we
should ignore them?"
12. "All that is good in the Laws, obey. But no one can be justified before God by obeying
mechanical laws. Even Jehovah says, in one of your Scriptures, 'I want mercy, not sacrifice.' 13. God
wants no sacrifices of innocent animals. He wants you to cultivate mercy, justice, and Love." Again,
they were unhappy with his answer, and began to mumble.
14. He continued to drive the nail: "If you could but see through the eyes of Love, you would see
only the One who is good, the Father of the All. 15. You say, for example, that the serpent is evil, and
the dove holy, a sacrifice. But I tell you to imitate them both-- the serpent in his caution, and the dove
in her innocence."
16. Again, they were not at all pleased. I must admit that, like so many others, I am becoming
uncomfortable with some of the bolder teachings of Jesus. 17. In some ways, he seems to reject all
that is sacred to Jewish religion and culture. Also, he is often obvious, even blatant, about this. 18.
He used to try to hide these controversial aspects of his teaching, but now speaks them directly,
honestly, and publicly. I fear that he will get us all into trouble.
19. I am by no means alone. Increasingly, he is no longer seen as a rabbi, but a rebel. Almost all
the elders have given their direst warnings against him and his teachings, claiming that he is
influenced, or even possessed, by Satan. 20. The professional traditionalists, who for centuries have
interpreted the Torah, state emphatically that the teachings of Jesus are not in harmony with the
revealed Scriptures of Moses and the other prophets. 21. They say that Jesus is teaching a "new and
strangely disturbing religion."
22. I am not very comfortable writing about the great underlying truths. I often find them
impossible to understand. 23. So, without deep comments on its truth or falsehood, I have devoted
myself to a simple compilation of this record. 24. Let the theologians battle it out. I will simply state
what I have seen and heard. 25. Perhaps the elders are right: Maybe Jesus will be forgotten
completely by the generations to come. If he is, this record will also turn to dust and disappear. 26.
But if, as I believe, Jesus is a special man, then this record will help someone. For I have walked with
the man, and have wiped tears from his gentle face. 27. Nowhere else have I found the sheer goodness
that I have seen in him, the kindness, the tenderness, the compassion, the forgiveness. No other man
has ever shown such tolerance and patience, such depth of understanding. 28. Nowhere else have I
found a comparable Love.
CHAPTER 18.

Verse 1. "After I am gone," Jesus said to us, his disciples, "people will try to worship me. You who
have the inner light must not allow this to happen. 2. The very same Christspirit that indwells me, of
which I have become a full embodiment and incarnation, also dwells in all of you. Worship only God.
3. Worship only that inner Spirit of Love. Worship the deep Love-nature. 4. Worship Love."
"People will," he continued, "try to distort my image in many other ways. 5. This will lead to
divisions and hatreds. They will create statements about religion. 6. They will judge each other 'true'
or 'false" based on these statements, or on the basis of doctrines, teachings, or dogmas. 7. You must
not follow this path, for it is the way of darkness and violence. They will teach and live hatred in My
name. 8. Hatred cannot survive in the presence of Love, and you must, at every opportunity, snuff out
the fires of hatred with the quenching waters of Love. 9. Never allow yourselves to be divided about
religion. Seek no conformity of mind or teaching. 10. Seek only agreement that Love is your main
priority. I will never care simply about what people believe. 11. I will always care about how people
live. Seek to change, not your ideas, but your life. 12. For I am manifested only in the behaviors and
attitudes of Love: Cultivate tolerance, patience, diversity, and freedom.
13. "I have told you often, and now repeat, for this is important: I have no religion. 14. After I
leave the world, people will claim that I was a Jew. While my body is of Jewish extraction, and my
culture and geography are Jewish, I am not a religious or spiritual Jew If I were, the Jews would
rejoice in Me, and welcome me as a teacher. 15. I am universal Man, the model of the future. I
cannot exist within human religious boundaries. 16. I am all good, everything wise, and am Myself
truth from all cultures, all religions, all centuries. I, as the higher Self, am the spirit of Reality that
lives within all of you."
17. This helped to explain what until then had been a most disturbing mystery: Jesus regularly all
but ignored the traditions of the Law and the ways of the ancestors. Our forefathers he brushed aside.
18. In fact, he claimed that He was greater even than Abraham. He even said that he existed before
this venerable father of the Jewish nation.
19. "I present and teach to you an entirely new vision of a new God. This God is Love," he said. 20.
He bade us throw out of our hearts and minds the last vestiges of Jehovah, the violent, unjust war-god
of the Hebrews, and to scour clean our souls of the very last particle of this illusion.
21. When he had said this, Peter shouted, gasping, "Master, keep quiet! They will kill you for that
kind of blasphemy!"
22. Jesus, as usual, accustomed to the fiery Peter, who was an Aries, only smiled tolerantly. He
almost whispered, "That is why I am telling you, not them." 23. He then returned his attention to us,
his other disciples: "I leave you the heritage to keep the flame of universal Love burning for all the
generations to come. 24. Always remember that you are not the 'disciples of Jesus.' Instead, you are
the disciples of the inner Spirit of Christ that dwells in your own hearts. 25. For this Jesus will die, but
the Christ will live forever. Indeed, in some ways, the person called 'Jesus' has already undergone the
'mystical death' into the Christspirit within." 26. That is why, so often when Jesus seemed to be
speaking, it was actually He, the Christ, who was speaking through Jesus. It was not the man Jesus
speaking at all. 27. This was what happened when he manifested the words, "I am the Way, the
Reality, and the life." Also, He often said, "I am Love."

CHAPTER 19.

Verse 1. "I have come," he said, "not to start a religion, but to uncover the Truth, the Reality within
the heart."
"Is that Reality Love?" asked Andrew.
"It is," answered Jesus. 2. "But, in another sense, the entire world is filled with God. The cosmos is
God modified, for it is the cosmic Mind that pours Itself forth, filling all with its substance. 3. It
dreams all Reality into being."
"Is God, then, the universe?" asked Matthew.
"No, not the cosmos itself," said Jesus. 4. "Although He fills and creates all, God is not the all.
Instead, God is the Mind behind all creation. 5. As the dreamer is more than the dream, God is
infinitely more than the dreamcosmos. But just as the dreamer pours the Self into every object and
situation in a dream, everything contains and reflects God, the ultimate inner Reality. 6. So, God is
you, is in you, and is all things, in all things, as the great Dreamer of the cosmos. This is the One, the
Undivided, the Ultimate, the Absolute. 7. This is supreme Mind, and its supreme core is Love. I have
come so that people might walk in its light."
8. "What, then, becomes of the Scriptures and the traditions?" asked James.
"They are tools," replied Jesus. 9. "Use them, but do not let them use you. Be their master. 10.
What would a carpenter be if his hammer ruled him, telling him where to go, and what to do? In the
same way, all the Scriptures of the world were made for the convenience and enlightenment of human
beings.
11. People were not made for the texts, but the texts for people."
"Should we limit ourselves to the traditions of the Jews?" asked Matthew.
"I have called you out of the world. 12. Why would you be bound by the conventions and the
cultures of this world? No, you are free from the dominance of all the ancient Jewish texts, and from
all their laws. 13. Study all writings from masters of all traditions. Keep what is wise, true, beautiful,
truthful, and enlightening, and discard what you do not need or cannot use. 14. And always allow
every sister and brother the freedom to do the same."
"The elders," said James, "claim that any attempt at a personal relationship with God is the sin of
hubris, or pride."
15. "There can never be any relationship with
God but the personal," replied Jesus. "All the sages and luminaries of history have claimed exactly this
kind of relationship, deeply, intimately, personally within themselves." 16. Are we to dare to accuse
them all of arrogance? Or can we not accuse the elders of short-sightedness? 17. If we must choose
between following the most compassionate and enlightened women and men of all time, or obeying the
old men, the choice is clear. 18. We seek the very best role-models that we can find."
"But if each follows only a personal inner light, will the result not be chaos?" asked Thomas.
19. "Not if the inner Light is the same within all," said Jesus. "If all are guided solely by the
principle of Love, Love will order a community, a communion, of compassionate sisters and brothers,
each looking out for the benefit of all the others. 20. This communion is organized from within.
"Study the flowers of the field, how they grow. 21. Roses are all alike, so that, when you pick one,
you know that it is a rose. All roses are alike because they respond to an inner guide. 22. "The same is
true in every species throughout nature. Human beings also have a mental and spiritual code or
template within them that guides their growth. 23. How absurd and unnatural it would be to assume
that one rose must stand up and tell the other roses how to grow. All grow alike because of shared
inner nature.
24. "So it must be among you. No one must be a leader. No one is to pretend to be superior. 25.
There are to be no special titles among you. Even 'brother' must not evolve into a cold, meaningless
address, but needs to reflect the way you truly feel about each other. 26. For the fatherhood of God
expresses as the brotherhood and sisterhood of all people. 27. So, love, comfort, and support one
another with tenderness and warmth, and embrace each other as an extended family. 28. For this
Love will be the only way in which people can determine that you are truly following Me."

CHAPTER 20.

Verse 1."As the fish is submerged in the sea, we are immersed in the great Mind of God," Jesus said.
"Even if you seek to avoid the will of God, that very avoidance will become the will of God. 2. The
divine Mind acts through yourself, and there is nowhere that you can run to escape from yourself.
There is nowhere where you are not known and seen, by this Mind."
3. "What is the will of God for us?" I asked him.
"To know Reality or Truth," he replied. 4. "The will of God might not be what you do, but the many
things that you stop doing."
 5. "You have contradicted the sacred Scriptures. You dare to claim that you are above the holy
writings of Moses," accused an elder who had slipped in the back door. He had been listening in secret
just outside.
6. "And you have denied Love!" thundered Jesus, in a voice so loud and dramatic that it stunned
me.
7. "And which," asked the elder, "is more important-- this silly notion of 'love' or the sacred bedrock
of all Israel, the holy writings of the sacred Scriptures, the very foundation of religion and of
civilization?" He looked at Jesus smugly, as if putting him in his place.
8. "Nothing surpasses Love!" cried Jesus, sounding like a storm. Then, more quietly, he continued,
"Love never fails.
9. Love is eternal. Love lasts forever. Now, you tell me: Which is more valuable and important-- the
Scriptures of God, or God himself?"
10. The elder, paralyzed by sudden fear and embarrassment, fell silent, knowing that Jesus had
won. He replied quietly, "Nothing is more important than God."
11. "And God is Love," said Jesus, just as quietly. "If you tear Love from the Scriptures, you are left
with only dead history, a mere shell of letters, an empty husk, a shadow.
12. God is a God of forgiveness, mercy, and justice. If he were not, He could not call upon human
beings to exercise these. I tell you the truth, Love is the end and fulfillment of all good Scriptures. 13.
All sacred texts are designed only to bring the heart to Love. 14. The Scriptures are the water which
causes the wheat to grow, but the living Bread itself is the Spirit of Love. 15. This is the law of God
written on the tablets of the heart, rather than tablets of stone. 16. The heart guided by Love is a
Scripture and law unto itself, acting through a living mind. 17. If a person has Scripture but no Love,
does she please God? No, that is impossible. 18. But if she has Love but no Scripture, she can still
please God. Thus is Love shown to be greater even than Scripture."
19. "Must we still depend on Scripture to find answers?" asked a young woman.
20. "When once the plant has blossomed and become strong, the beauty of the blossom can live for
a time without water. So, when a person is unified with God, the Source, that person no longer needs
the Scripture. 21. Again, the Scripture is like the text-book for school-children. When one is
completely finished with the school-course, the text-book is no longer needed. 22. When you have
learned what is in the Scriptures, and live it-- that is, when you learn the art of Love-- you no longer
need the instructions."

CHAPTER 21.

Verse 1. "People who revere the letter of the law are like those who continue to pray at a dried-up
spring because once it gave water to the people. 2. Or, they are like a man who used a boat to cross a
stream. When he arrived at the distant shore, he put the boat on his head and continued to carry it
wherever he went." 3. We all laughed at this image, and Jesus smiled widely.
But after he had said these things, the elders stirred the people against him, so that they wanted to
stone him. 4. Jesus taught that stoning was the most brutal of actions, and that is why it was chosen
to deter people from crime. 5. I must admit that I find this ghastly form of murder particularly
gruesome. 6. So, just in time, we pulled Jesus away, shielding him with our own bodies as the
people started to throw rocks. It was, despite the elders' harangues, a half-hearted attempt, and the
people, despite their lust for blood, soon lost interest.
7. "A wicked and unfaithful people seeks to hide the light from itself," said Jesus sadly. It was not the
first time that he had said this.
8. We had soon left the rain of stones behind, and were walking on a road near the Sea of Galilee.
Later that day, as he so often did, Jesus stole away from the small group of friends who liked to
listen to his sharings. 9. I sought him out and found him near the shore of the sea that the Romans call
Lake Tiberias. I know that if Jesus had his own will, he would have avoided people even more. 10. He
loved people, but did not always like them, or their hard-edged and closed attitudes.
 "There is no place in my life for Jesus," he said. 11. I knew what he meant. The mysticism or
gnosticism that he taught had as a major core the "death of the ego." 12. This meant the cessation of
identification with the self as defined by other people, or by society, and the "death" of all personal
desire. 13. Again and again, as he worked on re-identifying himself completely with the inner and
eternal Christspirit, he would say, "I am not Jesus." 14. Finally, we began to understand: His human
identity must disappear before his divine Identity could fully take over.
15. "Before you can become the full embodiment of Love, Christ, Spirit, or God, you must first
empty yourself," he would say. 16. "You must clear the mind of egothoughts, and fill it with
Lovethoughts. You cannot fill with water a jar that is already filled with dirt. 17. So God cannot fill
you if you are already filled with yourself. First, become empty and clean." 18. One of his guiding
themes was, "May only Love live here, in this heartmind."
19. Because he treasured his moments of solitude, I felt bad whenever I intruded upon his quiet
meditation. Still, he always, with great kindness, welcomed me with open arms and heart, as his own
brother.
20. Today, I settled it in my heart to ask him about this record. And, to tell the whole truth, I
wanted very much an excuse to be alone with him. So, I sought him out, and found him sitting cross-
legged, as was his custom, eyes closed.
21. Sensing my presence, he opened his eyes, and smiled. After having been with him for so long, I
still cannot remember what color those eyes were. 22. They seem, in retrospect, to have been blue,
whenever I saw him gazing at the sky. But they were green when he held a leaf, and at other times, I
would swear that they were certainly brown, as were those of nearly everyone else. At any rate, they
seem disconcerting and unfocused. 23. They were fixed on inner eternity, like Mary's. When he
becomes dark and introspective, they become deep, limpid black pools, focused on the horizon of
another sky, in another universe.

CHAPTER 22.

Verse 1. When Jesus is happy, which is almost always, his eyes laugh, and seem flecked with
constellations of golden, shimmering particles.
2. "Good morning, Jesus," I whispered as non-intrusively as possible as I approached. I was
fumbling, as always, to withdraw parchment and quill from the great pocket of my cloak. 3. He
shifted on the sand, holding his knees lazily in the crooks of his arms. The pose struck me suddenly as
poignantly childlike. 4. He looked up at me, clear eyes full of innocence and untroubled peace. "Hi,
Judas," he smiled weakly.
5. "I have something important to discuss with you," I said.
"Have a seat," he said. "Make yourself at home.
6. Welcome to My home." We both smiled, as we knew that he had a very small house in the village of
Nazareth, but considered himself "wealthy" enough to dare to claim the entire wide world for his true
"home." 7. "My floor is the earth, the sky my walls and ceiling," he liked to say. I sat across from him,
and we sat in silence for a few moments. 8. Somehow, with this man, silence seemed the most natural
condition.
9. He was of medium-build, about five-eleven, and had shoulder-length brown hair, with
infrequent, thin gold streaks. He was not gaunt, like the crazed self-styled "prophets" of the desert.
10. He had always emphasized moderation, and so lacked the blazing eyes of the fanatics, and their
hard look. He appeared very soft, but masculine. 11. In the reflection of the bright sun, he looked
even a bit pale.
He would not have stood out, I reflected, in even a small group. 12. Indeed, he seemed much
happier not even to be noticed at all. "I am often mistaken for absent," he liked to joke. 13. But it
was true. Most people, in most social situations, simply ignored him, and that suited him just fine. 14.
According to his own mystical principle, it was this paradox: Because he had worked to make himself
"least," he had become "greatest." 15. "To become everything," he was fond of saying, "you must first
become nothing."
16. This man, who had struggled for decades to become nothing, had in fact become God. Despite
his public work, most people did not recognize his face. 17. And that was just the way he liked it. He
never spoke before large groups, and never attracted great crowds. 18. Usually, most of his ideas
were shared with a few of us at a time. Often, to our shame, even we were only half-listening. 19.
Indeed, he marveled at how easily distracted we were.
20. "Jesus, I want to write a record of your life," I said.
"Judas, don't waste your time. 21. Write of the Love of God instead."
"But human beings are more interested in the lives of other humans. This Gospel could help many."
22. "In that case, write, my brother. But could you do me a favor?"
"What? Anything, my brother."
23. "Could you please just leave me out of it?"

CHAPTER 23.

Verse 1. Jesus' humility was one of his most startling qualities. But it never quite managed to
eclipse his spiritual genius. 2. His only goal, he so often said, was to become "transparent" like crystal
or ice, "so as to cast no shadows in the inner light of God's Love."
3. Now, as we again spoke, with three of our brothers in the little room with us, he seemed
thoughtful. We were talking, as usual these days, about my record. 4. "What does the Spirit tell you
to do, Judas?"
"Well, whatever I do, I can't see any way to leave you out. 5. The whole story's about you."
Jesus was earnest: "I just don't want people to see me, and miss the Spirit that lives in their own
hearts. 6. You know how human nature is. It is weak, troublesome, and given to ignorance. 7. I want
to make sure that they do not worship Jesus, but the eternal Spirit of Christ, the Love in their own
hearts."
8. For the thousandth time, I was impressed by this astounding self-effacement. Unlike all the
other teachers and preachers, Jesus was the only one who did not pursue the public. 9. He also did not
tailor his sermons to please the people, and did not curry favor, fame, and wealth. Indeed, he warned
that any "teacher" who was after fame, money, ego, or power was a dangerous and false teacher.
10. "The Spirit," I answered him, "tells me to write and write-- never to stop writing. It tells me
that you have bottomless treasures within you."
11. "And you also have them within you," he reminded me again.
"Yes, I know, but in you, they are so clear, so unblocked, so freeflowing. 13. You are a unique man,
Jesus. "
"I am not. I am nothing. 14. I do nothing. I have literally disappeared, vanished into the light of
the Father, fused with Love. 15. When anyone tastes a fine wine, no one praises the good flavor of the
vessel or the glass. A fine wine tastes as good in an old clay pot as if drunken from a crystal chalice.
16. Only the Love-nature within you is precious."
"My mind," I said, has been ignited by the fire of your dreams for a better humanity, a better world."

17. "Good," he said. "Excellent. But these are not my dreams, but the dreams of the holy Father
who lives in your heart. 18. Who, on looking through a window at a beautiful scene, would praise the
window? 19. I am just a window through which the Father's Love can shine. So, Judas, you must make
sure that you always place me where I belong-- in the far background." 20. He became deadly serious
as he looked me squarely in the eye: "Do you realize that to worship me is idolatry?"
"Yes, Jesus," I answered. 21. "I worship only Him who dwells within you."
"And never forget, that One dwells also within you.
22. That must be your main connection with Love."
"I long for the entire world to hear this message," I said. 23. I would have said "your message," but
Jesus would have inevitably objected."I want our children's children to read about a Godmanifesting
man."

CHAPTER 24.

Verse 1. Jesus mutely shook his head. I could tell that he was still filled with doubts. 2. "The last
thing that this poor world needs," he said in a murmur and grumble, "is another religion. 3. So, you
must make it clear that the truth, this path, is a Way of life. It is a pattern of thinking, attitude, and
behavior-- rather than a new religion. 4. You can walk this Way, and still be a Jew, a Buddhist, a
Hindu, or a member of the mystery faiths."
5. "Are all religions true, then, Jesus?" I asked.
"All religions contain truths," he replied. 6. "Truth is a vast network of many complex factors. And
no one religion has described or encompassed all of them. 7. So, take what is good and loving,
beautiful and compassionate, from every religion.
8. Put them together and make them your own. Weave your own guiding philosophy from all the
strands of light and Love from every source."
9. I asked, "But may I present you, in my little book, as a great teacher? May I show you in the light
of other luminaries, such as Socrates, Plato, Gautuma, Lao Tzu, and Solomon?"
10. "Please do not present me as being on their elevated level, but only as representing their
highest mystical visions. I don't feel worthy to be compared with them."
11. "But you are, Jesus. I'm certain that you are." The other men with us agreed enthusiastically.
12. But Jesus only remained silent, an introspective smile on his face. Then he laughed out loud. 13.
"I'm the son of a rough carpenter from the slums of Nazareth."
"You are God," I responded.
14. He grew serious. "Blessed are you, Judas, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you. But
the Father of light has shown you this." 15. His humorous self-deprecation suddenly vanished in a
blazing, luminous splendor of a tangible and palpable Love that filled the entire room. 16. He paused,
and my heart pounded. "Tell me, Judas, in this record of yours: Would you write of Christ, or of
Jesus?"
17. I knew, of course, the answer that he was seeking: So I said, "I will emphasize the Spirit, the
Christ, the Logos of Love, within all people, and downplay the role of Jesus." He defined "Jesus" as his
"ego," or "human nature," often in service to the lower nature." 18. By contrast, he wanted his human
nature to serve the higher nature or Spirit of Love exclusively. He wanted me to ignore "Jesus," his
human self, completely.
19. I could not do this. So I answered honestly: "The record would be about how the Christspirit filled
a man named Jesus." 20. The statement was simple and honest. He mused and contemplated in
silence. 21. Finally, he said, "If you really think that it will help people, I cannot stand in the way of
Love. Write your record."

CHAPTER 25.

Verse 1. Later that afternoon, as we were entering s small village, we passed a large gathering of
people in mourning. Jesus' heartstrings were very tender. 2. Seeing all the women and men weeping,
he also wept. "What is going on here?" he asked a man standing between the shack and the road.
3. "A little girl inside has died," he replied, a huge emptiness in his eyes. "She was only twelve. 4.
She was my only daughter." He broke down and began to sob. 5. Jesus took him in his arms, and he
covered his shoulder with tears.
"Let me see the little girl," Jesus said quietly.
6. The man looked up filled with tenuous hope. "Are you a physician?" he asked hopefully.
7. "Yes," said Jesus. Although technically, this was a falsehood, on another level, Jesus really was
the greatest physician.
8. "Come this way," said the man. As he led Jesus into the little one-room cabin, he said, "Stand
aside. Let this doctor through." 9. Everyone stood aside. Four of us followed him in, and the other
eight remained outside, as was our custom and Jesus' instruction, so as to be politely nonintrusive.
10. The little girl lay on a straw mat near the center of the room, and was as white as the wax that
burned in the candles. One small window let in indirect light from the outside.
11. Jesus approached her, and placed a hand on her neck. He then leaned close, as if listening.
12. He took her wrist in his hand, and all in the room were overcome by a hushed silence, as if we all
knew not to stir. It felt like the silence of a holy temple. 13. All that we could hear were dogs barking
in the distance.
Finally, with all holding their breath, Jesus spoke: "The little girl is not dead, but is sleeping." 14.
The people were in no mood to be given false hope. Some began to grumble against him, and some
mocked him sarcastically.
15. Jesus wisely ignored them and focused his attention on the girl. He shook her suddenly, and
seemed to pinch her arm. 16. Abruptly, with a mighty roar, he yelled, "Talitha, cumi!" which are the
Aramaic powerwords meaning, "Maiden, arise!"
17. The little girl's eyes fluttered, she twisted her arm from Jesus' grasp, and looked at him
uncertainly, as if he had wounded her. 18. His gaze was steady. "Give her something to eat-- right
now!" ordered Jesus, and some people fled from the urgency in his voice. 19. He turned to us, his
disciples, and said, "This little girl has run out of food, and must be fed, that is all." 20. They returned
with food, fed her, and she began to laugh and talk. Jesus turned quietly and made haste to leave, but
was stopped at the door by the girl's father.
21. The man shouted loudly, "This man has raised my daughter from the dead! She was dead, and
he has brought her back to life! 22. What the power of God has done here today Now, let us feast and
rejoice, and celebrate this great new prophet whom God has sent." 23. And they all gave a loud shout.
Jesus tried to break away, pulling us after him, for he wanted to leave, to disappear into the forest.
24. this was always his way. But he was suddenly surrounded by several women pulling on the hem of
his garment and begging him to stay. 25. So, we did. The people toasted Jesus several times, and he
seemed to be all that everyone could talk about. 26. He reacted, as always, with humility, and not a
little embarrassment.

CHAPTER 26.

Verse 1. "When you talk about Jesus, you speak of only a role which I have played during the last
thirty years," Jesus said. 2. "But if you speak, and write," and here, he pointedly looked at me, "about
the great mystery and truth of Christ, you write about Me, the Player of the role, the Writer of the
play, the Dreamer of this dream." 3. All the while, I was frantically scratching words on paper, to keep
up with him. I feel that the holy Spirit of our Father, the Spirit of Love, has inspired me to continue
keeping this record, despite Jesus' doubts.
4. For Jesus does not ask us always to conform to his ideas. He says, "I am part human, and that
part of Me is capable of misinterpretation. 5. He who lives within me, however, is perfect, but I am a
combination of Jesus, who is imperfect, of human nature, and Christ, who is of perfect spiritual nature.

6. Even a man inspired is still capable of every form of human error." In his great, immense humility,
he by no means claims infallibility. 7. This only increases our respect and admiration.
"You, though, are still a treasure of humanity and should never be forgotten," I said. 8. "I plan to
make sure that people remember you."
"You serve well in Love, Judas," he said. 9. "But you do people a much greater favor if you point to
the Christ within them, instead of pointing attention to the man Jesus." His tenacity was stunning. 10.
Like a carpenter with a hammer, he nailed this theme repeatedly, at every opportunity. He never
allowed a single friend to get away with a single word of praise for "Jesus." 11. This was, he
explained, only his ego or human-side. His words made me alternately burn with resentment, fear,
wonder, love, fury, rage, and frustration. 12. "Just remember," he said, "on earth, every act has
consequences." He said this so that I would write as carefully and accurately as humanly possible, and
this is how I have tried to form this record.
13. this thundered fear into my heart. "What consequences?" I asked, my mouth going dry.
"After you write, others will re-write what you have written. 14. Others will remove words and
phrases from their proper places. Others will distort what is said. 15. Still others will simply
misunderstand."
"So, I must write as carefully, plainly, and simply as possible, I interpreted."
16. "Yes, and repeat often the key elements of My teachings, so that they are as clear as crystal."
"Yes, Jesus, that is exactly how I plan to write."
17. "Your book, and other Gospels, will be cut like clothing, and patched, in order to fit, and
support, people of different beliefs. Even non-mystics, those who reject gnosis, will use it to try to
support their incomplete ideas. 18. Much of your writing will remain hidden in the deep archives of
the Mind. It will remain completely unknown for nearly two thousand years." 19. I was stunned.
"What will happen then, at that distant future date?" I asked.
20. Jesus looked up at the great blue bowl of the sky, and said, "At a time when people are, in
ignorance, predicting the 'end of the world,' when the earth is in great travail, your book will be re-
written, rediscovered. It will then appear in the common languages of the time. 21. It will be read by
millions of people. Still, about three centuries from now, most of the copies of your book will be
burned by the order of a council which claims to act in My name."
22. I was astonished, and sad. I knew that he was in touch with Power, and speaking from Power--
in other words, in a precognitive or prophetic state. 23. I remained silent as he continued: "Within
the large, powerful, corrupt organized church which will arise in My name, people will select carefully
only the most public of my teachings. These are the most easily understood. 24. These will be
misrepresented as My total Way. "That church will grow into a hideous monster. 25. It will
interpret things after the pattern of the Greeks. It will seek to define 'truth' as the correct
arrangements of words and ideas. 26. It will abandon the real truth of Love, and, in time, even forget
it. It will create terrible violence towards others of My faith, and even towards mystics in general. 27.
It will claim that no one may approach the Father but through that church. This violence against even
brothers and sisters is the ultimate blasphemy."

CHAPTER 27.

Verse 1. "The creation," Jesus continued, "of many books and ideas through many centuries will lead
to divisions among my beloved people, the people of Love. They will fall into the trap of the devil, or
of fear." 2. Jesus often taught that, as God was Love, the "devil" was fear.
"They will separate into many warring and hating groups, filled with ignorance and fear. 3. They
will hurt, torture, and kill one another." Tears ran down his cheeks. 4. He screamed, "All this, they
will do in My name!" He was shaking, breathing hard, and sobbing. 5. After he had settled, he
continued: "Each of these ignorant leaders will claim that his group alone has the 'truth.' 6.
Everywhere, it will appear that everyone has forgotten that love alone is truth. 7. The Way of Love
will be prostituted to doctrine and mere artificial head-knowledge, as the wisdom of heart and spirit is
forgotten and neglected. The world will be filled with grim condemnation. 8. All joy and fun will
disappear from My Way, as it is turned into an ugly thing of words, words, and more words!" Agitation
stirred his voice again. 9. He took some deep breaths.
After settling again, he said: They will completely forget Me, in all their empty talk about 'Jesus.'
10. They will set up Jesus as an idol, and will forget the most important parts of My Way. They will
forget to imitate Me. 11. They will be like people who, upon donning the garb of a general, believe
themselves to be real 'warriors,' because they simply imitate. 12. Enlightenment can never come
through mere mimicry or pretension. Just because a child's imagination turns a sharp stick into a spear
does not make him a real soldier." 13. As another tear fell from his eye, I could no longer restrain my
own pain. Hopelessly, I gazed into his eyes. 14. "My book will do all that?" i whined.
 "No, not your book, Judas. 15. By the time all this happens, your record will already have been
lost. It will be human nature, under the control of fear, that will produce this nightmare. 16. This will
all arise from the worship of words and books rather than Love. Exactly what the ignorant Pharisees
and other Jews have done with the writings of Moses and the Prophets, My followers will do with other
books. 17. This will produce a new but similar monstrosity of religion without spirit. "All that I have
lived for, and will die for, will be forgotten and temporarily destroyed."
18. It felt as if the bottom had dropped out of me. I was aghast. 19. "Why? How?" I sputtered.
Jesus said, "They will, like the ancients, project their god into the sky. 20. . They will again
confuse our Father with Jehovah. In fact, My Way will actually be seen as a form of Judaism!" 21. He
shook his head incredulously, as I did. "They will seek to blend the ancient Jewish writings with My
teachings, and try to fuse Law with Love. 22. It will produce a fragile system of iron mixed with clay.
Because I quote the ancient texts to the rabbis, they will actually believe Me to have been a religious
Jew. 23. That is how widely they will have strayed from reality. They will disagree about ideas they
cannot begin to understand, battling over incomprehensibilities."
24. "And my book-- will it help or harm?" I asked.
They who have rejected the Way of the Master will turn away from the words of the disciple. 25.
And they who have touched the Master within themselves will openly embrace your words." Then he
looked squarely into my eyes, with a terrifying expression of all-knowing wisdom. 26. "Before long,
you yourself will change. You will become the instrument of My liberation."
27. When I heard these words, a great fear fell over me, so that I was too frightened to ask
anything further.

CHAPTER 28.

Verse 1. "Tell me, Jesus" I said, "what it was like when you were young."
"When I was ten," he replied, "the whole world seemed to be an alien and strange place. 2. I have
always lived a very lonely life, Judas. I've always known that this world was not My home, but knew not
where else that home could be. 3. I always felt separate from others. The sheer aloneness was
terrible. 4. To make it worse, the world was suffering from the fire of a Messiah-fever. It seemed that
every week, a new 'holy man' appeared. 5. He would claim to be either a messiah, or else, the
Messiah. All through our history, of course, many 'messiahs' had appeared-- men who felt a special
calling from Jehovah.
6. Many, if not most, of them were quite mad, of course. Most were ignored, or simply locked away.
7. Others were jeered, and provided welcome diversions for bored people.
"Even at that early age, I resonated with the idea of a special calling from God. 8. I did not think,
however, that it would come through the crazy ascetic practices of these wild men. I had serious
doubts about their so-called 'calling.' 9. But more importantly, doubts about Jehovah arose in me. In
the historical presentations of the ancient Hebrews, he often seemed as mad as his 'prophets.' 10. The
bizarre appearance of the self-styled 'messiahs' was made much worse by the elders, who continually
assured us that the 'great and fear-inspiring Day of God the Almighty' was just around the next bend.
Jehovah, they said, would descend from the sky with a sword, and use the forces of nature to destroy
the 'nations' who had been Israel's persecutors. 11. People breathlessly waited for the coming of the
'messiah,' as the ultimate soldier-hero of Israel, to 'deliver' the people. But in every case, they were
disappointed. 12. Most 'messiahs' turned out to be frauds or people who, in hopeless self-delusion, had
lost their own way. And how could one who was himself lost help others to find the Way?
13. Still, the people were so desperate that, every day, new tension and drama filled the air. There
was always a one-in-a-million chance, we thought, that this latest 'holy man' was the real thing, not
just a crackpot. 14. Still, year after year, decade after decade, they all turned out to be madmen,
frauds, delusions, impostors."
"They say now that you are the Messiah. Are you?" asked Matthew.
15. "I do not claim to be the Messiah of Jewish dreams. I am a 'messiah' if that term means a
person who has a special calling or destiny. 16. But, no, I am not the Messiah predicted in the Hebrew
Scriptures to wage war against Rome, and liberate the Jews. That one is predicted to be a bloody
soldier. 17. I come as a man of peace."
"You don't always bring peace," contradicted Peter. "Your message has divided a lot of friends and
families."
18. "Yes, Peter," Jesus answered, sadness filling his voice and eyes. "I came to bring not only
peace, but a sword as well. For a person's 'enemies' might be those of her own household. 19. My
followers will never make enemies, but if someone else wants to divide from them, they will allow
them to go their way in peace. 20. Others must become the 'enemy,' as the person of Love recognizes
no enemy but fear."

CHAPTER 29.

Verse 1. "Tell us more about your younger days," said Martha.

Jesus smiled, and his eyes looked into the past. 2. "I personally met some of the self-proclaimed
'saviors.' A few were pretty intelligent, but suffered from delusions of greatness, a giant egotism. 3.
Even the sincere ones had this problem. They 'eclipsed' the inner God by becoming so involved with
their inflated sense of self-importance. 4. This was because, deep down, they hated themselves and
felt that they had no value."
5. "Will you help overthrow Rome?" asked a zealot. Rome was the burning issue of the day. The
Roman Empire was economically and socially crushing Judea, and threatening even the spiritual life of
the Jews. 6. The Jewish religion predicted the coming of a savior-Messiah who would start and win a
spectacular war with Rome, gaining freedom for the Jews.
7. The zealots wanted to make it happen as soon as possible. They even considered making Jesus one
of their spokesmen.
8. But he would have nothing to do with these violent rebels. "Rome is not your real enemy," he said.
9. Everyone booed. People started trying to shout him down, so he stopped speaking and watched in
silence. 10. After a while, the fracas and fray died down, and Jesus said, "Your real enemy is the
cruelty inside the Romans. 11. It is the same cruelty that you feel in yourself when you hate them.
This is the common enemy of all humans, whether Romans or Hebrews. 12. This is what all people
need to defeat and conquer-- their lower selves."
13. "But if we become sweet and kind, and the Romans do not, what good is that?" asked another
zealot.
"Then the real victory will be yours. 14. For we are striving after the honors of eternity. The life-
drama neither begins nor ends on the 'stage' of earth. 15. The medal is given only to the winner of the
true and very real 'Olympics.' That is the person who has made the best life for herself. 16. The only
way to 'win' this all-important contest is to conquer your lower impulses."
"But isn't that a formula for disaster?" the zealot asked. 17. "Doesn't that guarantee that we will
lose-- every time?" There was a swell of enthusiastic support for his question.
18. After it died down, Jesus continued: "More, much more, is at stake here than mere land or
money or material things. The quality of your heart, your peace as a soul, your very existence as a
good person-- all this is challenged by life. 19. the only responses that can ever 'win' this most crucial
'contest' are kindness and goodness. 20. So, if you have two coats, give one to your neighbor. If a
Roman or other enemy forces you to walk one mile, go two. 21. If a person slaps you on the right
cheek, turn the left also. Return good always for evil, love your enemies, pray for those who hate you
and spitefully gossip against you. 22. Return blessings for curses, and good for evil. This is the way to
store up treasures in heaven, where they cannot be destroyed. 23. These are the treasures of inner
goodness, which are worth more than all the gold in the world and which last forever." 24. The group
began to bitch and moan, dismissing Jesus as a "do-gooder," a "bleeding heart," and an idealist, a
romantic dreamer. 25. It was obvious that the fifteen people in that room were disgusted with him.
He had deflated their hopes for violent military action, mindlessly supported by an enthusiastic and
bloodthirsty Jesus.

CHAPTER 30.

Verse 1. Small bands of Jewish terrorists and guerillas roamed the countryside, stirring a violent
hatred that had already lasted for millennia. Indeed, except for a brief and remarkable forty-year
period of peace under the reign of the extraordinary mystic king Solomon, the nation had never known
any peace with its neighbors. 2. At this time, the Romans had instituted a ferociously vindictive law
that, for every Roman killed by these zealots, ten Jews would be executed. So, Jesus was right: BY
their hatred for Rome, the zealots were actually destroying Jews.
3. Jesus talked a little about his past, and it reminded me of my own: When I was eleven, I saw a
Roman attacked by some Jews. the horrible sight of the suffering, agonized victim was burned upon my
mind and soul. 4. It was all sharp blades, breaking bones, clubs, movement, splitting flesh, blood,
cries, tears, moans, in a ghastly kaleidoscope of horror that still sickens me even to think of it. 5.
Suddenly, in the midst of this nauseating chaos, my young mind was emblazoned with a startling
realization: As they fought, they were no longer Jews, no longer Romans. 6. They were just men--
men who wanted, despite it all, to find happiness. They were real men with wives, children, and
homes, men who sang, men who laughed, men who cried. 7. They weren't "good men" and "bad
men," but men who had a little of both. But these were men who would never go home. 8. The Roman
was finally killed, but, in the fray, so were three of his Jewish attackers. As they lay dying in their own
blood on that dusty road, they were men-- men who had become entangled in the hates of others. 9.
There was no Imperial Rome on that street, no Holy Chosen People. There were only heaps of bleeding
flesh that had once been men-- men who danced, men who prayed, men who made love beneath the
stars. 10. Now, tragically, they were men who would love no more. They had been killed by hatred--
and by hatred that was not even theirs, not even personal. 11. They lay bleeding painfully to death for
the monster of ugly abstract political hatred. Their fondest hopes and most passionate dreams, their
most painful regrets and deepest secrets all evaporated with their dried blood as the sun sank below
the silent horizon. 12. It was then that they finally realized that never again would they see that sun
rise.
And for what had they died? 13. For the disputes of strangers, for bigotries which they neither
created nor understood. They died for the sake of ignorance. 14. They died for nothing.

CHAPTER 31.

Verse 1. "All the causes for which men die, and kill, are illusions," said Jesus. "Only Love is worth
living, and dying, for. 2. And no sane person would ever kill out of Love, for Love forbids this." He
stared long into the blue sky, as if decoding a secret hidden in the puffy white clouds. 3. "If people
can imagine a world in which violence and killing do not happen, then they can create that world. If
they passionately long, and untiringly work, for that world, it will come to be. 4. For this is the
irresistible will of the Father."
"Will that world come about by the expansion of the theocracy of Israel?" asked James. 5. The
Israelis called their government a "theocracy," because the word means, "ruled by God." 6. Jesus
replied, "The only true theocracy is a world of peace."
Those words sank to the core of my being, as Jesus knew they must. 7. Jesus knew that, before
meeting him, i had been a committed zealot. (Zealots are the Jews who want to change the world
immediately by armed conflict.) 8. In fact, another zealot named Simon and I had tried to talk Jesus
into becoming a zealot, before he converted us to the Way of Love. We are strong men, and dismissed
him as a nonsensical, fanciful poet and dreamer. 9. We dismissed him until we saw firsthand the
effect his words could have on people. "Words are more powerful than swords," he always said. 10.
And we saw that this was so.
The day he gave the "Sermon of Peace," as we were later to call it, the objection exploded from my
mouth uncontrolled:
11. "But we can't just lay down the sword and let the Romans take over!" It was exactly the reaction
that he had expected. 12. His unwavering and idealistic pacifism had already turned away so many
from his message of universal forgiveness and Love. "Your idealism is noble," said a still-active zealot.
13. "But it's just too high for this world, the real world."
"It takes courage to pick up the sword," Jesus conceded. 14. "But it takes even more courage to lay
down the sword. To pick it up is to become the disciple of death. 15. Yes, you are right, my zealot
friends: Some things are worth defending, worth fighting for. But before we respond with our arms
instead of our minds, we must clearly understand what is worth defending."
16. "Israel is worth defending, you fool!" screamed another zealot.
"What is Israel?" asked Jesus. 17. "Is it a piece of land? If so, there are other pieces of land. 18. Is
it a kind of rulership? if so, there are alternatives. 19. Is it a religion? So many religions exist on this
planet. 20. So, what is this 'Israel' which you defend? I tell you that the real 'Israel' is a Way of
thinking and acting. 21. It is an attitude and a feeling, followed by activity to create the very best in
community. If, then, the best in 'Israel' is an attitude of holiness of God and care for neighbor, then
that attitude is inside your mind. 22. If it is inside your mind, it cannot be attacked with swords. So,
neither can it be defended with swords."

CHAPTER 32.

Verse 1. "You can't protect anything with mere thoughts," objected the zealot.
"Nothing, in this world or any other, is more powerful than thought," said Jesus. 2. "And that which
is deepest in your thoughts, the spiritual center, cannot be changed or attacked from the outside."
3. "If we must kill to live, then so be it!" said the zealot. It was their motto, spoken with an
arrogant bravado.
4. "Our Father," replied Jesus meekly, so quietly that I could barely hear, "has given you the freedom
to choose to kill, but you must be willing to die for each death that you create." 5. The zealot lost all
color in his face, and his knees seemed to weaken, so he sat suddenly, unceremoniously. Seeing his
fear, Jesus spoke even more boldly: 6. "When you plant wheat, nature does not give you corn. When
you 'water' the ground with blood, nature will return death to you. 7. The disciple of life is the friend
of humanity, seeing both Roman and Jew as brother and sister. When he spoke these words, the people
in the market where we were standing were stirred by the elders, who wanted to start a riot. 8. After
fueling the passions of a few loud men, they whipped the small group into pandemonium, restrained
only by the Roman police-guards. We just escaped with our lives.
9. Jesus, as always, was reticent to stop talking. So, in a matter of minutes, we had stopped to
rest alongside the road. 10. He began once again to talk to his disciples and, as always, a few
interested passers-by stopped to listen. Soon, we had about twenty people.
11. "Can a man kill in self-defense?" asked a young woman whose husband had been recently killed
by a Roman, and whose story was well-known to all.
12. "Nature itself teaches us," said Jesus, "that every creature has a right to defend itself. Look at
the ferocious reputation of little Brother Bee, or Brother Wasp, how they cause grown men to fear and
to flee. 13. So, the Father gives men the right to defend themselves, out of the great Love for self
that each must discover. Out of Love for others, they may also be defended. 14. But this must always
be with a complete and absolute minimum of force.
"Always be very slow to anger. 15. Never respond to provocation. Let words have no effect. 16.
Keep yourself from the hell of anger. Words alone cannot hurt you. 17. So, respond not to words at
all, but let them pass over unheard and unheeded. But, if a man strikes you, let him go, the first time.
18. If he strikes you again, do what you must to defend yourself or your friends. And if he strikes a
third time, then, strike back and end the matter as soon as possible. 19. For anyone who deliberately
attacks you loses his rights as a sacred being, through violence. But always remember that, in nature,
when creatures defend themselves, they do not feel anger, or violent intent. 20. In the same way, if
you must defend yourself, let your mind remain free and clear of anger or the intent to harm, the
intent of vengeance. 21. For nature herself will repay, wreaking a greater vengeance upon the violent,
from within his or her own mind. 22. And the violent one will not escape that hell until she has paid
back the very last cent. Still, always remember that she who kills, even in selfdefense, will be judged
by the perfect law." 23. A flock of birds flew over, heading for the sun, laughing.

CHAPTER 33.

Verse 1. "Jesus," I said, "I fear that we might never agree about the place of violence in the world.
So, please let us change the subject. 2. Tell us some more about your early years, that my record
might be complete."
"The earliest instruction that I can remember was to become very quiet and to seek the inner
presence of the Father.
3. Mary told me to feel for God, for Love in myself. In time, after years, I touched a vast space, a
deep core, of stillness and solidarity. 4. I sent the roots of my mind deeply into it. "Over more
years, this connection was nourished until I began to sense a blending between that deep inner Mind
and my own. 5. Then, over more years, I began to merge and fuse with It. 4. "With the passage
of more time, the Father and I became one. We fused in the inner Garden of Pleasure and
Communion." 5. Jesus had often taught that the story of the Garden of Eden was allegory for each
person's spiritual trek; and "Eden" means "pleasure."
6. "In that interior Garden, I grew from the Spirit, as a branch from the vine. As more time passed,
I realized that what I had come to think of as my self was only passing reactions and thoughts, without
real existence. 7. The ego called 'Jesus' was not My Self, but only a role or kind of game. So I began
the long search to find out what was really true or real within me. 8. That is when I was first touched
by the deep Love-nature, and realized, in a blaze of mystical awareness, that It alone was real. The
Love within me was more real than my self. 9. My purpose was fully to fuse and merge with It until It
became my whole identity, my truest Self. I, my self, was just an incarnation of this Spirit, this holy
Spirit. 10. I knew then that I was the vine itself, not just a branch from it. I was the Mind behind all
the cosmos of creation. 11. I was the Father of the All playing a temporary role called 'Jesus.' All
living, thinking, sentient beings were branches from this 'vine' of My Self. 12. As I grew, so did the
sense that 'my' life was being 'taken over' by this great inner Power, which was Love. Since I knew that
the Power was Love, I agreed to this take-over without fear, and in a sense of friendly cooperation 13.
Still, by the time that I was thirteen or so, the Father of us all did reveal that my life would reflect a
powerful intensity of inner struggle. This was to make me stronger and wiser. 14. Trusting still that
even this was under the full control of Love, I faced the future without fear.
15. "I began my struggle with the 'demons' of the lower nature in earnest. In time, this continued
war would leave me, as Jesus, dead-- crucified, transparent, disappearing into time like the smoke
from yesterday's campfire. 16. My personal will began to vanish, and I settled into the sweet joy and
tranquillity of wanting nothing. 17. From the start of this life, Mary had taught me that I was here to
become a vessel, empty and clean, for carrying, within myself, the divine will. I was always to allow It
to operate through me. 18. Still, I did not live without fear at this time, especially when I
contemplated what this might mean. 19. Fear still had not completely given way to Love, and still had
a grip on my lower nature and mind.
20. "For the first time, I realized why I had always felt like an alien. I began to see clearly that I
am not just a human being, although I am part human. 21. I do not live here. This world is not My
home. I am just visiting this place."

CHAPTER 34.

Verse 1. "So," I said, "you feel that you are not really part of this world, this material, physical
world?"
 "No, I am not a part of it. 2. As I have said so many times, I refuse to live for the things of this
world. My treasures are intangible and invisible. 3. The 'diamonds' of My life are Love, joy, and peace.
The 'gold' of My existence is goodness, kindness, and tenderness. 4. And we who will not live for the
material world will not die, or kill, for it. We refuse to harm sacred living creatures for the sake of
money, wealth, or profit. 5. We will not kill for borders, for temples, for sacred sites, because by so
doing, we would pollute the most sacred site in the cosmos-- our inner Mind. 6. We people of Love will
not harm others even for ideals, for each grows in perfection according to inner harmony. 7. We must
let each grow according to personal capacity and rate. We must not try to force our patterns upon
others, or to accelerate their rate of spiritual growth through force. 8. We will not harm others even
'for their own good,' but live lives of complete non-injury and harmlessness."
9. "So," I said, "do we just submit to the tyrant, silently, like sheep?"
"Can anything subdue your human spirit? 10. Can walls imprison your love for freedom? Can human
beings actually take over your deepest Mind or truest Self? 11. Have you not yet understood that your
entire inner world is inaccessible to others? Who can kill the human spirit? 12. What sword can cut the
Love-nature from your heart? Who can change the person you are inside?"
13. "Freedom is interior, and only appears to be an external condition. In the world, you will have
tribulation, it is true. 14. But take courage, for I have conquered the world, and you shall conquer it
too."
"What does it mean to 'conquer the world'? 15. It seems as if Rome is the only conqueror here in
this world. So, what do you mean?" I asked.
16. "The 'world' is not outside you, but is entirely inside your mind. 17. So, to gain control of the
mind, through Love and discipline, is to 'conquer' this 'inner world.' It is the only 'world' that is real.
18. It is so that you might enter this inner world that I have called you out of the 'external' world of
darkness into the kingdom of light. 19. For, as I am no part of this world, those who follow Me will
also be no part of this common world. 20. I call you instead, to enter and live in the world which
exists in your heart. This is the kingdom."

CHAPTER 35.

Verse 1. "Jesus, are you saying that the 'kingdom of God' is not on earth at all, but simply inside the
hearts of men?" I asked.
"Yes. The ignorant seek it on the outside. 2. They see it as a political structure, when actually, it
is a structure of the heartmind renewed and reborn in Love. They say that the kingdom of light is a
human-made government, and foolishly run around in chaos trying to make it so. These are men of
blood and sword.
3. "The only 'princes' or 'rulers' in this kingdom are Love, light, joy, and peace. These are to be your
only masters, and you must do their bidding above all human orders or commands. 4. You must always
obey Love as ruler rather than human beings. Even if you must live under tyranny, you are always free
in the kingdom of light. 5. For in that kingdom, you are a member of the universal brotherhood and
sisterhood of total freedom, light, and Love. 6. You are a child, and thus a subject, of only God or
Love. So, no man can command you. 7. No one can take away anything which is truly yours, and what
the infinite Father has granted you can be stolen from you by no human being. 8. And your Father has
gifted you with inner freedom."
"Is it wrong, then, to resist injustice?"I asked.
9. "You do not defeat evil by mere resistance, but must work to become its opposite. So never
submit to injustice, but use every non-violent method available to oppose it. 11. Do not condemn the
evil, but continue to replace it with the good."
"You are such an idealist. 12. In the real world, people are often stupid and cruel. How are we to
handle those like this who happen to be in power?"
13. "If possible, remove them from power. At least, expose them. 14. "Practice willful
disobedience to any law that violates the law of Love. 15. Come together in cooperation, for in
numbers is strength. 16. Organize disobedience and resist authority that supports evil, knowing that,
in time, the power of God or Love will bring about the sure and certain collapse and ruin of the evil.
17. Fight only for Love and freedom, never for material gain, land, or greed. 18. Stan immovable and
always for compassion, kindness, goodness, and justice.
19. Now I was angry again with this pacifist. I agreed with the man who next spoke and said: "The
Romans have torn away from us our last shreds of freedom and dignity, and we have every right to kill
the bastards. 20. If you can't see that, then your 'vision' has totally blinded you!"

CHAPTER 36.

Verse 1. "My friend," said Jesus, so gently that it seemed that the zealot was indeed an intimate of
Jesus, "do you not still live? Can you not still think? 2. Do you not still feel? And love? And long for
freedom? Aren't these valuable gifts still all alive in you? 3. Don't you still possess a great inner
treasure? What are your passions worth? 4. For how much would you sell them? Hasn't the cruelty of
the Romans made these inner jewels glisten even more radiantly and brightly? 5. Can you not see that
even they, in their gross miscarriages of justice, and great ignorance, have become your teachers?"
6. "I have learned nothing but hatred from those inhuman devils!" he shouted.
7. "You have learned much more. It is they who have taught you what can, and what cannot, be
stolen from a man.
8. It is they who have whipped the stirrings of your heart into a fiery passion. In fighting their evil, you
have found meaning in your life. 9. So it is they who have given you the great gift of a meaningful
existence.
"My friends," he said, turning to the rest of us, "Anyone in the world will be driven into a hell of
misery if she thinks about what she does not have. 10. We must learn to look at the world through
new eyes, in terms of what we do have. How has the world-- how have our enemies-- enriched us? 11.
Behold the good things that can arise even from bad people!
"And our brother here also teaches us. 12. For we can move closer to an inner 'hell' through hatred,
or to an inner 'heaven' by choosing to love. 13. The greatness and miracle of life is not in what we
have, or even in just what we do. It is found simply in the art of living well. 14. The greatness of life
is in being. We are all a part of the infinitely great drama.
15. Knowing this, let us create and discover the wisdom to work without seeking results, to live
without demands or expectation. 16. All that you do, do for God. Lay everything upon the altar of
Love, and offer every moment, every breath, to Love.
17. Sacrifice yourself in Love, and hasten to give and to serve. 18. By losing yourself in the service of
at least one other person, you will find yourself in perfect peace." 19. He turned to the zealot and
said, "Are your thoughts not always your own? What more freedom does a man need?"
20. "A few hours in a Roman dungeon-hole would change your mind forever!" the man spat, shaking
his fist.
21. "A worse dungeon is an unforgiving mind. For you can go nowhere to escape its tormenting
fires. 22. It gives you no peace, day or night. A being of Love finds the presence of God even in the
worst of hells. 23. Drop your hatred. Then, freedom and Love will pick you up on their wings, and you
will soar!
24. Give up hatred, and greed loosens its grip. Release greed, and defense falls away. 25. Give up
defense, and conflict ceases. Allow the cessation of conflict, and tranquillity will blossom."

CHAPTER 37.

Verse 1. "Dare to live in simplicity. Reject poverty, and reject riches, and walk the Middle Path,"
instructed Jesus.
2. "Let greed not become your hideous, hellish task-master, for it will drive you mercilessly and
relentlessly until you have not a moment's rest. 3. Seek to own little, and little will own you."
 "May we still follow your Way and own things of beauty?" asked a young man who had joined us in
our walk.
4. "Yes, you may own things of beauty, because they can bring pleasure to the soul. But you must
always turn away from overabundance, and from luxury, and from greed. 5. Out of Love, make your
body warm in winter and cool in summer. Surround it with bright colors, like the flowers in a garden.
6. Listen to pleasant sound, like the roar of thunder and the sea, or the songs of crickets and birds.
Nature herself works to please the eyes and the ears and the other senses, and so teaches us that this is
fitting. 7. Remember that the body, like so many other things, can make a wonderful servant, but
becomes a terrible and relentless master."
8. As if by a common signal, we all began to walk along the beach. Counting Jesus, there were
seven of us. 9. We were feeling very close, warm, and intimate that day, and were in a mood that
supported our quest for deeper spiritual understanding. 10. Jesus breathed deeply.
"Always enjoy the free gifts of God," he said. 11. Your senses are all gifts of the Father, so enjoy
them as fully as you can. 12. But let them always be bounded by goodness, Love, and wisdom. All
things created and owned by all people are but dust, if they are not fashioned in Love. 13. Men fight
and hate over dust, but when the dust is all gone, the beings who gave in to violence must pay the price
for evil. 14. Dust disappears, but hatred survives. Work to clear your life of both excess dust and of
hatred. 15. But how quickly men sell their souls to the lower nature for dust! "
Never forget that greed is fear, and fear is the enemy.
16. Greed is subtle, but dangerous. It will deceive and master the very best of people. 17. Greed will
bring the 'satan'
of fear into the deepest chambers of the heartmind. 18. Love burns away fear, like a fire burning
through a forest of dried timber. 19. Remember that you are less than what you serve. Do not make
yourself less than dust.
20. "For you are God's greatest treasures, his masterpieces, his greatest works of beautiful art. Do
not soil the marble of his sculpture with the filth of greed. 21. Be as pure, clean marble, stainlessly
gleaming in the sun of God's impeccable Love. 22. Let God mold you into the pure form of
incomparable, shining, perfect Love. 23. Let God breathe compassion into every moment of your life,
so making of you a dust-free mirror of Love. 24. In this way alone will you be welcomed into the
kingdom of light in your heart.
25. There, the invincible treasures exist. Thieves cannot steal, moths and rust cannot consume,
time cannot destroy, the jewels of your divine qualities." 26. I was writing furiously to try to keep up
with Jesus. But words gushed from him in such abundance, and some were made of fire, and still
others of diamond.
27. "Human nature is not reliable, and this is no one's fault. But to build your faith on human nature
is like trying to build a house upon shifting sands." 28. He reached down and scooped up a handful of
sand, allowing it to slip through his fingers. "Build not upon sand, which changes, but upon the Rock of
Love."
29. "But doesn't Love change?" asked John.
"The forms, expressions, and intensities of Love do change," said Jesus. 30. "But real Love is
unconditional and, in its essence, changes not. Most people, however, have little or no understanding
of unconditional Love."
31. "What is it?" asked John.
"If I love you unconditionally," said Jesus, "then I must decide to love you because of what I am, and
not because of what you are. 32. Then, if you change your words or actions, or even your very self, my
love will not have changed, because the changes in you do not change me. 33. So, no matter what you
do or say, if I love you because of who I am, changes in your life will not affect our Love."

CHAPTER 38.

Verse 1. "Dare to find the inner courage to live in simplicity," Jesus said. "This takes courage. 2.
This is because the average person allows herself to be defined in terms of material possessions. But
You are infinitely greater than your things, than all things. 3. Avoid both unhealthy extremes of
poverty and riches. 4. Actually, no human being is truly rich simply because she has an abundance of
things, because she really owns nothing," smiled Jesus. 5. "We only borrow things while we live on
earth. So, avoid getting involved with great personal expenses. 6. The money could better be used to
aid the poor or the sick. It could better be used to help the world in many ways, rather than merely to
indulge your selfish desires. 7. Avoid expensive and costly ornaments, recreations, decorations, and
other non-necessities. The key here is to keep things moderate, and avoid extremes.
8. "If, then, you would avoid most hideous slavery, do not 'sell yourself' for the sake of material
things. 9. In this world, you must usually 'sell' your time for money, or else 'sell' money to buy back
time. Time is the only real treasure that a person has. 10. It is wasteful and ignorant to sell precious
time for mere money. This is to trade gold-dust for road-dust.
11. "Compared to the pleasures of nature, all the things owned by all the people are but straw. 12.
Will we fall so low as to sell our souls to the lower nature for the sake of straw?
13. "Greed is the enemy that leads to hells, which can last for centuries. Greed is the disease of
the soul that arises when one cannot say,'Enough!' 14. If you love yourself, you will not need to 'prove
your value' to impress people. Instead, you will be unshakably certain that you are of infinite value.
15. "Then, greed will not be able to take over your mind, driving you to death and destruction.
16. Remember, you become less than what you choose to serve. Are you less than straw?
17. "No, you are not. You are greater than the world, than all that fills the world. 18. You are
God's treasures of Love. You are divine diamonds. 19. You are being formed into priceless,
incomparable expressions of Love. Use your time to serve Love, not money. 20. For you cannot serve
two masters, or else, you will end up loving only the one and hating the other.
"Choose wisely and carefully which you will serve. 21. For you cannot serve God and money.
"God has taken you from the material world, and chosen you, to form you into the likeness of
compassion. 22. Let his inner spirit reform and remold you."

CHAPTER 39.

Verse 1. "'Demonized' is what they call me," Jesus said. "What do you think?"
2. "You are possessed," I responded, "By God."
"How long I have lived with these ignorant superstitions," sighed Jesus, "of evil spirits. But you have
spoken truly, Judas. 3. I seek to be possessed by my Father, by Love."
4. "In silence and solitude," I ventured.
Jesus looked up to the vast blue purity of the sky. 5. "I stood alone, many days and many nights,
under this vast sky, and learned the mysteries of the celestial bodies. 6. "Our Father uses
everything in nature as a teacher. But only the wise can hear the shout of his voice from the still sky.
7. Let him who has inner ears hear what God is saying."
"What, exactly, does God say to you?" I asked.
8. "He tells of bottomless Love for Me, for you, for all creation. God reveals that he is not harsh,
like my earthly father Joseph. 9. Nor is He like the primitive Jehovah of the Hebrews. He is tender,
soft, loving, compassionate Love, joy, peace, and forgiveness."
10. "Tell me a little about Joseph," I said, taking advantage of one of our personal times, with just
him and me.
"He was a 'righteous' man, afraid of the world and its many forms of 'uncleanness.' 11. He was
determined, above all, to remain 'righteous.' There exists a world of difference between being
'righteous,' or following the law, and being 'good,' or following Love 12. He faced the world with grim,
joyless determination. He saw all but those of his own nation and culture as enemies and 'barbarians.'
13. He was the consummate 'elder's elder,' and could play the game of being friendly and conversant
when it suited his purpose. He could pretend to like people whom he despised. 14. All that really
mattered to him was the 'law of Jehovah,' and the 'theocratic organization' of his religion. He really did
not care much for me or Mary, most of the time. 15. His way of life taught me much about the evil
and insensitivity of legalism, and the futility of living by the 'letter of the law,' while neglecting the
Spirit of Love.
16. He was never a happy man, even though, for the sake of his religion, he had to pretend to be. He
felt that it would have shamed him for an elder of the congregation to show any weakness, softness, or
vulnerability, and that made him hard and harsh.
17 He was so above it all, so superior. Nothing ever really touched him. 18. Nothing could sully the
garment of his religion.
"From the view of the elders, he had only two flaws: Mary and me."

CHAPTER 40.

Verse 1. "The elders viewed both Mary and me as rebels and renegades, not in 'proper subjection' to
Joseph. We were not 'submissive' enough. 2. Joseph never had his family in 'proper subservience.'
"Both Mary and I insisted on our right to think and act for ourselves, without Joseph's permission or
approval. 3. Since he, and his religion, were radically insecure in this issue, feeling that only males
were created in God's image, and hence, in charge of everything, this kind of independence threatened
them. 4. "That is why both Mary and I were ultimately disfellowshipped. Joseph was ashamed of us.
5. He rejected Mary because of her spirituality. He rejected me too, because of mine, and because he
thought that I was not 'masculine' enough. 6. 'Talking about Love all the time is talk for women,' he
would say. He was technically 'perfect' in the exercise of his legalistic, mechanical religion. 7. But his
religion was like a dead tree. It had the proper form, like a living tree of spirituality, but had no life
inside. 8. And the elders were also dead. They thought that they had everyone fooled, but everyone
actually saw right through their pretensions and arrogance. 9. They were like white-washed graves.
They had all in order on the outside, but inside, were full of maggots, mud, and rottenness. 10. For
they were filled with deceit, egotisms, fears, and the sickening smell of death. They were hypocrites,
determined to create hells not only for themselves, but also to take others there."
11. "Why do you disrespect your father?" I objected.
"I don't disrespect him. 12. But he isn't my 'father.' Never call anyone on earth your 'father,' for
your only Father is the Father of light. 13. When you thought that you were only human, you had a
literal father, whom you saw as your source. But when you discovered that you are a birthless and
deathless soul, a timeless being, that person ceased to be your real father. 14. He became simply
another adult, equal to yourself. So, your earthly father is to be treated with the same honor and
respect that you would provide for any other equal adult, any stranger, but no more."
15. The shadows began to grow long as we walked and talked. "I could never be the person
Joseph wanted me to be," Jesus said. 16. "He wanted a perfectly obedient and very Jewish son. When
I was called to be a seeker for God, a mystic, he all but disowned me.
17. "He saw me as a shame and a disgrace, and I cried a bucketful of tears over that. So did Mary.
18. It was, in fact, because of us that Joseph lost his position in the congregation. Then, he felt like a
total failure. 19. I don't think that he ever forgave me or Mary for that."

CHAPTER 41.

Verse 1. "The material world," said Jesus, " even with all its bright promise and glitter, can be no
more satisfying than the carob-pods fed to pigs. The inner kingdom, on the other hand, is always
bright, new, and wonderful, a true feast for the soul. 2. This inner kingdom is Love. It is your
capacity for Love, your ability to love. 3. The kingdom of light is nothing but Love, and all who love
are members. Whenever your being is filled by the inner Father, the Source, with Love, you enter that
kingdom of wonder. 4. And when you turn your will over to the will of Love, you become a partaker of
that kingdom."
5. "Is the kingdom religion?" asked Barnabas.
 "No. It includes people of all cultures and all religions. 6. But many 'religious' people are not in
that kingdom, for they know not Love. Also, some even without religion are in that Kingdom, for they
have loved deeply, repeatedly, and truly. 7. "When you are in truest community, it becomes
communion. In deepest communion, you touch the kingdom.
8. "The Love that gently invites communion is the only true worship. So, all selfless Love is worship,
and holy. 9. The most humble task, if from Love, is sacred. Preparing meals and cleaning the home
can be sacred activities. 10. So can working in the field, or selling in the market." Here, Jesus smiled
at a vendor, and she smiled, having heard his words. 11. "All that merely appears to be worship, but
contains no Love, is not worship, and not sacred." Here, Jesus looked pointedly at an elder, who was
blessing some animals before their slaughter.
12. The elder became angry, for he was not blessing the creatures, but asking that they be good meat,
to serve humans. "Prayers," Jesus said, a little more loudly so that the elder would hear, "might be
hollow and empty. 13. They might be just words. The true prayer is any word infused with Love." 14.
He concluded, more softly, talking now to his friends: "All words of Love are worship." There were
about a dozen of us gathered together in a stall used to sell produce. 15. It belonged to one of our
friends.
"Religion is only an empty shell or husk without the Spirit of Love," Jesus continued. 16. "It is as
'tasteless' as an empty dish or empty cup. It is what fills religion that is the true 'bread' and 'wine.' 17.
This spiritual food is Love. The kingdom of Love must never become a hobby, a pastime, or just a
secondary interest. 18. It must become in you a consuming passion, an obsession more important than
anything. Thoughts of Love should be your first every morning, your last every night, and must pervade
your days. 19. Your lives must be saturated with the Way of Love."

CHAPTER 42.

Verse 1. "Will the kingdom of God not come, in great military power, and destroy all evil?" asked
Marcus Octavian, a Roman who was interested in Jesus' message.
"No, it will never happen that way," said Jesus.
2. That is the ancient superstition based on an interpretation of old Jewish Scriptures. The kingdom
of which I speak is spiritual, not literal, not material. 3. Its purpose is not to kill, but to give life. It
comes to the world, yes, but only one person at a time. 4. Its 'army' consists of all who are called to
the service of Love. Its call is to peace."
5. "Even many of your followers are Messianists," said Marcus, "and they have declared you to be the
Messiah of Israel. Do you deny or accept this title?"
6. "I deny it," said Jesus. "I am not the Messiah of which the Jews speak, and for which they look. I
am not the one prophesied by their ancient texts. 7. I have never claimed to be. What they want and
seek is a military leader to throw off the yoke of Edom, and to restore the ancient empire of Israel. 8.
I will not do these things."
9. "Is the end of human history at hand?" asked Martha.
"Human history will not end until all human beings have found enlightenment in Love," answered
Jesus. 10. "then, they will move on to the higher worlds, and earth will have served her whole
purpose. That will not occur for thousands of years.
11. Human history was designed by the Father to teach us. It is our school. 12. Now, the school does
not close until all students have learned, and finished their courses. Most people here are still in their
'toddler' phase, and have not even started school."
13. "What about the Messianists, with their ideas of the 'end of the world'?" asked John Mark, a
disciple.
14. "Messianists were here long before I was born, and they will be here long after I leave the
world," said Jesus. "You don't throw a seed in the ground at night and, in the morning, expect to find a
full grown tree. 15. So, the message of the Way of Love is just now being 'seeded.' The 'seeds of light'
are going forth, but will take many millennia to blossom in most hearts. 16. So, our work has only just
begun."
17. "Why will this take so long?" moaned a young woman who had begun to accompany us.
"Our Father has forever. 18. There is no hurry, and the cosmos is limited neither by the calendars
nor by the impatience of people. The Father is in no hurry. 19. Before nations can change, hearts
must change, and this is a slow and laborious process. 20. Still, as each and every part within a giant
cedar is made and regulated in smallest detail, so each member of the kingdom of light needs to be
trained. This must occur personally, perfectly, and with time enough to see that the results are
permanent. 21. Like all things in our Father's world, the kingdom must grow. Nothing in the cosmos
can stop it."

CHAPTER 43.

Verse 1. "The hearts and minds of people," Jesus said, "are everywhere being illuminated. This
process must occur until all have come into a perfection of Love. 2. At that time, God will be all
within all. People might find the kingdom in a moment, or in a day, but worlds take longer. 3. When a
person touches that Love-nature that is the core of existence, that is my 'second presence.'"
4. "That is how you are going to 'return' to this world-- in a spiritual form?" asked Matthew.
5. "Yes, it is. I have come once in the flesh, a separate person. When I return, it will be to the
personal heart and soul of the one seeking Me. 6. I will come in an experience of Love and
illumination. I will come not to the world, but to the heart. 7. Every eye will see Me, but not all at
once. I have already come as the Light of the world, but men have not seen Me, or have even preferred
the darkness. 8. And now, you who have received Me are identical with Me. You are also the Light of
this world. Let your light shine, so that the Way might be bright and clear."
9. "I don't really feel like light, Jesus," said Bartholomew. "I feel that there is a great darkness
within me."
"Blessed you are, for you have spoken honestly. 10. All men have two natures, one of light and one
of darkness. One is a Love-nature and the other is a fear-nature. 11. Fear, including worry and guilt,
feeds the demon of the lower nature, while every act and word of Love feeds the higher. So, fill
yourself with Love. 12. Learn to love all things, without judgment or separation. Judge not. Don't
judge any person, event, or thing as irredeemably evil. 13. Don't partake of the 'tree of the knowledge
of good and evil.' Return to calling all things 'good,' and you feed the higher nature." 14. Jesus
reached out and took Bartholomew's hand, and looked deeply into his eyes. "All your sins are forgiven
you," he said quietly.
15. A couple of trouble-making elders heard this, and returned to the town, alledging that Jesus
himself claimed to be able to forgive sin, and creating a furor at the meeting of the elders. 16. When I
reported this to Jesus, he said, "Let them be. They are without insight. 17. What they say, how they
judge, doesn't matter at all."

CHAPTER 44.

Verse 1. Our non-stop walking and talking have been tiring. It has been a month since I have
written an entry into this record, and it is time that I do so again. 2. So, I arranged to meet Jesus
today at our special spot on the Mount of Olives. He also looked weary. 3. But he spoke
immediately when he saw me draw out my writing utensils: "I have learned to love all that creation
gives us. 4. If she brings health, I can embrace that joyfully. But if she brings illness, I can also find
good in that. 5. When she has a year of plentiful harvest, I can rejoice. But when there are drought,
and stalks fall lifeless in the field, and no fruits appear on the trees, I can find the beauty in that, and
again, find joy.
6. "If I am fully to love the Dreamer, I must learn to love all that is in the dream, without
exception. I cannot judge, pick and choose, between what I want to be 'bad' and what I choose to call
'good.' 7. Everything serves the man who loves." He placed his hands on an old sturdy oak. 8.
"Brother Tree serves men, and still, we often dismiss him, regarding him as a mere thing. 9. But he is
a living being, worthy of respect. This tree contains the very miracle of life.
10. "How much more should we honor the life-force within creatures, who are alive and thinking,
like us." A far-away look came again into his eyes. 11. "When I was born, I brought into this world a
special fondness for Brother Sheep. I saw how humble and sweet they were, how much they gave.
Even to the ultimate sacrifice of their lives at the hands of ungrateful priests, who cut their throats.
12. I admired their silence. In death, it seemed like a kind of special courage. 13. In their daily
silence seemed to be a wisdom, especially when compared with the brashness and obnoxious character
of loud men.
14. "They lived in total peace, and their lives were utterly simple. They knew nothing of control, or
private property, or greed. 15. I never saw them fight, and they had no war. They were always much
closer to God and nature than any human beings, but had no religion. 16. I observed and studied
them. I learned that all God's creatures have something to teach, if only we can see it.
17. "A shepherd kept his flock in a field nearby, when I was very young, and I would play with his
sheep every day. 18. "Besides my cousin John, as I grew older, I did not have many friends, but
the sheep became my companions. 19. The shepherd told me that, on the very night that I had been
born, he had been watching his sheep, and had a vision of many angels. They glowed, he said, in the
night sky like giant candles. 20. "He was a very old man, but full of life. He claimed that you
could draw life from the Love that you gave to such creatures as sheep.

CHAPTER 45.

Verse 1. "When I was very young, I used to talk to the sheep. I talked about life, and
God. 2. I sang songs to them. I could feel the tremendous Love of God for these beautiful creatures.
3. We used to run through the meadows together on hot summer days, without a care in the world.
Sometimes, I would even pretend that I was one of the sheep.
4. Never have I felt so free, and so alive. I could feel always the nearness of the 'hand' of the great
Shepherd, our Father, God. 5. I wanted for nothing." A tear rolled down his cheek. 6. "How simple
that life was! All that we needed was a place to play, a place to rest, and some green grass. 7. As
they nibbled so contentedly, beneath the crystal-blue skies, I poured out my young heart to those
sheep. Those days contain such a bright sweetness that I have never been able to recapture it!" 8. He
smiled. "My first preaching was the 'Sermon to the Sheep.'
9. "I learned later that some of my favorite sheep had had their throats cut in a sacrificial rite. 10.
That is when the seeds were sown for the rejection of the cruelty, barbarity, and atrocity of sacrifices
of living creatures. I began to see it as bloodthirsty. 11. The sense of loss and waste was bottomless,
and I was depressed for years. 12. I was so stunned that I could find no peace anywhere, for a very
long time. When I told Joseph of my anguish, he just laughed. 13. "When people sin," he said,
"something has to die, for Jehovah demands blood. The Scripture says, 'Unless blood is spilled,
forgiveness does not occur.'" It was all just open and shut for him. 14. Countless animals had died
every year in the bloody temple at Jerusalem, to the point where they had built in troughs to carry
away the stinking rivers of blood. This was taken for granted as 'completely normal' by everyone,
Joseph implied. 15. To get upset about it was just plain silly, if not insane.
16. "By the time that I was twelve, I found the spilling of innocent blood to be monstrous, and its
god implacable. That is why I tell my friends to do away with gory sacrifices."
17. "They want to kill you for that, Jesus," I reminded him.
"Yes," he said, weary. 18. "Kill, kill, kill-- it is all that they understand. And they will have their
'final sacrifice' soon enough. 19. But I behold in a vision an abomination of Rome standing in that very
temple. Roman armies will surround Jerusalem, and will shed blood. 20. For the blood-soaked temple
cries out to karma, and its blood attracts still more blood."

CHAPTER 46.
 Verse 1. Shocking words such as those can barely be written. Imagine, the temple, the holiest
place in the universe, being invaded by the pagan hordes. 2. It was stunning! That place, regarded as
the "navel of the world," was said to be protected by special angels of Jehovah. 3. Would it really
come to such frightening ruin? My quill shook as I wrote down the prophecy.
4. Jesus' first visit to the temple occurred when he was twelve. Joseph wanted him to have a bar-
mitzvah, but he fled from the man and, instead, sought out some of the famous scholars who lived and
studied in the environs.
5. "The temple," recalls Jesus, "was quite a bit worse than my worst nightmare. I saw priests and
helpers splattered with blood, and there was blood everywhere. 6. I heard the animals crying their
hearts out to God, and watched them drown horribly in the blood from their cut throats. Workers tried
to keep the place clean, but the awful and pervasive presence of dung, blood, and carcasses made it
impossible. 7. And I found the filth of human greed even more disgusting. For greedy men were
actually selling small animals, and bringing greed as well as violence into what was supposed to be the
'house' of My Father.
8. "While I was there, I walked away from my parents, and later lost them. I ended up in one of the
side-areas, sick and dizzy. 9. A very large man noticed me and approached. He strode up to me with
an air of unquestionable authority, apparently outraged that anything should be out of order in this
place. 10. He wore a loud, showy, ostentatious phylactery, or Scripture-containing case. He shouted
in my face that it was shameful to be sick, and without my parents, in such a holy place. I was
frightened, and humiliated. 11. But when he roared at me, like a dumb beast, I felt a surge of the
Power. 'Where is your father?' he stormed.
12. "'He is here,' I answered.
"'Where? I don't see him,' the great man boomed.
13. "'He is within Me,' I replied.
"The man regarded me suspiciously, as if I'd been caught with a broken holy relic. 'What does that
mean?" he demanded.
14. "'It means that my Father is God,' I said.
"'What kind of troublemaker are you?' he said.
15. "'The kind who loves God,' I said.
"He regarded me with narrowed eyes, still suspicious.
16. 'Well, you can't stay around here. Get out of here!
17. Find your parents!' Then, he struck me. 18. 'Find your father!'
19. "'I have already found him,' I said. 'Now, you must find him.'
20. "He leaned down, squinting at me, his face all stern lines. 'I see no one,' he said."

CHAPTER 47.

Verse 1. "'You don't see because your heart is blinded,' I said. 'Open to Love, and you will see. 2.
You know only religion, but have no Spirit.'
3. "This time, it was he who staggered back, as if I had struck him. I read fear in his eyes. 4. Now,
a couple of the other elders had heard, and drew closeout of curiosity. The giant rabbi, embarrassed,
bellowed: 5. 'A young boy does not educate a rabbi!'
6. "'He does, if that rabbi is a hypocrite,' I said. 'And you, sir, are a hypocrite.'
7. "An elder approached me and said, 'Son, do you know who we are?'
8. "I replied, 'Yes, you are men.' By now, there were five elders plus the rabbi. None of them liked
that.
"9. "'We are servants and priests of the most high God,' the elder thundered, in no better spirits than
the angry rabbi, who still eyed me warily.
10. "'You are men wearing the clothing of priests,' I said. 'That doesn't make you priests any more
than putting a bonnet on a cow turns her into a lady.'
 11. "They were stunned, and growled, at that. By this time, a group of five more people had
gathered. 12. They were visitors, peasants, and they seemed to take sides with me, embarrassing the
elders. In my village, people used to laugh at, and mock, the pomposity and pretensions of the elders.
13. So I knew that these common people were on my side. When I deflated the egos of the elders
right in the temple, the people were all smiles.
14. "'I will say a prayer that you be forgiven, young man,' the elder said.
"I responded, 'You talk more than others, but actually say less. God is not impressed by many
words.' 15. Just then, an animal bleated in agony, and I said, 'God wants mercy and love, not dead
animals. 16. In your own law, it is written that God opposes the haughty, but gives grace to the
humble. Are you humble?'
17. "The elders did not know what to say. Had they said that they were humble, they would have
looked like asses, for no humble man can brag about that fact. 19. But if they had admitted that they
were not humble, they would have said that their god opposed them. So, they were caught in a bind.
20. "After a moment of embarrassed silence, the rabbi said, 'We seek humility.'
"I replied, 'The one who seeks humility seeks not to be noticed. 21. Why, then, do you wear special
clothing and have special titles? 22. Why do you seek always to be noted by men? Why do you say long
and loud prayers, standing before the whole congregation? 23. Why do you broaden your Scripture-
containing cases so as to advertise the fact that you are "scholars"?
24. I tell you the truth, you do not seek humility. It scares you.'
25. "A great hush seemed to fall over the whole temple.
"'I am the high priest of the most high God," one of them said.
26. "'Do humble men need to hide behind impressive titles?' I asked.
27. "'Humble men seek only God,' said the other elder.
"'Do you do this?' I asked.
"'I do,' he replied.
28. "'Then, if you are still seeking, that means that you have not yet found, for who seeks a thing
when it has already been found?' I said. 29. 'And if you truly have not found God, what, then, are you
offering the people?'
30. "The crowd, by then, had grown to about twenty of the common people, and smiles and a
murmur of approval showed that they were on my side.
"'God is ever being found,' offered another elder, seeking to rescue his embarrassed brother. 31.
'God, being infinite, can be found by men only a little at a time.' When I read this man, I perceived
that he was an advanced soul, and Love glowed in his eyes.
32. "I said to him, 'You, my brother, are not far from the kingdom of God.'
"After that, it was made clear to both me and my parents that I was no longer welcome in the
temple, so I never went back. 33. "As I have taught you, my friends and disciples, the real 'temple'
is in your hearts. It is not a building made of wood and stone."

CHAPTER 48.

Verse 1. "After my meeting with the elders in the temple, they blackened my reputation over the
next few years by saying that I was a cursed child of darkness, that both Mary and I were spellers or
conjurers, demonized practicers of magic. 2. How quickly, and how sadly, is the dark flame of
superstition ignited!
3. I had asked many questions of the scholars there, and met some who were true spiritual
teachers.
4. Today, Jesus talked again about these long-ago events. Here is what he said:
"do not think that I have come to this world to judge and to condemn. 5. The Father in Me does not
evaluate persons and things. He does not judge at all. 6. Instead, he has committed all judging to the
ignorant sons of men. They delight in comparisons, and in talking about, and rejecting, what they do
not like. They label these things as 'bad.' 7. Even though they know that it brings them only misery,
and puts them in hells, they fool themselves into believing this. Even their religions partake of the
illusion of an absolute evil. 8. So the elders, the hypocrites, tel you to fear everything. They say
carefully to measure and weigh all things with extreme caution. 9. They never embrace the world as
good, as God. They bar the entrance to the inner Garden of Pleasure in the heart. 10. This they do by
continuing to 'eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.' 11. This bars you from the
acceptance of grace, as it did our father Adam. But I tell you, do not judge anything or anyone in
absolute terms. 12. God, the absolute Good, has no opposite. Embrace God as the cosmos, and the
universe as God manifested. 13. For, as you evaluate, you will be precisely evaluated. And as you
measure out, giving to others, it will be measured out to you. 14. Give poison, and you will be
poisoned. Give nourishment, and you will be nourished. 15. For if that within you which you call 'light'
is in reality darkness, how great that darkness is! So, seek the unopposed light of Love in all things,
people, and situations. 16. This will move you ever closer to an inner 'heaven.'
"The elders teach that 'light' is found in doctrine and Scripture. 17. But I tell you that there is no
light in either. Love is the only light. 18. It is the light of the inner spirit, and the light behind all
spiritual teaching. It has nothing to do with doctrine or dogma. 19. Woe to you if your alignment with
the Father's will is not much greater than that of the elders. For they often use good words, but do not
follow through with lives dedicated to Love. 20. You must not pursue ego and greed like the religious
leaders, for they say, but they do not do. While the Scriptures are on their lips, only greed and lust are
in their hearts."

CHAPTER 49.

Verse 1. "You must not follow the elders and priests as leaders. No, indeed, you must not even be
like them. 2. For they have strayed from Love, and their results are certain from cosmic law. 3.
Refuse to follow anyone on earth as 'leader,' for your true and only Leader is the Love-nature within
your heart. 4. Look to the Christ who indwells your hearts in holy spirit."
5. "What is this holy spirit?" asked Thomas, who had been trained in Greek philosophy, and always
had many questions.
6. About ten or twelve others were in the house with us.
Jesus answered, "Deep within each of you is a spirit.
7. This is deeper even than your soul. It is shared by all.
8. It is holy in nature, for it is Love. Therefore, it is called 'holy spirit.' 9. It is God within your heart
as Love."
10. "How else does God manifest himself?" asked Thomas.
11. "God the Father is God as the Dreamer and the Dream. He is Creator, Supporter, and Sustainer
of the cosmos. 12. God as Son is God manifesting as Love within human nature, human beings, and
human souls. 13. And God as holy spirit is the potential or actual presence of realized Love. Holy
spirit is the deepest part of your being. 14. It is the divine 'spark,' or the Logos of Love within the
heart. As it grows, in time, it moves towards a state of perfection, when it becomes Khristos. 15.
Christ is the fullness of God or love in human form. It is Love fully incarnate or embodied."
16. "You speak of interior prayer," said Mary of Magdala, who was always with Jesus. "But we have
been taught to send our prayers into the sky."
17"The sky is part of the dream. If God were there, he too would be only a dream-image. 18. But
God is Reality, the real Mind behind the dream. So, there is no God in the sky, as the primitives
believed. 19. The only God is the Love within your heart. It is much greater than your self, despite
the fact that it is within You.
20. "So, the wise and enlightened do not pray to clouds, but turn their attention inward, towards
the God who lives brightly and warmly in their own hearts."
21. "Why don't people know this?" I asked.
"It has been hidden and covered by centuries of the most backwards religious traditions. 22. And
after I leave, it will be obscured again. But I, the Spirit, will reveal this truth again in the hearts of
men and women. 23. They will grow again to see Me as Love."

CHAPTER 50.

Verse 1. "When you pray," said Jesus, "never stand before an entire congregation, as the hypocrites
and elders do. Prayer must be a much more personal pursuit. 2. It is not for public show. So, when
you pray, never do it in public, as people do in order to be seen by, and to impress, other people. 3.
But go into a secret, hidden place. Then pray in silence to your Father. 4. Then your Father, who
looks on in secret, will respond to you. For those who are rewarded by human notice and attention will
not receive anything at all from the Father.
5. They will weep due to their large egos.
"Jesus," I said. "I find that I cannot pray. 6. I can't respect, much less love, a God who permits such
evil and horror in the world. Where is the justice?" He knew that I was angry.
9. As always, his answer was gentle and tolerant: "When you pray, you should not pray as an act of
magic. The purpose of prayer is not to change the world. 10. It is to change the one who is praying.
Prayer is a reminder that God must come first in our lives. 11. His 'name' or identity must be
'hallowed.' That means that it must be more important than our own. 12. His kingdom is the second
concern of prayer, that it might 'come' to earthdwellers, transforming them into the image of Love.
The third concern is that his will might be done through each and every one of us. 13. This is, of
course, the will or desire of Love. When we do add asking for necessary things, we stop at the least,
and ask for no more. 14. For more than this is greed. 'Our daily bread' is all we need. 15. Then, we
have the right to ask for pardon and forgiveness only as we have given these generous gifts to others,
no more.
16. "As for the condition of the world, there exists much horror and injustice. But every situation,
no matter how horrible it might appear, is teaching some soul the great value of Love. 17. So, it all
exists in the service of Love. And that which serves Love cannot be 'bad.'
18. "It is within the duty of every good person to make suffering as small as possible. This means to
help any and all living creatures whenever, wherever, and however possible.
19. But when a creature has already been harmed, we must look for the good in it. For it has been
permitted by Love. 20. So, somehow, it must serve Love. In the cosmic scheme, much is explained by
karma."
CHAPTER 51.

Verse 1. "But karma never excuses us from always, in every circumstance, reacting to all creatures
with the most and best Love of which we are capable. 2. For justice is a great universal law, but Love
is greater even than this.
3. "Still, it is our human nature to feel some anger when we don't understand all the infinite
processes involved in an event. Each event has myriads of parts, and each part myriads of parts. 4.
When we don't, or can't, understand, we can feel angry towards God. This is not a sin, and God
understands it, and is strong enough that it has no effect at all on him.
5. Nothing happens at random, but each and every event is planned by many souls, often even before
they are born. Each serves to educate.
6. "The little ant believes that a grain of sand is much of the world. In the same way, very tiny
human problems seem overwhelmingly large from the human view. 7. But from that of our higher
nature, they are seen to be smaller, even insignificant. When the Father reveals himself as interior
holy spirit, he shows us that almost nothing matters. 8. This is a great liberation and release. 9. Only
Love matters. 10. So, the things which grow from Love also matter. These include honor, justice,
morality, fairness, goodness, and kindness.
11. "Then, are you saying that the world does not matter, that it is true that God does not care?" I
asked.
"God is Love. God cares very much, deeply and tenderly, for all creation. 12. God is that care
which is now expressing itself as your own concern for fairness and justice. Without God in you, you
could not possibly have such feelings. 13. Thus, even your anger with God comes from God."
14. "Why doesn't this Love of yours solve the problems of people?" I asked, sarcasm entering my
voice.
15. "Love does sometimes solve problems when people really try it. But God does not force anyone
to be illuminated, or to grow. 16. People must invite God or Love into their lives voluntarily. Then, in
their hearts, Love begins to work its miracle, and even a very sensitive person can come to terms with
the cosmos."
17. "Tell me how this 'Love' works," I demanded, not feeling friendly, thus acting against Love.
18. "There are two kinds of Love," answered Jesus. "and both are from God. The first kind is
reactive or responsive Love. 19. It is real and true. It is genuine Love. 20. It tells us to respond
immediately to a person's needs. It directs us to take away her pain, and make everything happy and
pain-free for her. 21. But the other kind of Love is real too, and it is educational Love. This is the kind
of Love that causes you to send your daughter to school. 22. This you do even when that action seems
truly, terribly painful to her. She may hate it, every moment, and her agony might be very real. 23.
Still, you send her because you know that it will teach her. It will make a better, wiser, and stronger
person out of her. 24. Love, in dealing with us, usually uses educational, not reactive, Love. Love
knows that we can learn to solve our own problems. 25. No one else should have to do the work for us.
Our school is often agonizingly painful. 26. But it is the only conceivable way that we can grow into
independent, free, self-sufficient beings of strength, wisdom, and patience."

CHAPTER 52.

Verse 1. "Everything," said Jesus, "that has ever happened to you has occurred out of the Love-
nature. Every event has been a gift of Love. 2. Even the 'bad' things were dreamed into being because
your soul loves you. It wants you to grow, to become strong and wise. 3. A child might want to eat
only honey all day long. But the parent who truly loves her knows that this is not good, and so says no.
4. If and when the cosmic Mind says no, it is for the same reason.
"We do not always know, any more than the child, what is good for us. 5. If it were up to us, we
would avoid some of the most powerful and spiritually moving experiences of our lives. We would live
lives of great safety, but of little consequence.
6. For to find meaning is to abandon 'safety.' It means to take a real risk. 7. A completely safe life
would be terribly boring.
"The alternative to pessimism is to live with trust. 8. We need to cultivate faith in the Power that
causes the sun to rise. This same Power causes the grass to grow, and the heart to beat. 9. It knows
what is best even when we do not. I call this mysterious Power the 'Father.' 10. The Chinese sages
called it 'Tao.'
11. "As parents on earth must look towards a long-term future, and so cannot give a child
everything that she wants, so our Father must look towards eternity. This is why He cannot grant the
soul everything that it wants in this world.
12. "In the world to come, the Homeworld, all the wishes of the soul can and will be granted. For
the Homeworld is not a school. 13. But earth is a school. That is why it is filled everywhere with
discipline and limitation. 14. Our Father cares for you deeply, with overflowing and endless Love. But
he loves your soul even more deeply. 15. If He can give your soul a gift, a quality, by withholding
something from your earthlife, then He will withhold it. 16. Children must get hurt when they play,
but how much more it would 'hurt' them if we did not let them go outside and play. So, the earth-life
hurts us, but our souls would have greater harm if we were not allowed to live on earth.
17. "The deepest and greatest lessons are those that speed spiritual growth the most. These are
the ones which we call 'loss' and 'pain.' 18. She who loses the most in this world gains the most in
eternity. The one who suffers most grows most, and best.
19. "We know that children will be hurt in the normal world. We do not lock them away in a shed
because of this.
20. That would be horribly cruel. Instead, we allow them to get hurt, so that they can learn to play
without getting hurt.
21. In the same way, through pain, loss, and suffering, our Father teaches us how to 'play' at life. But
He also teaches our souls to avoid getting too hurt." 22. As the sun began to set, the wicks in the
lamps were lighted in the small room where we were gathered. We felt warm and strong in the
presence of a man who could dare to trust. 23. The rest of us seemed too feeble to take such a great
risk. 24. What an incredible wonder-- a man who could look at, without turning away from, the world,
and still manage to believe that God, the director of the universe, is Love! 25. We all passionately
hungered and thirsted for that same peace and tranquillity.

CHAPTER 53.

Verse 1. I struggled all night last night, without sleep, to understand the mind of that man. He had
anything but an easy life, and his life remained challenging, as he seemed surrounded by enemies. 2.
Add to that his obvious and deep inner struggle with is own lower and human natures. So, his life was
an everyday conflict of opposing forces. 3. Yet, through it all, he managed somehow to have become a
radiant light of Love. Clearly, he had seen more than his share of sickness. 4. And he suffered the
added burden that all the sick expected him to cure them. Sometimes, he could manage to do this. 5.
But he made it plain that the 'cure' or 'healing' depended as much upon the sick person as upon the
healer. In fact, in one place, he had been unable to cure anyone. 6. He wondered at their lack of
faith. Living in Rome-dominated Palestine, he had also seen much torture, brutality, and atrocity. 7.
That is what made him so sensitive to the false and antique image of a god of war and cruelty.
8. Last night, the agonies of the world caught up with me, and set my heart aflame with pain. I
could find no peace, as I suffered with the suffering, and died with the dying. 9. I noticed last night
that the unfeeling sky was filled with bright, cold stars. What was that mysterious peppering of light
called the "Via Lactea," or "Milky Way," and why did it exist? 10. I was troubled with such strange
thoughts all through the night. When I looked at heaven, I saw nothing but the black emptiness
between the stars. 11. For me, there was no beauty in that hopeless void, or, for that matter, no
beauty at all, anywhere. The universe itself struck me as amazingly empty, dark, and frigid. 12. Even
in the gentle spring breezes, I felt feverish and confused. Countless creatures came to life in spring, I
knew, and countless creatures died. 13. My mind grew agitated and unclear as I walked alone. I didn't
want anyone around, not even Jesus. Especially not Jesus. 14. His bright-eyed and silly optimism
would have driven me crazy.
15. The full moon was like a discolored eye, staring stupidly. Was it the eye of God? Or of Satan?
16. Did it really matter? Jesus had torn my world apart, shattering me. 17. How dare he tell us that
our Father was beyond the full grasp of the mind. What the hell are we supposed to do with that kind
of information anyway? 18. Yet, though it sickened me, I knew that it was true.
19. Somehow, he was able to find joy and celebration in the fact of God's transcendental
Lovenature. But for me, it lay like hot coals upon my searing soul. 20. I cursed the day I ever met this
strange man with his weird ideas. Life would have been so much simpler, and brighter, if he had never
come along.

CHAPTER 54.

Verse 1. Sometimes, sleep is better than morning sunlight. A year ago, I thought that I understood
everything about God.
2. Now I know nothing. I was comfortable with the abomination and monstrous image of a wargod. At
least, he was understandable. 3. But Jesus toppled him, and left behind only a mystery inside an
enigma. His words stripped my soul naked, and exposed the tender flesh to hell. 4. He took a torch of
light and burned my body until not an ash of the old Judas lives anymore. But he left in its place a
cloud, a mist, a vapor, unformed, insubstantial, incomprehensible, confused and confusing. 6. If this is
what "being born again" is all about, I want nothing to do with it! I have doubted the existence of God.
7. Now, I'm not sure even of my own!
8. Every day, his new words drive me further into madness and bewilderment. Yet I am irresistibly
drawn, driven, to him. 9. I thirst for his words, although they are fire to my flesh. I hate him, but I
love him passionately, desperately.
10. This is not like the Love of women. It is more like the Love of God. 11. It gives me no rest. I fear
my Love for this man. 12. It can obsess me, and that is the last thing that I need. The demon-- or
angel--of this Love will not leave, although I have tried more than once to rid myself of this crushing
burden. 13. I wish that I could shake the fire of this man from my blood. But I boil in agonizing
ecstasy when he floats into my mind's eye. 14. I am weeping copiously as I write these words. I am
much too sensitive, as he has accused, too easily hurt. 15. In this, I am not unlike Jesus himself. But
unlike him, I cannot forget and forgive. 16. I will never forgive the Romans. And I can never forgive
God.

CHAPTER 55.

Verse 1. God makes us tender and soft, like new blades of grass, and then throws us into a world
filled with the vicious blades of sickles, to cut, wound, and kill us. That's what I think. 2. It is not how
Jesus sees the world. "All the pain in the world is good," he says. 3. "It is the very opportunity for
death of the lower self that brings the promise of the life, or resurrection of the higher Self." I have
given away all things to follow him, as we all have, but he gives me nothing in return but words, mere
words. 4. We all live in abject poverty. He teaches, "You may accept money from others to support
your life, but a worker is worthy only of her wages. 5. So, you must 'earn' this money by providing the
diamonds of truth, by reminding people of the Spirit of Love. But you may not sell this message for
profit. 6. Spirituality is not a thing of the marketplace, to be sold like vegetables. For you to become
rich by vending the Logos of Love is an obscenity." 7. He feels quite strongly about this.
8. What do I want from him? I want his peace, his joy, his understanding. 9. But all I have are
words. So, perhaps foolishly, I join him. 10. We all do. We join him in what he calls "doing nothing
constructively." 11. I do nothing. It is slowly killing me inside. 12. For I do nothing to fight the evil
Romans. Jesus teaches that teaching Love is the best investment of our time. 13. And, in time, this,
he says, will change the world. But I have strong doubts. 14. And isn't doing nothing in the face of evil
the same as approving of that evil? Is it not the actual endorsement of evil?
15. Jesus says not. "God has a place for everything and everyone, even the Romans, in his plan.
16. This great plan is amazingly complicated. But we should be careful not to assume that we know
better than He, just because His plans are unclear, or even if they seem unjust, to us."
17. Does Jesus have connections, and plans, about which I know nothing? Is he going to surprise
everyone with some brilliant political move or military strategy? 18. Or are things really as dismal and
hopeless as they appear to be? Is he just another "holy man" with a vision of an inactive or impotent
God? 19. I hope that all this stuff about an "inner kingdom" and a "worldwide brotherhood" are simply a
ruse to catch the Romans off-guard. It must be so, for Jesus is much too brilliant actually to believe
some of what he teaches publicly. 20. Even a total fool would never cling to that level of desperate
idealism.
21. I wish sometimes that I could be more like the impulsive Peter, and simply fall at Jesus' feet in
total obedient submission. But I am cursed, or blessed, with being a thinker. Jesus always encourages
us, in fact, to think independently, and forbids our worshipping him. 22. We are never to follow any
human being, he says. Instead, we must search for the inner Teacher, whom he calls Paraclete. 23.
For it is through this spirit that the Father teaches his children. I have honestly looked within, long and
hard, but have found no Comforter within. 24. Despite Jesus' glowing promises, I have found only
emptiness there. Jesus tells me that this is because I have not yet developed the "inner senses." 25.
Those senses atrophied when we entered this world from the sphere of the Homeworld. He says, "Seek
to remember, and to know who you were before you were born."

CHAPTER 56.

Verse 1. It sounds like a foreign language. Indeed, everything that he does and says often sounds so
alien. 2. It is at once disturbing and exhilarating. He tells us never to follow human beings, but when
we first met, he said, "Follow Me." 3. He explains that he did not mean for us to follow the human
form of Jesus, but the Christspirit which he manifests, and that this Christ lives in our hearts. 4. This
Spirit sometimes speaks through him. So, we must be careful to exercise discernment to know when it
is Jesus the man speaking, and when it is Christ the Spirit. 5. This Spirit lives in him, but also in our
own hearts. It is everlasting and timeless.
6. I have no doubt that Jesus is a human being. I have seen repeatedly every indication that, in
every way, he is a true man, just like the rest of us. 7. It is his mind, or soul, that is so radically
different. Indeed, I have been with him when he laughed, cried, bruised his foot, ate bread, and
needed to go into the woods alone. 8. I have seen him injured, and know that he bleeds. I have seen
him sneeze and cough. 9. I have watched him sleep, and sleepless.
10. But in his mind, his soul, he carries the Infinite. He bears the very imprint of infinity, and sees
it always.
11. It is just behind his eyes. In his psyche, he is divine. 12. For he knows that he is God. He knows
that the Spirit is dreaming up the cosmos through him. 13. But he tells us, "You are all gods." Even so,
he does not believe in many gods. He believes only in the One, the Absolute, the Ultimate, the Christ,
the Love-nature, the Father, the Mother, the holy Spirit.
14. The many powers of this One are all represented as "gods" in this world, but in eternity, above
the illusion of this world, only the One absolutely exists. All the cosmos exists in this one Mind. 15.
Now you can see why he drives me crazy. His teachings are not only complex and entangled, but often
hopelessly obscure-- at least, to a poor simple man such as myself. 16. Still, he teaches that no
teaching is important. Only Love has any real value. 17. He says that this cannot be overemphasized,
even if he said it-- and I think he did-- a thousand times. 18. The fatal flaw that I see in Jesus'
teaching is that of pacifism and non-resistance in these violent times. This will be the downfall of his
teaching.
19. No sane person would follow him. Yet I follow him.
20. Perhaps I have justly accused myself. Do I betray my conscience by following this man of peace?
21. Have I lost my reasoning altogether? Or just my courage?
22. When I scream at God for the sake of the world, he gives me no answer. Jesus, too, is often
too silent. 23. What is this god who allows men and women to be cast aside so easily, like yesterday's
trash? Jesus says, "All the world is on the path to the kingdom. 24. All people are headed for the joys
and peace of the Homeworld," which is what he calls the "heaven" of afterlife. 25. "Your problem," he
says, "is that you cannot see, or believe in, any other world but this one. Someday, you'll see things
very differently." 26. I can only pray that he is right.

CHAPTER 57.

Verse 1. Jesus is so amazingly peaceful. He seems to be filled with deep tranquillity, and
overflowing with Love.
2. But, in a world such as ours, I must admit that I sometimes wonder about his sanity. How strong is
his grasp on reality?
3. For this world is far too real, at least, for those of us who are not dreamers. But Jesus says that we
are all literally "dreamers," for the Father dreams up this world through each of us. 4. Perhaps, on
reflection, I should not have written that about Jesus. I feel a little guilty for questioning such a
beautiful man. 5. But I will not erase what I have written.
I can not just turn my back on the real world. 6. I cannot simply dismiss it as a dream, and know
that, in the end, everything will turn out beautifully. 7. When the savage Romans raped my mother
and sister, that was the real world. And no amount of "love" will ever make that go away. 8. I still
thirst for Roman blood when I feel that old pain. It refuses to disappear. 9. Jesus sympathizes deeply.
But, still, he says that these events were "only appearances," and that someday, I too will realize this.
When he says this, I want to spit on him, or belt him. 10. How dare he dismiss a pain so great, an
agony so deep? Is his heart really made of ice? 11. Does ice-water flow through those veins? No, it
does not. 12. He is truly a man of profoundest Love and compassion. 13. I think that he is so sensitive
that he must embrace this strange philosophy simply to survive sanely in this brutal world.
14. Still, I see some realism even in him. He does not ignore the agonies and anguish of people.
15. We have cried together late at night. He is very tender, but lost in his own idealism. 16. Does he
really expect me to change? Can he be so naive as to ask me to become friends with the Romans? 17.
Yes, astonishingly, that is precisely what he asks and expects. In his world of "Love," such miracles
might be possible. 18. But in my world, the real world, they will never happen.
Yes, I am angry. 19. I seem cursed by a core that is not Love, as Jesus says, but anger.
Sometimes, I feel that this is the only real thing within me, that it makes me real. 20. Jesus insists
that only Love is real. Love-- it is a word for only the weak and the sick. 21. It is for those who hide
from life. The idea makes me nauseous. The strong have no place in their lives for this feeble notion
called "Love." 22. We have no need for it. Look at the issue realistically: No one knows the name
"Jesus," and no one will probably ever remember it. 23. But our great and powerful generals, such as
Silesius Nimrocus, and Talanius Forberus, are known all over the world. And their names, and their
fame, will go down into history, and will last forever.
24. So, once again, the strong vanquish the weak, as is demonstrated by history. Also, the great
zealot leaders, such as Achmad ben Hallah, are known by everyone, and Jesus is known by no one

CHAPTER 58.

Verse 1. Love disgusts me. I have no place for it. The world has no place for it. 2. History has no
place for it. It is not something that one can really fight for. 3. And whoever died for Love? 4. It
cannot possibly, ever become a glorious cause, like the liberation of our people. Where is the glory?
5. Where is the profit? Where is the practical gain? 6. And I have found that there is almost none of
this vaunted "Love" within me. I also think that the average person would find the same. 7. Again, my
tears flow as I write this. I cry for what might have been. 8. I cry for what will never be.
9. I have prayed many, many times for a sign, but this "God of Love" has no voice. He shows me
nothing. 10. He performs no miracles or signs for me. Jesus says, "God is not somewhere 'out there,'
but is within yourself. 11. Whenever you love, this God is manifested. Love is his great, unceasing
miracle." 12. But when I cry out in the night, I want more. When I sweat with the agony of the
tormented, I want more than this mere Love.
13. Jesus says, "War will never end war. Adding oil will never put out a fire." 14. But Love is too
gentle, too weak, too subtle, too spiritual. 15. It will never, in a thousand years, reach the thick-
headed, thick-skinned, and practical Romans. 16. Of course, if both sides decided on Love, there
would be no war. But you cannot have Love control only one side. 17. For if that is the case, the
hateful and brutal side will surely win.
18. Last night, I cried out to God, screaming, "If anybody can hear me, answer me!" The room was
filled with the deadest silence, the kind of quiet that haunts you with its emptiness. 19. It was the
kind of stillness not easily forgotten when you need God. 20. Jesus says that God is never to be found
in "external" signs and miracles, but is to be felt in the stillness of a silent heart. 21. The foolish and
superstitious keep looking for signs, but no sign will be given except that of "the son of man, who will
lie buried for three days, and then, return from the dead," says Jesus. 22. He says things like that all
the time. No one really has any idea what on earth he's talking about.
23. I suppose that I do actually worship God, more or less. But, especially after having met Jesus, I
haven't a clue what He is. 24. Jesus says that "God" is the Love within the hearts of people
everywhere. This is very different from the "King of the universe," the Judge and Lawgiver, Jehovah.
25. Am I supposed to worship Love? I know that some Power lies behind the form of a beautiful
woman. Something lives in her eyes, and something underlies the sun, the flowers, the butterflies and
crystals. 26. This Power must be God. Jesus says that it is the universal or cosmic Mind, dreaming up
the cosmos through all and each of us. 27. This Mind is God. And, since its essence is Love, then Love
is also God. 28. I can see where this kind of Mind might exist, although it is far from clear. But I am
not sure, as Jesus is, that its most fundamental nature is Love.
29. So Jesus tells me to worship this Something, "beyond words and imagination," as he says. But I
cannot grasp what It is. 30. Jesus calls it the "Father" or "Father of light," or "Father of the All." He
says that, in time, this will all be clear to me. 31. I certainly, desperately hope that he is right.

CHAPTER 59.
Verse 1. It has been a month since last I wrote in this record. Some things are becoming clearer to
me. 2. This is so, even though progress seems very slow. I must admit that my enthusiasm has often
flagged. 3. There have even been times when I thought to throw away this whole record. But
something stopped me.
4. Some thought deep within me prevented this impulse like an iron hand. Is this the deep inner
Mind of which Jesus speaks, the gateway to eternity?
5. "I was crucified," said Jesus. He was describing a vision that he had experienced during his
twenty-second year.
6. Once again, I had managed to "corner" him. We were now alone. 7. He continued to speak of the
crucifixion: "I fell to the ground. 8. I felt filled with a sense of bright inner light. I was then lifted
into ecstasy. 9. My arms were opened wide, as if to receive all into the Love of My heart. 10. I felt
nails in my wrists, but bled without pain. This left marks upon this body." 11. He held out his arms. I
saw where the wrists had scarred around wounds. 12. I gasped. I feared, not for the first time, that
he had gone out of his mind.
13. In frustration, I asked, "Does God reward his servants with only pain?"
14. "As I said, Judas," his voice was very soft, "there was no pain. 15. There was only bliss. In the
'house' of My Father are many mansions, many worlds. 16. And all of them have the seed of ecstasy.
Nowhere in the cosmos has our Father created evil. 17. Pain is created only by His creatures."
18. Jesus and I sat alone in the house. It was nice to have a table where I could lay my papers. 19.
For a moment, Jesus seemed as impatient with my density as I was with his obscurity. But when he
spoke, tender kindness filled his voice: 20. "I know how deeply I wounded Joseph. When I was twenty-
four, he forced me to choose between carpentry and the pursuit of the Way."

CHAPTER 60.

Verse 1. "There was," Jesus continued, "no contest. So, I left home. 2. By then, he was sixty-
seven, and in desperate need of someone to take over his duties, but I was not to be the one. 3. In the
end, just before he left the world, he finally saw that to live or to die without Love is an empty
experience. 4. What good is it to gain the whole world if you lose your sense of Self?
5. "Joseph thought that I should devote more of My time to carpentry, all day, every day. But look
at the birds of the air, and the flowers of the field. 6. They are not always worried, anxious, and filled
with stress. They simply relax and trust, and our Father takes care of them.
7. And human beings are worth much more than they!
8. "But they do not need the same things that we do, Jesus," I pointed out.
9. "They have many needs," he said. "But their needs are very basic, very humble. 10. They are
not always driven by the multiplication of desires, and know not greed. 11. That is why they know not
worry. And if men would be humble, their needs, too, would be few, and simple. 12. We must always
work to keep our lives simple, and internally rich.
13. "The only valid use of material wealth is to make friends for yourself," he said. "If you do this,
then those friends can welcome you into the timeless places. 14. By living in this greedy way, greedy
people become our teachers. In living lives of misery, pain, and greed, they show how desolate the
loveless life can be."
15. "You came from a background of poverty, didn't you?" I asked.
16. "Yes," he replied. "That taught me to respect the value of money and material things."

CHAPTER 61.

Verse 1. "I always remembered, and kept carefully in mind, never to mistake money or material
things for the cause of happiness. 2. Joseph always thought that I looked down on him for his lowly,
humble occupation." 3. He buried his face in his hands. "Nothing could have been further from the
truth. 4. I actually respected his humility, hard work, and honesty."
5. "Joseph never really understood you, did he?"I asked.
6. "No. He thought that I was self-righteous." A tear fell from his face. 7. "That accusation went
right through my heart like an arrow. Because I chose the service of God over carpentry, he said that I
thought that I was better than others. 8. That was a gigantic falsehood. "His distortions nearly killed
me. I so wanted to be closer to him! 9. But he would not have it. For years, his words gave me no
peace, and I was consumed with false guilt. 10. During my twenties, I was not fully sure of my inner
calling." He wiped away tears on the sleeve of his robe. 11. "He told me never to call him 'father'
again. I never did." 12. A distant, haunted look came into his eyes. "When I left home, I spent two
days with the Essence fanatics. 13. But I found them as harsh and fanatical as the elders. I soon left
them behind. 14. In desperation, I thought even of returning to Nazareth, taking up carpentry, and
making Joseph proud. 15. But I was driven by the Power. The Power transformed me into a rebel and
renegade, whom the people considered 'good for nothing.' 16. Any dreams of becoming rich and
'successful,' of becoming a respected elder, of growing old with a wife and children, were relentlessly
driven away by the Power. 17. The Power within drove me, compelled me. But where was it taking
me?"

CHAPTER 62.

Verse 1. Jesus said, "The rich are robbers of the land and of the people. I have, in the past,
indulged my lowernature dream of becoming like them.
2. "Then, suddenly, the Power came over me in sweeping waves and with great force. It instantly
washed away all the images and evils of greed. 3. It liberated me into the higher nature. There
welled up within me a tremendous disgust for greed. 4. For I could see that it was at the root of most
of the evils of the world. How often I had seen the rich in Israel ignore the widows and the weak. 5.
They turned away mercilessly from the fatherless boys and the sick. I saw men everywhere eager to
sell 'love' for mere gold. 6. To me, this was like selling diamonds for dirt. The hypocrites taught that
you could serve both God and money. 7. I knew that this was a dangerous lie. ?The Hebrews even
have a demon of gold, whom they call 'Mammon.' 8. It is impossible to serve God and Mammon. It
would, in fact, be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a sewing-needle than for a rich man
to get into the kingdom of God." 9. We both laughed at the joke about the camel-- an unforgettable
and amusing image. The five others in the field with us joined in the fun.
10. "Why is it so hard for a rich person?" I asked.
11. "The rich are too busy serving their own bellies, sensual desires, and accumulations of wealth, to
do good. They simply have no time for Love. 12. They 'sell' wife, children, family, friends, and even
investment in themselves, all for gold. 13. That is why the Hebrews have a proverb, 'Gold is the metal
of the devil.'
14. "Can no one who is rich enter that kingdom?" I asked.
15. "It is possible for a rich person to do good, and even find spirituality in the service of others.
But it is very unlikely-- as unlikely as the camel's squeezing through the needle." Again, laughter. 16.
"Hear the words I have spoken to you before: With God, all things are possible. But men can limit God
in their lives. 17. And rich men limit God more often than those who live in moderation and simplicity.
The rich become so concerned with what they believe, in delusion, 'belongs' to them, they shut off the
Love in their hearts to their fellow people. 18. They would rather see a village perish than to lose an
ounce of their precious silver. So, money, if there is too much, works against Love."
19. I knew that he was right. I have seen the eyes of men grow tired, cold, and old from the
accumulation of wealth. 20. I have seen them lose all pleasure in life. I have seen them lose friends,
wives, children, and even selfrespect.

CHAPTER 63.

Verse 1. I have seen people of greed become isolated, and their greed multiply, as they become so
self-involved that the rest of the entire world seems to vanish for them. 2. Then, nothing is important.
Nothing matters, but their money.
3. They live alone in sad splendor, and miserable magnificence. They die alone in large, beautiful
houses.
4. "You who follow the Way must learn that it is much more important to invest in people than in
mere gold. And this giving of time, energy, goods, and money must include all people.
5. It was when Joseph became rich and prominent that I became an embarrassment and shame to him.
I heard him deny even that I was his son.
6. But I tell you the truth: Anyone who denies Me before men, I will deny before the angels of God.
The Way of Love will be a shame and embarrassment to those who are wealthy. It will also shame the
religious leaders, elders, and merchants. 7. But it is your single and only treasure, so guard it and care
for it wisely all the days of your life. For they will disfellowship and excommunicate you from the
congregation for My name, and for the sake of Love. 8. But never be discouraged, for your heart will
be healed by Love. And they will call you 'apostate' and 'demonized' for My name's sake, for as they
have done with the teacher, they will do with the student. 9. They will see the Way as 'strange,' and
will not understand the Lord as Love. You will lose much for My sake, but you will gain the timeless life
of ecstasy and Love, both now, and in the world to come.
10. You will, for a time, feel like people without religion. But you will have something infinitely
greater. You will have spirituality. 11. Instead of the 'sand' of doctrines, Scriptures, and laws, you will
have the emeralds, rubies, and sapphires of the living Spirit of Love within your hearts. When the
religious turn away from you, you will be liberated to become free citizens of the world, and even of
the Homeworld.
12. Hypocritical elders and other religious leaders will form unclean covenants with the forces of evil.
In their corruption, they will hate the people of Love. By following gold as God, they will have led
themselves away from the Way, and will have stabbed themselves with many pains. 13. "The lust for
gold leads to the service of hell. The religious, in their greed, will serve evil even more than the
irreligious. 14. They will construct great, giant buildings with money that should have been used to
help the poor. They will lie, and say that these buildings are necessary to teach about God. 15. But I
have taught you in fields, on mountains, in homes, on boats, and in the market.
"Do not follow after these men of untruth. 16. For by ignoring the poor, and embracing greed, they
become the servants of demons. And when they teach you that the 'kingdom' is 'coming' to the earth in
a certain year, do not listen.
17. False prophets is what they are, and the truth does not abide in them. 18. "For the continued
stirring of hope, followed by repeated disappointment, creates fanatics and other disturbed people.
19. This is due to the great desperation of people who want to see the 'end' of this world. 20. Even
now, the craze for the 'Messiah' is like a consuming whirlwind of fire among the people. 21. But no
'Messiah' will ever come. 22. For behold! The true Messiah is within your hearts."
CHAPTER 64.

Verse 1. "You are the Messiah, Jesus," I stated.

"I am, but so are you. 2. I am neither what the people want, nor what they need. The Christ, the
king of the kingdom, is not outside your heartmind. 3. So, if people say, 'He is here!' or, 'He has come!'
or, 'He has been born in the Middle East,' do not listen to them. 4. Do not follow after them, for they
will lead you astray. 5. For, behold! The king of the kingdom, like that kingdom, is within you. The
Christ is that holy spirit that lives inside your soul.
6. "The true 'Messiah' is the one who allows God's Love to shine into the world through the self
without eclipse, without shadows. The 'Messiah' is the transparent one. 7. He or she has become as
clear and unresisting as crystal. This being allows the light of peace to flow through, unimpeded."
8. "Are you saying that there are many Messiahs?" I asked.
9. "As the single trunk of a tree supports the many branches that grow from it, the Mind which is
the Messiah or Christ is one, but it manifests as many persons, many minds.
9. It dwells within all, like a seed. But it must be nourished by, and grows through the practice of,
Love. 10. Only when that Loveseed has fully blossomed into the life 'possessed' by God does one
become a full 'Messiah' or 'Christ.'
11. "That there are many 'Messiahs' is not a new idea. The ancient prophets called the kings
'messiahs.' 12. The elders have deluded themselves into believing that Jehovah, after murdering the
population of earth, will establish them as 'princes' or 'messiahs' in the earth. 13. But I tell you the
opposite: It is the gentle who will inherit the earth, and find their exquisite delight in the abundance
of peace. 14. God, being most tender, is gentlest of all, and turns away from acts of war and
savagery, violence and wasteful stupidity. 15. The humble will be greatest of all, and the pure in
heart will see God.
16. "John, that crazy cousin of mine, had the right idea. He was influenced by the extremists, the
Essences, and was a Messianist. 17. He thought that the kingdom would come through force, war, or
political strategy. 18. In that, he was dead wrong. But in other ways, he found at least part of the
secret. 19. For the 'Baptizer' lived a life of simplicity and honest devotion. Until we all learn to live
with similar non-greed and continuous devotion, we will not enter that inner kingdom of light. 20. For
it is devotion to Love that creates Love."

CHAPTER 65.

Verse 1. A thoughtful silence came over him. He started talking again about his cousin, John, the
so-called "Baptizer": "I remember fondly that great bear of a man. Hugging him was like wrapping your
arms around a barrel. 2. And he almost never walked. He galloped, and bounded, his dark red hair
flying in the wind.
3. He always wore the same very coarse camelhair garment. His mother Elizabeth was not quietly
devotional like Mary. 4. She loudly proclaimed her 'apostate' ideas to anyone who would listen. John
was like her in that way."
5. John got it into his head that I was the 'Messiah' of the Jewish tradition. He would not be shaken
even by the mystical explanation of the word 'messiah,' that I gave him later.
6. "Elizabeth and Zechariah, John's parents also believed this, and he soaked it up like a sponge,
from infancy. The claim to be some kind of special 'Messiah' is one which strongly appeals to the
lowernature. 7. It creates pride, and so acts against Love. 8. "So, I denounced it. The claim to be
the single 'Messiah' is to claim rulership over the earth, and that is the very same temptation presented
to me, which I rejected, in the wilderness after my fast. 9. It came from the fearnature. I knew that I
was, had identified with, the cosmic Messiah, but I wanted nothing to do with the Jewish prophetic,
historical superstition. 10. Even now, after all these years, those who truly follow Me are so very few.
And I still barely know the blade of a sword from its handle! 11. Those are two major disqualifications
for being their 'messiah.' That is fine with me. For the Jews have never accepted me, anyway. 12.
Usually, they call me a 'Roman lover,' because of My message of love and brotherhood. They don't
understand My message at all. And the Romans are no wiser. They call me a 'king' of the Jews.'
13. So, I've managed to please no one on earth. But I please my Father, and that is enough." 14. He
became suddenly introspective. "I must have let even Mary down," he said, very quietly.
15. He was soon back on track: "Anyway, the true messiah has one mission only-- to defeat the
lower nature, and bring the human nature into service of the higher nature."
16. "Is this the same as defeating Satan, and turning your life over to God?" I asked.
17. "Yes, it is just different language. For the training school of Love is not the world, or the
kingdoms of the political. 18. The battle is in the human heart. And there also is victory or defeat.
19. The kingdom of God or that of the world-- this is our clear decision. Before God or Love can have
victory, one must learn of the terrible weakness of the human will. 20. One must be crushed,
shattered, and disappointed by its utter ineffective weakness. This must occur to the extent that one
realizes powerlessness in living the Way of Love under one's personal power. 21. That is when a person
finally turns over her will and life completely to the inner Love nature, the higher nature, the Power."

CHAPTER 66.

Verse 1. "Human mastery and pride must be erased, so that the fullness of God might manifest
through the person," said Jesus. That is why so few chosen by God are the intellectuals of the world.
2. It is much more difficult for them humbly to admit their nothingness, erase their strong
personalities, and go with the Flow of Love. When one has become 'liquid' in fullest harmony with the
Flow, one becomes a 'messiah.' 3. The 'messiah' is the person, male or female, who has forgiven the
entire world, and embraced it all in the Love of the Spirit.
4."Does this mean that she forgives strangers, even of sins about which she knows nothing?" I asked.
He took a moment, and then said, "Yes. 5. Forgiveness must be complete, barring, neglecting, or
dismissing none. In time, the enlightened mystic or gnostic knows no real 'strangers.'
6. All people are recognized as reflections of the higher Self. And just as one does not criticize images
in a nightdream, this represents the total end of all criticism and blame."
7. "What about the hypocrites or elders? Do you not criticize and blame them?" I asked.
8. "Their works are those of darkness. It is always right and proper to denounce and criticize the
darkness. But the people are never damned. 9. This 'darkness' includes anything that opposes Love.
But it would not be right to judge their ultimate value as persons. 10. For each person is made
potentially perfect or 'holy' by the inner seed of Love. So, you can criticize and blame behaviors and
ideas, but not people."
11. "When you can see all beings as symmetric reflections, however distorted, of your own inner
Being, then you can understand all sins. When you understand all sins, you can then forgive or release
them all. 12. This is perfection in Love."
13. "What do I have to know in order to 'understand all sins,'" I asked.
14. "You must try hard to grasp that all people want only to be happy. 15. However inept,
incompetent, ignorant, or foolish might be their attempts to be happy, people 'sin' simply because they
are trying to find happiness."
16. "So there is no such thing as intentional evil?" I asked.
17. "Yes, intentional evil does exist. But even those who are intentionally evil are striving for
fulfillment or contentment. 18. They simply have the added burden that evil has driven them quite
mad."
19. "Does this mean that sin can be good?"
20. "No, in a moral sense, sin is never good. It is always contrary to Love, and to be carefully
avoided, with the most impeccable honor. Otherwise, it will swallow and entangle you in an agony of
hell."

CHAPTER 67.
 Verse 1. "Sin slows down all spiritual growth. It dulls the understanding, and, most seriously,
usually hurts other people. 2. But, when seen from a larger view, 'sin' is a mistake, and so is a
buildingblock for learning or education of our souls."
3. "The hypocrites have quoted you as having said that 'sin is good,'" I said.
4. "What I really said is that most 'sin' is really only ignorance. It is usually not deliberate, and so
does not result from an aware choice. 5. So, it does not generally represent rebellion against Love. In
most cases, it is a mistake, and there can be no 'deliberate mistake.' 6. Now, because mistakes are the
only way in which we can learn the lessons of life, mistakes are not to be condemned, but corrected.
We must never assume that mistakes are evil. 7. God uses these very mistakes to create better
people, if we learn from our experiences. So, we can turn around the power of sin, to make it serve
the good, the Father, Love."
8. Jesus walked his talk. He absolutely refused to hold anything against anyone, and often
sincerely prayed that those who did evil would come to a stage of illumination in which they would
forgive themselves. 9. "The Father holds nothing
against anyone. He does not judge anyone. It is we who do not forgive ourselves," he would always
say. 10. "The Father is absolute Reality, and all that is real is now. So the Father knows nothing about
'past' and 'future,' but exists only in the now. 11. So, 'past' sins are not carried in the Mind of Reality,
but we are free to hold onto them as long as we choose. 12. "But the Father keeps no records, and
judges no one. Also, we can forgive ourselves only as we choose to forgive others. To hold anything
against anyone is to hold the same thing against yourself. 13. That is why I warn you that the Father,
as deepest inner Mind, will forgive you only as you forgive others. If you don't forgive them, neither
will the Father forgive you. 14. For, by unforgiveness, you make the sins sink deeply into the Mind.
Love, for its part, keeps no account of the injury, but forgives easily and eagerly. 15. As Love, the
Father is also pure forgiveness, uncontaminated by ideas of grudges and revenge. Remember, if you do
not forgive, you create a hell for only yourself. 16. The unforgiven person does not suffer, but you
will."

CHAPTER 68.

Verse 1. The Romans have taken Jesus. They threaten to murder him. 2. this is despite the fact
that the Jews promised me that no harm would come to him. Now, their lying leaders are saying that
Jesus is a threat to Rome. 3. He, they say, should be crucified. For they lie, and say that he has
committed treason against Rome.
4. "I swear," I said to John, "if they harm a hair on his head, I will kill myself." I grew glum and
depressed. 5. "I would not deserve even to live, anyway," I grumbled. I was full of agony. 6. I was
unable to sleep all that night, and the next, and the next. With wide, bleary eyes, I was filled with an
agitation of restlessness. 7. I contemplated the fact that my heart would never rest, and I never sleep,
ever again.
8. John is the warmest, most compassionate of all the disciples. So, I spoke with him. 9. He also
seemed willing to forgive me. That is more than I was willing to do myself.
10. It was also more than the other disciples could bring themselves to do. "I would give anything," I
cried, "just to speak with Jesus one more time! 11. I need to pour out the pain of my heart to him. I
need to let him cleanse me with his Love."
12. John nodded, serious. "He would say that you have that same Love in your own heart, Judas.
13. He would say that you must heal and forgive yourself," he said quietly.
I ignored him. 14. "I am in horror with the agony of waiting," i said. "My friend Claudius promised
me, swore to me, that Jesus would receive swift release. 15. But now he seems to have lost control.
He says that his superiors have taken over the case. 16. This wasn't supposed to happen!" I screamed.
John flinched automatically. 17. "Jesus predicted exactly this," he said. "It's happening just the
way it's supposed to. 18. All is in the control and hands of the Father of Love."
 "Damn the 'Father of Love'!" I blasphemed. 19. I felt wonderful and terrible for having spoken
these accursed words. "What good is this Love-stuff? 20. Jesus will allow himself to be sacrificed like
a lamb-- and for what? His blood will forever be on my hands! And for what? 21. What good is any of
this doing for anyone?"
"It's the way Jesus wanted it," said John, again quietly.
22. "I know that," i hissed at him. "Don't keep saying that stuff over and over! 23. Don't you think I
know that? Don't you think that I knew about Jesus' insane obsession with his own death? 24. But
doesn't he give a care about us? What about Mary? 25. What the hell about me? Doesn't he know that
he will not hang alone on that cross? 26. That we all die with him? That will kill a big part of our
hearts and souls!"
27. "Judas," John whispered, "you cannot hold yourself responsible for what others do."
"Yes, John, of course, you are right. 28. But I feel that I betrayed him. I would rather be tortured
to death by the Romans than to face the betrayal of this good man, and the emptiness of my heart in
having been the cause of his death." 29. I raised my voice histrionically: "Please God, strike me dead
right now! I can't live with my horror, the terrible personality that I've become! 30. Please, let me die
this very night!"

CHAPTER 69.

Verse 1. I must believe in His Love and forgiveness. I did make the worst mistake of my life. 2. I
know that his Love is boundless. It will cover, someday, my awful transgression.
3. Jesus used to love to quote the ancient text that said, "Though your sins be black as coal, yet will
My Love make them white as snow." God grant me the strength to believe in that Love.
4. I seem so far from that Love. It seems distant, and I seem separated from it by a wall that is
miles thick. 5. I cannot reach God's Love in this dark night. I pray only that it can reach me.
6. Every minute, I die inside. Every moment, I perish from the inner torture of my unforgiven soul.
7. Who will rescue me from the bodymind undergoing this helldeath? Is there even a Power great
enough to save me?
8. I used to fantasize about a world in which everyone thought the Way that He did. The legalists
always said that all law and order would disappear in such a world. 9. If all were simply forgiven, the
whole concept of "sin" or "crime" would be meaningless, they said.
10. Still, I cannot forget what Jesus said: "Even those who are forgiven by the cosmic Mind will
bring down the wrath of ignorance upon themselves. 11. This will occur until they can forgive
themselves through Love, releasing themselves from the selfcreated hell."
12. Every act of ignorance, which the legalists call "sin," generates within the mind a force of
selftorment and selfanger. Our ancestors called this the "wrath of God." 13. They believed, as we do
not, that God could literally fall victim to anger. Jesus spoke of this inner selfanger. 14. He said,
"When a person forgives herself, that 'wrath' disappears."
This inner hell of selftorment would not be His will for me. 15. This I know. But I know also,
beyond the shadow of any doubt, that if anything happens to Jesus, I will not be able to forgive myself.
16. It will be beyond the realm of possibility. Even now, my betrayal of Him is killing me inside--
slowly, tortuously. 17. The death of this carnal shell would mean nothing by comparison. Indeed, I
would consider it a great relief. 18. If my one great act of ignorance led to the death of my beloved,
Jesus, then this body would be sacrificed upon the altar of my love for him.
19. He says that he will die to take away the karma for many others. He has volunteered in Love to
do this. 20. And because the universal Mind is also Love, it has agreed. He wants to die as he lived, as
a mirror of perfect compassion. 21. He says that His great Love will cover a multitude of sins.

CHAPTER 70.

Verse 1. "Every compassionate being," said Jesus, "must know suffering." Like most men, I lived to
avoid suffering.
2. But now, the gift of divine Love and grace has allowed suffering and remorse to flood into my
heartmind. It overflows into my life. 3. My every thought is bathed in pain. My soul is saturated in
agony.
4. I need to let go. Yet I cannot let go. 5. His face, His smile, His touch, are burned upon the
surface of my mind. If He leaves this world, I swear a holy vow before God that I will pursue him into
the galaxy. 6. Yes, I will pursue Him to the ends of the cosmos. I will follow Him until space and time
are no more. 7. Wherever he goes, there will I follow. I will be with him like a shadow, like his own
breath. 8. This is how much I love him. I love him far more than I love myself.
9. I know only too well how His friend Peter vowed to follow Him into death. Then, when He was
arrested, we all fled like cowards or fools, like rats fleeing a sinking ship. 10. But I am not like Peter.
My words have been more carefully chosen and deliberately arranged. 11. I have used wisdom. I have
contemplated much this loyalty and Love. 12. And I am more than fully prepared to die with Him. I
simply cannot imagine my life having any meaning, any joy, without Him.
13. Am I as insane as He? I'm finding myself haunted by similar thoughts of my own death. 14. Yet
I do not believe that I have lost my balance. Indeed, by the exercise of so great a Love, I might have
guaranteed my own inner balance.
15. I've been weeping now for several days in a row. It seems that I can do nothing but weep. 16.
What would this whole world be without Him? A place overrun with cactus, scorpions, and endless
darkness. 17. There would be pain everywhere, and peace nowhere.
18. He told us not to rely or depend upon Him so much. But losing Him would be like losing my
hands, or my stomach, or my lungs. 19. He promised that, if He did die, He would send His very being
into us, in the form of the Paraclete, the Comforter. 20. But comfort is not possible for me, his killer.
Even the Power of the Paraclete cannot make this soiled spirit holy.
21. Alas, I fear that I have no inner Love-nature, no interior Christ-spirit. I suspect that I have killed
the inner Love when I sealed his fate in death.

CHAPTER 71.

Verse 1. "Reflect like mirrors," taught Jesus, "the glory of the Lord of Love into the world.
Continue, until you are transformed into the very Image that you are reflecting."
2. Without this tender wise man, life for me would be a hollow mockery, a haunting insanity. To be
caught on earth without Him would be hell indeed.
3. He has commissioned us, his friends, to spread the good news of universal Love and
unconditional forgiveness. But if he leaves, so will all my motivation and incentive. 4. I don't think I'll
be able even to move in a world without Him in it. This thing about making disciples is out of the
question. 5. A whole planet filled with needy people is as nothing when compared with my need for
Him. I know how selfish that sounds, but I do love him more than the world, even as he commanded.
6. John said, "Love for our Master, the Christ, is not fully expressed without Love for every living
creature." And I know that he is right. 7. Still, I find myself able to love only Him. And, at the
moment, I do not really care about anyone else.
*******

8.With gushing tears, deep emptiness, and utter agony, I write this final entry in my little book.
They have crucified Him. 9. But the nails went into my flesh, and it was I who died. They say that
Jesus survived. If He did, I did not.
10. I have now grown numb, completely beyond all sadness and misery, although my pain is as
acute and relentless as ever. It is mindpain, and will not go away. 11. I think that I have at last gone
mad. Not a thought is found in my mind. 12. It is empty of all but the agony, which sears it like fire.
13. My right hand has grown numb, and is without feeling as I write. The dried husk, the empty shell,
of my body nears its richly deserved end. 14. I move inexorably towards my execution, for I have
murdered the innocent Lord of Love. I have killed the God of peace. 15. He never harmed anyone, yet
he was stripped, beaten, and nailed to a cross-- all because of me. Who could live with such horror?
16. It is my karma to die at my own hands. That is also the nature of universal justice. 17.He haunts
me with His Love. I took and took from Him, and gave back exactly nothing. 18. Now, his body is
dead. But He is not. 19. I know that now he soars among the stars. I am dry bones and old memories
without Him. 20. For whomever may care, I leave this journal as a testament to my Love for Him. I
conclude it on the night of my death. 21. This will be the best night of my life. For tonight, I too will
soar into the Milky Way, as I step forever into the kingdom of eternal light and peace.
*******
End of "The Gospel According to Judas Iscariot."

THE MYSTIC EVANGEL OF ANDREW THE APOSTLE

*******

CHAPTER 1.

Verse 1. I, a simple man, with an extraordinary love for beauty and people, have decided to set
forth the teachings, and some events in the life, of the most remarkable and beautiful man whom I
have ever met. His name is Jesus, and he comes from a poor village called Nazareth. 2. He would
probably prefer that I not mention this, for the place has a terrible reputation. But as beautiful flowers
can grow in mud, this bad village has produced a very good man.
3. He tells us to take care not to fix our attention upon him. He is very humble and even self-
effacing. 4. He does not like it, in fact, when people pay him special attention, or even notice him.
He can come across as quite shy, something like myself. 5. My "excuse" is that I was born under the
sign of the scales. Jesus makes no excuses, and seems completely at home with himself, comfortable,
all the time.
6. Instead of admiring his gentle soul, we are to look for God, the Spirit of Love, or the Christ,
within our own hearts. For if we pay too much attention to him as our teacher, he will reprimand us--
and, in that, he is anything but shy! 7. Often people, out of respect for this silent man, will try to
touch his hand, or the hem of his robe. He warns us against this type of behavior. 8. He warns, in
fact, that it could lead to the "sin" of idolatry-- a catastrophic spiritual error.
9. Still, he is such a wonderful example of a man who has "embodied" God, I can't help but write
about him, in the most glowing terms. I have come dearly to love him. 10. He teaches so many
sublime things that I feel impelled to preserve them as I heard them with my own ears.
11. When I first saw him, they were burying him. I mean the laughing children near the sea-shore.
Jesus was also laughing, as he allowed them to bury him up to the neck in sand.
12. Five children were bringing little buckets of sand, and pouring them over his body. With each
bucket, he and they became more gleeful, and even sillier. 13. This was an example of what Jesus
called "sacred silliness," for he believed very much that laughter was holy. 14. He was sitting cross-
legged, in his favorite position, and I lost sight of his body as they poured sand over it, shouting with
sheer delight that an adult could be so "crazy" as to play with them. 15. But Jesus actually considered
this madcap behavior a part of his spiritual growth. He often said, "Lest you be as little children, you
will not inherit the kingdom of light."
16. Some of his more conservative disciples, such as the Capricorn James, complained that it was
"undignified" to play this way in public. But Jesus told him that the whole world is nothing more or less
than God's "playing." 17. He said, "Without joy, spirituality is impossible. The wise know when to
laugh. 18. They also know when to play." Traditionalists were, of course, dumbfounded and, often,
offended. 19. Jesus dismissed their cries of objection as of no value, and simply ignored them. They
shook their heads, and could never understand this mysterious teacher. 20. Jesus, in a moment, it
seemed, could go from a serious scholar to a "child" filled with uproarious laughter.

CHAPTER 2.

Verse 1. I can't say that I always understood Jesus' behavior, but I found it amazingly refreshing.
He would make all of us laugh.
2. Growing distracted, the kids fled off to play once they had done their "dastardly deed," and Jesus
was buried. As he stood, not without effort, great clumps of sand fell from his tunic, and we all
laughed. 3. There were seven of us on the shore that day. As always, Jesus was eager to teach, to
discuss the universe and all that fills it. With happy smiles all around, Jesus led us up to the road that
leads to Capernaum.
4. As we walked, we contemplated Reality in silence, as Jesus had taught us. No doubt most, like
me, were repeating their inner prayer. Jesus called this "mantric prayer." 5. My mantra consisted of
the words "Holy Mother" repeated over and over, until the mind settled into stillness. The warm
sunlight felt good on our heads.
6. In a small orchard just to our left, about fifty feet away, a young man and woman were locked in
passionate embrace and kissing. We all noticed, but I was the one who spoke up:
7. "I hope the elders don't catch them" I said. "They'd surely be disfellowshipped."
8. As if by instinct, we all looked to Jesus to see what his response would be. Despite his spiritual
wisdom, he was still a young man. 9. We wondered just how sexually active his mind was, as he taught
that honorable sex was a gift of God.
10. "That's one of the problems with the elders," he said audaciously. "They forget that they are
human, and resent it when others are." How deliciously he had turned the tables, making the vicious
elders the trouble-makers, instead of "casting stones" at the young lovers. 11. He was, in fact,
notorious for exactly this kind of "irreverent" comment. And that is one of the things that we loved
best about him.
12. "They have never understood Love, of any kind, in any form. God made people, from the
beginning, to love one another. 13. "What those two are doing is natural. What is unnatural is to
become cold, dead, dried-up Bible-thumpers living lives of isolation, bitterness, and envy." 14. We
knew that he had described the elders with uncanny accuracy.
15. "Love," he continued, "has as many bright and varied forms and colors as the flowers of the
field, as many songs as the birds of the sky. It is only through our Love for one another that the Father
reaches into this world and cares for all life. 16. In fact, not a sparrow falls without Him. But, sadly,
still, it does fall. 17. Then, a new sparrow of light takes flight into the Homeworld, where it lives in
peace."
18. "Still," said James, "human beings are not like nature. We are not beasts. We must be
regulated, often by strict laws of God. 19. Don't you believe that those two need to control their
passions?"
"Yes, of course," said Jesus. 20. "But the laws even of the popular god do not prohibit touching. If
they did, they would act against life and living impulses. People die for lack of touch. They die
without warmth, of Love-starvation."

CHAPTER 3.

Verse 1. Said James, "But we all know what that kind of touching can lead to."
2. "Yes," said Jesus. "It can lead to Love. People need to touch and to be touched. 3. Ask a
mother how her child's first impulses were to do exactly this. That need is like the need for food and
water. 4. It does not lessen or go away.
5. "But the problem you are trying not to mention is sex," objected James.
6. "Sex," replied Jesus, "is the most sacred expression of Love between people. It should never be
cheapened or trivialized. 7. It is holy. And so, it is best respected and treasured when reserved for a
single Love-companion. 8. It is not a toy or play-thing; it is not a game. It is a powerful force of Love
that brings people into an entirely new order of union, relationship, and Love.
9. "You expect Me to rebuke them for their passion? I would instead rebuke older couples for their
lack of passion. 10. For there is no passion greater than Love. It is the force behind the cosmos
itself."
11. "But what of fornication?" asked James doggedly. "Your enemies say that you are lenient." He
said the final word as if it were an unclean thing.
12. "I do not approve of fornication," Jesus said. "When my enemies say otherwise, they are lying.
13. But it is not because I think that sex is unclean. It is because sex should never be careless or
casual. 15. Sex is not recreation. It is not just a way to pass the time on a cloudy, boring afternoon.
16. "It is God's greatest gift, Love's greatest glory. And let Me make one thing crystal-clear: To be
compassionate, to be forgiving, to be even lenient, is not to approve of sin.
17. I've been misunderstood over and over on this. God is eager to forgive his children. 18. But He
does not want them ultimately to end up in self-created inner 'hells.' Not, at least, when all that pain
can be so easily avoided. 19. All sin must be taken seriously, for it will return to the one who plants
the 'seeds' of sin. If passion is your master, that can be sin, and will create disaster. 20. But criticizing
a sin that is already completed is like beating a horse after it is dead." We all laughed, and so did
Jesus.

CHAPTER 4.

Verse 1. "Can all sin be avoided?" I asked, worried.

2. Jesus replied, "No, there are sins of the mind that cannot be avoided. From these, you must
learn all that you can. 3. Then practice self-forgiveness. Sins against others are much easier to avoid
than are sins against yourself. 4. Refusing to forgive yourself might be the worst sin of all. If one lives
carefully enough, with mindfulness, and does not act impetuously or impulsively, one can avoid harming
any other living creature. 5. The elders, for example, pride themselves on their purity. But I have read
their hearts, and those hearts are full of filth, hatreds, and fears. They are also infested with other
'worms' of thought and emotion.
6. "For example, they are obsessed with sex, which terrifies and obsesses them. Deep down, those
who are terrified of sex are secretly obsessed by it. 7. But they are no better than the common
people, whom they condemn for adultery. They certainly think that they are so much better, but their
'adultery' is simply more subtle, hidden in their hearts.
8. It- is their hypocrisy and self-righteousness that make this kind of 'adultery' even more serious."
9. "What does that mean?" I asked.
10. "It means that everybody, without exception, is guilty of the very same 'sins,' some in mind and
others in body. But because a 'sin' is hidden from others does not make it any less an error in judgment.
11. So, there is no room for pride in the fact that your sins are all in your mind. All people on earth
are in exactly the same condition. 12. One should not fall into the subtle snare that a mindsin is
somehow less than a bodysin."
13. "Then we are all guilty of sin," I moaned.
14. "That's the point that I was trying to make to the elders," Jesus confirmed. "They strut around
in arrogance, and in their pretensions believe themselves to be so superior to the 'common rabble,' the
'unwashed.' 15. They believe ordinary people inferior because they don't have religious titles,
Scriptures, religion, and all the rest. 16. So, I tell you the truth, anyone who has ever looked at any
woman in a way that generates sexual passion in his heart has already 'sinned.'
17. And every normal male has done this. My point is not that one has to control every thought, for
that is impossible.
18. The meaning is that we are all guilty together, and no one has the right to stand outside the
'inferior' crowd with an air of superiority."
19. "Are you saying that this mindsin is as serious as a literal adultery?" I asked, worried again.
20. "No, not at all," Jesus comforted. "It is just a parable to show that all people are in need
equally of God's forgiveness. Everyone needs to be cleansed by inner Love."

CHAPTER 5.

Verse 1. "A thought cannot hurt anyone. It would be foolish to say that it could ever be as harmful
as an action.
2. Only the hopelessly ignorant would ever say this. I do not call upon men who are liars to follow Me.
3. For these hypocrites pretend that they do not have these kinds of thoughts. 4. Instead, the
opposite: I call upon all to recognize their need for forgiveness because of their humanity, to see all
people as equal. For only when you recognize a state of 'sin' within yourself are you capable of
forgiving others. 5. He who is forgiven little, loves little."
6. "Then, Jesus," I asked, "you do not call people to perfection?"
7. "I do call upon all to try to better themselves. But as far as perfection is concerned, no amount
of obeying laws or just 'doing things' can 'create' perfection. 8. Perfection is not an achievement, but a
discovery. For the One who lives deep in your heartmind is already perfect. 9. This Christ, this Spirit
of Love, does not need improvement, but only manifestation.
10. So, love as wisely and widely as possible, only regulating your expression by the boundaries
demanded by honor. In time, you will have to be perfect, for your heavenly Father within is perfect.
11. But it will be by the death of your personal self, not by improvement, that this will occur. God's
grace will be yoked to your realization to allow this to occur.
12. "In time, this Power will draw you to realize the inner perfection of your Love-nature. You will
see how joyous it is to express this Christ, and you will want to do it as often as possible. 13. If you do
not make this discovery, you will be like a beggar who once obtained a coat from a wealthy merchant.
Now, this merchant was an illegal smuggler, and had forgotten that, in the lining of the coat given to
the beggar, he had sewn in a treasure of rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
14. One snowy night, the beggar died of starvation in that same coat, a fortune in jewels surrounding
him. So, much of value in life arises from your realization."
15. The city was waking up, for it was still early as we moved towards the market-place. It was one
of Jesus' favorite places to teach. For, besides us, his disciples, he would often attract a few more
people. 16. Usually, they were just bored, and curious about his message. Jesus, for his part, did not
care at all how many people listened to him. 17. He would gladly expend as much time and effort on
one as on a hundred. He almost never spoke to more than a dozen or so. 18. He said, when I asked
him why he did not care for crowds, "These important matters cannot be measured like wheat. It is not
quantity, but quality, that counts. 19. It is every bit as important to touch a single soul as to touch a
hundred." So, unlike all other teachers whom I have ever met or heard of, Jesus was the only one who
did not care at all about drawing a crowd. 20. He would always say, "Everything is in the Father's
hands. Whoever is supposed to be here will be here. 21. And someday, people not even born yet will
'hear' these words."

CHAPTER 6.

Verse 1. "Do not go after the crowd," Jesus said. "What most pleases the crowd is average, ordinary,
unremarkable. 2. A crowd is like a chain made of iron: it is only as strong as its weakest link. 3. Do
not follow preachers who attract, and try to please, large crowds, to increase their own reputations.
4. For they are in service to insecurity-fear of the lower nature. A true master will care nothing about
crowds, but will invest everything in every moment spent with every person.
5. What is holy to the master is the enlightenment of every soul, not reputation. She cares not about
what merely impresses other people. 6. A master is so wonderfully secure in the Self that there is no
need at all to try to impress others with crowds, status symbols, great wealth, fame, or power. 7.
These are all alike dismissed as meaningless illusion by the master-- no more real than yesterday's fog.
They support the deadly sickness of ego."
8. The hypocrites among the "spiritually arrested" elders, as Jesus called them, would not agree to
speak unless they could guarantee an audience of sufficient size. 9. They also went out of their way to
charge for their words-- often, an exorbitant amount. They would demand certain accommodations.
10. By glaring contrast, Jesus, probably the best speaker the world has ever seen, spoke freely, often
to individuals or couples. His "crowds" consisted of from three to perhaps fifteen people-- rarely more.
11. His favorite pattern was to open up a discussion or talk to "question and answer" formats. He
did this, he said, because, "When I teach, My Mind is clear and still. 12. There is nothing inside it that I
want or need to say. A teacher needs questions as a student needs answers. 13. I can do much better
answering a question, out of Love for the student, than by simply speaking." He made it clear that he
would answer any question, as long as it had to do with spirituality.
14. But, from time to time, he would address even personal questions, if he felt that the answer
would help someone. As a consummate teacher, he never stopped teaching. 15. He had both a gift
and a passion for it. It consumed his heartmind, igniting his whole being, wrapping him in light.

CHAPTER 7.

Verse 1. "Jesus," I asked, "Did you ever have a romantic interest in a woman?"
2. "I surely did," he replied, with a dreamy liquidity in his voice. "When I was seventeen, I fell
passionately in love with a girl my age. 3. Her name was Shalima. I'm not sure that, when you truly,
deeply fall in love that you ever 'fall back out.'" 4. I was astonished for a moment. Then, I realized
how stupid it would be to assume that a man with such a passion for Love could ever be indifferent or
invulnerable to it.
5. "Our Father's purpose," said Jesus, "is that we should discover the perfection of Love through the use
of this world. The purpose of the world is to drive us away from the world, when we find that it has no
answers."
6. "What," I asked timidly, "is the result if we refuse the test?"
7. A little smile appeared on his lips. "You can't refuse. The ego is often filled with fear. 8. It
might not want to take the tests which the soul has selected and designed. But the will of the soul is
much, much more powerful than the desires of the ego. 9. So, no matter how scared you get, your
tests have already been designed. Your soul created your lifedesign before you were born."
10. "Is this the same as predestination?" asked John Mark.
11. "There is room for variation. You choose your responses. 12. You make choices within the
limits of your destiny. But, yes, the greater part, and many events, of your life are predesigned. 13.
They are predestined by your soul.
14. "Anyway, back to the story of my young love, before I forget: I fell quite as passionately in love
with Shalima as any young man with any young maiden. 15. She was soft and strong, wise but
beautiful, warm, supportive, tender, kind. 16. She taught me first about the value of Love. My love
for her was my soul's first 'test.' 17. It was, for years, the guiding light of my life.
18. "I was born with a nature that was already consumed with the glories and beauties of Love. So,
naturally, I saw much of this beauty in her. 19. She was, in my eyes, a real goddess! I can still close
my eyes and see her as clearly as if she were here." 20. He did so, and a rapt expression came over
him, and he smiled broadly.
21. "She is more fresh, radiant, and perfect than any living woman. She is a new rose opening to the
bright sun." 22. He opened his eyes, but they were still filled with dreams.
23. "Where is she now?" I asked.
 24. "I haven't seen her since I was eighteen, and I'll probably never see her again, in this world. 25.
But mine is the kind of inner vision which thrives on possibility. 26. I often dream of what might have
been, if I had come to earth to do my will."

CHAPTER 8.

Verse 1. "Even after my calling, I could feel the pull of her, as the tree feels the pull of earth and sky.
It was she who broke open the springs of new life within me. 2. Also, she was a mirror of mind: In
her, I could see reflections of parts of myself that I had not known before. That's one thing that Love
always does: It opens your mind to new visions of yourself.
3. I recall vividly when she first met me. She asked whether I ever thought of anything but God. 4. I
naively, innocently told her no." He smiled. 5. She said that there was much more to God than dusty
old scrolls and complicated religious ideas.
6. God, she said, should be fun. Children, she told me, naturally know God.
7. So, she said, do the squirrels and birds, who spend much time playing. I was curious and fascinated.
8. "She awakened in me a fervor to know what she called in her youthful wisdom 'the God of the
moment,' whom she called 'my Father.' 9. Her ideas, like her, were stunningly refreshing. 10. It was
she who first showed me the Father in the sun, grass, flowers, and a young girl's eyes. 11. In that
miraculous moment, I saw the Father in the stars, the water, the stones, my hands, the mind, and in
the body of a beautiful, bright young girl. 12. The old Jehovah of the ancient traditions just could not
compare." He laughed out loud. 13. "He didn't stand a chance! Shalima showed me the same thing
that Mary had always taught me: that God is Love. 14. Because of her sweet, gentle presence and
influence, like the scent of a tender rose, Love became the center of life for me. In my Love for her, I
found Love's most natural and brightest expression. 15. I have never been happier!" Jesus had a
reputation for being a dreamer, and, as we approached the market, it was obvious that he was reliving,
in his mind, the dream of the past. 16. "Something new was born, or reignited, in me when she first
took my hand. 17. And it was more than the rushing of blood and the pounding of heart, although that
was exciting. It was the unfolding of a flower of Lovelight deep within me.
18. "In those days, an old man owned a field not far from my home, and we used to run and play in
that field as if we were children, even though we knew that we were children no longer. 19. Love
somehow forces you to reach naturally for the freedom of childhood. Shalima showed me the hidden
side of the cosmos. 20. She took me into the 'cave of the mind,' and taught me about the gentle,
receptive, warm, sustaining, strong feminine side. She showed me that the gentle is more powerful
than the strong, and that God is our Mother-Father. 21. She introduced me to the Goddess-side of
God-- nourishing, tender, kind, softly beautiful. If you had known Shalima, you too would worship God
as woman.
22. In fact, the Hebrew Scriptures imply that God has a female-side. In the first book of Moses, in
Genesis, it says that God made people 'in his image. 48. Male and female he created them.' It was
only long human tradition that erased this lovely and balanced vision of God."
23. "Why do you still address God as 'Father'?" I asked.
24. "It's because of the weakness of the people. Those in our culture are not yet ready to picture
God as both male and female. 25. The division of the sexes, longing for continuous reunion, is a dim
manifestation of our need to recognize this wholeness of God and Goddess.
26. "When my flesh cried out for union with Shalima, I sensed that this was but a dim reflection of
the need of my soul to unite with the Spirit.
CHAPTER 9.

Verse 1. Balance is important in all areas of life," Jesus said. "Each person has within the self a male-
aspect and a female-aspect. 2. Keeping these two in balance creates a more perfect being, an
'androgyne,' as the Greeks call it. Thus, express both parts of yourself, especially when seeking peace
with others.
3. Use the 'male' energies to create intellect and moderate assertiveness; use the 'female' to create
genuine tenderness, softness, and open support for others. 4. Let both exist only in the service of
Love."
5. "What about lusts and desires?" asked Judas.
6. "These things are not evil," Jesus replied, "unless they become your masters. In honorable
marriage, these have their place. 7. But the person of wisdom seeks to lessen personal desire, that
the desire of love, the will of God, might have its way through the self. When lust and desire are
allowed to become masters, a person is driven into misery and chaos. 8. Let them be your servants,
while you are the servant of Love. When the male and the female unite within you, oneness occurs. 9.
The oneness of the spiritual life is increased. In Christ, there exists neither male nor female, but all
are souls, above the physical world."
10. "Are souls sexless?" asked Judas.
11. "No, for souls, in the Homeworld, have minds that are either of one form or the other. Sex is
not a thing of bodies, but of minds. 12. The free soul is allowed to select a body of light that is in
harmony with its more powerful pattern, either male or female."
13. "In the Homeworld, do souls marry?" asked Matthew.
14. "No, for marriage is a thing of this world, designed to form families of Love. In the Homeworld,
there is Love everywhere, and one might choose a special Love-partner with whom to perfect Love. 15.
On earth, physical union is the most beautiful and sacred expression of Love."
16. "Did you ever long for it, Jesus?" asked Judas.
17. "Yes, I did. I burned with longing and Love for Shalima, when I was young. 18. For I was, and
am, part human. I was actually longing to find outside what can only be found inside. 19. It was my
male-mind seeking oneness with my female-mind."
20. "Does that mean that a male's longing for a female is an imperfection, or weakness?" asked
Thomas.

CHAPTER 10.

Verse 1. "No, to be attracted to women is not an imperfection or weakness," replied Jesus. "Love
between males and females is the way of all nature. 2. It is a most natural pattern for expressing
Love, and brings great joy and peace. Nature, in fact, has designed the body to share and enjoy this
Love."
3. "What about males with males? The Hebrew Scriptures say that this is an 'abomination.' What do
you say?"
4. "Throughout nature, there is variety. Diversity exists in color and form, all through the world. 5.
It also exists in minds. The goal of the perfection of Love is not to judge others, but to help, aid, and
assist them in any form of service. 6. This is universal Love. This must embrace everyone. It must
embrace people of all colors, all varieties, all types, no matter how they were born. 7. To be
attracted male-to-male is a way in which people are born, like those who are born with differently-
colored skin. A person is responsible for only what he or she can control, not for the way in which he or
she is born."
8. "What is the secret to unconditional Love?" asked John.
9. "It is this: Love others because of what you are, not because of what they are. You must know
that your Self is lovable before you can love it. 10. And you must love the self before you can love
others." It clouded up and began to rain. 11. Jesus always loved the rain, and so he continued to walk
calmly past the stalls, while merchants fled and panicked, gathering up sacks full of grain and wares, to
put them under cover.
12. To Jesus, rain was "the world's baptism," a sign of "heaven's cleansing of earth." He loved to
walk in the rain. 13. As we found shelter and settled, he recalled: "I remember when Shalima and I
went swimming in the little lake near the Road of the Well, near Nazareth. 14. Without clothing, she
was the most dazzling work of beauty that I had ever seen. Afterwards, we stayed there and talked,
for a long time, and held each other in the hot summer grass as the sun went down. 15. I wanted her
so desperately that I could barely see. Still, in a dim part, way in the back of my mind, I knew that to
know union with her would have forever changed my destiny. 16. So I refrained. But still, we loved
deeply and kissed passionately. 17. After that day, her family moved, and I never saw her again." 18.
He looked as wistful as the rain-fog, turning over in his mind what might have been.
19. "Why did you turn away, Jesus?" asked Judas.
20. "Because I knew that a man can have only one life," he said, a bit sadly. "I had been called to a
certain destiny, a karma that I cannot escape, designed by My soul. 21. I seek to honor it, not to
escape it."
22. "What is that destiny?" asked Mary Magdalen.
23. "It is to teach the Love of God, and then, to give up this life so that people will remember."
24. "Heaven forbid, master!" Peter shouted. "May that not be so! You'll live a good, long life, and
have a fine family."
25. There was an infinite pool of bottomless tender sadness in Jesus' eyes as he replied, "My own
lower nature says the same. Fear tells me the same. 26. Get thee behind me, fear-nature! For it will
not be so. 27. That is not My destiny." Peter looked stunned. The rest of us were swallowed in an
uncomfortable silence.

CHAPTER 11.

Verse 1. Jesus trembled when he thought of the young girl whom he had first loved, Shalima of
Nazareth. "Some of those old feelings still haunt me," he said. 2. "But its much too late to turn back,
to change things now. There was so much that I should have said. . 3. I understand now why that
young girl slapped me, and told me that she hated me. But it still hurts, in my heart. 4. What hurt
most was her sobbing accusation that I was self-righteous, trying to play God. Of course, I said, even
then, that much talking about 'God' does not, cannot, make a person holy. 5. But, still, if she realizes
her inner holiness, the person touched by Love will talk of holy things.
6. The elders, we both knew, talk much about God, but are made only pompous and arrogant by this
talk. For it does not arise from a holy Source within.
7. "Shalima," Jesus continued, "felt humiliated. She felt rejected, although I never turned away
from her. 8. I told her that I would never abandon her, and promised always to be truthful with her.
But tragically, it was revealed to me that I was to have a life in which she could never have an all-
important part."
9. "Couldn't you love God through loving Shalima?" asked John.
10. "Yes, of course," Jesus replied. "I have told you over and over that the only way to love God is
to love God's creatures. 11. It is by our loving each other that the Love of God is manifested in this
world. Outside of the Love for people, there is no Love for God. 12. But my life was prechosen and
designed by My soul. It was not to be the kind of life where good, sufficient, quality Love could be
given to, and shared with, a special Lovepartner. 13. Mine was to be a life of wandering and
meandering. I would not settle down and have a wife and children. 14. I was commanded to give all
my time and energy to the active service of God in another way."
15. "Does that mean that when one does buy a house and rear a family, he should be doing
something else?" asked Martha.
16. "No," Jesus said. "Loving a wife and kids is just as real a Love for God as any other. 17. There
are faithful, stable husbands whose Love for God is much more precious than that given by professional
preachers. 18. Having a wife and house, if tended to in Love, is a real life of sacred duty, and a life of
purest Love. That, in fact, is the very holy calling of many men. 19. I have tried always to emphasize
that one need not choose between 'loving God' and loving others. One loves God by loving others. 20.
So, the truest, and most powerful, Love for God in a man's life will be his Love for his wife, or for
children, or even friends. Love for any living creature is exactly the same as Love for God."

CHAPTER 12.

Verse 1. "And the one who does not love her brother or sister, who is visible, cannot love God, who
is invisible."
2. "Why is it not enough simply to follow religious laws?" asked Thomas.
3. Because Love supersedes all law," said Jesus. "Laws create the wounds which only Love can heal.
4. Laws make you aware of imperfections, while Love reveals deep inner perfection.
5. Laws condemn, but Love commends, and saves."
6. "What finally happened with Shalima?" asked Martha, who that day was walking with us.
7. "I heard a rumor that she had moved in with a man named Matthias, a large, strong man, a
smith. I felt sick. 8. I longed again for the simple pleasures of an ordinary life, free from my terrible
obsession. 9. Night after night, I went without sleep. I would've confronted her or the smith, but I was
afraid that he would attack, or even kill, me. 10. For weeks, I could not eat. 11. I had secretly gone
to Matthias' house more than once, at night, so as not to be seen, but I never caught a glimpse of
Shalima. 12. Tragically, horribly, the elders found out about her living arrangements, and strongly,
sternly disapproved. One bright afternoon, they came and dragged her out into the yard, and pelted
her with rocks until she was all blood and pulp, her lovely, fragile body was shattered and crushed with
shock and agony as if penetrated with a dozen swords. 13. It was horrible. I am still haunted by the
unforgettable vision of the atrocity. 14. They split and cracked her delicate bones, bludgeoning her to
death in the most horrible way possible." 15. He gritted his teeth and raised his voice: "This was the
result of law without Love!" His eyes became fire. Then, slowly, they grew hollow, dead, empty pools,
the eyes of a man who had looked repeatedly and hopelessly into the hells of the human psyche. 16. I
saw another tear trail down his cheek, and could feel his fury as he clenched his fists and teeth. "I
found her later, just before she died, and I held her in my arms. I felt the life drain from her. 17. She
died in my arms." His voice was as dead as his beloved Shalima. 18. "I screamed out to a hollow,
empty heaven, cursing the world and the cosmos, cursing the elders, and Israel, and the Law, and its
god!
19. What died in my arms that day was not Shalima. It was not even human.
20. It was a broken shell of agony beyond pain. I was utterly terrified, out of my mind with rage. 21.
Unknown to me, a few elders returned to the scene of their crime, restrained me in my shouting
madness, and dragged me home. 22. I screamed until my voice grew raw, and was no more. Then, I
whimpered until late in the night, sobbing beneath the cold, heartless full moon and an empty sky." 23.
His voice, like his heart, was breaking, and we could hardly stand it.

CHAPTER 13.

Verse 1. This afternoon, the sun grew hotter than usual, and I found Jesus swimming in the little
lake a mile north of Capernaum, the Lake of the Little Fishes. James had told me that he would be
here. 2. But the place was very crowded, and I had a hard time spotting him. When I finally found
him, he was laughing and playing with a few friends. 3. I just stood on the shore, motionless and
staring. I was wondering what kind of man this was, who intimately knew the deepest mysteries, yet
loved to play in the sunlight. 4. I must have looked the fool, because when they saw me, John Mark
and Thomas started to laugh and jeer. But they were pleasant, and I took no offense.
5. "What's the matter, Andrew?" said John Mark. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."
6. "Figments of the imagination," barked Thomas, always the doubter, never missing a chance to
show off his Greek education.
7. "No, I'm seeing a man, a remarkable man," I replied seriously, taking the power from their
laughter. "I see a man who has become God." 8. They stopped laughing and looked, I thought, rather
sheepishly at each other. "He is," I continued, "a man of healing, and of scars. Our healing comes from
his scars." Jesus had heard all this and, when he spotted me, climbed out of the lake, seeming
invigorated by the swim.
9. "Andrew, my brother," he said. "How are things with you?"
"Very good," I replied. "My book is progressing well. Even now, Jesus, I have pen and paper at the
ready."
10. Jesus laughed. "So you do. You are always prepared. It's that fine Libra energy." 11. (My sun-
sign was Libra, and Jesus had chosen me at least partly for this reason.) 12. "How long has it been
since we last spoke?" he asked.
"About two weeks," I said. 13. He threw himself on the ground almost casually, and lay like a dead
bear on his stomach, breathing heavily. Sometimes I worried about his health.
14. After a minute or so, he turned over, sat up, and brushed sand from his soaking tunic, which was
the same color as sand.
15. "The scars from Shalima are not as painful now that I've talked it out with such a close friend,"
he said. "Thank you, Andrew."
16. "It's my pleasure, Jesus," I said. "Believe me, I could feel just how terrible that was for you.
17. I'm honored that you shared that with me."
18. Jesus looked into the bright sky, and said, "Well, I think that your book might be important to
teach men not to behave like beasts. 19. Those who follow Me must never abuse people in any way.
They must be supremely careful to live lives of harmlessness. 20. They must exercise continuous
mindfulness never to harm anyone-- emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually."

CHAPTER 14.

Verse 1. I was surprised. It seemed that his attitude towards my evangel had changed. Before, he was
full of fears about its leading to idolatry of him as a person, worship of Jesus rather than the
Christspirit. 2. Now, that fear seemed relaxed. "Thank you," I said, not knowing what else would be
appropriate.
3. "The murder of Shalima upset many people," he continued his narrative. "But the elders said that
the law of Jehovah was supremely more important than 'mere human emotions.' 4. The people, they
warned, had better shut up or else be accused of rebelling against the theocratic organization of Israel.

5. So, the people grew furiously quiet, and became silently enraged."
6. "Why did the elders not do away with the hideously cruel practice of merciless and tormenting
stoning?" I wondered.
7. "Because they themselves had a great streak of cruelty in their lower natures," Jesus said. "But
more importantly, stoning was a part of the written lawcode. 8. To change that, they felt, would be
blasphemy. The elders said that such ghastly punishment would deter women from adultery.
9. They sought to improve people through fear-- a tactic that has never worked."
10. "You're right, Jesus," I said. "Weren't there many prostitutes at the time when the law was first
written?"
11. "Yes," said Jesus, a trace of a smile hinting about his lips. "I was accused by the elders of being
a drunk, for I often attended parties with those women."
12. I was taken aback by his bluntness, even though everyone knew about these charges. "Why,
Jesus? I just have to ask. Why did you party with those women of ill repute?"
13. Jesus' face broke into a full smile. "Because those who are sickest are the ones who most need
the doctor," he said. "I have come to heal, and to save, souls. 14. How can I heal those who refuse to
believe that they are ill? How can I save those who do not believe that they are lost? 15. I saw more
humility and kindness, among some of those prostitutes, who were sick, mentally injured, and
wounded, than I ever saw among the 'righteous' elders. 16. Some of the women were sweet, gentle,
and generous. The elders were usually haughty, cruel, and vindictive. 17. Even the god of the elders
was made in their twisted image-- a god of barbarity and atrocity, who killed women and children." 18.
He shuddered visibly. "I've had my fill of the 'righteous.' I come to call, not 'righteous' people, but
sinners, whom I call to turn around and change their ways.
19. Some of those women were not practicing deliberate evil, but were also victims."
20. "Yes, their poverty was great," I agreed.
21. "Right. Some were just trying to survive in a world that had itself grown savage and immoral.
They could have made better choices, true. 22. But at their core, they were not evil people. Their
hearts were jewels."

CHAPTER 15.

Verse 1. "The elders," said Jesus, "feel the need to murder someone every once in a while, to
'maintain 'social order,' as they say.' They call it 'execution,' as if that makes it clean. 3. They then
blame it all on the 'law of Jehovah,' which is indeed its true source. This, they believe, condones it.
4. But that does not make it an iota less savage. It does not justify their brutalities. 5. And many
who cast the stones are guilty of equal sin. No sinless man has ever cast a stone at another, and, if he
did so, he would no longer be sinless. 6. I remember once, when I was eighteen, I was on my way
home from the synagogue. My attendance had been irregular, and I had found the preaching and
teaching boring almost beyond endurance. 7. In order to demonstrate his 'holy zeal,' one of the elders,
named Josiah, had just given an inflammatory sermon on the evils of 'unbridled lust.' The elders and
other 'righteous' people always lap up these kinds of talks with secret lust of their own.
8. They love to discuss the 'evils of fornication and adultery,' with a look of hunger in their own eyes.
Josiah had just made it clear that those who joined in illegal physical union were much worse than
murderers, liars, and violent and abusive people.
9. They were, to take him seriously, worse than even Satan. Josiah had no true enthusiasm or zeal,
but only a fanatical hatred that grew from his fear and envy. 10. He was terrified most of all of the
demons which inhabited his own heart and mind."
11. "Jesus," Thomas interrupted, "do you mean literal evil spirits when you say 'demons'?"
12. "No," said Jesus. "As I have taught you, 'demons' are the qualities of the lower nature that seek
to control actions and words. 13. Anyway, instead of struggling honestly with their own demons, the
elders try to pretend that they have none. 14. So the demons in themselves they see only in others,
everywhere. Thus is their own uncleanness revealed, to the discerning.
15. "Josiah was like this, and his desire was to inflame the people with a 'holy' zeal for Jehovah, which
had nothing of true holiness in it. Instead, his heated words unleashed a floodtide of barbarity and
vindictive cruelty. 16. This was a different, and worse, kind of lust-- bloodlust. I was with the people
when they, with one accord, rushed out of the synagogue in search of 'sinners,' to 'cleanse' their
community. 17. I was with that crowd when they came to the house of a gentle young woman named
Seriah. On that bright afternoon, everyone became possessed-- by the letter of the law. 18. Truly the
letter kills, while only the Spirit gives life. This is especially true if the law is regarded as more sacred
even than human life-- an atrocity.
19. And this was exactly the case with this vicious law.
20. "The crowd moved as one demon possessed man, to the house of Seriah. I tagged along behind,
aghast at their lust for violence and blood."

CHAPTER 16.

Verse 1. "Their anger withered me," Jesus continued, speaking of the frenzied mob that attacked
the young girl Seriah. "I tried to be inconspicuous, or even invisible.
2. Shamelessly, with ferocious white-hot violence, they stormed into the bedroom of Seriah, and tore
her from her own bed. In their evil lust, they stripped her naked before dragging her outside. 3. The
elders passed their judgment, and within moments, flurries of stones were hailing from the angry mob.
I saw an entire community of 'sane, law abiding, godfearing' people go starkly mad as they hurled rocks
at the vulnerable and fragile Seriah. 4. She screamed piercingly as her body was punctured by the
rocks, and tears flowed down her face. It brought back to mind the horrors of Shalima, and I became
violently sick.
5. The ferocity was terrifying. It was as if this beautiful little young girl were suddenly seen as the
incarnation of evil itself. 6. They threw the stones with glee and a hideous vindictive evil that I had
never seen before. Before I could look away, I saw the missiles rip her flesh and raise ugly huge
bruises. 7. I saw them tear and rip open her skin, and blood poured down her belly and legs. 8. I
heard her little bones snap, and clapped my hands over my ears, as much to block out the vengeful
shouts of the angry demonized crowd as to block her agonized screams. The horror increased as my
mind changed, and everything slowed down, so that I saw it all with nightmarish clarity.
9. She fell to her knees in a pool of her own blood, clasping her hands, and shouting, 'God, have mercy
on my soul!' 10. I began to scream myself, shouting for them to stop the madness, but my voice was
drowned out by the loud insanity. One of the elders even threatened, 'Shut up, or you'll be next!' 11.
Terrified, I turned away in silence and sickness.
12. "What the elder could not have known was that I actually preferred death, at that moment, to
continued existence in such a wretched world. As I glanced, the face of Seriah became that of Shalima,
and I felt that I was myself going mad. 13. "When I glanced again, she had the face of Mary. I realized
then that she was all women. 14. She was every woman who had stood alone against the critical,
mindless violence of men. She was actually the Power of the goddess standing bravely against male-
domination and cruelty. 15. She was not only Woman, but was woman itself-- nature resisting the
unnatural mind of man. She was purity, even sexual purity, in the face of those who hated what is
natural and clean, the men who label it as evil.
16. These were the men who had labelled themselves as 'a people called out of the nations for the
name of Jehovah,' and who would do anything to 'keep the congregation clean.' 17. But that which
lacks Love is unclean already."

CHAPTER 17.

Verse 1. "That which is unclean," Jesus said, "cannot be made clean by violence and punishment,
anymore than a garment can be made clean by soaking in soiled water. Only forgiveness can cleanse."
2. Jesus continued his story: "I was sick, and speechless, for a week after the incident with Seriah.
And then, I would see the 'godfearing' elders saying their loud and public prayers. 3. That sickened me
even more.
"In time, I became disgusted with the people of my birthplace, and I left them. 4. There were
times when I never wanted to see this land, or these people, ever again."
"Is that when you went to India?" I asked.
5. "Yes. I was nineteen when I joined a merchant caravan to the east. From the time that I had
been a toddler, in Egypt, I had studied the ancient Indian writings, and was fascinated by their
mysticism. 6. It had not taken me very long, even as a six-year-old, to realize that i was myself a
natural mystic.
7. By the time that I was nineteen, I had many of the Upanishads committed to memory. In their
accounts of the indissoluble union between God and man, I found my greatest inspiration. 8. I was also
profoundly influenced by the Taoist and Buddhist Asian texts.
"It was obvious to me that Judaism, by contrast, was very much in need of mystical wisdom. 9.
Compared with the Eastern faiths, it had degenerated into a mere observance of law without Love or
Spirit. It was most impoverished, in desperate need of mystical 'blood' to revive it. 10. For it had
become the corpse, the mere shell, of spirituality. Its image of God as Jehovah had become completely
manformed and mandominated, and the very meaning of the word 'God' had all but been lost. 11. The
Jewish 'god' was in the sky, not the heart. He was an alien, not the deepest Love-nature. 12. Even
worse, he had been turned into a soldier, a war-god, by bloody and ignorant men."
"Why, then, did you choose to be born in Palestine?" asked James, still uncomfortable, but
reflecting our common wisdom that the soul actually chooses its place and circumstances of birth.
13. "As I have told you, the sicker a person is, the more she needs a doctor. The sicker a culture or
religion is, the more it needs a living mystic in its presence, to remind it of what is real, what is
valuable. 14. The mystic brings back the Spirit among and within the people. This she does by her
life, and by her death."
15. Judas was, as usual, skeptical. "How can a mystic's death enrich a culture?"
"If the mystic gives her life voluntarily, and leaves the world at a fairly young age, and leaves it in
purity, she then becomes a kind of model. 16. For she treasures the real Life, not the life of this
world, which is illusion and dream."
"You are widely accused," continued Judas, "of having mixed paganism with Judaism. 17. To hear
your words, one would believe that this rumor is true. What do you say about it?" Do you say that
paganism is better than Judaism?"
18. Jesus smiled. "That's like asking whether an adult is 'better' than a child. One faith is not 'better'
than another, and the wording is wrong. 19. Judaism was made, centuries ago, by and for the common
people. The Asian faiths, by contrast, were created by mystic masters. So, the Eastern paths are wiser
and wider, more developed spiritually. 20. In this world, in your schools for children, in the same way,
you have one class for younger children and another class for older children. You also have classes for
adults. So the world's faiths have legal and mechanical faiths for 'younger children,' and mystical faiths
for adults."
21. "Truth is truth, no matter what its source. People of all nations and faiths have had truths or
realities revealed to them. 22. God is one, and is the God of the entire universe. Only a seriously
limited fanatic would go so far as to claim, for example, that God is actually a Jew, even though she
would say that only Jews have the 'truth.'"
23. "What is truth?" asked Judas.
Jesus remained silent, spreading his hands. 24. He reached out and touched Judas on the face. We
all looked at each other. 25. "Truth is what is," interpreted Thomas. "It is this reality, at this moment.
26. It is not a list of beliefs. Am I right, Jesus?" Jesus just nodded.

CHAPTER 18.

Verse 1. "The Jews," Jesus emphasized, "have never been alone in their quest to understand
spiritual Reality. They have not exhausted the totality of truth, by their religion. 2. Most often, they
used human symbols to represent divine realities. In time, they came to mistake those symbols for that
Reality which underlies the cosmos. 3. Yet people of all nations and cultures have avidly pursued their
visions and understandings of this divine Reality. It is called 'Mind' in many societies and faiths. 4. And
I tell you the truth, whoever seeks this truth finds it. Everyone who asks will receive, and to everyone
knocking, the door of heavenly truth will be opened.
5. "While in India, I did not settle under any master or guru, but insisted upon my Godgiven freedom
and independence. I became the slave of no man. 6. So, I went against the custom. I traveled
continuously from place to place, collecting gems of truth from the wandering saddhus in the forests,
and the mendicant monks, sages, and teachers. 7. I was so filled with questions, in my early twenties,
I would drain one master, then proceed to the next. Finally, the sage Neropal told me that I could
spend forever and a day filling my head, and I would still be empty. 8. What I needed and lacked was
the actual experience of the holy Spirit in my own heart.
9. "In an indirect way, I had been making a mistake similar to that of the Jews, who believe that by
memorizing Scriptural texts, and by Bible-study, they are made superior to others, and draw closer to
God. 10. God, of course, has nothing to do with this kind of illusion, for it entrances only those in
ignorance. Those scholars and elders demonstrate every day, by their words and actions, that they
have absolutely no understanding of God. 11. Even those who have memorized the entire texts of the
Hebrew Scriptures, and know everything about their history, are empty and know nothing. 12. For
they lack gnosis, the only real 'knowledge" or wisdom that really counts. This gnosis is known with the
heart, not just the mind.
13. It arises from the fountain of the inner soul. Always learning, the elders are unable to come to an
accurate knowledge of real truth, underlying Reality, God.
"For, always studying and accumulating knowledge, these men have no room for compassion. 14.
They say shamefully, even to their own parents, 'Whatever I own that might help you is a gift dedicated
to God, so you cannot have it.' 15. This greed is truest blasphemy, and is true evil. The elders have
abandoned the Way of forgiveness and Love. 16. That is why books, Neropal told me, cannot contain
the entire truth, although they can be true and contain true statements. 17. For the real 'truth' is an
inner experience of the direct, immediate, overwhelming presence of God in the heart, acting and
living as Love. Truth is Spirit, truth is Logos, truth is Love.
18. "A little later, I went over to Egypt to discuss spirituality with the great masters who had lived
there, even as Moses and Elijah, the Hebrew legendary heroes, had done.
19. Those masters revealed to me that the famous Books of Moses, the first five books of the Hebrew
Scriptures, the Pentateuch, as the Greeks call them, or the Torah, as the Jews say, arose directly from
Moses' Egyptian knowledge and training."
20. "What did these masters teach you about Jehovah, the god of the Jews?" asked Mary, who loved
Jesus.

CHAPTER 19.

Verse 1. "The cult of Jehovahworship," answered Jesus, "was an unimportant distortion. Jehovah,
the masters and sages taught, was a minor spirit. 2. He was created by Sophia, the Greek name for
the wisdomprinciple in Mind. Jehovah, in total ignorance, designed and 'created' the material world.
3. This included all plants and animals. To perform this creation, he used an art from a distant world,
using extremely tiny pieces of living substance. 4. These tiny particles were changed in many lower
lifeforms over many myriads of millennia. Each tiny particle contained the pattern of the whole plant
or animal.
5. This was accomplished by the lightbeings which the ancients called the 'Elohim,' who were alien to
the earth. Originally, there were many of these beings, but later Hebrews fused them into one, whom
they called the 'Creator.' 6. This idea, still later, fused, and became confused, with one of the Elohim
named 'Jehovah.' Still later in their history, the Hebrews began to teach that this being was their god.
7. Much later still, they began to teach that this god was the only god.
8. "Anyway, the purpose of the Elohim was to create beings which could develop true spiritual
potential. To create these, they used as models the creatures which they had already created over
eons of time. 9. The tiny changes, which they made in the tiny lifeparticles, gave rise to higher and
higher forms. Finally, when a self-aware form, capable of real spirituality, arose-- the human being--
this creature was entered by a nonphysical entity called a 'soul.'"
10. "Why did this soul enter the body of a physical human being?" asked Thomas, as always,
uncertain and skeptical.
11. "For that soul, it was a kind of adventure, game, or way of playing. The soul entered the body
in order to have new experiences, and to enjoy itself in novel ways. 12. Many thousands of thousands
of souls did this. In time, some forgot that the 'material' world was a dream. 13. They started to live
in it seriously, instead of regarding it as a game. When this happened, greed, envy, and related
material squabbles arose.
14. This love of money became a root of all evil. This strange and negative transformation is told in
parable, in the story of Cain and Abel. 15. When Cain kills his brother Abel, the great wheel of karma
is set into terrible motion."
 16. "How did the Jews misinterpret Jehovah? Was he ever misidentified as the God of the entire
cosmos?" asked Philip.
17. "It was part of the illusion and legend of the ancient Israelis that Jehovah was their personal
god. That is, he belonged only to the tribes, and to no one else. 18. But in time, this idea expanded
to the illusion that only Jehovah existed as a 'real' god, and all the other gods were 'false' gods. 19.
But even unto this day, the Jews have never recognized Jehovah as the God of the entire cosmos, the
God of all people. 20. Indeed, they can't even grasp this idea. He is still a possession, owned entirely
by the Jews, and is never seen as a god of the Gentiles, whom they call 'pagans.'"
21. "How does the Father of Light compare with Jehovah?" asked Martha.
22. "The Father is as high above Jehovah as the heavens are above the earth," Jesus replied. "If
Jehovah is the tiniest spark of light, the Father of the All is a blazing sun that fills the entire sky."
23. Everyone grew silent. We were stunned speechless. 24. For from his own lips, we all heard
the ultimate blasphemy that a Jew could ever utter, and we were astounded by his clear, unflinching
honesty. 25. No wonder that Jesus told us to keep secret these "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven."
If any good, respectable Jews had heard this talk, we would have all been crucified or stoned together.

CHAPTER 20.

1. Verse 1. Jesus was a dangerous man. Or, at least, he taught perilous ideas. 2. The elders
were quite politically powerful and influential with the Romans. The Romans, in turn, were
notorious for their cruel and arbitrary torture. 3. This was especially used against anyone
accused of treason, for the Romans had great sensitivities about political rebellion. So, Jesus
made us nervous with his explosive talk about another "kingdom," and we feared persecution.
4. Indeed, he had even prophesied that those who followed him would be persecuted. It did
not require a prophet to foresee that one.
5. Still, I must admit that he was a fountain of information, and his teachings could easily fill many
books. In fact, I understand that my brother Judas, as well as a few others, are already writing about
him and his teachings. 6. I know, at least, that Judas, Simon, and Mary are all working on little books
that record his words and actions. I can think of no work that would bring more joy, or that would be
more fascinating and satisfying. 7. And that is good news.
Not everything that he said, however, was good news. 8. One of Jesus' most important teachings, in
fact, flew in the face of the fundamentalism of the traditional Jews. It went directly against their
"law, prophets," and "teachings of the ancestors." 9. Jesus said that the Hebrew Scriptures were
not infallible, written by the "finger of God," but were histories and allegories penned by human beings.
The elders taught, by contrast, that the Scriptures were "channeled" and "inspired," and were incapable
of error, and so must be letterperfect.
10. In his more rambunctious moments, Jesus actually mocked this view as ignorant superstition.
He also believed in progressive revelation, that God did not stop revealing Himself and the mysteries
with the death of the ancients. 11. God still revealed things to people today, Jesus taught. This was a
shock to the religious sensibilities of the conservatives, who denied God's ability or will to reveal
anything new.
12. "This is," said Jesus, "based simply on fear, Love's opposite. "The moment that anyone says, 'God
can't...,' it is time to suspect that that person is ignorant. 13. For God can do literally anything, at any
time. So, when the elders say that God cannot save everyone, or that God cannot love certain sinners,
turn away from them, for they speak out of a heart of empty and ignorant fear." 14. "Fear," he always
said, "is the only enemy, and Love the only solution."
15. "Talk to us about miracles," I said to him one day, when we were all-- the twelve friends, and
our women-friends-- walking on a mountain-path. It was a subject that Jesus would never have brought
up. 16. He was highly sensitive to people's fascination with, and distraction by, unusual events. Too
much attention to these made him upset, even angry. 17. "Always pursue the perfection of Love, not
miracles," he would say. "Chasing miracles is just another , even hidden, quest to control things. 18.
The Way is about Love, not about 'magic.'" This unhealthy fascination, he said, led away from the
directly perceived truth of the inner Spirit. 19. It drew attention away from the deep, intrinsic Love-
nature. It focused attention instead upon the world.
20. "Miracles exist for one purpose, and only that: To prove that we live in a world, not of ordinary
'things,'but of Mindimages. They prove that this world is a dream.
21. Anything is possible within a dream, once you have awakened to the fact that you are, in fact,
dreaming. Only changes in Mind and thought are important, or good for anything. 22. So, the Way of
Love emphasizes the restructuring of personality and of Mind. The Way does not produce magicians,
but mystics.
23. For the magician, the personal will is everything, is God. But for the mystic, the personal will is to
be crucified.
24. Mysticism, the opposite of magic, does not seek to create miracles, but to yield up entirely the will
to the will of the Father, the desire of Love. When a person becomes fully transparent, completely
empty of all self, then miraculous events happen spontaneously. 25. They do not occur because the
person wants or wills them, but because the person has become a desireless conduit or empty vessel for
the Power.

CHAPTER 21.

Verse 1. "They say," said Jesus, "that, in Cana, I turned water to wine. At that wedding, there was
a lot of confusion, and many jars. 2. Some contained water, others wine, and they became mixed up
and confused. That's one reason why, when they said that the water had actually become wine, no one
was more astonished than I. 3. If the Power chose to so act through Me, then so be it. But I did not,
and do not, want anything. 4. I have no personal will. My will died into the will of the Father, the
desires of Love. 5. I never want anything, and I never do anything." He always insisted, over and over,
that he did nothing. 6. This baffled and bewildered us all, for he was always moving about and
teaching. He insisted that all this happened through him, and did not originate with him.
7. This is what he taught as the "pure mystical Way."
8. "Only changes inside yourself can change the world," he said. "Sometimes, these changes
transform even the 'material' or 'external' world. 9. As a being realizes ever greater the inner
perfection of the Self, the world itself is transformed. It subtly but surely becomes a more perfect
place. 10. All beings and persons are reflections of the Self. If it is perfect, its Power is that of
perfection, and so it projects or creates only perfection." 11. This Power was the Source of his
healing. He denied, over and over, that he was the origin of any miraculous Power. 12. "That same
Power that acts in and through Me also acts in and through all of you. It is the Power of life and Love."
13. I grew breathless with anticipation: "Jesus, could you teach us also to perform miracles?" I
asked.
14. He only smiled. "No one can 'perform' miracles. You can only permit a miracle. 15. To do
this, you must cast no shadows in the bright inner light of Love. You must undergo often painful inner
crucifixion or death as a separate self.
16. You must 'die into' the great Mind of Love. Your psyche must become as empty, clear, still, and
transparent as water, as fluid as water. 17. Then, if the Power wants to create a miraculous change or
event, It might act through You, exactly as It does through Me."
18. "How can I find this Power?" I asked.
19. Unexpectedly, he laughed. "You don't need to find It. It is not lost. 20. It must find You, for it
is your soul that has become lost from It. The 'hidden Mystery' is everywhere on display, and fills all the
worlds. 21. Its quiet, whispered secrets are already shouted from every housetop. Look around you,
Andrew. Look at this world. 22. Do you not know that none of it could exist without You? You are the
very instrument of God's playing, God's dreaming. 23. You are the role that God plays on the 'stage' of
the world. Don't you see the great secret? 24. It is this: Everything is a miracle."
CHAPTER 22.

Verse 1. "But why does the perfect Mind dream up imperfection?" asked Thomas.
"When," Jesus answered, "the world is seen as it actually is, without your interpretations, outside of
collective mind, it is all bright and pure.
2. All things and events, everywhere, reflect perfection."
Thomas scoffed bitterly. 3. "Aging and death, sickness and disease, scorpions, serpents, spiders,
war, murder, torture-- are you saying that all of this reflects 'perfection'?"
5. Cynicism filled his voice. And despite our trust in Jesus, I must admit, we all had doubts about his
sanity when he said this.
6. Jesus replied, "In the great, all-encompassing overview of the cosmos, every event serves a
purpose. That purpose is souleducation. 7. All things exist to educate souls in the Way of Love. And
anything which educates serves the good.
8. Whatever serves the good partakes of goodness, and so, is itself good. Also, look at yourself and
your assumptions:
9. Disease and aging are seen as 'bad' because they lead to death. This relies on the idea that death is
'bad.'
10. But, in a larger context, death is not bad, but natural, and even good, because it leads to a better,
improved life, an expanded life of joy. 11. And why do you assume that Brother Serpent is evil? This
poor creature is usually small and very thin. 12. He has no arms, and no legs, and is hated by all. His
enemy, the human being, is giant by comparison, and much more clever. 13. Humans will kill a
serpent, which contains the holy lifeforce, simply because it is a serpent.
14. "And look at how tiny and innocent is Sister Spider. How quietly she cooperates with the
cosmos, in silently awaiting her prey. 15. Her purpose, such as she has any at all, is never to harm
people, yet people have declared her 'ugly' and seek to kill her.
16. "And in the more important matters, such as human activity-- war, murder, rape, torture--
human beings have been making moral errors for thousands of years. Most of this is reflective,
symmetric karma. 17. And even that which is not karmic is designed to teach souls patience, strength,
tolerance, and wisdom-- all enormous spiritual treasures of incomprehensible value. 18. Receiving
these wonderful gifts for having gone through the torments of this life is like receiving thirty thousand
talents of pure gold for having suffered from a splinter. This is how your soul sees things."
19. "Life on earth is no splinter," growled Judas disagreeably.
20. "Not from the human view," agreed Jesus. "But from the view of the higher Self, the soul, this
entire life on earth is but a moment."

CHAPTER 23.

Verse 1. "For but a moment's pain, in this brief world, we will inherit the splendor of eternity," said
Jesus.
2. "I give up on you," complained Thomas. "You are such an idealist, such an optimist!" His
frustration was evident. All the rest of us were feeling the same, looking at each other, unable to
believe what Jesus was saying.
3. "Open your mind, Thomas," beseeched Jesus. "There is much of real value and truth in both
idealism and optimism.
4. The cynicism and pessimism of the masses form the path of agony, loss, and error. Truth is bright
and promising, despite the pain and horror."
5. "You admit at least that this life is pain and horror," said Thomas.
6. "No," corrected Jesus. "I say only that pain and horror exist as an interpretation of the world.
The world is created, moment by moment, by the will of the Father.
7. Love, through its desire, creates the entire world. Now, the Father is purely goodness, purity, and
Love. 8. So nothing can exist outside of this perfect Love, even if it appears to us that it is not so. 9.
There are not two creators, but only one."
10. "You are denying reality," spat Thomas. He was brimming with doubt, as were we all.
11. "I embrace," said Jesus, "a higher Reality. It is not evident to the senses. 12. It is a spiritual
Reality, the Reality or truth that is the Mind of Love. 13. In Genesis, for example, the elohim declare
all creation-- everything-- to be 'very good.' When human beings decide to 'partake of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil,' deciding that evil is just as real as good, they are expelled from Eden or
'Pleasure.' 14. To return once again to the inner Garden of Pleasure, we must also discover how
everything-- with no exception-- is 'very good.' Only in this way do we come into harmony with God."
15. It was an alien-- some might say '"bizarre"-- inner landscape to which Jesus tried to introduce
us. It turned everything upside-down, and reversed most assumptions.
16. Jesus said, "If there seems to be something wrong with the universe, take the humble path.
Instead of trying to figure out what's wrong with the cosmos, start with the idea that your views are
imperfect or wrong. 17. The change needs to occur, not in the cosmos, but in the self."
18. "Tell us more about the Power," said Peter.
19. "It is the Mind which dreams up the world, creating it moment by moment. It exists in all
people. 20. But in most, this inner Light is eclipsed or blocked by continuous thought. It appears fully
only in stillness, when the human mind is completely thoughtfree. 21. It is like rocks at the bottom of
a pond. When the mud is stirred up, you cannot see the rocks.
22. Only when the water is allowed to settle does it become clear and permit the unclouded,
undistorted vision of the rocks. In the same way, only when the mind is clear and settled, still and
silent, can the inner Spirit be seen and manifested."
23. "What thoughts block or eclipse the inner light?" asked Martha.
24. "Thoughts of self or ego. You are not your body. You are not your mind. 25. You are not even
your name or human identity. You are the Dreamer in temporary incarnation, exactly as I am. 26.
Free from the distorting clouds of ignorance, human passion, and ego does the bright light of the Power
appear."

CHAPTER 24.

Verse 1. "Fear is darkness," said Jesus. "It blots out the light of Love, and creates repulsion and
hatred. 2. It forms aversion and evasion. Throe it out of your lives."
3. "Are there other clouds that can block that inner light?" I asked.
4. "There are many," Jesus said. "The past, which is dead, is one. 5. So is the future, which is not
yet born. Memories multiply, creating clouds to clarity. 6. Opinions also become numerous, obscuring
more. 7. But the biggest 'cloud' is human desire, which creates the thickest, darkest blanket obscuring
the inner 'sun' of God. 8. Laws which seek to replace Love with mere obedience, and spirituality with
mere religion, cover the brightness. 9. Seeking to control all things, allowing yourself to fall into
emotional expectations, clinging, accumulation, and grasping-- all are lower-nature weaknesses that
seek to extinguish or obscure the bright light of Love. 10. Greed, a most terrible form of idolatry, is
the smoke from inner hell which blackens the inner sky, draining it of its splendor and luminosity."
11. "Why is greed idolatry?" asked James. "Isn't that a little strong?" (James was a Capricorn.)
12. "It is idolatry," said Jesus, not willing to budge, "because it carries within itself even more
subtle idolatries, for you worship two false gods- the self and Mammon, the demon of gold.
13. True freedom is impossible as long as a trace of the lower self remains. 14. Greed reinforces the
false sense of self. It makes you believe in the 'material and external' world, which is illusion. 15. This
is one of the most valuable lessons learned in India."
16. "Do you control miraculous Power?" asked Matthew.

CHAPTER 25.

Verse 1. "I do not control the Power behind miracles," Jesus said. "It controls Me. 2. I have never
'performed' a miracle, and I never will. A miracle is the sometimes-sudden uprising or manifestation of
the Power of our Father. 3. It presents itself in the picture of the 'outer' world whenever It chooses,
and no one has control over It. 4. It flows continuously through every heart, and can overflow into the
world as 'miracles.' But it is not produced by us. 5. Does the hole in an outer wall create light? No, it
simply allows it to flood into a room. 6. So, the empty mystic is not the Source of the miraculous.
She is only an empty 'space.' 7. This 'emptiness' leaves 'room' in the Mind for It to flow in and out of
her. So, seek to be a hole, a complete emptiness, a void. 8. Let the light that is within you, the Love-
nature, come out into the world. You don't have to do anything. 9. In fact, you must learn the fine art
of 'doing nothing, and doing it well."
10. "You have said that we should replace meandering, wandering thoughts with a name of God.
What do you mean?" I asked.
11. "Whenever the mind isnot actively engaged, return your thoughts to Love. It is easiest if you
can use an image of focus to do this. 12. Take the name of some spiritual sage or master from history,
or one of the many names of God. Turn this name over and over in your mind, in silence. 13. Or, take
a simple phrase and repeat it, such as, 'God is Love, and God is Love, and...'. In time, you will become
fused with this internal mental image. 14. This image is a manifestation of God. So, it can become
your bridge to inner perfection. 15. This practice will also help to keep your mind thoughtfree, clear,
mystically transparent, and empty of normal content. 16. This, in turn, permits the ignition of the
inner flame, the fire of Love in your burning heart."

CHAPTER 26.

Verse 1. "Of myself, I do nothing," said Jesus. "I can do only what I behold the inner Father doing.
2. He gives the commands, and I obey. He moves me ever towards greater Love.
3. He is my Example and Mentor, my only Master. Only if He first does something in my inner vision
can I then do it.
4. "The perfect law of Love is one, but beware! For even It can be corrupted to selfish uses, and
distorted to serve the lower nature. 5. Do not think that I came to earth for any reason other than to
serve perfect Love, and to demonstrate perfect Love. I did not come for matters of Power, and I have
no Power at all. 6. It all belongs only to the inner Father. When an ox pulls a plow, there is no power
in the plow. 7. When a person uses a hammer, there is no power in that hammer. When a scribe
writes with a quill, there is no power in the feather.
8. If the quill could write of its own accord and will, it would be useless. For then, the scribe would
lose control of it.
9. "In the same way, if we are to become the instruments of God in the world, we must first
become powerless. We must renounce all illusions and pretensions of power, bring ourselves to
nothing. 10. So, we must stop wrestling for control of our lives, stop fighting to control things. This
struggle for control creates only pain and conflict. 11. Thus, the one among you that would be
greatest must first be least, and the one who would master the self must become the slave of all. 12.
So, the one who would become everything must begin by first becoming nothing.
13. "Only when we are completely empty of personal power can we be filled with divine Power.
God is always looking for such 'empty persons,' but they are exceedingly rare."
14. "Why are they so rare?" I asked.
15. "Because every person is so insecure. Every one believes the self to be inferior, or even
worthless. 16. So, each person desperately grasps for, and clings to, a false sense of 'power.' 17. This
people do for two reasons: to impress others, and to convince the self that this self has value.
18. They also need to believe that this self is 'secure.' So, in order to quell the inner fear, people
become pretentious, pompous, prideful, and arrogant. 19. They become selfish with attention, and
long to be noticed by the crowd. Each time that the crowd praises them, however, they grow weaker
and sicker. 20. The one who is well, by contrast, does not thrive on the attention and notice of others.
In fact, the happy person does not even need it, or want it. 21. So, the fully enlightened sage
practices no self-display, does not try to impress people, and is secure in quiet silence.
22. "For this one, in becoming powerless, has touched infinite Power. This Power is made perfect
only in weakness."

CHAPTER 27.

Verse 1. The Garden of Gethsemane was Jesus' favorite place for silent prayer and private
meditation. I met him there today, and he told me how he had begun his great quest for truth.
2. It all began following the stun and sting of Shalima's death, when he was in his twenties. During
those years of transition, he traveled around and through the great land of India, all the way to China.
3. His journeys had lasted for eight years. When he returned to this land, he came back to this garden.
4. As he spoke, I smelled the sweet scent of roses-- something that had often occurred in his presence.

Jesus said, "Back in those days, in my twenties, I had many visions while I was asleep." 5. He told
me these things when only he and I were together. He said, "I found some of my dreamvisions
frightening and confusing at first. 6. But in India, I had learned that the most reasonable approach to
these visions was always to stay open without fear. The Power, I was taught, came to many people, in
many ways. 7. These ways are all gifts of the spirit, and are unlearned in this life. But although the
Spiritpower cannot be generated by will, it can be cultivated and nourished. 8. The Spirit is like a
tree, whose fruits cannot be made, but can be encouraged. The Spirit has many fruits in the hearts of
human beings, but above all, the fruit of the Spirit is Love. 9. In this very garden, after years of
cultivating gnosis, I had one of the most moving experiences. It is difficult to describe, because it did
not involve the eyes and ears, but rather, a new sense of the way things are. 10. For I saw that
everything, every event, every mind, was linked together into a single great Pattern. Our lives are all
intertwined in complex ways, like the strands within a rope in a fishnet.
11. "For just a moment, everything-- even death, and the otherness of pain-- became beautiful.
And it all fit, with an amazing, balanced, and symmetric geometricity, into a harmony of perfect Love.
12. The cosmos, with all its apparent madness, fell into a lovely orchestration of cooperation and
meaning, and everything was sweetly kissed by the sunlit dew of new, bright Love, in the dawning of a
new world. 13. Everything was gilded with a nobility of shimmering promise and wonder. And in all
the universes of spectacular wonder, only goodness glowed everywhere, untinted and unstained by any
hint or trace of 'evil.'
14. Nothing but this absolute Good could ever really exist; the rest was created only by our judgment.
15. The cosmos was seen as a desert, thirsty for the waters of Love. It drinks in these waters, and
blossoms with awakened life and beauty, filling the world with color. 16. The whole world responds to
this miraculous heartwater, and creates beauty. The good and bad lie not in experience, but in
response. 17. Even sweet, lifegiving water can be 'bad' to a man who is drowning. We create entire
worlds of 'good' and 'bad' by the ways we live. 18. The moral law of Love is supremely sacred, our
guide, and is never to be traversed or broken. 19. That way lies hell. But in that larger wholeness that
constitutes the cosmos, those things that destroy human joy have no lasting existence, value, or
meaning. 20. They are a mist appearing for a moment, then disappearing forever. When a child cuts
his finger, that is bad, but not nearly as catastrophic as his howls and screams indicate.
21. But this is how we over-react to the conditions of earth. The loving mother smiles at the child's
over-reaction, not because she is cruel, but because she understands how small the injury really is. 22.
The child's pain is taken seriously, but not his over-reaction.
So, our Father takes our pain seriously, but still calls upon us to realize that there is a Way to live that
is above the world. 23. This is the great secret that the Gnosis of Love reveals to us: We are never
abandoned, never forgotten, never alone."
24. "Was it ecstasy that brought you to this great secret Gnosis of Love, Jesus?" I asked.
25. "Not at first," he said quietly. "In its beginning stages, it was agony that brought Me this
treasured gift of Love. 26. We are pushed towards, and into, the kingdom of God by the pains and
losses of this world. For the world must prove its own emptiness before we are driven to seek our
answers elsewhere."

CHAPTER 28.

Verse 1. "The purpose of this world," said Jesus, "is not only to give joy. It can also make us strong,
and wise. 2. It is to build our patience." There were eight of us in that little room, listening to him.
3. "Only when the world has run out of solutions does the kingdom appear in our hearts. Pain,
suffering, and loss are our teachers. 4. They can teach us what comfort, joy, and peace never can."
5. "I really wish that I had your faith that it is so, Jesus," said Judas. "All I can see is a monstrous
world of agony, where human life means nothing. 6. No one ever gets any mercy! Men and women are
born and die by the thousands.
7. Nothing ever changes. People abuse, hurt, and torture each other, but everything still remains the
same! 8. This world just keeps mindlessly on its blind path to destruction, death, and agony!. Year
after year, century after century, it has always been this way, and always will be."
9. "If you were to move several grains of sand on a shore, would you be able to detect it?" asked
Jesus.
10. Judas looked thoughtful and skeptical. "No," he replied grumpily. 11. A few grains would be
too small to see."
12. "But in time, if you continued to move a few grains at a time, you would change the entire
beach. In more time, the entire beach would be gone. 13. That's the way change occurs on earth.
The Father, Love, is acting and growing in human hearts everywhere-- but grows within only a few
persons at a time.
14. The Father is in no hurry, because Love has forever to change the face of the earth."
15. "But human happiness seems to mean nothing to God," Judas said.
16. "It means everything to God. That is why the Way of God or Love brings peace, joy, and bliss to
those who find it. 17. The inner garden of the heart, where God lives, is even called 'Eden,' which
means 'pleasure.' God wants us to enjoy the world. 18. God simply does not want the world to
become our master."
19. "The religious say that too much fun is evil," noted Thomas.
20. Jesus laughed. "That is why we are not religious, my brother. Those hypocrites would not know
a good time if it smacked them between the eyes. 21. But we spiritual people do not follow the ways
of dead, grim, and humorless religion. That religion has no spirit. 22. Study the behaviors of puppies
and other baby creatures, how they play. And look also at children, how they laugh! 23. We learn
much from innocence, and even more from remembering how to play. After this world, in fact, we
shall enter a land of play, joy, and endless celebration!
24. It will be a land of laughter. Then, all the pain and agony of this world will seem to us as if it had
all occurred in a dream. 25. For we will have awakened to the fact that this life is a dream."

CHAPTER 29.

Verse 1. "But this world is all that we have," complained Judas glumly.
2. Jesus smiled widely. "No, my brother, this whole world is only a tiny part of our experience. For
we all create and discover inner worlds. 3. These are worlds within ourselves, which we can design
and decorate in any ways that we choose. We can live in an inner 'heaven' or an inner 'hell.'"
4. "What's the difference between an inner 'heaven' and 'hell', and how do we create inner heaven?"
asked John.
5. "The choice is always yours,
since you can decide what you are going to think on a regular basis. Every time that you say,'I hate...'
anything, you move yourself closer to inner 'hell.' 6. Anytime you say 'I love...' anything, you move
towards inner heaven. So, the one who lives most permanently in heaven is the one who has discovered
universal Love. 7. She has learned to love everything, and everyone."
8. "What is universal Love?" asked John.
9. "To love the Dreamer, you must learn to love everything within the dream. So, we are here to
learn to love every person, place, object, surrounding, situation, and event. 10. For nothing is outside
the Mind of the Dreamer."
11. "How can we learn to love the ugly and the evil?" asked Thomas.
12. "We must begin by throwing out those labels altogether. It was 'partaking of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil' that got Adam and Eve expelled from paradise. 13. To return, we must
throw out the labels of 'good and evil' as equal opposites."
14. "Does that mean that there is no good or evil?" asked Judas, astonished.
15. "No," answered Jesus. "It simply means that the good at the heart of creation, the good that is
God, the good Mind that creates and dreams the world, has no opposite. 16. That means that evil is
not absolutely real. It is all a part of a dream, like a nightnare. 17. It's called 'karma.' But evil has no
true reality. 18. Hence, it is not a part of truth, light, Love, or the Mind of God. It is only illusion."
19. "Are you saying that nothing is evil?" asked Judas.
20. "No," smiled Jesus gently. "I'm saying only that evil has no absolute reality. 21. It does have
reality in this world. We must, then, make every effort to avoid it at all costs. 22. It is the avoidance
of evil that makes a person good. So, evil serves as a moral guide. 23. It always creates hells or states
of great inner pain, for both the evil person and those around her. 24. The avoidance of all evil is the
single mandate of Love. It is the Law of Love."

CHAPTER 30.

Verse 1. "This world is not everything," Jesus emphasized. "There are also the kingdoms of the
mind, soul, and Spirit.
2. The inner kingdom of Love is another path from those of the world. Into it one can withdraw at any
time, finding and creating great inner strength and peace."
3. "What if the world makes me nervous?" asked Martha, who was very sensitive, a Cancerian.
Jesus replied, "The answer to anxiety is action. 4. Seek to serve."
"So," she said, "I should not seek simply to withdraw or escape from the world?"
5. "No. Although that can be healthy for a short time, the real human need is to serve. So, when
depressed or anxious, lose yourself in service to at least one other person. 6. If you successfully lose
yourself, your pain will, in time, evaporate. Center all your thoughts on the service of Love, by offering
real aid, and do not think about your problems. 7. In time, they will lose energy and disappear."
8. "But must not the evil of the world be fought with the sword?" asked Judas, trying once again to
corner Jesus into approving of violence.
9. "The world which must be changed is not kingdoms, but people. People are changed, not by
swords, but by words.
10. The 'evil of the world' is the evil of people. People are changed only by kindness and goodness.
11. So, use your skills to create and nourish human goodness whenever and wherever you find it. You
simply cannot force people to be good, kind, or loving. 12. You cannot make laws that will improve
people. Even religious laws do not make people better, and legal codes have not a chance of doing so."
13. "Then how can people be changed?" I asked.
14. "Seek not to change the world, but yourself. When you have done this successfully, all your
neighbors, seeing your fine example, will also change. 15. Once there was a man who took it upon
himself to make sure that all his neighbors had neat and clean homes, but when they found his, it was
filthy, disorganized, and disorderly. 16. Another man tried to get people to be kind to animals, but
was abusing his own dog. These people have backwards ideas. 17. The world starts with you. The
entire world begins in your mind, your room, your home.
18. Until you have ordered these areas by Love, you have neither the right nor the power to try to
'change' others."
 19. "It all seems so slow and laborious," groaned Peter. "Isn't there a faster way?"
20. Jesus smiled at the impulsive Peter, an Aries. "No, my friend. Only human beings are always in
a hurry. The cosmic Mind has forever."

CHAPTER 31.

Verse 1. "The laws of nature reflect those of God, and God has forever to make changes. Don't try
to force change too quickly."
2. "Must we then, like sheep, simply lay down the sword and allow ourselves to be dominated, and
slaughtered?" asked Judas, with fire in his eyes, resistant and defiant.
3. "No one can kill You," Jesus said. "Fear not those who can kill only the body, but cannot touch
the soul. 4. Rather, stand in awe of God, who is able to manage the destiny of both body and soul. 5.
And never forget the laws of God, the laws of karma, which can bring agony to your soul through the
creation of inner hells."
6. "Are you saying that we should serve God out of fear?" asked Mary, uncertainty in her eyes.
7. "No," said Jesus. "God wants you to serve God out of Love, never fear. 8. But if, at the
beginning of your journey, you do good out of fear, this is still better than the practice of evil. 9. Let
the childish fear carry you far beyond itself, into a state of Love. 10. Then serve God with no fear,
filled only with Love. The proverb of Solomon is, 'The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,' not its
end. 11. Fear is only the first step on the path, the first rung on the ladder towards God."
12. "But when stripped of the sword, are we not the weakest and most defenseless of people, most
to be pitied?" demanded Judas.
13. "The weakest are those who have no Love in them.
14. The sword does not defend against the real enemies of humanity-- injustice, ignorance, fear,
uncertainty, insecurity, depression. 15. Swords defend only against swords, and he who lives by the
sword will die by the sword.
16. A violent man will die a violent death, as the sage writes. A solution must meet its need. 17. The
sword is useless against the real enemies, the dragons or demons inside you. 18. Swords are
expressions of fear. They support fear. 19. Fear thrives on violence. Your real Self cannot be harmed
by swords."

CHAPTER 32.

Verse 1. "If a man is lying on the floor bleeding to death, because of a sword, your words about
'peace' sound hollow and weak," grumbled Judas.
2. "The bleeding man is the one who most needs to hear these words of peace," contradicted Jesus.
"To him, they have the most meaning. 3. For his life, and his death, are forcing him to face eternity,
to discover his true and indestructible Self.
4. This Self is birthless and deathless. But it too has needs, including that for peace.
5. "A handful of grapes is more valuable to a starving man than a roomful of gold. In the same way,
words of wisdom and peace are just as important to us, for they 'feed' the hidden inner Self. 6. And
we all need nourishment, no matter at what point in life we find ourselves. Wisdom is crucial, whether
this be the middle of our lives, or their last days. 7. Realization of the deathless Self is valuable to
toddlers and old people alike."
8. The moon was beginning to rise as the sun sank, and it was a full moon.
9. "I have prayed in this garden, just as you have, Jesus," I said. "But I seem to have prayed to an
empty sky, a deaf sky, that has no voice."
10. "You're right, Andrew. God is not in the sky.
11. When you pray, go within yourself, and address the Spirit inside your soul. And when you pray, put
God first. 12. Prayer is about God, not about you."
13. "What's the best way to pray?" I asked.
 14. "Remember that prayer is not for changing the world. When you pray, it is yourself that must
be changed. 15. So, all prayers must first be Godcentered. Pray something like this: 'Father and
Source of all, who lives in the heavenly kingdom of the heart, let your identity be the most holy thing in
my life. 16. Let your kingdom come to my heart, and to all hearts everywhere. 17. Then, just as the
will of Love is done in the higher nature, the heavenly nature, of the heart, let it be done also in the
lower, earthly nature of all beings.
18. Supply our needs, as you supply grain for the birds. Release us from the bonds from which we have
released others. 19. And do not create challenges that are too difficult, but aid and help us in time of
trouble.'"

CHAPTER 33.

Verse 1. "You always talk about the 'inner' God. Are you saying that there is no God 'out there'?" I
asked, upset.
2. "There is no God out there," he said, waving his hand towards the sky. "There is only God in
here." He touched his heart.
3. I knew this man. He was no talker only, no play-actor. He spoke from his woundedness. 4. He
was a man who had been struck and hurt repeatedly by life, a man of sorrows and cuts and pain. 5.
When he spoke, he did not do so with pretentious grandiosity as the elders of the people did. Instead,
he spoke as the humblest, weakest, most ignorant of men, thus hiding the sunlike brilliance of his
incisive mind. 6. He said, "Life will drive you into either bitterness or enlightenment." He had not
permitted life to drive him into bitterness. 7. He held in his heart the jewel of real joy in the midst of
life's torments. Pain and loss had driven him into the arms of Love. 8. This world drove him away
from this world, and granted him an inner vision of eternity, or what he called "timeless life."
9. "Every person is a mask," he said. "The entire world is a stage, and we, the actors. 10. The soul
is the writer of the play, and God the propmaster who dreams up the worlds.
11. Beneath the mask is a birthless, deathless soul, and beneath that lies the shared Spirit or God.
Thus, God pretends to be souls, and souls play as if they are persons or egos. 12. The goal of
enlightenment is to realize that we are but the actors on a stage. Everything happens to teach us, so
the 'stage' is also a 'school.' 13. Every human being has three natures: a higher, a lower, and a human
nature. Human nature can decide to serve either the higher or the lower nature. 14. If it serves the
higher, people become wise, kind, good, and compassionate, thriving on Love, and completely free of
worldcontrol. 15. If the lower, people become selfcentered, materialistic, and greedy, a slave to the
world. These types thrive on fear. 16. And, in the final understanding, the lower nature is nothing but
illusion. ?So, to serve the self is to serve nothing."

CHAPTER 34.

Verse 1. Baaliah ben Enoch was a rabble-rouser, a fiery preacher with strong, stunning charisma.
He could hypnotize entire crowds with his rhetoric. 2. He could so electrify a crowd that magical
powers were ascribed to him. Further, he declared himself to be the Messiah. 3. Thousands of Jews,
including some elders, have followed him. They looked to him for the salvation of Israel. 4. They said
that he would live forever in history.
He was so famous that every child in every household knew his name. 5. Most also knew his face.
Whenever he spoke, crowds appeared. 6. They ranged from dozens to thousands. Jesus, by contrast,
always turned away from the spotlight of public attention, and shunned recognition. 7. He said that
selfdisplay weakens spirituality. Baaliah, also in strong contrast to the simple Jesus, was rapidly
becoming wealthy. 8. He collected money for his lectures, and was invited to speak at several
gatherings and synagogues. He had men working for him whose job was just to talk about him and
spread his fame. 9. The crowds of the poor and ill rushed to hear him speak, and to pour their pitiable
copper coins into his swollen coffers.
 10. But Jesus said of this adored man, "He is a deceiver. His 'father' is the lower nature." 11.
Baaliah had constructed two large, fine houses for himself. He also dressed in raiment of finest white
silk, and refused to wear anything less.
12. His fingers were decked with costly rings, and he rode the finest horses from a stableful. 13. He
loved to be seen with the famous, both among the Jews and the Romans. "He is having his reward in
full right now, on earth," Jesus says. "In the world to come, he will receive nothing. 14. That is where
his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will occur."
15. Jesus wanted to listen to this man, Baaliah, in order to see whether he had anything worthy to
say. So we, the twelve, went with him. 16. The self-styled "prophet" was elegant and eloquent. He
was about fifty, slightly over-weight, and had eyes of fire. He glared at us nervously as we entered the
hall.

CHAPTER 35.

Verse 1. Baaliah had mastered the arts of drama. Indeed, rumor had it that he had formally studied
Greek drama with a tutor.
2 He could move the people, in one sweeping gesture, from miserable anxiety to jubilation and back
again. They were like clay in his masterful hands. 3. He would drive them into agitation, and then, as
quickly, into ecstasy.
4. As we listened to his shattering shouts and ranting ravings, Jesus only smiled, slightly but
enigmatically. Baaliah was thundering, in a voice that made heaven shake and ring:
5. "Any day now, very soon, you will look up into the blue sky and see the golden fiery chariot of the
Lord descending to smash Edom, and the other evil-doers." 6. "Edom" was the name that the Jews
gave to Rome. "The armies of Jehovah will descend upon the cursed of the earth, those who did not
adhere to the words of his prophets. 7. And blood will run in the streets, as high as a horse's bridle!"
Everyone gasped, as the crowd was driven towards frenzy. 8. Jesus sat calmly unmoved among the
restless, grumbling, shouting spectators, still barely smiling, as if he were in another world. He was,
we knew; for he had entered the private sea of his own thoughts, and was in the inner kingdom of light.
9. Baaliah stormed onward: "Jehovah will come in a flame of fire to devour his enemies, and they will
melt with the tremendous heat of his presence. He will breathe upon them, and they will dissolve and
perish instantly. 10. Their eyes will rot out of their sockets, and their tongues in their mouths. No
more will blasphemers blaspheme, for the Lord of armies will have cut the tongues from their impious
throats. 11. And they will swim, then die, in their own blood, shed in behalf of the Lord's glory. Great
storms will drown thousands, and gigantic earthquakes swallow thousands more. 12. Thousands will
drop from the plagues, and the sun shall become dark as sack-cloth. Then the word of the prophet
shall be fulfilled, 'Thousands will fall at your right hand, and thousands at your left, but you shall
remain untouched,' for you are the chosen of God. 13. The wheels of the chariot of the Lord shall have
long blades, to cut to shreds his enemies as he rolls over and tramples their corpses. In that day, the
enemy will be crushed and cursed entirely. 14. And if you are not among God's chosen, you will be
swept away like the chaff, like the heathen, and you will be no more. for the Lord of hosts will have
ground you to powder and dust."
15. Jesus stood conspicuously. He really did not even care what the people thought, for they were
all telling him to sit. 16. He spoke loudly but somehow softly, contrasting with the strident Baaliah:
"And what about Love? 17. What place does Love play in your message of bloody violence and fear?"
The people grumbled and murmured angrily at him, for they were faithful lovers and followers of
Baaliah.

CHAPTER 36.

Verse 1. Baaliah stopped speaking, as if he could not believe his eye sand ears. Could someone,
anyone, be bold, or crazy, enough to interrupt him at the very peak of his frenetic lecture? 2. Dare
this impoverished-looking, poorly dressed beggar question him, the great Lord of heaven and earth, the
Savior, the Teacher of all teachers? He looked stunned, and was silent for a moment. 3. All eyes
glared angrily at Jesus. We were all embarrassed that he had interrupted the famous speaker, and
pretended that we were not with him, did not know him.
4. "Friend," Baaliah answered slickly, "love demands justice. God is a combination of both."
5. "No," Jesus flatly contradicted him in a smaller but still clear voice that rang out. "God is Love.
6. When it comes to a choice between mercy and judgment, mercy exults triumphantly even over
justice. Have you never read in the Scriptures where your god says, 'I want mercy, and not sacrifice'?"
7. Baaliah had never been publicly corrected or contradicted, and stood for a moment in silent and
motionless humiliation.
8. Jesus hammered a little more: "Does your god's 'justice' demand pain, agony, loss, and violence?
9. Does God kill his own children? Who among you, if you had a little girl who was willfully
disobedient, would take her into your back yard and cut her throat with a knife? 10. Anyone who did
this would be regarded as an insane butcher, and rightly so. This is even more true if that father were
a gigantically strong and mighty man. 11. Now, no one in the universe is stronger than God, compared
to whom all the people combined are like a little girl. How do brutality and evil serve God?"
12. This time, Baaliah was stunned, and shock was written on his face. He grew red with
humiliation and anger. But Baaliah had become a true wordmaster, and it was not for nothing that
people fell for his falsehoods. 13. He was never one to give in. "What sane father does not punish his
children?" he asked of Jesus. "Does not the Proverb in the Bible say, 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'?
14. This means that God wants us to beat our children, to keep discipline. God, as our father, has the
right to 'beat' and punish us, and we, as children, have no right to question his divine authority and
judgments." 15. A murmur of approval went up from the crowd.
16. "Punish, if necessary, discipline, yes," replied Jesus. 17. "But what parent has the right to
murder his children?"
18. "God, who gives life, has the right to take it," Baaliah replied.
19. "Yes, God has all rights," answered Jesus. "But we expect of God at least as much goodness as
we expect of a good man. 20. God, in fact, is infinitely better than any good man. And, once again,
what good man would kill his little, sweet daughter?"

CHAPTER 37.

Verse 1. Baaliah seemed stymied. So, Jesus continued: "What kind and loving father would kill
his children for mistakes? Or even for deliberate evil? 2. Does not a good father seek to educate his
children?"
3. "God can educate even after death," Baaliah said.
4. "Yes, he surely can, and does," replied Jesus. "But God is never the Source of injustice, and does
not actively create pain in his children. 5. You talk as if God were a Roman emperor, not a
compassionate, all-loving, forgiving father."
6. This stirred the people, for they bitterly hated the emperors of Rome, seeing them as a kind of
satan, the very worst of evils. 7. Jesus continued, "When the Romans meet enemies, they slaughter
them, just as you say that your god will do. When My God meets an enemy, He educates her, and
changes her heart, with Love, so that she is no longer an enemy." 8. By now, even some of the crowd
were applauding Jesus, and nodding when he spoke the words of divine wisdom. 9. Baaliah could see
that the tide was turning, so he changed the subject: 10. "Who are you, stranger?" he asked.
11. "I am God's son," Jesus said.
12. "I mean, what is your name? From where do you hail?" 13. We all hoped that he would not
answer. For if he admitted that he was from the slum Nazareth, he would instantly lose all respect.
14. "My name," said Jesus, "is 'God with Us,' and I come from the kingdom of light." Strange words,
we knew, but we heaved a sigh of relief. 15. Jesus referred to his given birthname "Immanuel," which
means, "God with us." After his mystical transformation, he had changed his name to "Jesus."
 16. "Then, God with Us, my friend, would you please have the courtesy to sit and listen until I have
finished with my talk? Perhaps, if you have questions, we could meet privately later."
17. "Truth is now," said Jesus, with utter, amazing simplicity. "You are teaching lies about My
Father, and I would be amiss, as a son, if I did not reveal and contradict them." 18. We all cringed.
Why did he always have to make trouble?
19. "I speak only the truth!" shouted Baaliah, highly offended.
20. "Truth is known by its works," Said Jesus.
21. "By what works, then, do you show the people that you speak the truth?" asked Baaliah, a
master at turning the tables.
22. "I teach the words of Love, a faith of Love, and a God of Love," said Jesus quietly.
23. "My God is not capable of acting like a monster."

CHAPTER 38.

Verse 1. "Why is there death, Jesus?" asked Mary, Jesus' specialLovefriend. She had just lost her
brother Jonah in death. 2. Jesus put his arms around her, comforting her, and she hugged him. In
front of us all, the twelve, he kissed her on the lips, and then, looked deeply into her eyes.
3. "Death, too, is the servant of Love," he said quietly but clearly.
4. "How does something so horrible serve Love?" she asked, wiping away a tear from her face.
5. Jesus spoke tenderly. "I know how painful, brutal, and evil death seems to be. But Jonah never
died. 6. He just finished his journey on earth. When we are finished with our missions, our work, and
our play, on earth, we shall all follow him into the world where he lives now-- the Homeworld."
7. "Oh, God, but I miss him so!" she broke down in sobs, and he took her in his arms. She shook with
weeping as he spoke words of comfort: "Death is a natural part of life. 8. Please don't think it's evil.
Birth is a guarantee of death. 9. Every creature that has ever been born has also died. But Jonah's
soul lives on. 10. Jonah is happier and stronger than ever now.
12. "You remember how weak his body was when he was on earth. And as he grew older, that body got
even weaker." 13. She nodded among her thick dark curls. "Well, now he no longer is burdened with
that sick and pain-filled body. 14. God has given him the gift of a new body, filled with light and
energy, and he is young, strong, and happy now."
15. She broke away and looked into his eyes. "I cry for myself, and for his mother, and for all whom
he left behind."
16. "I understand," said Jesus softly. "Just know that Jonah has never been happier, stronger, or
closer to God.
17. "In many, many ways, he now has the very life that he has always wanted. It's a life for which he
has always longed.
18. It's the one that he only dreamed about when he was on earth. He has many new friends, and a
loyal and very special Lovepartner. 20. He has a lovely home, many pets, and an abundance of real,
close, and true friends."

CHAPTER 39.

Verse 1. "I miss him so much that some days I think I'll die!" Mary wailed over her brother Jonah.
2. "I know," Jesus almost whispered. "And in just a very short time, much shorter than you think,
you will go where Jonah is. 3. Then, you'll see him, and be reunited in the world to come."
4. "Jesus, I wish that I could believe as easily as you seem to," she wept. "I just don't know if I even
believe in life after death."
5. "I can tell you, for I have died. My body became so weak that it could no longer hold my soul,
and I escaped. 6. I flew into the Homeworld, and had many revelations. I saw the world to come. 7.
It is a world filled with splendor, music, color, joy, peace, and celebration," Jesus said sincerely.
8. "Do you believe me, Mary?"
 9. "Yes. I know that you would never lie to me. 10. I believe you, Jesus. But how can you know
that Jonah is there?"
11. "It's where almost all people go when they leave this world," said Jesus.
12. I heard this, and approached quietly, speaking softly. "Jesus, could I ask you a question?"
13. He turned to me, tearing his riveted gaze from Mary, whom he deeply loved. "Yes, Andrew," he
said patiently.
"What do you want to know?"
14. "You said that almost all earthpeople go to this other world, which I have heard you call the
'Homeworld.' If all people don't go there, where do the others go?"
15. "After death, people who consistently practice evil must go to another schoolworld-- often, to
one that is even more difficult than earth."
16. "What are these worlds like?"
17. "Sometimes, they are the product of nightmare, where people receive back in exact measure
those energies that they have given to others. A man who constantly gives hatred, for example, must
receive of that ocean of hatred. 18. This will continue until he changes in his heart, and vows never to
hate. 19. "A person of violence might experience a world in which he is tormented and tortured in
exactly the same ways that he tortured others on earth."
20. "Doesn't all that get straightened out through rebirth on earth, through karma?"
21. "Most of it does, yes. But if there is an extraordinary quantity or quality of evil, the afterworld
creates a kind of 'concentrated karma,' where a person compresses a thousand years' worth of karma
into a subjective twenty years or so. 22. This is afterlife hell."
23. "What ultimately happens to one who ends up in afterlife hell?"
24. "Sooner or later, he grows into the recognition of how painful his evil is to others. He makes a
vow in his heart never to repeat the evil, and then, he is released from hell.
25. Then, he is allowed to enter the Homeworld."

CHAPTER 40.

Verse 1. Suddenly, Mary fell at Jesus' feet. "Lord, can you bring my brother back to life?" She gazed up
at him pleadingly.
2. His own eyes became wet pools of immense sadness. "Death is as natural as the opening of the
rose to the sun," he said. "
And it is also as irreversible 3. Jonah would not want to return to earth, believe me. He now has a
fuller and more vividly beautiful life than ever he could have hoped for on earth."
4. To bring him back here would be a cruelty. It would also be unnatural, and could even hurt him."
5. Mary sidled up to him, and whispered, in secret, "Could you raise the dead?"
6. "Of myself, no. If I had an agreement beforehand with the soul of the person who had died, we
might be able to work out a plan. 7. But the soul, his soul, would have really to do all the work."
8. "Have you ever made arrangements like that with anyone?"
9. "I've talked with my friend Lazarus about it, and we both just might try it someday," said Jesus.
10. "But there's nothing that you can do for Jonah," she said, looking shattered.
11. "Believe me, if I could do anything, I would." Tears flowed down his face and glistened in his
beard.
12. "Now I understand," Mary said, "why people say that God is cruel."
13. "It's good to understand others, Mary," Jesus said, very softly. "But do you understand why death
does not make God cruel?" 14. She nodded silently, but I could see doubt in her eyes, and in those of
Jesus. 15. "If death is not bad," said Jesus, "then sickness and accidents, which cause death, are not
bad. If death is not bad, then aging is not bad."

CHAPTER 41.
Verse 1. "Jesus," I interrupted, but quietly. "Wars kill many people. Are wars bad?"
2. "Yes, for they are acts of deliberate violence, performed by sentient creatures. They are the
most hideous aspects of darkness. 3. But they are deemed necessary for a state. When you
understand death, you realize that even war, as horrendous as it is, cannot be bad in the absolute
sense."
4. "What about murder?" I asked.
5. "It is truly evil, for it shows massive disrespect for the sacred lifeprinciple. It also betrays a
disregard for Love. 6. Anything that harms or deliberately destroys human life is evil. Also, it is evil
unnecessarily to kill any sentient being."
7. "Is it wrong to kill lower life-forms?" I asked.
8. "The lower life-forms share a groupsoul. This is true of the birds and fishes, and amphibians and
reptiles. 9. It is not wrong to kill them for genuine need, because it is the individual soul that makes a
creature sacred. 10. Having a selfaware soul is the meaning of being a 'sentient being.' Killing any
sentient being, just for convenience, is much more serious than killing lower lifeforms. 11. It has
consequences, some of which are karmic. So, never abuse, hurt, harm, or torment any living creature.
12. Treat them all with respect for the sake of the God who indwells them. Take extra care especially
to care for those which are selfaware creatures, who have individual souls."
13. "What about meat? The religious say that God has given man dominance over all life, and it
exists for his convenience and service."
14. "You may eat meat if you truly need it to survive. But you must, whenever there is another
dietary path, avoid eating creatures who possess selfawareness. 15. Also, you must avoid eating meat
when to do so means that your human sisters and brothers will not have enough grain to live, because it
must be fed to the meat-producing animals. 16. Eating meat, under these circumstances, causes
serious harm in two ways: The animal suffers, and your human sister dies."

CHAPTER 42.

Verse 1. Jesus encountered Baaliah later, when a smaller group had gathered around the false
prophet. About twenty men sat on a portico terrace in the home of a rich family, listening to one of his
sermons. 2. When he said something particularly repugnant about God's approval of war and murder,
Jesus laughed, loudly. I think this might have been perhaps a bit rude.
3. Baaliah blanched and then reddened when he saw Jesus. He frowned threateningly as if to keep us
away, but Jesus mingled unself-consciously in the little group of men.
4. "I see you've returned, my skeptical friend," said Baaliah. All eyes turned to Jesus.
5. He just smiled in the most natural and friendly, open way. "I'm not sure that we ever finished our
conversation," he said easily. Baaliah gritted his teeth.
6. "And you brought some of your disciples, I see," he barked.
"These men are disciples of Love, not of me," said Jesus. 7. He introduced us: "Andrew, Judas,
Matthew, John, and Martha, meet Baaliah. He's a new friend." We greeted each other uneasily and
looked at each other suspiciously.
8. "I believe that, the last time we spoke, it was about the 'coming' of the Lord," volunteered Jesus.
"I believe that you believe that God is going actively to kill many or most of his children on earth."
9. "When you say it like that, it sounds like madness," grumbled Baaliah.
10. "I agree," said Jesus with simplicity.
11. "Grow up," said Baaliah. "
Death is a part of nature."
12. "I've always taught," said Jesus, "that death is natural, and even good. As a natural part of the
cosmos, it can be quite an educational experience. 13. But a quiet natural death is not the same as a
violent, willful murder. And you accuse God of planning to commit mass-murder."
14. "It's called 'execution,' Jesus, and it is not murder," said Baaliah defensively.
15. Jesus replied, "To play with words does not change their meanings. Murder is the act of taking
the life of another human being willfully and violently. 16. Calling it 'execution' does not make it any
cleaner or better."
17. "God permits death every day," said Baaliah. "What is your problem?"
18. "Your god," said Jesus, "is a bloodthirsty murderer, if what you say is true. I worship a God of
purest Love, of wisdom, joy, forgiveness, and peace."
19. Baaliah was becoming visibly annoyed. "The Scriptures are clear, my friend, if you ever take
the time to read them. 20. The kingdom of God is coming to the earth, and the feet of the Lord will
touch down upon the Mount of Olives. Have you not read these texts? 21. Or do you ever even read
the Bible?"
22. "Sometimes I do," said Jesus. "But if I must choose between the living Lord of light and the dead
letter of history, I will choose my Lord."
23. "That's your problem: Your 'Lord' is not the Lord Jehovah taught in the Scriptures."
24. "No, he is not. You are right. But you are wrong when you say that this is a problem. I have
found a higher revelation of God as pure Love. 25. This gnosis is above the written texts. It is as high
above your ancient texts as are the stars above the earth."

CHAPTER 43.

Verse 1. "Blasphemy!" cried Baaliah. "No wonder that I can't talk to you and change your hard heart!
2. You don't even believe in the Bible, or its god! I've heard that you even think yourself to be God!"
He regarded Jesus with an air of superiority.
3. "I am one with the Father," said Jesus quietly.
4. Baaliah exploded: "What more do we need to hear from this deluded fool, this blasphemer, this
egomaniac?" He shouted to the small crowd that had gathered to hear the teachers debate. "He has
been driven quite mad by his own personal religion and arrogance!" He then turned to Jesus. 5. "You,
my friend, are no Jew. You are no follower of Judaism at all! 6. For we have always been a people of
war. Holy war is a part of our history."
7. "And your god is a war-god," said Jesus.
8. "So what if he is?" sneered Baaliah. "He's far better, higher, and stronger than your god of poor
people, women, slaves, children, flowers, birds, and sheep!" 9. He laughed scornfully. "At least, the
theocratic organization of Israel upholds Jehovah's sovereignty as ruler. 10. What country does your
god rule?"
11. "My God," said Jesus, "rules the entire cosmos, including this tiny planet." The entire comment
went by the man unnoticed, above the threshold of his perception. 12. "My God has a kingdom of
hearts, unlimited by human landboundaries. All who love are already in that kingdom."
13. "Our god," pontificated Baliah, "the god of Judaism, doesn't change. Your god sounds wishy-
washy and unstable by comparison," he sneered.
14. "No, he is more solid than diamond, and more beautiful. He does not change, but he allows
human ideas about him to change during history. 15. Your 'Jehovah' was just one of these ideas,
developed over a millennium in the past. As men grow, countries grow, and cultures change. 16. It is
expected that we will grow spiritually, beyond our ancestors. Yet you still insist on the god of more
than a millennium in the past. 17. Have you not progressed at all during all those years?"
18. "Still," stated Baaliah belligerently, "what the ancestors and forefathers wrote about God was
true."
19. Jesus said, "Some of it might have been. Other parts, though, were colored by their prejudices,
culture, and other limitations. 20. They could not even imagine a God for all nations. It was far
beyond them. 21. They thought of a 'god' as a glorified human being, a king in the sky, who ruled over
only one nation. 22. In this, the ancient ancestors were no different than the people of the nations
around them. I say that it's time that we out-grew the ancient tribal war-god of your ancestors."
23. "And what are you going to replace him with? Love?" He elongated the word almost obscenely,
poking fun and mocking.
 24. But Jesus simply said, "Yes. Let's replace the god of war with Love."

CHAPTER 44.
Verse 1. "Whenever Israel won a war," Jesus interpreted the Scriptures, "it was because they pleased
their god Jehovah.
2. But how do you explain that, even when she won, Israel still lost many men? Shouldn't your god have
protected those men?
3. Why did your god bring you imperfect victories instead of perfect ones?"
4. Baaliah's eyes flickered as he regarded Jesus uncertainly and then, with equal insecurity,
regarded his followers.
5. Their hearts were attached to his every word. A silence like that at the bottom of a well filled the
courtyard where they were sitting. 6. As Jesus gazed with gentle eyes at the preacher, the stillness
seemed to grow heavy and thick.
7. Baaliah, feeling backed into a corner, changed subjects:
8. "Who are you to question our sacred history, attack our prophets, and deny our god?"
9. Jesus said, "I'm a son of man. But I have questions." 10. His gaze was soft but unwavering, and
Baaliah squirmed under its soft intensity.
11. Remembering that Jesus almost never left "well enough alone," we grew tense, and Baaliah's
followers seemed suddenly restless too. Was a riot about to break out? 12. We all looked at each
other, uncertainty in our eyes.
13. And of course, Jesus did not just let it lie. He said words designed to stir up a hornet's nest:
"The son of man is greater than the Scriptures." 14. A dangerous rumble waved through the group. A
couple of rabble-rousers shouted their discontent, and men started making threatening fists.
15. Twelve of us and twenty of them. Our odds did not look good. (When it comes to any kind of
conflict, we never even bother to count Jesus.) 16. Abruptly, Baaliah asked, with sly oil in his voice,
"Tell me, my friend, is it true that you have yourself claimed to be God?"
17. "I have, and I am," said Jesus.
18. "Your claims are all derived from pagan religions. and now, this claim to be God is the very
worst and most accursed talk imaginable! 19. We don't need to hear any more of this!" he roared. 20.
His followers took his cue. They rushed upon us, beating with their fists and flailing, screaming,
growling, pummeling, bludgeoning, and biting. 21. The last glimpse I caught of Jesus, they were
heaving him bodily out of the building onto the street, with loud curses. Rapidly, Baaliah stalked out of
that place, and his followers with him.

CHAPTER 45.

Verse 1. It was a terribly bad idea to make enemies with Baaliah, for he was a tough, stubborn
enemy. Almost everyone was on his side. 2. that meant that most of the people had already set their
faces and hearts against us. The followers of Jesus were alone and isolated in a hostile world. 3. We'd
had a bad start already, when Jesus made enemies of the Jews, through his trouble-making
outspokenness. And now, we had another nemesis. 4. (The Romans hated Jesus, too. But they hated
everybody.)
5. The wealthy and successful businessmen-- and they were many-- felt threatened by Jesus'
message of simplicity. They hated his talk of love for the poor. 6. But what really terrified them was
his praise of the giving away of one's possessions. So, there we had another gigantic enemy.
7. The rich had already hated Jesus from the very start. He did not fear them at all. 8. He made
it clear to all of them that their possessions and abundance meant absolutely nothing to him. 9. In
fact, we more than once saw him behave in a manner considered rude, towards the wealthy of the
community. 10. I think that somehow he felt personally about all this. It was as if they had betrayed
him, or the nation, or God, in some manner.
11. "They worship the worst, most foolish of false gods. They adore money, and they serve it with
their greed," he said. 12. He ignored them every chance he got. He pointedly avoided them whenever
possible.
13. In some, no, many of his sermons, he sounded as if he hated them. Actually, he did not. 14. But
he did hate everything that they stood for. Clearly, he blamed them for all, or most, of the inequities
in the world. 15. He made them feel uncomfortable, defensive, and inadequate. They resented his
implications that riches and greed were the primary cause of poverty.
16. Further, and worse, they just could not be smug with Jesus around, for he exposed them as
filled with fears, making up for this with greed and false "security." 17. They could not be proud, for
he made them ashamed. They could not boast or brag or lord it over others, for he poked fun at their
pretensions and pomposities.
18. They also despised the poor and ignoble crowd of peasants that followed Jesus. They called
these poor people "trash," "dirty parasites", and much worse. 19. It wasn't too long before Christianity
had a reputation for being a religion for slaves and women. It was, they said, a faith for the
uneducated and ignorant. 20. Roman Patricians at first would have nothing to do with the new faith.
Neither would respectable upperclass Jews, especially the priests.

CHAPTER 46.

Verse 1. It was obvious that Baaliah represented a higher echelon in the community than did the
poor Jesus of Nazareth.
2. Baaliah was everything that Jesus was not. Jesus refused to be a friend of the world. 3. Baaliah,
on the other hand, actively courted and engaged politicians and other influential and famous types. 4.
The pretentious teacher loved to be seen with the "right crowd." 5. He was "respectable," and quoted
with approval the Hebrew Scriptures. These were the ancient texts contradicted by Jesus. 6. Jesus
made even more trouble by claiming to have "fulfilled" the ancient prophecies in his person. 7. He
said, in fact, that all good people "fulfilled" the very same texts which, he said, referred to the "inner
Messiah." 8. But usually, he simply neglected and dismissed most of the ancient writings as having
nothing to do with God's relationship with people. 9. This was considered the most astonishing and
stunning blasphemy of all. 10. The faith of Jesus, it seemed, had nothing to do with dusty old scrolls.
Instead, it was a "here and now" faith, in which the Spirit of God spoke directly to the heart.
11. Baaliah the hypocrite supported the temple-sacrifices and the elder-arrangement, both of which
supported him in return. 12. Both of these institutions were actively and vociferously despised by Jesus.

13. Like the other elders and members of "higher" society, Baaliah was a flashy dresser. Thus, in
yet another obvious way, he contrasted vividly with the ragtag band of Jesus' poor friends. 14. He also
made a dazzling contrast to the poor looking Jesus, whose very best garments were thin and ordinary
by comparison. We marveled that we never twice saw Baaliah in the same clothing.
15. Most importantly, Baaliah was strictly orthodox in everything that he said and taught. Jesus
never was. 16. Jesus publicly ignored the Sabbath. This, like so much else that he did, was regarded
as insensitive and dangerous blasphemy against God. 17. He, in fact, went out of his way verbally to
denounce many of the laws and strict codes of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 18. Most shockingly, he
did not even seem to care whether one was a pagan. He even pointed to a despised Roman army
officer as an example of faith! 19. It was almost as if he were actively courting the disapproval of the
leaders, the people, and the official Jewish community. 20. At any rate, it did not take long for the
elders to disfellowship or expel him. And they threatened to do the same to anyone who followed him.
21. So, our numbers kept dwindling, while the followers of Baaliah grew and prospered everywhere.

CHAPTER 47.

Verse 1. "Do you ever envy him, Jesus?" I asked one day when we were again alone.
2. Jesus looked serious and thoughtful, nodding his head and saying, "Sometimes I do. 3. I know
that the Father has blessed my work with quality, which is so much more important than just quantity.
4. But still, I feel the human impulse to conclude that more is better. 5. I know with no doubt that I
will touch everyone who I am supposed to reach. But sometimes, I find myself falling into older traps
of thinking. 6. I know that these arise from fear and the lower nature. For example, I often find
myself thinking that to reach more people would be better."
7. "What do you do when you start to think that way?" I asked.
8. "I just remind myself that everything is in the hands of the Father of the All, and that to touch
one heart with quality Love is worth ten thousand superficial sermons to ten thousand people."
9. "His followers are highly educated, powerful, and influential. Yours are fishers, vineyard-
workers, and women. Does that bother you?" I asked.
10. "It can get to my human nature, if I let it," said Jesus, with the honesty for which everyone
admired him.
11. "But I know that, in My divine nature, those considerations are worse than worthless. 12. The
heart of a fisher is often worth ten black greedy hearts of rich men who have abused, and stolen from,
others. 13. I'd rather invest in that kind of heart, for it is real, honest, and humble. 14. I have found
also more Love in the hearts of common men and women than in the hearts of the overly educated.
They tend to regard themselves as superior. 15. It is much more difficult to break them of ego."
16. Jesus himself had a reputation for being poor, weak, unsophisticated, and uneducated. That
was largely his appeal to the others like him. 17. His humility was often mistaken for negligibility.
Most people, even when we went to the marketplace, simply ignored him. 18. One of his favorite
jokes was, "I'm often mistaken for absent."

CHAPTER 48.

Verse 1. As we walked along the road, we met an ascetic hermit from India. Having moved to
Palestine, to "help the spiritually impoverished people of your land," as he said, he lived in the
wilderness-areas. 2. His name was Tabul. He walked up to Jesus and said, "My friend, let me ask you
about the Way to God."
3. "Do you feel that you have found God?" asked Jesus.
4. "Not yet, but I feel that I'm very close."
5. "Why have you sought God by stripping your life of all joy?" asked Jesus.
6. "Because joy is a distraction, and takes our minds away from God only."
7. "Can you not find God in joy?"
8. "No. God is outside of the joys of the flesh and of the material world."
9. "No," said Jesus. "You are mistaken, brother. 10. God dwells in the joys and comforts of the
flesh. 11. They are good and happy. They bring peace, joy, and Love. 12. So, they can bring God
into your life. The only thing that you must beware of is allowing them to become your master. 13.
The senses, and the material world, make wonderful servants. They just make terrible masters."
14. "Please tell me more, sir."
Jesus smiled. "It's obvious that you are most sincere, brother. You have gone so far as to give up
everything for God. 15. But there are really only three gifts that God asks of you-- of all people. He
asks for your time, energy, and your mental attention. 16. This last means your concentration and
focus."
17. "How can I best do this? I ask you because I sense that you are a good and wise teacher."
18. "This can best be done by returning to the world of people, not living away from them as a
hermit. 19. Then, love as widely as possible."
20. "If I love the people, I fear that this will take away from my love of God."

CHAPTER 49.

Verse 1. "No" said Jesus. "Love doesn't work that way. For whenever you love anyone, you love God.
This Love is the only 'worship' that God accepts, the only 'sacrifice' that he demands. 2. The only way
to love God is through loving other people, and other living things. There is no God but the Love behind
the entire cosmos, the One that dwells in your heart. 3. So, go, return to your village, to your home,
and bring to the people there the everlasting good news of timeless peace and Love. Show them the
Way of a life lived in Love."
4. "How can I best give God my attention?"
5. "By concentrating on, and repeating, a divine name. Do this over and over, until it becomes
automatic, second nature. 6. When it can continue to 'play' in your mind without your actually
creating the mantra, you will have discovered an important plateau in meditation."
7. "What names should I use, sir?" he asked.
8. "What divine names do you know?" Jesus asked.
9. "Some from my homeland: Krishna, Vishnu, Bhagavan, Parvati, Ganesha, and a few others."
10. "Select one or two which are most meaningful and moving to you. Then, use them for your
mantra. 11. Stay with that mantra, not changing it, for at least a year. 12. Soon, it will have a power
of its own, and will open the inner conduit to God. 13. Each time you use it, it will become stronger.
14. Soon, it will have an independent power. Then, it will start to act, with Power, in you. 15. It will
awaken the Power of the holy Spirit."
16. The man threw himself at Jesus' feet. "Oh, guru, thank you for this precious teaching."
17. "Please," Jesus lifted him up by an arm. "Do not do that. I am not a guru. I don't want to be a
guru. 18. I'm just a man who happens to be a mystic. 19. I have God inside me, yes, but so do you.
Now, go your way and find your own God inside yourself. 20. Remember, if you see God on the road,
in a guru, kill him!" Jesus smiled, and the man returned a bright grin.

CHAPTER 50.

Verse 1. The most notorious prostitute in the entire province of Judea was Dahlia. She was
scandalous, and had ruined the life and career of many a man. 2. Just out of curiosity, and because
her life had become abysmally empty and hollow, she invited Jesus, the latest "fanatical" Palestinian
teacher, to a banquet.
3. Four of us, including Mary, who used to work with Dahlia, attended the feast. The music was
already being enthusiastically played when we arrived. 4. Wine was just being poured, and Dahlia's
girls were setting up the pillows around the dining-tables.
5. "You're not at all what I expected," Dahlia said to Jesus, examining him from head to toe,
brazenly.
6. "What did you expect?" Jesus asked, very quietly.
7. "Some skinny scoundrel with fire in his eyes. You look like you actually have some meat on your
bones. 8. I like that toga."
9. "It was a gift," said Jesus, again, almost whispering. Mary of Magdala, whom people saw as Jesus'
lover, had sewn this robe for him, making it from fine and costly material. 10. She formed it so that it
was seamless. It was of a shiny bluesilver material, and caught the light from the candles and torches.
11. "Don't you feel a little funny coming to see me?" Dahlia said teasingly.
12. "I have told My Father that I will go anywhere, and do anything, that he directs to spread his
Way and his message."
13. "You'll do anything, hmm?" she said, amused. "I hear that you are called the 'teacher of Love.'
14. I think we've got a lot in common, darling."
15. "God lives in Me," said Jesus quietly. "The goddess lives in You."
16. "Hey, I like the way this guy thinks," she said, winking at Mary, her old friend, who entered right
behind Jesus.
17. After they settled down for the meal, and had their fill of bread and wine, night began to fall.
Soon, it was black outside. 18. The inside of the place was smudged with irregular patches of light
from the walltorches.
 19. Dahlia got right to the subject: "I've had lots of 'holy men' and 'prophets' come here. In fact,
I've invited every one that I've heard of for about the past ten years. 20. I guess you could say, it's kind
of a hobby. But you're the latest, Jesus. 21. And I think that you promise to be something of a
novelty. You should prove entertaining to my guests."
22. Besides the five of us, there were six other men, by their looks, Jews, at the table that night.
23. "Listen, honey," began Dahlia, "I'm a Hedonist. You know, an Epicurean. 24. The greatest good
is pleasure. How's that strike you?" She watched Jesus with sharp eyes.
25. "The only real good," Jesus said, "is Love. All else that is good flows from that."
26. "You know," Dahlia laughed, "we've got that same philosophy around here. I've studied
philosophy with the Greeks, no less. 27. Hell, I've 'studied' with all kinds of men. And, darling, you
just would not believe what I've learned! 28. I know more about the human animal than anyone ought
to know. And I think that most of what I've learned is illegal-- or at least, immoral! 29. And I love to
ask questions. Especially about philosophy. Tell me, Jesus, what do you think is 'truth' or reality?"
30. "Reality is Mind," said Jesus. "The Core of Mind is Love."

CHAPTER 51.

Verse 1. Dahlia asked, "What about this beautiful house, dear? Isn't it real?"
2. "No, it isn't," said Jesus. It's just an image inside your mind."
3. "You mean I'm not really here? I just think I am?"
4. Jesus smiled. "Something like that. The Mind of God is dreaming up this world through your
mind. You're dreaming right now."
5. "I'll tell you one thing for sure: If I was dreaming, I'd dream up a body about twenty years
younger. I'd be about twenty-five years old!"
6. "We don't control the dream," Jesus said almost casually.
7. "I hear that you can sometimes control it," Dahlia replied. "I hear that you can make the sick
well again.
8. I'll bet you could even make a beautiful woman young again, couldn't you?"
9. "Sometimes," Jesus said, "the images of the dream change in My presence. But I don't know how
or why. 10. And I'm never sure when it's going to happen."
11. "But it does happen. You do some kind of magic that your followers call 'miracle.' I want to see
a miracle, Jesus. 12. Do one for me now."
13. "A miracle," Jesus explained, "happens when it is the will of the Father. It can't be demanded
or commanded. 14. It could happen at any moment, or not at all. And anything at all can happen."
15. She grunted. "That doesn't sound very impressive to me. How are you supposed to 'convert' me
with that kind of talk?"
16. "I haven't come here to convert you, Dahlia," replied Jesus sincerely.
17. "Just why have you come here, then, Jesus?" she demanded.
18. "I came because I was invited," said Jesus, with that disarming honest simplicity for which he
was famous. He had always said that he had learned this directness and simplicity from Taoist sages.
19. "What do I have to do to get a miracle around here? How do I touch this dream-god of yours?"
20. "There's only one way," Jesus replied. A thinly clad girl poured Jesus a cup of wine. 21. But he
either did not notice her beautiful body, or else, was completely unmoved by, and oblivious to, its
stunning beauty. Another lovely girl served his bread, and cut it for him, but again, he had no reaction.
22. "How do you recommend that I live, then?" Dahlia asked. "How can I move this dream-god to
help me?"
23. "Love. Live in Love. Love everyone, as often as possible. Love everyone, serve everyone,
forgive everyone.
24. Sell your excess material things, give to the poor, and come be My follower." Everyone laughed,
and Jesus joined in, goodheartedly and goodhumoredly.
CHAPTER 52.

Verse 1. Everyone in the Marble Palace, that "house of ill repute," became fascinated as Jesus
spoke, especially Dahlia: "Sex is not the only form of Love. Love is as varied and multi-colored as the
birds or the flowers. 2. Sex is a delightful and natural expression of Love, but Love is much more. 3.
It is also the exercise of kindness to all, of courtesy, friendliness, generosity, goodness, forgiveness,
and hospitality. Listen to people talk. 4. Give your excess to the poor. Focus your mind on God day
and night. 5. Give up the life where the senses of the body are your master. Instead, make Love your
only master."
6. "I thought I'd been doing that all my life," Dahlia giggled, and everyone, including Jesus, laughed
again. 7. Three young women now stationed themselves at Jesus' side, eager to serve. He regarded
them with kind, but not lascivious, eyes.
8. "Andrew," he said to me, in quiet tones, "the beauty of the female body is like the beauty of flowers
or stars. It is one of God's most stunning and beautiful works of art." 9. I could tell that he was
sincere. I saw the same look I had seen in his eyes when he beheld a sunset or a butterfly. 10. He
seemed completely at ease, free of all lust.
11. "Jesus, how can you be so tranquil?" I asked.
12. "My first great lesson, many years ago, was to rid myself of all personal, selfish desires. Now, I
am completely content and at peace. 13. This is because I want nothing."
14. Dahlia must have overheard. "You don't want anything, Jesus?"
15. "I don't," he said, full of honesty.
16. "What kind of man doesn't want a beautiful woman when he sees one?" she asked.

CHAPTER 53.

Verse 1. "A contented and happy man," said Jesus, "does not have to possess things or people of beauty
in order to admire and appreciate them."
2. "You know something?" Dahlia said. "You are really a hell of a remarkable man. I've never met
anyone even close to you. 3. I suppose it's because you're some kind of 'mystic,' whatever that means.
But you know something? 4. I want what you have. I want what I see in your eyes. 5. And what
Dahlia wants, Dahlia gets!" She clapped her hands, and a few lovely women rushed up to her. 6. She
whispered instructions in their ears, and they sped off to do her bidding.
7. "Do you know what I just did, Jesus?"
8. "No, Dahlia. What did you just do?"
9. "I was enormously impressed by what you said. I was moved, touched, and troubled in my heart,
and in my soul. 10. I was disturbed by my wealth. I have lived in unabandoned luxury for years, while
my sisters and brothers have suffered in unutterable poverty. 11. Waves of tender compassion welled
up from deep within my soul, and I began to sob. I wept for five hours. 12. Then, I felt clean, and
light, and filled with a real and truly miraculous Love. I arranged to have this palace, and my other two
mansions, sold, together with my fabulous wardrobe and jewelry collection. 13. I'm going to give it all
away to the poor. From now on, I'm going to love everybody!" she shouted, and stood, raising her hands
to her sides, palms up, in a worship position. 14. "Thank the goddess!" she shouted. "Love has freed
me! 15. I know the secret! Love is the only thing in the world worth giving your life to. 16. And I'm
giving my life to Love's service!" She started dancing, and the musicians started playing spontaneously.
17. That night, she became twenty-five years old again.

CHAPTER 54.

Verse 1. Jesus' reputation, already quite soiled and sullied, had further been tarnished by the fact
that "pagan" astrologers had attended his birth. Also, he was regarded as himself being a "pagan." 3.
For he always showed to them a great kindness, understanding, and tolerance. These were nonexistent
virtues among the fundamentalist Jews of his land. 4. He was always open to Buddhists, Hindus, and
Taoists. He also easily interacted comfortably with other pagans among the Greeks and Romans. 5.
He often cited their ancient texts with approval-- a damnable act by Jewish religious standards.
6. People sneered at him, and mocked him, on a regular basis. One of their favorite criticisms was
that he was from Nazareth, a town that had a terrible reputation. It was said to be filled with immoral
people, criminals, and prostitutes.
7. Compounding the complaints was the fact that Jesus had not been reared in Palestine, but was
viewed as an "outsider." He had been reared in the more cosmopolitan (and hence suspect) Egypt. 8.
At the time, Egypt had been an international crossroad of the world. It was a center not only of
Hellenistic but indigenous Egyptian culture. 9. Its libraries were unsurpassed. So was its reputation as
a center of spirituality. 10. The Jews knew that their cultural hero Moses had been reared and
educated there. But even that fact did little to penetrate their prejudices.
11. But Jesus' worst "sin" was the worst conceivable: He dared to question the absolute separation
between human and divine natures. He deliberately made imprecise the line that divided human from
divine. 12. Indeed, he claimed in himself to represent, to be, both. The Jews, by stark contrast, had
always insisted that their Jehovah was wholly and completely transcendental. 13. This god sat
incomprehensibly far above all his creation. It was important to the orthodox Jews that Jehovah be
always completely distinct and separate from creatures.
14. Jehovah never had anything to do with the inhabitants of the earth except through his specially
chosen prophets. He could be known only by Scriptural analysis and study. 15. The God of Jesus was,
by stark contrast, suspiciously "in" Jesus and other human beings. He was warm, tender, intimate. 16.
Jesus said, "God is closer than your hands, closer to you than the air that you are now breathing in." A
God so close, so tender, was out of the question for the hard fundamentalists. 17. Unlike the terrible
Jehovah, this God actually liked people, loved everyone. He also had a great sense of humor. 18. He
was, Jesus made clear, eager to forgive and forget, while Jehovah was equally eager to harm and to
punish. 19. Jesus said this over and over. The "Father," he kept saying, was "in" him, and both He and
the Father would be "in" his disciples. 20. This smacked of the despised mysticism. Mysticism and
fundamentalism had been sworn enemies since the beginning of time, and this was even clearer when
they clashed head on during the time of Jesus.

CHAPTER 55.

Verse 1. Mysticism was seen as such a damnable heresy because it taught that people did not need the
congregation. They did not need the elders, the governing body, or the theocratic organization of
Israel. 2. Relationship with the God of Jesus was an intensely personal, even private, affair. No one
stood between God and the human heart. 3 "To live with and in God," Jesus said, "to follow God,
nothing but Love is needed." Jesus also said, "No one stands between you and God but you."
4. Again, he also said, "If you would find yourself, you must first lose it." 5. And, "If you would follow
Me, you must abandon your self, pick up your own cross, and come." 6. If it guaranteed nothing else,
this mysticism definitely made inevitable his condemnation by the elders and other traditionalists, who
were Scripturalists. That is, they believed that the "truth" was a certain way of interpreting Scriptures.
7. For the hypocrites, "truth" was a list of "right" teachings, known by the mind, not a Way of Love and
compassion followed by the heartmind. 8. "You know nothing," said Jesus to the elders and Bible-
scholars, "about the "living truth. This mystic truth is God or Love itself." 9. Love needed no
organization, no complex body of elders, no complicated arrangement of synagogues. Love needed no
special books, no ministryschools. 10. Love needed no laws, sublaws, commentaries, or Scriptural
explanations. It made, in fact, all the external trappings of the Jewish religion unnecessary. 11. So,
for the followers of Jesus, the trappings of religion were not mandatory. They were optional. 12.
Jesus rejected the sacrifice of animals. He made even the sacred Sabbath optional. 13. He turned us,
his disciples, away from unhealthy overdependence on ancient written texts. This distinguished us
clearly from fundamentalists and other traditionalists. 14. He told us, "Rely instead on the interior
Spirit of Love to guide your actions and words. Following laws without Love is valueless to God. 15.
Religious law does not make a person better. It does not improve one's relationship to the sacred."
16. This kind of talk terrified the elders and priests, for whom the organization had become
synonymous with God himself. For the organization needed the financial and social support of the
people. 17. Without that, it would die. If everyone listened to and followed Jesus, there would be
chaos. 18. Each person would feel qualified to define his or her own "truth." Each might then abandon
the rigid legalisms of the ancestors. 19. These ideas were explosive. No wonder that Jesus was
regarded as a dangerous heretic and blasphemer!

CHAPTER 56.

Verse 1. "The real world, the one that you live in, does not come to you from outside yourself,"
taught Jesus. "This world comes from inside. 2. It comes from the way that your mind understands
and interprets. So, we all live in a mindworld, not a world of things. 3. The eyes do not just passively
see and receive impressions. They are actively involved in the creation of vision. 4. They determine
what we see and how we see it. In the same way, the ears do not just receive sound.
5. They participate in its creation. Then, they help the brain in its interpretation."
6. "Why does it seem that we move through a real world of objects?" asked Thomas.
7. "In a dream, every object seems real to your dreambody, for the body you are using during the
dream is a mindbody adapted to that dream. 8. Here, in this reality, our bodies are adapted to this
world. So, it seems real."
9. "Yes, but why does it seem so real if it is not, if it is illusion?" pursued Thomas.
10. "It has to seem very real," Jesus answered. "If it did not, our souls would not take their lessons
seriously.
11. Then, the earth would not be an effective school. In order for the whole process to work, then, it
is vital that the soul believe that this world is real. 12. It must believe that it is working, not with
dreamaterial, but with reality. To see beyond this convincing dream, this realistic illusion, is not easy.

13. It is to see beyond the surface of the water to the rocks below. This is fundamental Reality, and it
is Mind. 14. As a clay seal is impressed by a form, so the mind impresses the world with its own form.
As you see yourself in a silver mirror, so the soul sees itself everywhere. 15. It is changed into various
forms in the great dream."
16. "And what is the ;purpose of all this?" asked Judas.
17. "It is to teach the soul the Way of Love. Everything that exists is designed to train the soul in
Love. 18. Nothing exists without this purpose. So, nothing exists randomly, and the cosmos is
designed, not chaotic. 19. Nothing exists without meaning. Everything is a symbol of this great inner
journey."

CHAPTER 57.

Verse 1. "Everything," Jesus said, "tells us about our progress. Everything, everyone, every event in
the 'real' world is a symbol of You, the soul, the higher Self. 2. "The ultimate purpose is so that the
entire cosmos can grow into pure Love, when God will be all in all. That is happening every day."
3. "Why have the traditionalists missed this truth?" asked Matthew.
4. "Because they have set their faces against the interior God. They have insisted on projecting
their god into the sky, or onto a mountain, or elsewhere. 5. They have also tragically closed their
hearts to Love. So these deeper visions of Reality are hidden from their heartvision. 6. For these
deeper truths cannot be seen by the mind alone. They must be viewed with the heartmind. 7. That is
why some people are always learning, but never able to come to an understanding of Reality.
Scriptures are not enough."
8. "What does that mean?" asked James, a Capricorn, and fonder than some of tradition.
 9. "It means," said Jesus, "that Scriptures are dead. So they cannot guide living persons, cannot
guide life. 10. They are also frozen and unchanging. So they cannot adapt well to the fluid
movements of life. 11. They are ancient, and do not change with the liquid conditions of living, do not
reflect the real world of now. For all these reasons, Scriptures are not enough as the only direction of
God.
12. For to these texts, the Word of Love must be added. This is the inner Spirit of Logos, the living
truth, the eternal Christ in your heart."
13. "So, how is God involved in all this teaching about the Mind?" asked Thomas.
14. "God did not create the universe, as the Scriptures say, at some time in the past. Instead, God
is actively creating right now, from moment to moment. 15. He is creating it now, and creating it
again now, and again, now. Every microchron, every tiny moment of time, God is actively dreaming up
what is called the 'physical world.' 16. We-- our senses, our minds-- are the instruments by which God
dreams up the world. That Mind contains all knowing. 17. And we are all parts of that great dreaming
Mind."

CHAPTER 58.

Verse 1. "This," Jesus said, "is how creation takes place. God, the deepest core of the Mind, is
dreaming out, projecting, from a very deep part of the Mind called 'the Creator.' So, the Creator, like
the inner God, is within You, as the Dreamer."
2. "Then, the material world was not created by Jehovah, as some say?" asked Philip.
3. "No, the world was never created at all, at a time in the past. Instead, it is being created right
now, and now, and now. 4. 'Jehovah' is just a name for the ancient interpretation of their god
produced by Jewish culture. He exists as a mindimage, or what the Greeks call an 'archetype.' 5. In
Creation, we are God's eyes and God's ears, God's hands. Thus, if Love is to live in the world, it must
live through us.
6. Our ancestors, in ignorance, projected Love and Power into the sky as their 'god,' and fear they
projected as their 'devil.' 7. But we must awaken to the fact that this division between good and evil,
God and devil, exists within us, not in the sky or under the ground. The ultimate victory of Love over
fear makes necessary your personal transformation."
8. "Does the Power of God exist independently of human will and activity?" asked Simon from
Canaan.
9. "The Power of Love would still exist even if everyone refused to love," answered Jesus. "This
Power within the psyche is vast, and independent. It has existed forever. 10. It is the Power that
impels creatures upward and forward. It is the same Power that pushes and compels human beings to
grow into Love. 11. You can resist it successfully for years, even centuries, but you cannot resist it
forever. 12. In the end, it is irresistible. It will, at last, force the cosmos to develop and grow into its
own image."
13. "Is this Power thought?" asked Philip.
14. "No, for it is not always within the reach of those thoughts of which we are aware. It lies below
them, but influences and even forms thoughts. 15. It is a Power that is much, much greater than
ordinary thought. Yet it motivates and creates thought. 16. It is Love, and impels all human beings
towards more loving action."

CHAPTER 59.

Verse 1. "How does this God compare with the traditional god of our culture?" asked James.
2. "Our ancient ancestors ignorantly created their god in the sky. They gave him attributes,
thoughts, and qualities of a human being. 3. Since the human models were imperfect, even cruel, this
god ended up with some of the worst attributes that marked that warlike, violent culture.
4. So the popular god is usually angry, while God is incapable of anger. The god is insecure and
jealous, and it is impossible for God to be insecure. 5. The god is unforgiving and vengeful, while the
Father is filled with an eager desire to forgive and release His children from slavery to ignorance.
6. The god is brutal, unfair, and cruel, while God is always just, compassionate, tender, and loving. 7.
The god favors one nation over others, while God favors no race or people over another. 8. The god is
limited by Scripture, while God is unlimited and illimitable. 9. Our Father is as far beyond cultural
deities as eternity is beyond time."
10. "If my eyes and ears create, how is it that I do not control the world?" asked Judas.
11. "The world is not dreamed by your mind," said Jesus. "Instead, it is dreamed by the great Mind,
the cosmic Mind, the Mind of the Creator. 16. This lives so deeply in your own mind, and in mine, that
we are usually not aware that it even exists. But it dreams up precisely the world that our souls need
in order to grow spiritually. 17. So, nothing appears in your world by chance. It is all carefully
designed. 18. And the same is true of every aware being. The 'dream of the world' shows every
evidence of the most careful design, implying a Designer.
19. This Mind has a will, and our highest calling is to do that will."
20. "That is why you have told us to eliminate personal and selfish desire," said Martha.
21. Jesus nodded. "That's right. Any time or energy that we spend on our own will takes away time
and energy from the will of Love. So, our goal is to turn our wills, and our minds, over to this Love.
22. . This is so that It might do Its bidding through us. So, the world is created and controlled, not by
our personal wills, but by the will of our Father, deep within us. 23. Your senses are used to create
what He wants, what Love wants."

CHAPTER 60.

Verse 1. "If all is created by God, the perfect Mind, through us, why do we create things of ugliness
and pain?" asked Judas.
2. "Nothing is 'ugly,' until you decide to see it that way. Stop defining things as 'ugly,' and behold!
The world becomes beautiful. 3. Painful things are dreamed up by the Spirit in order to teach the soul,
to educate it. Often, we learn compassion or patience better by painful experiences. 4. But even the
pain of these experiences can be made less if we embrace them rather than resist them. Don't forget
that it is personal wants that cloud the perfect clarity of our Father's Love.
5. Pain comes often from wanting. Personal wanting or will is the 'mud' in the 'spring of clear water.'"
6. "How can I know more about this?" I asked.
7. "Think on these things, deeply and often. But knowing about this Way is not useful if you do not
experience directly the inner Presence of the Father as your own deepest Mind.
8. So, seek communion with the inner Spirit of Love. Deeply search into your mind during moments of
stillness and silence.
9. Introspect during quiet moments. Clear your mind, relax it and still it, as often as possible. 10.
Replace ordinary, meandering, wandering thoughts with repetition of the divine names until they
become a real and independent Power within you. 11. Never forget that Scriptures, and all other
books, are only signs. You cannot walk upon a sign that gives the street its name, but must walk upon
the real street. 12. Books are only a menu, with pictures of food. You cannot eat a menu. 13. Books
are only the inadequate attempt to put the experience of God or Love into words, and books cannot
alone sustain you.
14. Instead, you must try to touch inner Love directly-- by keeping the mind still and receptive, quiet
but alert.
15. Books point out the Way, but reading them must not be mistaken for the actual Way. Bible-study
is not worship, does not improve people, and brings one no closer to God.
16. "Truth is the highest, most basic energy of Love and life. It cannot be reduced to, and should
never be mistaken for, mere teachings. 17. Truth is not words. Truth is not law. Truth is not religion.
18. Truth is not organization. Truth isnot books. Truth is not even the Bible. 19. It is the living
experience of God, of Love, directly, immediately. It is the inner knowing of gnosis, a direct feeling of
God. 20. Truth is an experience, not an explanation. This is why truth is often hidden from those with
too much education, whose intellects and egos have become false gods.
21. For knowledge without Love is not only useless, but can actually be dangerous. For it sets one
above another, and we all are equals, all brothers and sisters."

CHAPTER 61.

Verse 1. "Knowledge about water," Jesus said, "cannot quench the thirst of a person dying of thirst.
Neither can talking about God satisfy the inner spiritual thirst actually to touch God. 2. A person dies
without water. And people die without the touch of God. 3. They die inwardly, spiritually. And so
you will die if I, the Spirit, do not come into you, become one with you. 4. I will bear witness with
your soul. I will reveal that you are God's son or daughter. 5. When this happens, you will know even
as you are known. For the divine Being will look through your eyes.
6. This is knowing God. It is much more than just believing in God. 7. Believing in God is worthless if
it does not lead to the tasting of God, God's Love. You must become a mirror of God, a mirror of your
own deepest inner Loveself or Love-nature.
8. Like a good mirror, you must be empty, stainless, spotless, dustfree. A good mirror contains nothing
of itself. 9. Its usefulness arises from what is not there, from its clarity. Your usefulness arises not
from your skill or intellect, but from your inner emptiness. 10. Your value arises from the same source
as that of a vessel. A cup can be used only because it is empty. 11. And the Spirit of Love can use you
only when you are empty of self and selfthoughts. Even the elders believe in a kind of god, but they
place themselves in hell because they do not allow their heartminds to become the conduits of Love.
12. Become an empty conduit for the passage and Flow of Love, and you will know the bliss of the
actual experience of God. This you will know in the Flow. 13. Seek to empty, not to fill, your minds,
and you can avoid hell."
14. "What is hell?" asked Judas.
15. "It is separation from Love. It is Love-starvation, because you have created an absence of Love
in the heart of another. Now, in return, you must experience the karma of knowing this absence
yourself. 16. Hell is the refusal to love and forgive yourself or another. Turning away from Love,
isolating yourself from Love, refusing Love-- this is hell.
17. Hell and Love can't exist together. Love is the redemption that liberates one from hell. 18. To
liberate anyone from a hell is an act of extraordinary karmic merit. 19. So, to bring Love to the
loveless is the greatest healing, and is itself an act of supreme Love and salvation.
20. "It is living God that really counts, not simply believing, for even fools and hypocrites believe in
God.
21. More than air, we need Love. More than water, food, or sleep, we need Love. 22. More than a
new baby needs its mother, we need our heavenly Mother, the great inner Source of nourishment for
our souls and minds. 23. We need to fill our heartminds, our soulminds, with Love for everything that
exists. 24. When we do this, we become the perfect reflection, the incarnation, of God in the world.
The Father and we become one.

CHAPTER 62.

Verse 1. "Must we love evil?" asked Judas, in his direct manner. Intensity flared in his eyes. 2. It
was a common charge brought against Jesus that his "universal Love" included a love for prostitutes,
thieves, murderers, evil spirits, Satan, and evil itself.
3. So Jesus was not surprised or disturbed by the question. He regarded Judas with an
imperturbable placidity and pacificity that said that nothing in the world could disturb it.
4."My enemies say that I teach that evil is good, and that we should love evil and evil things," said
Jesus. "But I tell you, always use discernment. 5. Clearly identify any evil act or behavior, and then,
carefully, always avoid it. Evil is a souldisease which is much worse than a bodydisease, more fearsome
than a plague. 6. A large part of the path of goodness is the avoidance of evil. So, shun, and turn away
from, all evil.
7. Repel stealing and violence, and push them away from yourself. Avoid anything that harms yourself
or anyone else, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
8. Absolutely refuse to harm any selfaware creature-- either by what you do, or by what you fail to do.
Avoid slander.
9. Avoid greed. If you have two coats, and another has none, give her your second coat. 10. If a
powerful person forces you to walk a mile, go two with him. Give more than is demanded, and more
than is requested. 11. Never hold back your own abundance, for it is the gift of heaven. Give to
everyone who asks of you, and do not turn away from the truly needy and deserving.
11. Aid people who have lost home, family, or income. Give generously to all, and do not hold back
your open hand from charity. 12. Aid and help the injured and the sick, and rush to the rescue of the
chronically ill or weak. For this is the way you create for yourselves treasures in heaven, the invincible
jewels untouched by time.
13. "And if a person strikes you on the left cheek, turn to him the other also. 14. Pray for those
who hate you, and who use you, and who maliciously say every sort of despicable thing against you.
15. Return kindness for evil, goodness for malice, and Love for hatred. For it is only in this way that
Love can have its ultimate and destined victory over fear.
16. "Cherish all persons, and tenderly regard even harsh and angry people as the expressions of
Love and light in the world. For often, pain pretends to be anger."

CHAPTER 63.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to teach the Way of Love: "Heal pain wherever you find it, and be a
fountain of healing Love for everyone around you. 2. Be a reliable source of the waters of Love, a
stable oasis in the desertworld.
3. "Offer compassion to every person, and Love all equally, regardless of race, sex, religion, or
origin. Embrace your sisters and brothers from all countries, cultures, and even those from other
worlds, with Love. 4. Show kindness to everyone, and be kind to all living creatures. Exercise justice
and high ethics, and be honest in your dealings with all in the community, for it is holy."
5. "Why is the community holy, Jesus?" asked Philip.
6. "Because it is made up of human beings, each of whom is holy." 7. So, returning to his theme,
Jesus continued: "Do away with all judgment. Don't seek to judge the value or eternal merit of any
person, place, thing, situation, or event.
8. Seek to see it all as 'very good,' as God created it." According to Jesus, the elohim or "gods" who
create the world in Genesis were extremely advanced beings from an enormously ancient civilization.
9. It was they who declared the world to be "very good," setting an example for the primitive human
beings of earth. 10. The ancients called these "creators" the "people of the sky," or the "people of the
stars." 11. They included an unstable member who later became the historical Jehovah of the
Hebrews. 12. The ancients identified Jehovah, and embraced him, as their god. The other elohim
became the other gods of the tribal nations of the Middle East, such as Molech, Chemos, Ashtoreth,
Baal, El, Asherah, and others.
13. Some of these incredibly advanced beings were mystics, and so they declared the world "very good"
as a lesson in mystical non-judgment-- a lesson reiterated by Jesus.
14. For Jesus did not command us not to judge only people. Instead, his command was not to judge at
all-- not to judge the absolute value or eternal merit of anything or anyone.
15. "Even what you call 'bad,'" Jesus said, "might serve the purposes of Love in the long run. Those
events, things, and people whom society teaches us are 'bad' can serve to educate souls in the Way of
Love. 16. So, although many evils exist in this world, and must be avoided by good people, what I
teach is that evil has no absolute existence. In the widest cosmic sense, only the Mind of God, the Mind
of absolute goodness and perfection, has any real existence."
CHAPTER 64.

Verse 1. "Everything," said Jesus, "flows from that one Source, and so everything must reflect its
Love. Never love the evil, but seek the good within the evil, and love that. 2. Only in this way can the
evil be enfolded in, and conquered by, the good. 3. When you declare all to be 'good,' you bring
yourself closer to an inner state of 'heaven.' For your inner Father is in this part of Mind called 'heaven.'
4. Each time you embrace anything or anyone in Love, you draw closer to an inner 'heaven.' 4. And
each time you divide yourself from, dislike, or hate, anyone or anything, you move closer to an inner
'hell,' Jesus said.
5. "Most of the elders teach that the knowledge of good and evil,' which got Adam and Eve cast out
of Eden, is not a sin. In fact, they think it their calling from God to teach people the distinction
between good and evil. 6. But from a mystical view, God has no opposite. So, absolute good has no
opposite. 7. It is simply up to each of us to take the step of learning to embrace all of creation
without any judgment. When we are free of judgment we are free of another kind of inner 'hell.' 8.
For then, we create and allow only goodness, peace, and love, with joy, to flood into our inner being.
This makes us whole, or holy, complete, healed. 9. Fully to love and to trust God is fully to accept the
universe which he has created. We stop judging it. 10. This creates a continuous life of unbroken
peace and joy."
11. I am always balancing things, to try to find or create harmony. I tried to balance Jesus' strange
words, and powerful faith, that "everything is good," with the evidence of my senses. 12. And I'm afraid
the senses were of greater conviction and weight. Still, I find it intriguing, and even tempting, that a
reasonable man could come to believe that everything is good, or serves the good. 13. I know that I
would be much happier if only I could believe this way too. But I can't seem to overcome my old
doubts. 14. These were made stronger by my own parents, and are still strengthened by society, and
by life-experience.
15. "If a man rapes a woman," said Judas, full of his usual ardor, "is he not to be judged as evil?"

CHAPTER 65.

Verse 1. Judas, under the influence of the scorpionsign, always asked the most difficult questions.
Often, the cause of his anxiety was related to sexual issues.
2. The question struck Jesus like a blow. It bolted into his mind like a flash of lightning, as Judas
knew it must.
3. Jesus, we all knew, was unusually sensitive to the issue of rape. His mother Mary had been accused
of having been raped.
4. His best friend Mary Magdalen told him horrorstories of rape and sexual abuse she had experienced
while engaged in prostitution at the Marble Palace with
Dahlia. 5. "Nothing," he said, "in the realm of all evil is closer to stabbing my heart." Nothing struck
him so devastatingly as the hideous crime of rape.
6. I saw something almost never seen on this planet: I saw the light in his eyes die, replaced by a
bottomless sadness, in which he carried the tears of the world in his eyes. 7. He took a long breath,
before he replied, almost in a whisper: "If a man rapes a woman, that man is engaged in great evil,
whose enormity and atrocity are immeasureable. 8. In many ways, it is worse than murder. A man
might have millennia of hells in order to pay for this crime. 9. What happens to this kind of man? In a
universe of balance, justice, and wisdom, ruled by Love, only one result can teach him how horrible this
assault really feels.
10. This reaction of the universal Mind to his crime can be immensely powerful. It can cause him to
vow in his heart never to commit the act again. 11. He must become its victim." His voice became
suddenly weary, as though drained of all power.
12. "And men have been outrageously abusing women sexually since before the beginning of time. So
much karma will take thousands of years to work itself out. 13. And so, the rapists will keep coming
back, and being abused, until this hideous karmic madness finally works itself out. 14. Then, sex will
once again have its original purity, and will represent the union of heaven and earth, sweet rainfall, the
blossoming of flowers, the rainbows in human eyes, filled with shining stars."

CHAPTER 66.

Verse 1. Realizing that he was once again drifting towards the poetic, which he so often did, he
returned to the practical question of the fate of a rapist: "A person who rapes is nightmarishly abusive.
2. That is why he creates so many future nightmares for himself. And I don't mean only those he has
at night, which cause him to wake up screaming. 3. Those are bad enough. But his waking life
becomes even more terrifying to him. 4. For he has planted the seeds of a very deep and destructive
fear. So, the terror must come back to him, precisely as he has given it to another. 5. But he is also
locked in forces designed to teach him-- forces beyond his personal control. He must be punished. 6.
And the only punishment suitable for a rapist is rape." After that, Jesus fell into a rather glum silence.
7. At first, it lacked the mystical joy which always underlay his stillness. Gradually, however, the
deadness gave way to a numinosity and luminosity that began to touch us all with a most familiar
euphoria.
8. This feeling almost always arose simply from being around Jesus. Soon, he seemed healed of the
question and its answer. 9. We continued to speak until late in the night. . Jesus talked until sleep
overtook the rest of us. 10. We, his friends, all fell asleep around the dying campfire. But Jesus was
restless, and could not sleep.
11. The next day, bright and early, to the accompaniment of birdsong, Jesus continued speaking
about what had concerned us the day before: "Evil is to be carefully avoided at every turn in the path
of life. 12. But we must not give evil power. We must not empower evil by having 'faith' in it, but must
place all faith in God."
13. "What does it mean to have 'faith' in evil?" asked Mary.
14. "It means to place the existence of evil on an equality with that of God. Evil has only secondary
reality or 'truth,' while the reality of God is primary. 15. In order to exist, evil must be sensed. God
exists even when He is not sensed by any mind. 16. Evil cannot exist without a mind, so it needs a
mind to create it. God exists without any other mind in the cosmos. 17. He is the Fountainmind, the
Origin of all mind. So, only the existence of God is absolute, not secondary."
18. "What will happen to evil?" asked Matthew.
19. "It will pass into nonexistence. This will occur when all minds in the cosmos refuse to sense it.
20. Love will rush in to fill this empty space left by evil's departure."
21. "What about the things that you mentioned yesterday? What about rape, child-abuse, torture,
and war?" asked Judas.
22. "Those things," Jesus said, "are truly evil. But someday, they will all be forgotten by every mind
in the cosmos, and then, will exist no more. But right now, many minds sense and create them. 23.
They are a part of a larger worldview. In that larger picture, that overview, they serve the ends of
education. 24. They teach souls the futility of evil actions. Thus, these 'evils' impel every soul towards
Love. 25. The purpose of the world is to drive us away from the world. But we who are enlightened
see nothing and no one as 'absolutely' evil. 26. Evil is part of the illusion created when the Reality of
God is blocked or eclipsed by shadow. Like the absence of light, evil is the absence of reality or truth.
27. It is the absence of spiritual light or Lovemind. It's a very complicated dreamnightmare."

CHAPTER 67.

Verse 1. "I am in agony," said Judas. "I am haunted and tormented by a God who seems deaf, or
unutterably cruel, a God who continually and heartlessly ignores the cries and pleadings of his pathetic
children. 2. You have seen the agony, Jesus, of the suffering of the people. Why does God not
respond, and interfere?"
3. "God is acting all the time, Judas," replied Jesus mildly. "Whenever a person takes the hand of
another, whenever a physician offers aid, whenever a teacher spends time, whenever a helper or aid
gives comfort, this is God. 4. When an honest man or woman works to bring justice or the rule of law
to a community, this is God. 5. When a mother touches her baby, or lovers kiss, or a man joins in deep
love with a woman, this is Love. This is God. 6. So, while the 'devil' of fear is harming many, the inner
God is also healing as many. 7. Whenever a person feels light inside, whenever a person is touched by
compassion or joy, when the new sun of dawn brings hope to the heart, when new ideas bring hope,
this is God."
8. "You are saying that God works only through people," said Judas, a bit accusingly, I thought.
9. "I am saying that God usually acts through people. God can also act directly through the Mind,
which is God at its very Center. 10. God can act directly to change the dream-world, as the great
Dreamer. But, still, almost always, God acts through human kindness, goodness, and compassion. 11.
The reason for this is that these are the very qualities that God wants all of us to learn. When a baby is
learning to walk, the parents help her along the first few times, picking up the child, stabilizing her,
holding her up, over and over again. 12. But the time comes when the child must walk alone, on her
own, and, no matter how many times she falls, the parents know not to come rushing to her 'rescue.'
She must learn to stand alone.
13. Otherwise, she will never be able to walk as an adult. So God trains us."
14. "But if the parents," continued Judas, "saw the child falling into a fire, would they not stop her,
and catch her, pulling her away?"
15. "Yes, they would, for the child would be in great danger of serious harm."
16. "Then why does God permit us to go through life alone even when we are in great danger of
being harmed?"
17. "Because God knows that we are not bodies, but souls. And, as souls, we are never in great
danger of being seriously harmed by anything in this world. 18. what terrifies the mind of the ego does
not at all affect or frighten the soulmind. So, in this world, your Soul, your deeper or higher Self, is
never in any real danger. 19. There is only the appearance of danger. Some things are dangerous to
the body, but not to the soul. And it is only the soul that really counts, in the final evaluation called
'Judgment Day.'"
20. "What is 'Judgment Day'" asked Mary.
21. "It is the period, shortly after death, when you review the events of your life, and they are
evaluated. They are not measured by someone else, but by your own higher Self, your own soul. 22.
On Judgment Day, the Being of Light asks you only one question. It is the only one that will ever
matter: 23. 'How well, and how often, did you love?'"

CHAPTER 68.

Verse 1. "Does God never come forth, in a flashing cloud of light, making the earth tremble, as in the
old legends?" asked Matthew, frustration in his voice.
2. "It would be foolish," said Jesus, "to say that anything is impossible. But you and I have never
seen God acting in this way. 3. So it is safe to say that God, in the regular order of the world, does not
act that way. When God does intervene in your life, it is through the Love expressed by a human being.

4. Or else, God acts in your own body, through the cosmic Mind. It acts through your own mind. 5. In
the regular order of the world, God acts only through people who are free to turn their wills over to
Love. This increases God in our world."
6. "If no one loved, would God disappear from our world?" asked James.
7. "No, God would still exist as cosmic Mind, but not as Love. Our world would then be a hellworld."
8. "What's a hellworld?" asked Thomas.
9. "A hellworld is a world or plane where souls go to learn the most difficult lessons of life without
the aid of Love. 10. For Love does not exist in a hellworld. These places of darkness are reserved only
for souls of great and consistent deliberate harmfulness and the practices of evil."
11. Jesus' message of peace was so idealistic that it made tears come to my eyes. If only it could
be so. 12. And there is enough goodness in the human heart to make it possible. But there is enough
badness in the human heart to imply that it will never be so. 13. And that is the source of the
remainder of the tears.
14. "What you teach is designed for perfect worlds, Jesus," complained Thomas. "Here, in the real
world, people will never turn their selfish and greedy minds over to Love."
15. "Children believe in perfect worlds," said Jesus. "Wise men and women seek to create them.
16. The world is changed, not by dramatic and large events, but by tiny changes in wisdom in
individual minds. This does take much time and patience, but the Mind has forever to do its work."
17. Judas sneered. "Do you think that a Roman butcher, an army officer, will listen to this
'wisdom'?" He laughed without humor, to scorn. 18. "He'd as soon cut your head off if you got in his
way."
19. Jesus replied, "Even the most cruel, ignorant man realizes how short life is. The fear that arises
from that realization is the beginning of wisdom. 20. It is when a person grasps the meaning of life's
shortness that fear begins to grow into Love." Great kindness welled up in those ancient eyes of his.
21. "Fear," he said, "moves more people to action than does compassion. The first step in spiritual
growth is to deny that you already know all things."

THE GNOSTIC GOSPEL OF SIMON OF CANAAN

*******

CHAPTER 1.

Verse 1. I took many long notes from the words and ideas of the man Jesus of Nazareth. Later, i
condensed and shortened them into this smaller record. 2. I was not able to get everything he said,
for it seems that he was always talking. But I believe that I captured enough of the essence of his
message that this little book might be able to answer questions about him.
3. His enemies say that he had a Roman father, and is himself a lover of pagans and alien traditions.
 I have known him to be unthreatened by, quite pleasantly open to, foreign wisdom and the religions of
other areas of the world. 4. His disciples tell of a tradition that, in his early years, he studied in India
under a master sage. He confirmed to me that this was indeed true.
5. His friends, who tend to become his followers, say that he was conceived by some kind of divine
act. I have listened to both sides, and still have not made up my mind. 6. In fact, I have argued with
both. Jesus says that because I was born under the sign of the virgin, I make meticulous and cautious
decisions. This I find to be true.
7. The most astonishing thing about this man is his controversial teachings, so I want this book to
be about them. Probably the best way to begin the account, then, is with some of the words of the
masterteacher Jesus. 8. Here have I set them forth as I remember them, according to the best of my
memory, in as great a detail as feasible.
Jesus was speaking to a group of nine Zealots. 9. They believe that the "kingdom of God" will be
established as a political power. They think that this will happen by the military insurgency of Jewish
rebels. 10. These rebels will throw the Romans out of Judea with bloody force.
Jesus said, "There can never be any such thing as a 'holy' war. 11. War is by its nature unholy, and
cannot be made 'holy' by noble words or elevated goals. War is brutality, cruelty, atrocity, and
barbarity. 12. It can never be made clean or defensible. Nothing can defend its evil."
13. "But what about the ancestors? Didn't they have many wars, and wasn't God on their side?"
asked an older man.
14. "I'm aware that your tradition says that your god fought your battles for you, and approved of
war. In fact, he even commanded some of your wars. 15. But the God of the universe is a God of
Love, and never takes sides in human conflicts and squabbles. This God is far different from the one
recognized by your ancestors as god. 16. This is the Father of the All, the Father of Light, the Source
of gnosis, in which he reveals himself."

CHAPTER 2.

Verse 1. Jesus continued speaking to the group of zealots: "I know what your ancient records say,
but I say to you that it is time to live beyond the limitations of your forefathers. They worshipped a
primitive god. 2. It is time that you outgrew him."
3. "Your message scares me," said a younger man. "It scares me even more than the Romans."
4. "My message is one of peace, harmony, and Love," said Jesus with great simplicity.
5. "Do you want us to love even the Roman pigs who rape, plunder, torture, and kill us?" asked the
young man.
6. "I tell you, turn away from all that. If you don't, you will be as bad as those who do those evil
things.
7. Someday, however, someone will have to find the courage to love all persons equally. This is the
man of the future, and the hope of the world."
8. "What they say about you is true," said a giant man with a sheathed sword hanging from his
shoulder. "You are a lover of those goddamned Romans."
9. "They are not condemned by God," corrected Jesus. "They are men just like yourselves. 10.
They have wives and children. They love and laugh. 11. They treasure things and people as precious."

12. "They are not like us!" roared the goliath. "They are animals! They are filthy pagans! 13. They
don't have the law of God!"
14. "Have they not eyes that shine as yours do? Have they not mouths that smile as yours do? 15.
Have they not hands and arms that caress as yours do? Do they not feel sadness and pain, even as you
do? 16. Do they not suffer from the same illnesses and inabilities, have the same fears, enjoy the same
comforts, as all of you? 17. Do they not bleed as men? Do they not die as men?"

CHAPTER 3.
 Verse 1. "Your kind of 'peace' is dangerous," accused a Zealot.
"Really?" said Jesus, genuinely surprised. "Why do you think so?"
2. "Because it is one-sided. If the Jews lay down the sword, the Romans will simply slaughter them,
as they slaughter pigs."
3. "Let me ask you a question about your religious law," said Jesus. "Which is the greater sin-- to
murder or to be murdered?"
4. "How can it be a sin to be murdered?" laughed the Zealot.
5. "How can it not be a sin to murder?" countered Jesus.
6. I must have heard Jesus debate this issue with the Zealots a hundred times. He never convinced
them, and they never moved him. 7. So, it was always such a stale-mate, I wondered why they argued
at all. Still as always, Jesus was driven to share his "truth" with even these stubborn, determined
soldiers.
8. "Your Way is dangerous," said another Zealot at another time, in another place.
9. "Why do you think so?" asked Jesus.
10. "Because it can be understood that it is wrong even to defend yourself, your own material
things, or your own personal rights."
11. "In loving the entire cosmos, one must never leave out Love for the self," said Jesus. "This
demands self-defense."
12. In time, I think, Jesus simply agreed to disagree with these violence-oriented men. But he
never gave up hammering the "Way of Love," as he called his message. 13. And he never seemed to be
bested by any of their arguments. Most of the time, I feel, he knew what they were going to say even
before they said anything. 14. Jesus was a logophile, a master at words. But these arguments were
far from mere wordgames to him.
15. Instead, they distilled the very vital essence of the Way of wisdom in guiding and designing one's
lifepath.
He took every question with earnestness, and a serious response was always attempted. 16. He
thought no question "unimportant," and dismissed none as unworthy of fullest response. This was, in
fact, his best way of teaching.

CHAPTER 4.

Verse 1. Jesus would always open any public teachingsession up to questions, and answered them,
one by one. He said, "I need the questions as much as they need the answers. 2. If there were no
questions, I, as a mystic, would have very little to say. I need the questions in order to create the
answers." 3. It was, he said, his "great pleasure" to teach this way. "I was born for this," he would say.
4. When I first met Jesus, I confess that I thought him crazy. All of his talk about 'not resisting evil,'
and of 'giving away what you own to the poor' sounded like sheerest nonsense. 5. Since then, however,
I have spent much time with this man, and am now convinced that God or Love is using him to teach
others.
6. But, as I reminded him the other day, that still doesn't mean that I have to believe everything that
he says. He only smiled, and then, began to laugh. 7. "Is half a commitment better than none?" he
asked.
8. "I like you, Jesus," one Zealot told him. "But I'm a soldier, and a practical man. 9. I am, in fact,
a soldier of Jehovah. I guess I'll always be a soldier. 10. You just don't understand how the real world
works, I guess." The man smiled at Jesus, who reciprocated.
11. "I understand far more than you know, my brother," said Jesus. "Are you happy with the way the
world is working?"
12. The man was taken aback. "No," he said at last.
13. "Then we must grow to understand not just how the world works, but how to change it," said
Jesus, with utter simplicity.
 14. "I can tell you one thing, Jesus: The world would be in much worse shape if people did not
standup for their rights."
15. "I agree," said Jesus. "But what about the most basic and important right of all?"
16. "What's that?" he asked.
"The right to love," Jesus replied. "The right to peace."

CHAPTER 5.

Verse 1. "Peace, peace!" thundered the man irritably. "Is that all you ever talk about? There is no
such thing! 2. Peace is just the illusion of dreamers such as you! You are in a great position to do
something real, not just spout about 'peace.'
3. "I've herd that you can do certain tricks that impress the ignorant-- the vast majority. If you could
get them to follow us, we'd have a readymade army on our hands. 4. Then, we could really change the
world for the better."
5. "The Word of God is more powerful than any sword, and that Word is Love," said Jesus.
6. "Forget just a minute about that lovestuff, and listen! You want a world of peace and love? 7.
It'll never happen until the Romans are gone. And they'll never leave until they are defeated. 8. Don't
you understand? The way to your perfect world is real. But it must come through action, not just
words! 9. We could move and manipulate the people into appointing you as king, or messiah, or
whatever. Then, the peasants would follow you, in droves. 10. They'd do anything that you
commanded. Your voice would be the voice of God! 11. Then, together, we could move against
Rome."
12. "Violence cannot end violence, and bloodshed is not the cure for bloodshed," noted Jesus.
"Never has hatred extinguished hatred. 12. Only Love can snuff out hatred," he said, borrowing from
the wisdom of the Buddha.
13. "This power that you apparently have over the people could make you a very popular person,
and that means, a very influential king."
13. "The Power of My message serves only Love," objected Jesus. "I came to heal, not to destroy."
14. "All right," the man expelled all the air from his lungs. "Judas says that you can do just about
anything. 15. If you don't want to be our king, how about saving thousands of lives? You could turn
Roman swords into water, or something like that?" The man regarded Jesus hopefully.
16. "And what about your own swords?" asked Jesus, very quietly, staring into his eyes.

CHAPTER 6.

Verse 1. "Men of war," taught Jesus, "are terrified by peace. They need enemies in the world, to
keep them from recognizing the enemy within their own souls and minds. 2. It is easier to 'defeat' an
external enemy, a human enemy, than to conquer the 'dragons and demons' of one's own lower nature.
Many people do not even want to admit that these inner conflicts exist at all.
3. Denying them, they find enemies everywhere. Pretending that they are perfect causes their own
imperfections to meet them on the road, in the market, in their friends-- everywhere 4.! They turn
from the 'ugliness' of their own internal enemy, and find conflict and nemeses all around. They are like
an old woman who put healing ointment on her elbow, when it was her knee that was burned. 5. They
are like a young boy who, when stung by a scorpion, struck the dog. Or they are like a child who,
hating herself, believes that her schoolteacher hates her."
6. He stood suddenly, and looked quite strong despite his ordinary stature. 7. "I am just as
disgusted with war and stupidity, folly and greed," he shouted, "as my enemies are with all My talk
about 'peace and Love'! 8. Since I was very small, I have been burned by the mindlessness of war and
hatred."
9. For a moment, it seemed as if he were brooding. Then, he spoke from a deep inner cavern:
"Romans kill Jews, Jews kill Romans, and then, Romans kill Jews! 10. When will it end? Who will find
the magnificent courage necessary finally to lay down the sword? 11. Who will, by forgiveness, finally
stop the mad wheel of incessant karma, of cause-and-effect, that keeps people in hell?
12. "It is more than past time that we stopped being just 'Romans and Jews,' and became true men!"
13. He heaved a deep sigh. "This world gives freely of its abundance. 14. Mother Earth provides
fruits and grains.
15. Animals give themselves and their all, so generously and kindly Brother Donkey slaves until the day
that he dies, and so does Sister Camel. 16. The little twowinged brothers and sisters of the air charm
us with endless songs of radiant beauty. 17. Sister Cow and Brother Sheep provide so much for us all!"
18. He fell to his knees. "I thank you, Mother Earth, and all your children, for the great kindness and
overflowing abundance with which you give your great treasures." 19. He ran some soil through his
hands. "And thank you above all, Father Mind, for it is you who transform this fine soil into grains and
fruits, and then, turn them into flesh and bone, bringing us life, holy life!" 20. He stood, and extended
both arms to his sides, straight out, palms up. 21. "And thank you, Brother Sun, for your warmth and
light."
22. Then he opened his eyes, and looked around at the nine of us standing around him on the
mountain. 23. "Nature gives very much," he said, "but only humans can give Love. Only they can
voluntarily bring peace, as a reflection of the Highest, of God."

CHAPTER 7.

Verse 1. Jesus refused to speak to large groups, and limited his wisdom to small gatherings. He
refused to speak to more than a few dozen at a time, for he said that Love became lost and diluted
when numbers multiplied. 2. In this way, he was the exact opposite of the hypocrites and elders, who
always measured "success" in terms of quantity. /They lusted after fame, due, Jesus said, to the fact
that they felt worthless.
3. They courted large, impressive audiences, speaking in grand assembly-halls and stadiums. "Let them
be," Jesus said. "They are having their reward right now, in their fame. 4. But if they knew what they
were trading for this earthly fame, they would shun it like the plague." Almost all the time, Jesus
spoke when only three or four of us were around. 5. He hardly ever spoke to more than the twelve
special friends he called "sent-forth." (The Greek word for these was apostoloi.)
6. He simply did not like large crowds. This was due partly to the fact that multitudes had a
draining effect on what he called his "energy," or lifeforce or vitality.
7. Even though he regularly dealt with only a few people, mostly family and friends, their limitless
needs exhausted him. 8. Today, after he had been sick due to his over-exertion, I met him in the field
by the shed, and spoke with him alone.
9. "People somehow expect me not to be human," Jesus said, shaking his head, mystified. "Where
did they ever get the idea that I was anything else?" Bewilderment was in his eyes.
10. "When you say that you are God, Jesus," I offered, "I think that they think that you are limitless
and infinite, and so, never grow weary."
11. "I have tried, really tried, to explain to them," he said, seeming hopeless. 12. "I have told them
that God is not a magician, not a supernatural genie, not a superabundant superbeing. 13. I have
explained that God is Love, and Love alone. I have struggled only to be the incarnation of that Love.
14. That doesn't mean that I never get tired." He smiled weakly.
15. "It seems, as usual, that they have your God confused with the god of their ancient tradition."
"Yes," Jesus replied. "You're right. 16. He was all power, all strength. His ferocity and temper
were limitless. His energy was boundless. He was a real 'workhorse' of a god. He would never get
tired. 17. Although his laws and Scriptures could certainly tire you, boring you to death." He laughed
weakly. It was not unusual for Jesus to poke mild fun at the religion that so actively hated and
rejected him and his Way.
18. After a moment of silence, he said, "People are always coming to Me with their problems. 19.
They don't seem to understand that I, as Jesus, have problems of my own. I appreciate your listening to
me, Simon. That's a real kindness."
20. "It is my great privilege, pleasure, and honor," I said, honestly.

CHAPTER 8.

Verse 1. "I'm not supposed," said Jesus, "to have any problems. That's exactly what all the people seem
to think. 2. They forget that I have a human side. I am working every day to 'decreate' that human
nature, so that it might be consumed altogether in the divine fire of Love.
3. That is happening. But it is not complete yet."
4. "When that is complete," I said, "When your human nature is completely dissolved into your
divine nature, and Love fills you completely, will you stay on earth?"
5. "When I become God fully in nature, then I must perform the ultimate act of Love, to prove how
much God loves his or her children."
6. "What is the ultimate act of Love?" I asked, disturbed by his tone.
7. "No one has greater Love than the one who gives his life for his friends," he answered simply.
8. "Does God die for us?" I asked, perplexed.
9. "God never dies," said Jesus. "But the greatest expression of Love of which a human is capable is
to give up his or her life voluntarily for those who are beloved. 10. I was not born to live on earth, but
only to plant the seeds of light for the Way of Love. As soon as that is done, I'm going Home."
11. "Jesus, they all say that you are insane, driven by a death-wish. Do you really want to die? Are
the rumors true?"
. "Everyone dies, Simon. The best for which a person can hope is that personal death will not be
meaningless or simply forgotten. 12. One who goes deliberately into death, for the sake of Love, is a
person whose death is memorable and meaningful."
13. "Why would Love call for the death of anyone?"
14. "Love demands not death but a good life of kindness, goodness, and compassion. Love doesn't
call for, or demand, the death of anyone. 15. But my death will be a great symbol of how the mystic
must die to the self, in order to 'resurrect' the higher nature of the eternal Spirit within. So, when I do
die, it must be in a way that people will not soon forget.
16. Besides, I want to prove that physical death is not a major obstacle to life, not an enormous
event. When once you've fused, become one with, your inner immortal Self, physical death is just a
minor inconvenience. 17. I also rapidly grow tired of life on earth. My soul longs after the real life,
the life of the Homeworld. 18. That's why I want to die."
19. I couldn't believe his words. I was dumb-founded, and only stared at him.

CHAPTER 9.

Verse 1. Jesus said, "A person without problems is a person without life, or feelings. So, learn to
welcome your problems, as they are evidence that you are inwardly alive." 2. At the end of a small
hutlined street called Dust, we entered a tiny thatched room, without knocking. The five of us virtually
filled the room. 3. A window let in light.
"Jukah!" Jesus shouted, embracing an old man, fondness in his soft eyes. 4. As my eyes adjusted, I
could see that the man was coarsely dressed. Jukah's eyes contained humor and wisdom, and seemed
to shine with a bright inner life of their own.
5. Within a few moments, however, I realized that the man was blind.
We all piled together into a heap onto the floor, which was dirt. 6. Jesus, characteristically, began
talking, softly: "You can, as a soul, have anything that you want. But you must be willing to pay the
price. 7. For many ages, our dear friend Jukah has wanted to behold the bright warm inner Light of
our Father. 8. He chose to come to this world in this life as a blind man, so that he would 'see' with
clarity the inner Light, and not be distracted. 9. He has paid a great price, but his treasure also is
great." The man nodded eagerly as Jesus spoke, more filled with life than ever. 10. "Now, after so
many years of beholding the great peace of the inner Light, he does not even want to see the world
that you and I see. 11. The inner Love and tranquillity fulfill all his needs."
12. "You are so right, Jesus," said Jukah. "I have come to know such a deep pacific serenity and
placidity that I would not trade it for worlds." 13. Jukah radiated profoundest peace.
14. "You see more than many, Jukah," said Jesus.
15. "I see enough," Jukah replied. "and all that I see, I see by the grace of our tender Father, the
Father of light."
16. "Jukah, you are indeed no part of this world," Jesus said.

CHAPTER 10.

Verse 1. Jukah nodded. "That's one reason why I have no need to see much of this world," Jukah said.
"The Father of the All has already taken me to live in another world, inside my heartmind."
2. "Still," Jesus said, "you are old now, and I would give you a glimpse of our world, Jukah, as a gift
of Love."
3. "May the Father's will be done," said Jukah simply.
4. Jesus closed his own eyes, and placed his hands upon Jukah's own closed eyelids. The two men
remained motionless and silent for a half hour. 5. Then, Jesus removed his hands. I expected Jukah to
leap up and proclaim that he could see.
6. But he was still as blind as ever.
7. "Thank you, Jesus," gasped the old man. "It was beautiful!" As we rose to leave, Jukah repeated
his thanks, over and over, profusely.
8. After we left that place, I asked Jesus, on the road, what had happened.
9. "Jukah did not want to exchange his vision for the kind of vision that ordinary people have," he
said. "I gave him the chance to see our common world for a few minutes, but it meant that he would
for the rest of his life have to lose his inner vision, his in-sight."
10. "Why was he so thankful?" I asked.
11. "Because he realized just what a rare treasure he now has. Everyone has common vision, but
not one in a million has his inner vision."
12. "What does he see? Does he see angels? God? Other worlds?"
13. "He sees the truths of insight, of how the world works, of how God structures and deals with the
universe. Sometimes, he catches glimpses of even the Homeworld, or of other heavenly planes. 14.
But what he really 'sees' is understanding. He knows God. When I touched him, we exchanged forces.
15. I taught him, and he taught me."
16. "He actually taught you something? I thought that you already knew everything."
17. "To the man of wisdom, every person is both teacher and student," Jesus said.

CHAPTER 11.

Verse 1. Jesus and Jukah shared an invisible connection. The day before Jukah left the world, we were
told later, his sight cleared, and some vision returned. 2. That same day, we later calculated, was the
day that Jesus seemed unable to see. We all helped him, and, fortunately, his occupation, teaching,
did not require clear literal sight. 3. Within a few days, his condition cleared and disappeared.
4. "God teaches people to be healers by giving them the gift of illness," said Jesus.
5. "Why?" I asked. This made no sense to me.
6. "Because to heal, you must first want to heal. You need motivation. 7. There is no greater
motivation for learning the arts of healing than the need to heal your own body. So, a great healer
begins by needing great healing. 8. Healing is not a game. It must be taken seriously, and carefully
studied.
9. Preparation of the heart of compassion is the most important step."
"Why?" I asked again.
 10. "Because all healing arises from Love. You must love your friends first, before you can help
them heal. 11. You must love them so intensely and deeply that you are willing to bear their burden
for them, in their place."
12. "Healing others makes you sick?" I interpreted.
13. "To some extent, you must be willing to take on their suffering, their illness. But only in some
cases. 14. To wrestle with an inner 'demon,' you must sometimes first take it into your own body and
mind. Illness can be this kind of 'demon' or 'dragon.' 15. If it is the kind that must be transferred to
create healing, you must 'store' it in your own body. Then, you must find the Power to expel it from
there.
16. As a parable, you don't have the right to burn the coat of another person, however repulsive you
might find it, for it is not yours. But if another gives you a repulsive coat, and it then becomes yours,
you have the right to destroy it. 17. The Power within knows better how to cure your own illnesses
than the sicknesses of another."
18. "The whole idea scares me, Jesus," I whined.
19. "Have I not taught you, Simon, that God is Love, and that fear is the 'devil'? Cast that fear from
you, or it will own, and strangle, you. 20. Fear is the worst illness of all, and can even be incurable.
Fear is a product of mind.
21. In order fully to cure it, the mind must be changed or cured. So, when you heal, you must work to
heal the whole bodymind, not just the body. 22. If a person can live without fear, he or she will not be
terrified by illness. So, Love protects you."
23. "But you loved Jukah, and still, your eyes were affected."
24. "That's because I took his illness upon Me voluntarily. I wanted to express My Love by suffering
his problem, out of empathy or sympathy. 25. This is the greatest healing, when you take upon
yourself voluntarily another's pain. For this is truest Love."

CHAPTER 12.

Verse 1. "The nature of Power is that one cannot use it for the self. Since we all need this Power,
the cosmos is constructed so that we must get it from each other, fostering Love. 2. All beings are
interdependent. So, when we need Power, we are driven to find someone with sufficient Love, for
Love is the inner Power.
3. "Is the Power transferred through touch?" asked Mary.
4. "It can be. But it is not touch, but Love, that transfers Power. 5. Touch, if it expresses Love,
can do this. But touch without Love cannot move Power. 6. A sincere desire, or will, to heal, can heal
as much as a medicine. This Love can act even over a long distance. 7. For the desire of Love is the
key to entering a state of Power.
8. "How does the Force of Love deal with illness created by inner weakness or fears?" asked Martha.
9. "The Force or Power drives the inner 'demons' of illness into non-existence. Love tenderly
causes the body to feel well, comfortable, and happy. 10. This adjusts the body towards balance and
harmony. In time, this good feeling can bring about healing."
11. "Is Love capable of healing any condition?"
12. "Absolutely anything can happen, at absolutely any time. But healing can be blocked by any
number of obstacles, in the mind, in the soul, in the body, in the world. 12. But, in time, the cosmic
Mind can change the contents of its 'dream,' and so, nothing is impossible for this Mind."
13. "What if Love does not work? What if you love completely, unselfishly, and totally, and still, no
cure arises?" asked Philip.
14. "Sometimes an illness is a part of the permissive will of the Father. This does not mean that it
is a part of the Father's active will. 15. But an illness is allowed to exist in order to teach a soul some
valuable lesson in Love. Then, the will of Love cannot be overcome, even by the great Power of Love.
16. At times, it is appropriate to accept an illness or imperfection as a part of the divine will."
17. "If we believe that an illness is a part of the divine will, would it then be wrong to try to heal
it?" asked Philip.
18. "An attempt to heal, if it arises from Love or compassion, is never the wrong thing to do. Even
if an illness is a part of the soul's agenda, and thus, of divine will, you should always try to bring healing
and comfort to the suffering. 19. This can never be wrong. Since you never can be sure how long an
illness will last, even if it is part of an overall plan, you must always try your best, over and over, to
bring healing Love and energy to any situation. 20. Use tenacity, and never give up. Sometimes, the
divine Mind is so deep that it is hard to reach.
21. "Once, there was a woman who demanded justice from a judge in her village. Now, this judge
was known to be a tough, insensitive, hard-nosed, practical man. 22. He feared no one, and had no
respect for people, or even for God. But this widow came to him, over and over and over again, and
never let up, demanding justice. 23. Finally, the judge gave in, and the widow got what she wanted.
This is the kind of tenacity that you must have when attempting to draw forth Power from the deepest
inner Mind. 24. Never give up. Try again and again and again."

CHAPTER 13.

Verse 1. "Study carefully," taught Jesus, "the flowers of the fields, how they grow. They unfold
effortlessly under the sun, never worrying about the placement of their petals. 2. And no flower ever
tells another flower how to grow. Their beauty arises from an inner pattern. 3. So, your spiritual
beauty in Love must unfold from a pattern deep within yourself. In this way, you can be as beautifully
perfect as they."
4. "But we have serious responsibilities," objected James. Everyone expected this from the super-
practical James.
5. "Yes," agreed Jesus. "You are responsible. But you are not responsible for the world. 6. You are
not responsible for the actions of other adults. You are not responsible for the choices of other adults.
7. You are not fully responsible for the events of your life. You are not fully responsible even for the
conditions of your own body."
8. "You're saying that we are not responsible for a lot," grumbled James. "What do you think we
are responsible for?" he said, challenge in his voice.
9. "One thing, and one thing only," said Jesus decisively. "You are fully responsible for your
responses. 10. You are responsible for only how you choose to react to people and situations. 11.
Since only one thing is our guide, you can see how easy this is when compared with the ten thousand
demands of religion. 12. My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
13. "My wife," said Marcus, a Roman friend who sometimes walked with us, "became very ill. I
loved her profoundly, with all my heart, soul, and being. 14. But she never got well." Tears poured
from his eyes.
A tear came from Jesus' eye, too. 15. "Your dear wife chose to spend her moment on earth wrestling
with that illness so that her soul could develop strength and patience. 16. But she also came so that
your soul would cultivate the most profound Love. That was the great gift that she gave you."

CHAPTER 14.

Verse 1. "Your wife," Jesus said to the Roman Marcus Octavian, "would have died a thousand deaths
to unlock the tenderness in your heart. Before her illness, what were you like?"
2. "I was loud, selfish, cruel. I cared nothing about God or people. 3. I was an arrogant braggart
who loved no one."
4. Jesus asked, "And what are you like now?"
5. "i consider myself a spiritual man. I feel great Love for all people and for God. 6. I do whatever
I can to help and to serve people. As you see, I am very easily brought to tears." 7. He could talk no
longer.
8. Jesus replied, "For all those beautiful inner treasures, valuable beyond all calculation, your wife
gave her life. Now, she considers herself greatly blessed. 9. She unlocked the cold shackles of your
heart, and started a fire there that still gives light and warmth to everyone." 10. He then turned to
the rest of us and said, "Illness is opportunity. It's a chance to grow ourselves, or to help others grow.
11. It's a chance to cultivate sympathy for others who suffer. It creates compassion. 12. Never see
illness as a waste. It does not waste time, or resources, but is an investment that our souls make in our
lives. 13. Only the painfully ignorant dismiss it as a 'punishment' from an immature and vindictive god.
It is really a gift from the cosmos. 14. We can use the extra time that this gift provides to study and
learn about our inner selves, to cultivate patience. We can discover hidden inner strength. 15. We
can use it to make ourselves people of greater kindness and understanding."

CHAPTER 15.

Verse 1. "How much can you really control?" asked Jesus. It was thoughtprovoking. 2. "From the
moment you were conceived, until you were born, you controlled nothing. Nature formed you
according to its laws. 3. Imagine the challenge if you had been charged with forming yourself.
Imagine if you had to use your mind to turn food into flesh, blood, and bone.
4. Where would you begin? Imagine if you had to regulate the beating of your heart, the digestion of
food, and the growth of the body. 5. There is a great Power within you that does all these things. It is
the same Power that makes grass, flowers, fruit, and leaves grow. It also keeps stars in place. 6. That
Power is not you. But, in your bodymind, it is not other. It expresses through you as a higher Self. 7.
This is a holy Spirit, and this is also God.
"Because this great Power regulates everything, I command you never to worry. 8. Worry is a form
of fear, a distrust. You can have full trust in the Mind that regulates all things. 9. So, perfect faith is
perfect relaxation. You don't have to control anything because you're not responsible for anything--
except your responses.
10. "Worry and other forms of fear arise from the lower nature. Fear is your only opponent, and
Love your only solution. 11. Fear is the enemy, the problem. Thus, expel fear.
12. Only seek Love first in your life, the inner kingdom of God, and right alignment with Him, and
everything that you need will be given to you. 13. Fuse and yoke your will with His.
"You must unlearn your Way to God. 14. For you have learned much in religion that separates you
from His will. Abandon complexity, and return to simplicity. 15. You must be 'born again' if you are to
see with new eyes. You must obtain a new identity, not as human, but as spiritual, beings. 16. You
must recognize your Self as your soul, not your body. Fully to enter that inner kingdom, you must
become a being of Love, a soul of heart, not a body of mind only.
17. "Let the Logos of Love be born in your heart, and let it grow into the Khristos. The word, made
flesh, becomes the Christ, in each of you. 18. Speak not only of 'Jesus Christ,' but of 'Matthew Christ,'
'Philip Christ,' 'Mary Christ,'... until you all are renewed in the Power reforming your souls.
19. Don't stop until you are fully one, and fused, with Love in perfection. Join with the inner Spirit
until there is no difference between what you want and what Love wants. 20. Then, you will have fully
found the Light. You will have become children of the Light, children of perfection. 21. Then, you will
have become perfect yourselves, called to the flawless and stainless condition of pure Light. 22. You
must be perfect even as the Father is perfect. For now, you have erased yourself and now reflect His
perfection. 23. This is not only your goal; it is your destiny.

CHAPTER 16.

Verse 1. "Terrifying," said Jesus, "is the Light of Love when seen, in ignorance, as darkness. The
opposite is also true: If you define the darkness within you as light, you will be lost in hells of
confusion. 2. The ignorant fear the loss of self in Love, for they fear the annihilation of their lower
natures.
3. They are so at one with that low nature that they know not that they even have a higher nature. 4.
 So, whatever threatens that lower nature threatens their entire existence. 5. They fear that the
eradication of this nature will be the end of all being for them.
6. "Blessed are you who have a gnosis of your higher nature. For you can allow, and support, the
crucifixion of the lower nature, with joy and ecstasy. 7. For it is not your Self. It is your burden, the
shackles of your slavery which must be shattered.
8. "Men of darkness flee the inner Splendor. 9. They rush to fill their small minds with thoughts
and music and lights and words, for they fear the inner empty silence. 10. They fear that nothing is
there. 11. They have never allowed themselves to sink deeply enough into the pristine interior
stillness to hear the subtle voice of God in the heart.
12. "You cannot pour wine into a glass already filled with dirt. And the thoughts and impulses of
God have no place in a mind already filled to the brim with human thoughts, activities, and
distractions. 13. And a vessel, to be useful, must be not only empty, but clean. 14. So the mind, to
receive God, must first be purged of human thought, then 'scrubbed' with the inner cleansing of mantric
prayer. 15. You must become empty of yourselves to be filled with the gnosis of a holy Spirit.
16. "Use your mind, your words, and your education, but do not let them use you. 17. Too much
knowledge prevents knowing, or gnosis. 18. Use all in the world, all in your heartmind, to find God,
but let not anything use you, be your master. Only Love is your rightful Master.

CHAPTER 17.

Verse 1. Jesus was not always an easy man to find. But, after searching almost all day, I finally
located him in one of his favorite spots, in the garden called Gethsemane. 2. He was deep in interior
prayer. He had taught us this spiritual art, which was a kind of still, silent "listening" for the inner
direction of God. 3. This divine direction would arise as feelings, impulses, or urges to go a certain
place, say or do something. It could be specific or general.
4. "Jesus," I whispered, trying to be unintrusive. "It is I, Simon."
He opened his eyes and gave me that tender liquid stare for which he was so wellknown among us,
his friends. "Have a seat," he said, barely audible.
5. The grass was soft and cool in the shade, even though it was a hot day. I sat across from him,
and folded my legs like his, in front of me. 6. He seemed to be reading my thoughts. For he said
intuitively, "Never fear that you are disturbing Me. 7. For it was to aid good, honest people that I
came into this world. 8. How is your little record progressing?" He knew that I was writing this
account, and was only too happy to cooperate.
9. "Fine," I replied. "I appreciate your help, Jesus."
10. He nodded, smiled, and then, looked thoughtful. "It seems as if My Father has moved a number of
you, the twelve, to write little histories or groups of sayings. 11. Which is it that the Spirit has
directed you to write?"
11. "I think it'll have both-- a little history, but mostly, your sayings of wisdom."
12. He nodded again, and again smiled. He then said, "I remember meeting with my cousin John in
this very park about three years ago."
13. I scrambled for pen and parchment, and started scratching, keeping notes as carefully as I could.
14. My writing implements were never far from my hands, just in case anything came up. I did not
want to miss a moment of time spent with this remarkable man. 15. "Yes, Jesus, tell me about that.
We haven't talked much about John."
16. "They called him 'the Baptizer' because he practiced baptism in the Jordan River. He baptized
me. Were you aware of that?"
17. I smiled, and nodded. "Yes. Some of your story is fairly wellknown among us, your friends and
disciples."
18. He also nodded, a gesture which radiated both deep serenity and open friendliness. 19. Then,
Jesus laughed. "My cousin was a fairly radical guy! 20. As most people know, he is something of a
'fire-giant.' Hugging him is like hugging a barrel, or a bear!"
CHAPTER 18.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to discuss his cousin John, called the "Baptizer." He said, "John's
personality is all volatility and strong reactions. He's an Aries, you know."
2. "That explains a lot," I said.
3. Jesus said, "He's a quadruple Aries, as a matter of fact."
4. I replied, "Wow! That's a lot of fire-energy!"
5. "Sure is. John's a real lightningthunder type of guy. He's never kept an opinion to himself. 6.
Since we were infants, he's always been like that. He also believes that he has heard the direct voice
of God, which is why some call him a 'mad prophet.'"
7. "Do you think that God has really spoken to him?" I asked.
8. Jesus grew silent and thoughtful, frowning in concentration. "I think that he is a good man, with
Love in his heart. 9. As far as he has been able, he has responded to this guiding Love, and so, yes, I
would have to conclude that Love has called him. 10. He's a bit of an extremist for my taste, though."
11. "You mean his hermitism and his wild life?" I asked.
12. "Exactly. I think that he's been too much influenced by the history of the old prophets. They
were famous for being eccentrics and misfits. 13. Some of it, he does for show, I'm sure. But some of
it is a sincere quest to touch God. 14. He wears that camel-hair garment because that's what the
people expect, and demand, of a prophet. He lives on locusts and honey because he thinks that they
have some power over the mind, and might open him up to God."
15. "Does eating that way actually help him hear the inner direction of God?"
16. "When one eats very little, it can open up channels in the mind through which God can be
detected. This guidance is felt and known. 17. But one need not eat locusts, or honey. So, that's just
part of the 'show.'"
18. "Is he a real prophet?" I asked.
19. "Yes, I think that he is, if by 'prophet,' you mean 'holy man.' For he does not match the
traditional Hebrew prophets, in his message of Love and repentance. 20. That's why the official and
respectably religious people have rejected him. They reject him even as they have rejected Me. 21.
But the Power touched John even before his birth. He's a reincarnation of Elijah."
22. I was stunned. "Really?" I whispered.
23. "Yes. Of course, Elijah lived long before the organization of Israel had solidified into a
dogmatic, inflexible body of teachings and appointed leaders. 24. These leaders have led the nation
away from God into a rejection of Love. And, paradoxically, now that Elijah, one of the great heroes of
the Jews, has returned, they refuse even to recognize him as a good Jew."

CHAPTER 19.

Verse 1. "Why," I asked, "did the Jews love him as Elijah, when they now hate him as John?"
"Because a prophet is safe when he is dead, but troublesome when alive. 2. They prefer their
prophets safely dead. A dead prophet can't criticize, can't call for change, can't stir people's hearts. 3.
John is a bee in their wine."
4. "Why does he behave so strangely?"
5. "He thinks that he has come to 'prepare the way of the Messiah,' as he says. He thinks that the
Jewish Messiah is about to appear."
6."He thinks that you're that Messiah, doesn't he?" I ventured.
7. Jesus laughed. "I guess that is no longer a secret. Yes, Simon, he does think that I am the
'messiah.' 8. And he's such a hard-headed fanatic that I can't shake this notion from his stubborn head.
When he makes up his mind, he can be a real donkey! 9. He even says that his baptism with water is
in preparation for a 'baptism with fire,' whatever that is supposed to mean. I think that his Messiah is a
violent man of destruction, although 'fire' can also mean purification."
10. He stopped, seeming thoughtful. "Even when we were small boys, John and I used to talk about
why we were born. We always felt a special calling from on high. 11. John was taught by his father, a
priest, to see and understand all things within the context of Judaism. But I had a more universal
perspective.
12. He always said that he believed that I fit somehow into the Jewish plan of salvation and
deliverance, but I saw my mission as unlimited by Jewish tradition and history. 13. When I expressed
my doubts that I was his 'messiah,' he shook them off, like a wet dog shaking water off his coat. He just
dismissed my doubts. 14. He simply would not hear of them. He said even that I had no right to
doubt. 15. He claimed that I was turning my back on both Israel and her god if I doubted. It was my
duty, he said, to believe in the call and the mission as the Jewish Messiah. 16. But, of course, that
was not My calling. It was not Jesus in whom I was called to believe, or the Jewish Messiah.
17. Instead, I was called to the Christ, the holy Spirit of My heart. I hated and despised the
selfcenteredness of the claim to be God's specially chosen Messiah."
18. "But you do have a special calling, as the Christ of the Father, the Son of God," I noted.
19. "Yes, I do. But those callings are not mine alone. 20. I share that calling to Christhood, and
that sonship, with all beings called to the Light of Love. What I am, you also shall be."

CHAPTER 20.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to portray himself as a model who was to be imitated rather than merely
worshipped: He said, "The things I do, you also shall do, and even things greater.
"It was so that the ego Jesus would not take over with pride, that it had to disappear into a larger
and truer identity. 2. This was the identity of the Christ. For that, I had to get rid of 'Jesus,' had to
erase him, that I might become the Father, the Holy Spirit, the inner Love-nature."
3. "But isn't 'Christ' just the Greek word for 'Messiah'?" I wondered.
4. "The words are similar, but not identical. 'Messiah' implies a one-of-a-kind appearance of a
single hero, one man, in history, who has a special and unique calling from Jehovah, the god of the
Jews. 5. 'Christ' is independent of history and prophecy. That word represents a very elevated state of
mind to which all are called. 6. My followers are to be 'christened,' or 'christed,' when they have
become fully developed and found oneness with the Father of Love. 7. The ego, or earthly identity,
must be 'crucified.' Then, the higher identity will be 'resurrected' from deep within the Mind."
8. "Did the idea that your earthly self would have to be 'crucified' scare you?" I asked.
9. "It did scare My lower and human natures," Jesus said. "But, in My soul or higher Self, I had no
fear. 10. Many times, my most appealing fantasy was simply to settle down, marry, establish a home,
children, and a family. 11. I wanted to just forget about all this 'calling' or 'mission.' But I could not
shake the sense that My life had a crucial purpose. 12. The Call to be a teacher was haunting, and
gave me no rest."
13. "Were you ever attracted by women?" I asked.
14. "Yes, I found myself very attracted to a number of women. But I was much more spellbound by
their hearts, minds, and souls than by their physical bodies. 15. I could appreciate the beautiful form
of the female body as a work of art, but I never felt dominated by an irresistible sexual urge. That
used to disturb me. 16. Then, it became clear to me that the giant energy that people pour into
sexuality was the same force that drove me so urgently towards the direct gnosis of our Father. After I
realized that, I wanted only union with My interior Self, the Beloved. 17. Retrieving that force, and
concentrating it on the inner 'Beloved,' the Lady, the Goddess, the holy Spirit, became the center of my
most bright and intense focus."

CHAPTER 21.
 Verse 1. Jesus continued, "I've been directed to many mystics during my long search, and they all
told me that interior guidance was a blessing. But it did cause me some confusion, and not a little
suffering. 2. I realized that I certainly was not 'normal,' and, at times, felt like much less than a man.
"Women continued to attract me. 3. In fact, I have always preferred the company of women over
men. They are more intelligent, sensitive, and spiritual than men. 4. They make more pleasant and
interesting companions. They are more tender."
5. "What do you think about sex?" asked Judas.
6. "The union between men and women is the most blessed and holy communion possible, if it
occurs in Love and commitment. But a man is not designed to be obsessed with this activity, however
lovely it might be. 7. Obsession drains away lifenergy. The only valid and healthy obsession possible is
that for the inner Beloved. 8. This is the Love-nature of God. This is the magnificent obsession of the
higher nature. 9. This leads to ecstasy and inner rapture. It alone makes a human being contented
and fulfilled."
10. "And this was your state, even when younger?" asked Martha.
11. "My very 'bread and butter,'" replied Jesus. "The earliest memories, when I was just a toddler,
concern the Mystery, the Spirit, the Sacred, and Love. 12. Yes, it became a Center of my thoughts and
energy by the time I was ten. By the time I was sixteen, it had grown into a full obsession. 13. I was
determined to be 'possessed' by the holy Spirit of Love. I was fully determined to lose 'Jesus' in 'Christ.'
14. I wanted to exchange identities. I wanted to stop being merely human, to transcend, to grow into
God."

CHAPTER 22.

Verse 1. Jesus continued his story of his discovery of the Mystical Way: "I needed completely to
erase and eradicate Jesus into oblivion. I wanted to leave him behind without a trace.
2. I needed to let the human self and identity fade until not a particle of it was left."
3. "Is this what you later came to discover as 'the mystical Way'?" asked Matthew.
4. "Yes, it is," said Jesus. "But it had a very high price. The really good lessons of life have the
highest prices. 5. The price for success in the Way is nothing less than everything-- everything that you
have, that you have ever had, everything that you are, everything that you think you are.
6. Add to this the conflict that the human Jesus wanted a 'normal' or 'average' life."
7. "Are you talking about overcoming your ego?" asked Philip.
8. "Yes," said Jesus."But that's where it gets very complicated, and tricky. For my ego said to me,
'Who do you think you are, to view yourself as so different from others, superior to them?' 9. It tried to
sabotage my efforts at spiritual growth. The ego masked as spirituality. 10. For it presented me as a
mystic, and said that I was, then, superior to others. No sin is more insidious and invisible than
spiritual pride. 11. The more you engage in this particular sin, the more 'sinless' you feel. It is a most
deadly and lethal pride.
12. It will kill not just your body, but parts of your soul. It is more dangerous than a thousand swords."
13. "Would you say that it is actually a sin that feels good?" asked Thomas.
14. "Yes," said Jesus. "For it is a sin that makes you feel sinless."

CHAPTER 23.

Verse 1. Jesus continued speaking of his spiritual struggles: "When I had overcome that 'demon,'
spiritual pride, the ego presented another. It caused me to wonder whether I had actually gone crazy.
2. It tried to convince me that this was so. How could I be so different from other men-- admirable,
intelligent men-- and still claim to be sane? 3. This kind of doubt haunted me for months, even years.
At last, much later, it was finally conquered."
4. "Was that during your forty-day fast in the wilderness?" asked Mary.
5. "Yes," said Jesus. "The lower nature confronted me there one last time. With its dying breath, it
screamed its accusations, doubts, and temptations at me. 6. But I sternly, adamantly rejected it, with
all its subtle arguments."
7. "Mary believed in you even when you doubted yourself," said Mary of Magdala.
8. Jesus smiled brightly, and tears of joy came into his eyes. "How sweetly true! 9. She never
doubted me, or my calling, for a moment. 10. If you ever think me a dreamer, you should talk with
Mary!" He closed his eyes, as he was wont to do, in silent communion with the Beloved. 11. "God,
what a beautiful soul You have created in her! What an exquisite human being! 12. How beautifully
unique she is, living partly in this world, and partly with the angels! Her faith gave me faith in myself.
13. I knew that, with her aid, Jesus could disappear into Christ. and she actually understood this
strange process of mystical selfevaporation. 14. When even God seemed invisible, distant, and aloofly
cold, Mary came to me with warmth, tenderness, and Love. I will always be in her debt for that.
15. "I used to agonize much over what I perceived to be the 'silence' of God. At one point, I lost all
faith, all hope. 16. The Father seemed to ignore me at every turn, in every moment, as if I did not
exist. I was still looking for some outward sign, still not realizing that God is to be found inside, not
outside. 17. For ten years, I shouted, begged, pleaded, screamed at God. The masters in India had
warned of a period in the life of every mystic, called the 'dark night of the soul,' or the 'trip through the
inner desert.' 18. During that period, they said, God would seem to be gone forever. Life would seem,
they warned, to be empty, hollow, and meaningless. 19. They had warned of deepest despair and
hopelessness. They explained that this was necessary in order for the heartmind to grow strong enough
to face the inner Light of Love when I was ready.
20. But they had not warned enough of the pain, the agony. They had insufficiently prepared me for
the exquisite inner torments, the searing inner hells."

CHAPTER 24.

Verse 1. Jesus continued his story of his period of agony and emptiness: "The masters, mystics, and
teachers had not yet made me strong enough to face the inner demons of pride, futility, and
depression. 2. They had not told me that my soul would be crushed and shattered with such relentless
force that I begged for sweet oblivion in nonexistence. 3. Its peak intensity came in the desert
wilderness during the fortyday fast, which I had undertaken to weaken the domination of sensuality. 4.
There, the lower nature of fear became as real and tortuous as fire. It scared me, nearly to death. 5.
I was horrified, terrified, for it seemed almost as if it were another being. This being presented the
illusion of being hideously powerful, monstrous, and malevolent. 6. Its naked intention was utterly to
consume me. I felt that it wanted to torment me, to annihilate me! 7. It nearly had its horrible
victory. The human nature vacillated, swinging from loyalty to the higher nature to the awful desire
simply to give in to the lower nature. 8. A part of me wanted just to die, right there in that desert. I
actually did die-- a kind of death to self.
9. But literal, physical death strongly appealed to me, and tempted me. It seemed a joy-- an easy way
out. 10. At least, it was pleasant when compared to the agony of continued survival in such a
confused, disturbed mind.
11. The lower nature threatened an excruciating death if I did not turn stones to bread."
12. "Could you really have done that-- transformed stone into edible bread?" asked Judas.
13. "In the state that I was in, I feel that I could have twisted and distorted time, space, and
matter," said Jesus. "Then, the lower nature of fear offered me complete rulership of the world, if only
I would worship, and submit myself to, it. 14. The most subtle temptation was to display Power in
public, to convince skeptics and doubters. I came very near to falling for that one. 15. But if I had
done that, I would never have been able to get rid of Jesus."

CHAPTER 25.

Verse 1. "After forty days of solitude and hunger," Jesus continued the story of his desert-trial, "i
found myself in interaction with other 'worlds,' or mindstates. 2. I felt great surges of energy infuse
themselves into me. I entered the Great Peace. 3. It was total stillness. It was a bliss and ecstasy so
untroubled that it could not be touched by the world. 4. I entered invincibility, in which I saw that the
world, with all its horrors, was working for the good. I dropped entirely the distinction between
absolute good and absolute evil, for there was no absolute evil. 5. The goodness of God had no
opposite. This inner rapture was so elevated that normal human 'happiness' seemed like utter agony by
comparison. 6. I never wanted to return to the world of 'good and evil.' I wanted simply to bask
forever in this plane of ultimate good. 7. For here, everything was good. The whole cosmos was
stainless and pristine, untouched by human divisions into opposites. 8. Twoness disappeared into
seamless oneness. I was flooded with a deep tranquillity quite beyond understanding or explanation.
9. "In that moment, the whole cosmos fell into a pattern that I can describe only as 'rightness.'
Everything linked together, and was itself interwoven into the fabric of an unstained, uncontaminated
Love that guided all things. 10. It was shown to me that previously, I had been in a state similar to
sleep, and now, I had awakened, by the grace of God. 11. I saw clearly that death was birth, and
birth, a kind of death.
12. Previously exhausted and empty, dull and silent, my soul now exploded with the music of the
cosmos. I passed through ten million worlds, all of them within me 13. Then, I became irreversibly
fused with the Logos of Love that made them all. God tore everything away from me, so that I might
own it all. 14. Only when stripped was I covered with the golden raiment of Love. The taking of all
things was the giving of all things. 15. My utter death was the beginning of life for me. I had emerged
into a timeless condition, in which days and hours ceased to exist, and months and years vanished. 16.
At last, I felt Jesus washed away in the splendor of God, as Christ was born within Me."
17. "That was when you made your great discovery-- that you were the Christ?" asked Philip.
"Yes, and so are you," said Jesus. 18. "The one who remains in identity with flesh remains only
flesh, but the one who awakens to fuller identity becomes Spirit. And the one who is Spirit, no longer
part of the world, finds invincibility.
19. That being can no longer be controlled, or changed, by the world.
20. "Do you mean that the illuminated being cannot get sick, cannot be emotionally touched,
cannot die?" asked Thomas.
21. "No, that is not what I mean," said Jesus. "What I mean is this: One who has been touched by
the Light is no longer just a product of the world. 22. Nor is she any longer controlled by that world.
When she becomes sick, she will not be dominated by sickness. 23. When her emotions are touched,
she will not be swallowed by them, ruled by them.
24. And when she dies, she is reborn to life eternal."

CHAPTER 26.

Verse 1. "When you are enlightened, even though your body becomes sick, You are never ill. For
You are not that body.
2. The mind might be in emotional trial, but You are above it and detached. The world might be in
strife and hatred, but you are floating upon a mild sea of Love. 3. You are untouched by the crowd.
You have abandoned all masters except the Master, the Lord of Love in your heart. 4. Love alone rules
you. So nothing else can control you. 5. In time, nothing will even be able to influence you. This is
the state called 'invincibility.' 6. "In the same way, your body will die, but You are immortal. For
you no longer identify yourselves with physical bodies. 7. Instead, You know that You are souls. Death
does not destroy the soul or higher Self.
8. You are free from all the bondage and shackles of the world. For the dual chain, desire and
expectation, has been broken.
9. Desire for self is gone from you, and you expect nothing."
10. "Being reborn as the Christ means the end of desire," Thomas interpreted.
11. "Not exactly," said Jesus. "It is the end of personal and selfish desire. 12. But the desires of
Love remain. You become the vessel, conduit, or instrument of Love's desire in the world."
13. "This means to love everyone," said John. "But how does this apply to sex?"
14. "The lover of humanity does not seek to become sexually involved with many. He treasures
monogamy, and she values loyalty and faithfulness in a Lovepartner. 15. So, while sex can be a lovely
expression of Love, Love is not a license to indulge the lower nature. It does not justify giving in to
lust. 16. Nor does Love condone living a life of promiscuity and carelessness. Sex must be an
expression of both Love and commitment. 17. It is never a game, never recreational, never casual. It
is a serious statement of real heart-commitment. It is the bond and promise of a unique and lasting
relationship of intimacy. 18. It must never be trivialized or made 'common.' It is the deepest, most
intimate act of spiritual communion, arising from Love. 19. It is the holiest natural activity of which
human beings are capable. It is sanctified by Love.
20. "Renounce all personal, selfish desires. They are based upon fear. Exchange them entirely for
the desires of Love."

CHAPTER 27.

Verse 1. Jesus continued his mystical teaching: "In real Love, you can never lose anything. So, you
have no need to grasp, cling, or attach. 2. Renounce craving, which is hell. Renounce clinging, which
causes you to value yourself only through another. 3. The whole world, and all that fills it, belongs
only to Spirit. When you become Spirit, the world belongs to you. 4. So how can you be poor? How
can you be in need?
5. "Yet I say, blessed are the poor, for the treasures of the kingdom of heaven are theirs. Blessed
they are, for they have not erected the false god of gold to replace the Lord of Love.
6. "The Spirit owns the world. But it lays no claim to anything. 7. In imitation of this perfection,
do not claim, grasp, accumulate, or seek to own many things. Know when you satisfy need. 8. And
turn away from all excess and luxury, which are greed.
9. "Seek to supply only your own needs, and future needs, in this world. Avoid too much poverty, and
too much wealth.
10. For both will distract you from the pure onepointed pursuit of Love. Remember always the
'panintrinsicity' of God, the omniunitive' nature-- that He is one with everything. 11. This means that
there is nothing to gain in the world but God. And, having God, you need nothing else. 12. For there
is nothing else. When you have a heart full of Love, You are boundless. 13. Then, You become
illimitable in wealth-- the only wealth that counts, the only wealth there is.
14. "Then You can say, 'I am Spirit, I am Christ, and My family is the universe. 15. All things are
Mine because Love indwells Me, and I am that Love. 16. It is I who dream the cosmos, and through and
in Me is it produced as My dream. Now, by cosmic grace, it is no longer I, Jesus, who speak or act, but
the Christ in Me. 17. I have died, but Christ in me lives forever.' This is why I say that Jesus has no
more voice, for the Father is greater than he. 18. But I and the Father are one. Jesus is fully found
only when completely lost in Him.
19. So, I am fully lost in Me."

CHAPTER 28.

Verse 1. "Is there any of Jesus left in you?" I asked.

"Yes," Jesus replied. "The lower nature is subtle and stubborn. 2. It does not die suddenly. So,
until I leave this form it will leave its residue in Me, even though it has died. 3. That residue remains
like the scent of a rose after you have taken it out of the room. In the same way, I still bear the
imprint of Jesus. 4. It remains upon the lower-nature body of flesh.
5. "There are moments when I am perfectly transparent to the Light of Love. Then, I am fully Christ.
6. At other times, the lower nature's traces are evident, and then, I am Jesus Christ. 7. Then, I
become a blend of the two natures, fully human and fully divine. 8. But I, Christ, am the Master, and
it, the lower nature, is My servant, always. 9. But be not misled: I am as far above this body as the
stars are above earth.
10. Please don't mistake Me for this body, or for Jesus. For I am not he. 11. The dream of self or ego
is useful only within the dreamworld. It is useless in eternity. 12. It is there that My true Self is at
home. It is there that I live, even now."
13. "Your enemies accuse you of blasphemy because of what you say," said Judas.
14. "It is not blasphemy to discover divine nature. Blasphemy is to claim that your human nature is
God, that the ego rules. 15. This false 'spirituality' is a gambit of fear. It is created by the ego, which
is terrified of letting go and simply trusting. 16. So, it convinces itself that what it wills, God also
wills. In this falsehood, the ego convinces itself of the comfortable, attractive illusion that it is God.
17. It thrives on the terrible lie. That way, one can pretend to 'trust' God in 'faith,' but never let go of
the subtle assumption that God is only egoexpression, not Love."
18. "How is the enlightened mystic different?" asked Mary.
19. "The Spirit knows all," said Jesus. "So, it knows the desires of Love and the needs of the
worldself. 20. Full trust in its wisdom means a complete cessation of any attempts to modify or
change the structure of the universe, or of life. 21. So, the enlightened mystic does not try 'magically'
to manipulate things. She abandons special formulas, tricks, or prayers. 22. She does not ask the
universe that it be modified or altered to adapt to her needs. Instead, she chooses a much more
humble path, seeking to adapt herself to the cosmos. 23. She abandons all complicated attempts
subtly to influence God or the universe. For she has abandoned all personal desires. 24. This is how
the mystic finds perfect freedom, and complete contentment. She goes wit the Flow.
25. She knows that, even if it is not clear to her, everything is unfolding exactly as it should."

CHAPTER 29.

Verse 1. Among all Jesus' friends, there was none who shone with the tender Love and affection of
Mary of Magdala. She was rescued from a life of degradation by a vivid mystical experience. 2. She
says, "If I hadn't met Jesus, I don't think it would have happened. So, I'm very, very grateful to him."
3. "Jesus says," I pointed out, "that your mystical experience came from inside you, not from him."
4. "Of course, it did," she said agreeably. "But he somehow makes these things happen in me. 5.
He does this just by his presence."
6. "He says," I replied, "that an experience like that never comes before its proper time. 7. He says
that, when a person is ready, the snap of a twig can bring her to full enlightenment."
8. "Then he was my 'twig snapping,'" said Mary. She was relentlessly determined to credit Jesus with
her illumination, which freed her. 9. "After I had the 'demons' of the lower nature snuffed out, I
became a new woman, a new creation in Christ. 10. When I became Mary Christ, everything changed
for the better." I had no doubt about it. 11. She was one of the most selfless and generous persons
I've ever been privileged to meet. She was a fountain of warmth and compassion for anyone caught in
the merciless blades of suffering. 12. She had an especially deep empathy for anyone who found
selforgiveness a challenge, for this had been a major obstacle in her own path. 13. Now, after having
given all her material things to the poor, she had become a magnificent example of kindness. She used
her time and energy, giving as freely and kindly as Jesus himself.
14. "We weren't strangers, even on the night that we 'first' met," said Jesus, telling me of Mary
Magdalen. "There was a definite Mindforce between us. 15. It strongly drew us together."
16. "Were you sexually attracted to her? She is quite beautiful," said Judas.
17. "She is," agreed Jesus. "And I was attracted both to her body and her mind. When I held her
close, it was as if we shared a single heartbeat. 18. The flame was ignited, and arose, in the fleshbody
of Jesus." he said, as if describing someone else. 19. Then he relaxed a little, and spoke more
smoothly and normally: "I did feel the stir," Jesus said.
20. "Natural passions flared strongly in me, especially when I was in her embrace. I kissed her that
first night."
CHAPTER 30.

Verse 1. Jesus still regularly kissed Mary, on the mouth, creating great scandal, and not a little
jealousy, among his other friends. 2. "You love her more than us," they liked to whine.
3. "And if I were to love you more than her, would that be natural?" asked Jesus.
4. They remained silent for a while, and then, Judas said, a little bitterly, "Love should have
nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman."
5. "Some kinds of Love," said Jesus, "have everything to do with the fact that she's a woman." He
laughed. 6. Then he spoke again, still smiling: "She can bring me closeness, tenderness, and comfort
that none of you, as men, can bring me. 7. I know how tender your hearts are, and sweet your
motives, but she can love me with the intensity and passion that only a woman can give to a man." 8.
They then stopped their immediate grumbling, but the complaints went on, usually in secret.
9. Jesus, it seems, was always a source of scandal. But to be scandalized among his own friends
was more than he was willing to bear. 10. With tears running down his face, he chastised them one
day: "I expect to be the object of scandal. 11. But I expect this from the gossips. And I expect to
cause trouble among the elders, and among the religiously pious and selfrighteous. 12. But you are my
best friends. Can you not have a little patience? 13. A little understanding? A little compassion? 14.
Don't you realize that a man of Love needs more, not less, Love than a normal man?" 15. After this,
they felt shame and asked his pardon, which he readily gave.
16. After that, his relationship with Mary became deeper and closer. We would often find them
running away from us, or kissing secretly in the shadows, late at night. 17. She had a tent of her own
when we traveled together, and Jesus would often leave our tent, to visit hers. No one asked him, of
course, what went on over there, and he never volunteered.
18. I asked Mary about her meeting Jesus for the first time. This is the story that she told:

CHAPTER 31.

Verse 1. "Jesus came to meet me at night. This he did, even though his friends feared the scandal
and recommended against it. 2. He said, 'An innocent man has nothing to fear from any scandal.'
3. "Also, he said, 'I don't feel that I have to live by the dictates of people who hate and
misunderstand me.' I remember that it was pouring rain that night, turning the entire valley to mud.
3. I had just been with a very wealthy client, one of many, whose name was Malud. He was a trader in
exotic goods, and had brought me some of the rare rose oil that I so cherished.
4. Since I had no real friends, I gave my loyalty and even Love to material things. Then, I was still
living and working in the ostentatious but notorious Palace of Marble. 5. It was near the entrance to
the city of Magdala, on the main trade-route. That was just before I met Jesus, and gave up the things
of this world."
6. "That Palace had quite a reputation," I noted.
7. Mary nodded. "It was the best. And it was the worst.
8. Materially, not an elegant refinement was lacking. Morally, it was a pit of pigs and vipers. 9.
Secretly, some of the most respected elders came there. They came for what they described as
'massage,' but we all knew what really went on. 10. That is, in fact, why the place was never closed
down. For they were politically powerful men.
11. "That night, everyone in the Palace was celebrating the appointment of some minor official,
with a feast. 10. This guy, Valentius, was a Roman, and we were all dressed appropriately in
Roman togas. 12. We were having the time of our lives. Soon, most of us were hopelessly drunk.
13. "Everything was just right-- the wine, the dancing girls, the food, the music.
"The air was thick with lechery, and the place filled with promiscuity like foul smoke. 14.
Promiscuity and promise made an Epicurean cauldron. It was a crucible fit for the roiling passions of
lustful men.
15. "The music was very loud. Matthew, an old friend who had formerly been an unscrupulous
scoundrel, came in with Jesus. They were an unremarkable pair. 16. Almost no one even noticed
when they came in. But since I was the official hostess, I approached to bid them formal welcome. 17.
I noticed immediately some subtle change in my friend Matthew. He was still quite thin, and
cleanshaven, like the Romans whom he so admired. 18. But there was a new gleam and glimmer in his
eyes. It revealed a brightness, a promise, a hope. 19. His formerly dead and tired cynicism was gone.
He had also lost that hungry look. Do you know what I mean?"
20. "Yes," I replied. "He seemed filled, fulfilled, satisfied. I've seen it in Jesus' followers many
times. It's the look of the touch of God."

CHAPTER 32.

Verse 1. Mary continued to discuss Matthew's appearance the night that he had arrived at the
Palace with Jesus: "He lacked a certain animality that I had grown accustomed to seeing in him. He no
longer seemed like an animal trying to pass for a man.
2. Now, he seemed more like an angel disguised as a man. He smiled all the time, and very nearly
glowed.
3. "I didn't even notice Jesus at first, my attention was so riveted to the new Matthew. 4. "But
after I had welcomed Matthew, I was struck by the deep silence, like a bottomless well, of the man
Jesus. At first, I took it as a sign of coldness or aloofness. 5. I was by nature repelled by him, at first.
For he seemed like a statue. 6. But, after he loosened up a bit, his manner became so warm, soft,
and welcoming. The illusion of stone did not last long.
7. "It's said that when everyone is shouting, it's the whisper that gets attention. Jesus was the
whisper.
8. Everyone around him was literally shouting. Each was trying so hard to be the center of all
attention. 9. Jesus appeared to be almost a different order of being in his quietude. He seemed
slightly amused, and totally detached, somehow above it all.
10. That was a game that he was not going to play. He stood very still. 11. He wasn't particularly
striking, tall, or handsome. But there was something about him-- an aura-- that made him stand out.
12. Maybe it was his silence, after all. Most men who came to the Palace were animals, eager to show
what sloppy, cruel barbarians they could be. 13. Jesus arrived as a sensitive, civilized human being.
His very presence was striking, no, stunning. 14. I had never experienced such tenderness in the eyes
of a man.
And I have seen men at their best, and their worst. 15. I could not remove my eyes from this one. He
gave me only a quick glance. 16. It was my own insecurity, but somehow, he made me feel as if I were
not even there. 17. But there was something mysterious about his very presence. It made me feel
more alive than I had ever felt before."

CHAPTER 33.

Verse 1. "Don't get me wrong. It wasn't a judgmental or grim silence, but more like a total
relaxation. 2. He stood within a state of such comfort that he did not have to prove himself, did not
have to impress anybody with anything.
3. Life, and even humor, danced in his face. But he was clearly a man who had not the slightest
interest in making an impression on anyone. 4. He had nothing to justify, nothing to defend. He
seemed more sheerly comfortable with himself than any man whom I have ever met.
5. "His relaxed manner was most refreshing. This was especially so since I had always had to deal
with men who had, very selfconsciously, to "prove" themselves men. 6. This usually involved some
coarse, crude displays of vulgarity, stupidity, or obscenity. 7. So, they were always on the defensive,
always jumpy, nervous, and insecure.
 8. "Jesus radiated a calm that was untouchable. He knew what I was, and knew well where he was.
9. But still, he was unselfconsciously free of judgment or negativity. He was not exactly shy, but
neither was he boisterously obnoxious, a loud braggart like all the others. 10. He remained
untouchable in the midst of social untouchables. No respectable Jew would have ever been caught
dead in the Palace of Marble. 11. Yet this new teacher just walked in gracefully, smiling, and
selfsufficient. "After greeting me pleasantly with a smile, he sat where I showed him, as if he had
always just naturally belonged.
12. The others began to sense that there was something out of the ordinary about this man. But he
was so happy and relaxed that they too soon began to feel right at home with him. 13. He had
everyone at his table smiling and laughing when he told some fascinating and funny stories.
I remember a few. 14. They concerned an imaginary pair of men called Mika and Yaka. One went
like this: 'Yaka once claimed to Mika that his donkey had been stolen, only to hear the animal hee-
hawing loudly from the barn. 15. Mika said, "I just heard your donkey bray." "Who are you going to
believe-- me or an ass?" said Yaka. 16. 'It pays,' Jesus said, 'to tell the truth, or you could embarrass
yourself.'"

CHAPTER 34.

Verse 1. "Another story: Jesus said, 'Once Yaka went into a store. The clerk approached. "Did you just
see me come in this store?" asked Yaka. 15. "Yes," said the clerk. "Have you ever seen me before?"
asked Yaka. 16. "Never," said the clerk. "Then, how do you know it is me?"asked Yaka.'
2. "Jesus claimed that these stories or parables were of very ancient Sufi origin. He told many
others. 3. A few of the people at the Palace found them, and him, compelling. But most ignored him,
continuing their own festivities. 4. Later, I brought him a goblet of our finest wine. His attitude was
one of genuine kindness and respect. 5. He made me feel like a real and worthy human being. In fact,
he had a way of making you feel that you were the most worthy, important, or beautiful human being
who ever existed.
6. "When the men and women got some wine in them, they started outrageously to misbehave.
Jesus was not disapproving, but simply detached, as if inhabiting his own little islandworld. 7. As the
girls danced, he laughed and began to clap with the music. He relaxed everyone around him. 8. He
was so different from the 'pious' men, who condemned both wine and music. It was also they, we
knew, who sneaked away from their wives late at night. 9. They came secretly to the Palace. But
they did not want the other elders to know. 10. For they would always report on each other, creating
storms of scandal and gossip.
"Jesus had absolutely no interest in 'announcing' or displaying his 'righteousness.' 11. Like any
'normal' man, he liked the wine and clapped to the music. He said that he was a 'normal' man, but one
who had found God. 12. But I watched his eyes and face as he smiled at the dancing girls. I saw no
leering lust, as in the faces of the others. 13. Instead, he reminded me of a man looking at a sunset,
or a beautiful rose. 14. It was obvious that he had no interest in 'possessing' those girls, even for one
minute. His only interest was in sharing the laughter and joy of that moment. 15.His simplicity,
clarity, and directness were awesome. He had no hidden or ulterior motives. 16. His mind seemed to
be as clear and still as pure water in a spring pool.

CHAPTER 35.

Verse 1. Mary continued her narrative: "In the stormy noise of loud conversation and bellowing, the
silence of Jesus, his quiet demeanor, made him shine like a light in the darkness. 2. After the others
had staggered out, mostly in bleary-eyed couples, only Jesus and Matthew remained. Servants rushed
around cleaning up after the partiers. 3. I felt impelled as if by a forceful wind to move towards them.
It was as if I were driven by an irresistible spirit. 4. Slowly, quietly, I approached their table. Each
held a cup half full of wine, sipping it.
5. For some odd reason, which I could not know and do not remember, I felt a driving urgent need to
be close to this strange stranger. I wanted to be close to him, to look upon him. 6. "Perhaps I
would even be able to touch him, I told myself. But, untypical of my fleshly self, I did not fantasize
intimacy with him. 7. Why this was so I do not know and cannot explain. Later, of course, I did enjoy
intimacy with him. 8. I found it to be the highest experience in all the earth or heavens. But, at that
time, it seemed oddly unnecessary.
9. This was partly because, I now realize, simply being near him was enough to fulfill all my needs. His
energy touched my own, and made me feel the very strongest comfort, peace, and satisfaction.
10. "It was much fuller than any sexual experience. I was more fulfilled and content simply being with
him than I had been when wrapped in the arms of countless lovers. 11. It was as if, in him, I had at
last found something that I had always been seeking. But I had been unable to find it in sexual love.
12. "He said, when he saw me, 'Thank you for inviting me to the party. I really enjoyed it.' 13. His
eyes were glinting and glistening. I saw in them that he spoke the truth.
14. "'Did you really enjoy it?' I asked.
"He answered, 'Yes, very much. I really like people.'
15. "I replied, 'Sir, I have heard that you are a spiritual teacher. Are you really a man of God?'
16. "He said, 'All people are sons and daughters of God.'
17. "'I'm afraid that my friends are not exactly holy people,' I said, and I'm sure that I blushed.
18. "'All people are holy people, inside,' he said. 'But just because a child is lost, she does not cease
to be a child of her father.'
19. "'Some seem hopelessly lost, beyond redemption or finding,' I replied.
20. "'No one is beyond the redemptive Power of our Father's forgiveness,' he said. He repeated, in a
whisper, 'No one.'"

CHAPTER 36.

Verse 1. "I got tears in my eyes. 'What about those in great sin?' I asked.
2. "'No sin can ever overcome the infinite Love of our Father,' he said. 'No sin can be greater than
that Love.
3. The tiniest light dispels darkness.
The smallest candle lights an entire room. 4. So the smallest forgiveness, the tiniest particle of Love,
overcomes a sea of sin.' 5. There was a glow about him when he spoke these words-- and, as I was to
learn later, whenever he spoke the words and teachings of Love.
6. Then, he said something much more startling: 'I tell you the truth, you and your friends will go
ahead of the elders and priests into the kingdom of God.' I was stunned by those words. 7. I just
about dropped my wine, catching it at the last minute. My hand stroked his arm as I bent to catch the
vessel, and, when I had righted it, he took my hand. 8. He held it firmly, but not tightly. I never
doubted his sincerity, but began to recall what some of my friends, and the elders, had said, and
started to wonder, just a little, about his sanity.
9. "For he spoke with such unshakable certainty, as if he knew the Mind of God directly. For every
question, he had an answer that seemed sound, reasonable, and certain. 10. He was never dogmatic.
But his conviction contained not the least trace of doubt. 11. His voice lacked the weak uncertainty of
traditional teachers. In it, you could hear that he was not guessing or speculating. 12. He spoke with
great authority as well as tender kindness. And he knew unknowable things. 13. He knew them as
facts.
14. "Even those who had been with him for years often shook their heads, stunned at his knowledge
and wisdom. I had never heard such words. 15. Often, they were strange words, containing what the
elders called 'blasphemy.' But still his message was always one of deep Love for God. 16. It was also
obviously felt, sincerely, to the core, by this man.

CHAPTER 37.
 Verse 1. "Jesus said many beautiful things. But he also said things hard to understand, or hard to
take. 2. His words were usually pleasant and comforting. But it was not always so. 3. Often, he spoke
directly against the common religion. He denounced not only its leaders, but also its god. 4. His
statements were often quite controversial. /They stirred up strong feelings in me.
5. "At times, I did not know whether I wanted to strike him on his face, or fall at his feet. 6. For
some of what he said went directly against the traditions that I had been taught since childhood. I had
been reared by an incredibly devout, but highly orthodox, mother. 7. She was joined by a father who
beat and regularly raped me. 8. I grew up passionately despising all men. This remained solid and
unchanging until I met Jesus.
9. "At first, he neglected me. This seemed to be a challenge that I could not resist. 10. So, I kept
returning for more. All the while, I was secretly seeking to be noticed by him.
11. "I wore my most enchanting perfumes. I donned my most alluring garments. 12. In time, he
and I became friends. At first, it was nothing more. 13. It took a few months before he finally
realized that there was more in my heart. It took a couple of months after that before he allowed a
seed of love to grow in his own. 14. Jesus was unresponsive at first, almost naive. I felt that,
strangely enough, he needed a lesson or two about love. 15. He was a master of Love. But he knew
next to nothing about the special love between a man and a woman.
16. "He seemed stunned, in fact, astonished, that any woman had that kind of interest in him.
Perhaps it was because he was a bit ordinary in appearance, and was not particularly flamboyant or
charismatic."

CHAPTER 38.

Verse 1. Mary continued to tell her story: "When Jesus and I first met, men were, to me, only selfish,
cruel beasts. In fact, looking back on my life, I can tell you that I always chose exactly this kind of
man. 2. I felt that i preferred them over the gentle and tender, more poetic and romantic types. I
despised the 'romantic' types as 'weak.' 3. I know now that i was trying to 'prove' to myself that all men
were worthless animals. To 'demonstrate' this, I chose the worst I could find.
4. "But Jesus forced me to see a side of men that I had always denied to myself. My heart had
grown cold and hard by repeated exposure to the cruel and violent types. 5. He was clearly tender as
a rose. But he was as masculine as any man that I had ever met. 6. He had an enormous inner
strength. I sensed that he was stronger than granite, more powerful than an oak. 7. Gentle,
compassionate, forgiving and loving, he was still all man. He combined perfectly the gentleness of the
rose, or the butterfly, with the solidarity of the oak, or iron.
8. "Jesus was not particularly tall or muscular. His hair was mostly ordinary and brown, although it
had some lighter highlights. 9. And, as vivid and alive were his eyes, they were a rather ordinary
brown. Still, in many ways, he was a living picture of rebellion against 'masculinity.' 10. He was
everything that a man was not supposed to be: kind, gentle, quiet, and reticent. He was a living rebel.
11. For the leaders of our religion and synagogue were harsh and stern. They were proud of being as
inflexible as their god. 12. They were as unyielding and cold as stone. Jesus, by contrast, was like
water-- warm and soothing.
13. "Don't misunderstand me. Jesus did not have the characteristics of feminine men. 14. He
could be immensely strong. But he was never stubborn or rigid. 15. Everything that he said, especially
about sinners, was saturated with understanding, compassion, and simple kindness. He was always
friendly.
16. In him, the aliens, strangers, poor, and neglected found refuge. In his heart and visage, the
'masculine' blended with the 'feminine' until one was certain of nothing except the best of both. 17. He
was, in short, the best of the 'human' in all of us." Thus did the saga of Mary Magdalen come to a close.

CHAPTER 39.
Verse 1. A few days later, I heard that Jesus was going to be sharing a meal with a curious elder,
known for his liberality. The elder's name was Simon. 2. This has been a common name in Palestine,
since ancient times. That is why it is also my own. 3. This elder, Simon, was one of the 'selfdisplaying'
leaders against whom Jesus regularly spoke. In other words, he was meticulously careful about keeping
feasts, sabbaths, and holy days. 4. He never forgot all the technical details of his religion. But he
often neglected the poor and hungry, or others who needed assistance. 5. Simon wanted to find out
whether Jesus was a truly holy man, or just one of the 'holy man' frauds so common in the countryside
even to this day.
6. So, that evening, Jesus showed up at the elder's house. A plain but pleasant meal awaited him.
7. "'They say that you are a holy man, Jesus,' began Simon, omitting formal niceties and jumping
right into the topic.
8. Simon had invited three of his elderbuddies, who all looked expectantly at Jesus. Unconcealed
hostility filled their eyes. 9. 'What do you say, Jesus?' Simon asked. 'Are you truly a holy man?'
10. "Every man is holy," said Jesus, "for all were made by the holy God." A look of wonder came
over the elders' faces, as Jesus' simplicity was unarguable and powerful.
11. "Let me be more clear," Simon continued. "Are you a prophet?"
12. "No, I am not a prophet, according to your tradition." Jesus seemed to sink into a deep silence.
13. Then, the elder arrived at the hotpoint for all elders: For they could not stand to be criticized.
"Have you publicly criticized the elders, as both your followers and your enemies claim?" 14. He gave
Jesus a penetrating gaze, joined by the others. You could have heard a new leaf fall on green grass.
15. Jesus replied, "I speak out where I discern the absence of Love. So, when elders show Love,
they earn my praise, not my criticism. 16. But when they lack Love, do you think them superior to
others, beyond just criticism?"
"Now, the tables had turned, and Simon blushed.

CHAPTER 40.

Verse 1. Simon the elder stuttered a bit before blurting, "I don't think anyone is perfect, Jesus! We all
make mistakes. Do we not also deserve forgiveness?" 2. Simon was no stupid man, and had heard that
Jesus was famous for forgiveness. So, he had turned the tables again.
3. "The elders," said Jesus, "like all people, deserve forgiveness. But, unlike others, they claim to
be more holy than usual. 4. They brag about their 'righteousness' in public. They strut in the
marketplaces, displaying themselves. 5. What the elders lack is humility."
6. Simon said, "I have kindly opened my home and pantry to you, Jesus. Do you think that I lack
humility?"
7. "The question," said Jesus, "is one that only you can answer. Are you truly a humble man?" 8. It
was a tactic that Jesus had used before. It really put the elder on the spot.
9. "Such things are for God to determine," Simon replied, since he was no fool.
10. "You have answered wisely, Simon," said Jesus. "So, show your true humility by inviting the
poor to your house and table. 11. Don't invite just your fellow elders, or those with whom you work,
who can repay you. True Love and humility are shown by inviting the poor and oppressed, minorities
and impoverished, who cannot pay you back. 12. For if men do not repay you, the heavenly Father will
do so." Jesus said this because he knew that Simon had a tarnished reputation for never having opened
his home to the poor, who often begged on the street in front of his house.
13. At this point, Mary Magdalen once again picked up her narrative: "Then, I entered the house.
The elders began to murmur and grumble, complaining. 14. This occurred not only because I was poor
and below their standards and status, but because I had a widespread and terrible reputation. 15. By
then, Jesus and I had grown very close, and so, I fell at his feet, anointing them with a fine oil that I
had brought with me."
CHAPTER 41.

Verse 1. Mary continued her story: "I rubbed the aromatic oil on Jesus' feet. I began to cry. 2. This
man touched me as no other ever had. He deeply moved me. 3. I let my tears wet his feet. I dried
them with my long, flowing hair.
4. "'This man is no holy man,' one of the elders sitting at the table whispered loudly enough for me
to hear. 5. 'If he were really what he claims to be, he would know what a filthy, disgusting woman is
touching his feet.'
6. "'I have something to say to all of you,' said Jesus.
7. "'We're listening, sir,' said Simon.
8. "Jesus said, 'Once there was a slave who owed a king ten thousand dollars. Trembling, unable to
pay, he entered before the king, and begged for mercy. 9. His wailing cries were pitiful, and touched
the king's heart. The king absolved him of his debt. 10. Relieved, and very joyful, he went forth from
the palace. But when he found a slave who owed him ten dollars, he grabbed him by the throat, and
began to strangle him, saying, "Pay me back right now, or I'll kill you!" 11. When word of this got back
to the king, the king had this man arrested and thrown into prison. The king ordered him to be held
there until he paid back the last of the ten thousand dollars.' 12. And Jesus simply grew silent again.
13. "The silence grew thick and heavy. The only sound in the room was my weeping. 14. Finally,
Simon said, 'Sir, we do not know the meaning of this parable. Can you tell us what it means?'
15. "Jesus said simply, 'He who is forgiven little, loves little.' Another long silence pervaded the
room."

CHAPTER 42.

Verse 1. "Finally, one of the elders asked, 'What did you mean when you said, "He who is forgiven
little, loves little"?'
2. "Jesus answered, 'You men feel that God must forgive you for nothing, since you think that you
have never done anything wrong. You look down on others whom you feel to be "sinners." 3. I happen
to know that you elders here this evening especially despise those who betray their wives in adultery.
But I also know that you have lusted after other women, besides your wives. 4. Thus, you have
committed "adultery" in your hearts. So, you actually owe a great debt to God, like the ten thousand
dollars. 5. But common people, whom you despise and look down on as "sinners,' you actually condemn
to death under the law of Jehovah. Thus, you "strangle" the life out of them.
6. "'For example, I know that, in your hearts, you have already condemned this sweet, tenderly kind
woman at my feet. Simon, when I came to your house this evening, you did not wash my feet, or
perfume them. 7. Yet this is a small and common courtesy. Courtesy is a form of Love, and this
woman has not stopped washing my feet with her tears. 8. Because of her great humility, her reward
will be great. Because of your judgment of her, your pain will also be great.'
9. "The elders were scandalized, and hated Jesus for his words. But he was not yet finished. 10.
For he said, 'Yes, I know this woman, and know her past. I also know her reputation. 11. But because
she has turned to God, and pleaded for his tender mercies and forgiveness, he will pour it upon her
without limit. 12. But you with small, dark hearts will suffer for your hidden evil.'
13. "One of the elders suddenly stood. 'We've no need to hear others gossip about this man. 14.
For we have beheld his impudence ourselves. We've seen his haughtiness with our own eyes. 15.
We've heard it with our own ears. Let him be banished from the congregation of Jehovah forever! 16.
Let him never again come into our homes. Let him never be greeted by any of us! 17. For he has
uttered scandal against the elders. He has blasphemed the god of Israel. 18. He has preferred the
company of sluts, drunks, and thieves!' And the three elders rose and left, fuming angrily."

CHAPTER 43.
 Verse 1. Mary's story continued: "Jesus next turned his attention to me. He said, 'Daughter, I know
how many and great are your sins. 2. But at this moment, they are all forgiven you.' He held out his
arms, and I took them. 3. 'Rise now,' he said, and I stood. 'Go your way, and be ashamed no more.
4. For this night, the God of Love has cleansed you of all your sins. This night, you are born again. 5.
Tonight, you are a new person.'
6. "That night, I had a blazing, dazzling, moving, deeply touching gnosis. When next I saw him, the
next morning, I immediately ran to him. 7. I fell at his feet. He lifted me up and said, 'Rise, my
friend. 8. Worship only God, all the days of your life.' I know that he saw in my eyes the need to
worship something or someone tangible. 9. But when I tried again to do obeisance to him, he forbade
it. 10. He reminded me once again to worship only the deep Love-nature within my heart.
11. "'You scandalized that elder, Simon, nearly to death,' I said, smiling.
12. "'No, we scandalized Simon,' he corrected, and we both laughed. 13. 'It's so easy to scandalize a
superighteous elder,' he said. 'All you have to do is breathe the wrong way.'
14. "'Or think about breathing wrong,' I added, joining in the fun.
15. "'Yes, that would do it,' agreed Jesus jovially.
"16. "We were laughing uproariously when suddenly, without warning, my laughter became
comingled with floods of tears. They seemed to well up from some bottomless black pit at the center
of my soul. 17. All the accumulated agonies and anguish of my life seemed to pour out in a flood of
tears I grasped Jesus' robe and clung to him. 18. He patiently put his arms around me and held me.
At that moment, the world seemed to disappear. 19. Great pools of darkness seemed to be pulled out
of me in the gushing. I felt clean and renewed, as if it had become a springtime of flowers in my heart.
20. I felt as pure as early morning dew on the petals of a rose. I felt clean, like the brisk rushing
wind. 21. Those few seconds with Jesus seemed to last for years. A part of me became a child again.
22. How I longed for the love of a father who, all during my childhood, never showed a moment's love
for me.
23. "Jesus took my face in his hands, and radiated the most tender compassion. I burst into tears of
cleansing and relief. 24. I knew that my old life had died forever. I burst anew into tears, realizing
that it would never again come back." 25. Thus ended the dramatic tale of Mary Magdalen, the
Lovepartner of Jesus.

CHAPTER 44.

Verse 1. Mary's tale had drawn me deeply into my own introspective mind. It took me a while to
return to the present after that compelling story. 2. Jesus and I found ourselves alone on one of the
walkpaths heading towards the town of Bethsaida. Again, I found myself talking with him about his life
and service.
3. "'A friend of whores and drunks.' That's what they call you, Jesus," I said. 4. "Does that trouble
you?"
5. Jesus smiled. "Only a person without a mind would let others dominate his life. I know what I
am. 6. And that's truly what I am regardless of what they say. So, knowing Myself, I can afford to
ignore the scathing gossip of fools. 7. I can also dismiss the ignorant. What matters more to me is
what you say, Simon, after having walked and talked with Me."
8. "I say that You are the incarnation of Love, the Lord of Love," I stated with boldness. "But," I said
more quietly, "it probably wouldn't hurt to be more careful."
9. "What do you mean?" he asked kindly.
10. "I mean when criticizing powerful men, and when welcoming whores to follow You." I paused.
11. "You can see how people could misunderstand, Jesus."
12. He nodded thoughtfully and slowly. "Yes, I can, Simon. But I have come to call those who are
spiritually sick, not those who consider themselves righteous already."
13. "Clearly," I pursued doggedly, "You are a holy man. But," I continued, emboldened by his mild
reaction, "sometimes I think that you speak carelessly. 14. The elders have rejected you. Many of the
people, people who would otherwise be Your followers, will do what the elders tell them. 15. You,
and we, have now been disfellowshipped, and so even fewer of the Jews will speak to us."
16. "I gave My life over to the inner Power of Love to turn hearts towards Love. That was My only
goal. 17. I did not preach and teach to build or defend a reputation. I know that I have lost much for
the sake of truth. 18. But no one who is not willing to lose everything for the kingdom of Love is
worthy of that Love. In time, I will lose even this life for the sake of Love."
19. I became disturbed at those words, which always made us, his friends, nervous. "Don't say that,
please, Jesus.
20. Maybe it won't have to happen that way."

CHAPTER 45.

Verse 1. Jesus was upset by my denial of his tormenting prophesied death, and said, "I want it to
happen just exactly that way!"
2. "Anyway," I said, eager to change the subject, "I fear that people who would otherwise listen to
Your message might turn away due to your reputation. 3. I know that You don't want to 'stumble'
anyone."
4. "No, I don't," he said, very quietly. "It would be better for a man to have a huge millstone tied to
his neck and dropped in the deep sea than for him to stumble one of these 'little ones' among My
followers. 5. But I also have faith that all whom My Father calls will come to Me. My 'sheep' know My
voice, as the true Shepherd, and they will follow no impostor or thief."
6. "But if your reputation were better, more would follow You," I said, logically.
7. "You must try to understand life a little more deeply. For it is in seeking to establish their
'righteousness' that the elders lose it. 8. They turn it into the sin of spiritual pride, or
selfrighteousness. If I am to be a guide or model for Love, then that Love must be real. 9. That means
that it must be universal. It must also be unconditional. 10. Nothing less is real Love. I have come to
seek those who have lost this real Love, or their way to God.
11. "What shepherd with a hundred sheep will not leave behind the ninety-nine to seek the one who
is lost? So, the lost sinners are the main object of My mission and ministry on earth. 12. If I ignore
them for the sake of appearances, I will be turning my back on My very sacred mission. I will be
denying My reason for being. 13. I have come as a physician of the soul, to seek those who are sickest,
and to call them back to Love."
14. At that moment, I felt utter despair, as if I would never understand this strange man. Now,
looking back, and reading this account, I understand much more clearly. 15. I remember saying only,
"People are becoming disappointed in you."
16. "Their disappointment is created by the fact that they expect Me to be something that I am not.
I have come only as a vessel of Love. 17. But they want so much more. They would prefer a bloody
Messiah, armed with a sword and prepared to attack and overcome Rome. 18. Or, they want a
magician to do magic, to save them from this world, instead of a teacher who teaches them how to live
in it."

CHAPTER 46.

Verse 1. "They say," I said, "that you can control the forces of nature. They say that you use your
special and miraculous words of Power. 2. Is that true?" I asked him.
"No one but the inner Father controls nature.
3. Sometimes, I act in harmony with little-known natural laws. The results can be extraordinary. 4.
But I am no magician. For the personal will is everything in magic, and nothing in true mysticism. 5.
The mystic path is just exactly the opposite, then, of the magical. I seek to allow the personal will to
become nothing, so that I might disappear into the Father.
6. And, as always and in all things, his will be done. /this is pure yielding to the inner Power."
 7. Judas cried, "But, while you talk philosophy and Love, Rome is killing us. We desperately need a
king. We want a military leader, a strongman 8. We need a messiah. Don't you care that everyone is
following
Baaliah? 9. You say that he is a false teacher. But they are leaving you for him!"
10. "I care," he said as softly as a feather falling to earth. "But that is all in the hands of the
Father. 11. He will bring to Me exactly whoever is supposed to come. We don't control these matters.
12. The spreading of the message of the Logos of Love is like seeds which a farmer planted in his field.
After planting well, he could do no more, so he went home and slept. 13. The rest was all in the
hands of the Father. So, let us learn the art of trust."
14. "In one year," I continued, relentless, "you have gained, and then lost, more followers than I can
count. Doesn't that bother you? Doesn't that mean anything?"
15. "Always remember that the value of this work can never be measured in numbers. I have not
come to call an army of followers. 16. Instead, I have come to call only people of pure heart. I have
been greatly blessed with twelve special and trustworthy friends. 17. That is enough, because these
are the ones that the Father has brought to Me. They are the 'salt' of the 'earth.' 18. In them, I plant
and cultivate the 'seeds' of Light. These will someday change this world. 19. These are the 'seeds' of
the Logos of Love. They are passed from one heart to another, until all bear the same Love within."
20. I just shook my head, and laughed bitterly. Could he really be serious? Could anybody be that
naive, that idealistic, I only smiled sadly.

CHAPTER 47.

Verse 1. I could not believe that Jesus, an intelligent man, could be such an unrealistic dreamer.
How could anyone fall for such a wild dream? How could anyone be that foolish? 2. A gang of
unorganized, uneducated fishers, laborers, misfits, and very ordinary men could never change the
whole world. 3. But his eyes shone with a fierce dream. I did not have the heart to tell him that it
would never be. 4. His bright dreamworld of peace and Love would never come. He, and we, all of us,
would forever be forgotten, buried by the dust of history. 5. People in the future would always
remember the great, famous Baaliah, followed by thousands, but what would the name "Jesus" mean to
them? 6. Probably it would mean nothing.
He must have known this. 7. "How can you hope to 'change the world' by talking about Love? It's just
an idea, and not a very good or practical one at that," I said.
8. "It is the very Power behind the cosmos," he claimed. "If you cooperate with it, you have the
force of the entire cosmos behind you. 9. It can never die. Its message can never perish. 10. People
will forget you and me. But they will not be allowed ever to forget Love. 11. For it is the coressence
of Mind itself."
"I only wish everyone agreed," I said. 12. "But if we're ever going to have your beautiful world of
peace and Love, many people-- will have to want it. I just don't see a lot of Love in this world."
13. "Unfortunately, you're right, Simon," said Jesus. "That is why we must have faith that someday,
the cosmic Mind will turn people around. 14. That Mind will turn heartminds everywhere towards the
goal of Love. It will direct people, without error, to embrace Love. 15. Then it will guide people
actually to turn their lives over to this higher Power. One person at a time, the entire cosmos will
come into a bright new state of Loveawareness."
16. "I'd really love to believe that wonderful ideal could come true. I really would. 17. I just
can't," I said.
18. "Simon, you remind me of a child who says that a house will never be completed because it
would take so many small bricks or boards to make it complete. The "house' of our Father is Love. 19.
And its construction has just begun. It will not be even halfcomplete even after the passage of two
millennia. 20. But each day, another heart is touched, another life changed, by Love. And it is Love
that directs the entire process. 21. You can resist it with every fiber of your being. You can resist it
for a year, ten years, even a couple of millennia. 22. But, sooner or later, Love will have its Way. The
entire cosmos will be irresistibly and irreversibly metamorphosed."

CHAPTER 48.

Verse 1. A week later, I spoke again with Jesus. Once again, we were able to be alone together for
a short time.
2. I'm afraid that my mood was not much better. I was still feeling my hostile skepticism about his
"world of Love and peace." 3. "Hey" Jesus said. "Simon, my brother, why do you look so sad? Why do
you seem so troubled?" 4. I just can't express how much his tender kindness meant to me-- to all of us.
5. We all-- all his friends and family-- knew what a sweet, tender, soft, loving soul was this man
Jesus. We all admired him for his gentle nonviolence. 6. We also respected his deep understanding.
His wisdom flowed forth from him like a fountain. 7. Even when we, being "spiritual children,"
resented his message of love and peace, we still always loved the man profoundly. And he was always
there, for all of us.
8. I looked up from my weeping. He could see the remnants of my tears, still dampening my face.
9. "I'm sorry, Jesus, I guess I'm just sad about what people are saying."
10. "What are they saying, Simon?" he said with the softness of sprinkling spring rain lighting on
flowerpetals.
11. I turned away, for I could not face him. "They are saying things about your relationship with
Mary of Magdala," i almost whispered.
12. He smiled sadly. I heard him softly sigh. 13. He had heard all the rumors before. People
talked about him and Mary being secret lovers. 14. They talked about their sharing secret but unclean
sexual practices. They indulged in other hurtful gossip. 15. Jesus defined gossip as "mental violence."
He said that it could be as damaging as physical violence. 16. "People who hate their own bodies
always hate the beauty of the rest of God's creation, nature," he said.
I still would not look at him, for I was disgusted and embarrassed by what I said next: 17. "To tell
the truth, even some of your friends wonder about these things. We don't want to pry, Jesus. We
really don't. 18. But if you are to be our spiritual guide and teacher, some of us feel that we must
know everything about you." He stood silently, and I felt those tender eyes boring a hole in me as he
looked into the depths of my soul.
19. I felt vulnerable and naked before that gaze. Finally, squirming, I said, "I guess that it's really none
of our business."
20. "Every man," said Jesus, "has a right to a personal life, not exposed to others. This is the
Godgiven right to privacy. It is sacred, not to be violated."

CHAPTER 49.

Verse 1. "The right to privacy," said Jesus, "is the gift of the Father. It does not imply anything
shameful or secret."
"You're right, of course," I said. 2. "It's just that people are stupidly unforgiving. They have a very
long memory."
3. "You tell me nothing new, my dear brother," said Jesus. "Mary has striven for years to overcome
the burden of her past. 4. She has found the Love and forgiveness of God. But not yet has she
received this gift from her sisters and brothers."
5. He looked at the sky, and heaved a great, exhausted sigh. "She has become a rolemodel for all the
younger women of the community. I'm proud of her. 6. That work for others is why she's so popular.
They all adore her, as do the children.
7. Even the elders, with their unclean minds, cannot prove anything against her. Heaven knows, they
enjoy their rumors.
8. In fact, it seems that the more unclean the rumors are, the more they enjoy them. Some of the
women are understandably envious of Mary. 9. Some of the men lust after her. So, both have impure
motives. 10. But Mary is a stainless mirror of divine Love. It is just unfair that she should have to
suffer so much." 11. His voice cracked. A tear crawled slowly down his cheek, losing itself in his
beard.
12. "People," he noted, "quickly forget the good. But they remember the bad for a long time. 13.
People love salacious rumors and gossip. They often too quickly attack the innocent." 14. There was
bitterness in his soft voice. There was fire in his eyes.
15. Some feel so unclean inside themselves that they simply do not want to believe in the purity of
another."
16. Still I could not bring myself to look directly into the eyes of this tortured paragon of purity.
"When you were with her, in her tent, the other night, everyone was talking about it," I said. 17. "They
did not all say, or believe, bad things. Some did. Others were just curious."
18. Jesus said, "She is my disciple, and I am her teacher. So, we talked, until late in the night."
19. "They know that you talked," i said very quietly, due to my shame. "They wonder if that is all
that you did."
20. "If Mary and I share a special Love, that is our determination. We are two adults, with full adult
responsibilities, adult hearts, and adult minds. 21. It is up to each person carefully to regulate her
own behavior in these deeply intimate matters. It is not up to anyone to meddle into the activities of
another."

CHAPTER 50.

Verse 1. I spoke again. This time, it was even more softly. 2. I could barely hear myself as I said,
with some shame, "She touches you all the time. 3. It is no secret that she deeply loves you-- with
Christlove. She adores you, in fact. 4. This kind of Love can easily and quickly become another kind.
When she touches you, and when you kiss her on the mouth, the older women and the elders say it is ...
well, they say it is unseemly."
5. "What is inappropriate about an adult man loving an adult woman?" he wanted to know. He
spoke with sincere earnestness: 6. "Did not the holy God of the cosmos actually design men and
women, in mind as in body, to share this special kind of Love? Is this Love not made holy by its divine
origin, divine blessing, and divine design?"
7. "Yes," I said, submissive. "But people expect more from a spiritual teacher."
8. Jesus was clearly agitated: "Well, they just don't have the right! 9. If they need to create
higher morality, let them stop worrying about me, and work instead on cleaning up their own minds!
10. Human beings need to touch each other, for this is the way that God has made us. Should people
feel guilty for touching their children? 11. Neither should they feel guilt for expressing divine Love
through a touch, or even a kiss. How cold and icy a hellworld it would be if everyone feared touch as
much as the elders. 12. When it comes to touching, they are sick with a mental disease that keeps
them locked in frigid cages, terrified of touch. With women, they are afraid that touch will excite
unclean sexual passions. And with men, they are afraid that touch will be interpreted as their wanting
to lie with men. 13. How insane is that? It is the obsession in their own minds which pollutes their
touch. 14. It isnot the act of touching that is unclean, but only their thoughts about it. Such men are
destined to die of emotional starvation-- often, long before they die a physical death!"
15. "That is a ghastly fate indeed," I said.
16. "Yes," he agreed. "Few things in this life are worse than living and dying alone, with no one who
cares. 17. Yet this is exactly the way the old women and elders would have my sweet Mary live and
die. ?This is all due to the 'demon' of their envy. If they are not careful, it will consume them."

CHAPTER 51.

Verse 1. Jesus spoke with fire about the backbiting, envious elders and old women who threatened
his Mary: "Karma will see to it that they die in an isolated, loveless condition, unless they change.
They must rid themselves of their inner dragons or 'demons.' 2. When I helped Mary get rid of her
deep, terrible 'demons' of inner fear, she erased anger, greed, envy, malice, and lust. 3. They no
longer have any power over her.
4. So, if her Love expresses as passion, it is a clean and natural drive for holy union. It is a communion
of Love.
5. Why must people insist that the impurities of their own hearts exist in Mary, or others? Are they
that terrified of their own inner 'demons'? 6. Are they really foolish enough to assume that they are
actually perfect? For I tell you the truth, the unclean qualities that they everywhere see in others are
only a mirror of their own. 7. This is so, even though they do not allow themselves to see this."
Jesus was becoming infuriated. 8. As we walked together down the path, Jesus suddenly stooped
and wrote these words in the dust: LIE. CURSE. JUDGE. BETRAY. DENY. ENVY. GOSSIP. MURDER.
KARMA. 9. "Can you see here," asked Jesus, "that these qualities at some time, to some degree, you
have beheld in yourself?"
10. "I'm only human, so I can honestly see at least the traces of those things within myself," I
answered openly.
11. "Seek not, then, to notice or judge the imperfections of others. Instead, work on your own. 12.
That is why we come to earth. To do otherwise is to miss the point of the entire earthschool. 13.
Don't always be trying to remove the speck from your brother's eye, when you have a timber in your
own!" He laughed at this hyperbole, and I joined him. 14. It was a common pattern in his teaching to
exaggerate to the point of absurdity anything that he really wanted you to remember. 15. I called to
mind his line about "gulping down the camel," and the "camel going through the eye of a sewing-
needle." He correctly intuited that any event involving a camel was bound to be funny and memorable.
16. He was not always a deadly serious man, and could use humor quite effectively. Camels are funny
anyway, it occurred to me.
17. When the writing was complete, we stood and began to walk again in silence. I was not sure
about Jesus' mood.
18. It seems that very rarely was anyone certain about how he felt in his most private and secret Self.

CHAPTER 52.

Verse 1. "She suffered a madly disturbed life," he said, very softly. "Mary sought out the very worst
men she could find. 2. She wanted them to punish her. She never received any attention from her
father. 3. She never quite overcame his terrible influence, until she found the Christ. 4. He used to
beat and raped her. Since this was at least attention, she began to think that a beating or a rape was
'rewarding.' 5. This was, of course, very sick. She also felt vile and filthy inside.
6. Secretly even to herself, she sought out someone to punish her. That's why she attracted violent,
stupid, evil men who beat and raped her. 7. Then these ugly beasts paid her for their mad , hideous
'pleasure.' This she did because she had never forgiven herself for being a woman. 8. Now, she is
completely forgiven of all real sin. She stands before God as pure as the lilies of the field."
9. Secretly, quietly, I was stunned that years of prostitution could simply be dropped, dismissed,
forgiven in a moment. Jesus read the doubt in my eyes. 10. He said, "
This is how the Love of God acts. Though sins be black as coal, His Love makes them white as snow.
11. It does not depend on the sin, but only upon the great unfathomability of grace.
12. It also depends upon the ability of the sinner to forgive others. Forgiving people are forgiven
easily. 13. Condemning people find forgiveness evasive and difficult. I have never met a human being
more forgiving than Mary.
14. "'I who have been released,' she says, 'from a mountain of sin can easily release people from
their little mounds of imperfection.'
15. "You've really earned your reputation as the 'holy man of Love,'" I commented.
16. Jesus smiled and nodded slightly. "If people forget all that I've ever said, I want them to
remember to love one another."
 17. "What about the scriptures? Isn't it important that people learn them too?" I asked.
18. "When people have Love, they no longer need Scriptures. For Love is the fulfillment of Law, the
end and goal of all Scripture. 19. A child studies hard for a test at school. But when the test arrives,
the studying is over. 20. So, when Love arrives, Law comes to an end. This includes even the religious
law.
21. "Love is God. Love is the only 'faith' needed by the complete, enlightened human being. 22.
Love is the Power guiding the cosmos. Love is the highest possible human mindset. 23. It is the most
elevated and noble Mind. Love is everything."
THE MYSTIC GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALEN
********

CHAPTER 1.

Verse 1. This little book is a journal of events, recalled after they occurred. It is written for the
edification of the faithful. 2. I, Mary Magdalene, have written these words to strengthen my sisters
and brothers in the faith of our Lord. To me, he was a very special man of Love, and closer than a
brother. 3. I knew him, not only, and not so much, as God, but as a human being. For he and I shared
the most tender bonds of the most intimate Love imaginable.
4. He was a spectacular, outrageous, joyful, and holy man. Just being in his presence was enough,
most of the time, to elevate me to states of mind so high as to be unknowable under normal
circumstances. 5. The first few times that we were together, in fact, he took my mind to the most
elevated inner places. Being with him could be like being in a trance. 6. For he was literally
entrancing. He also charmed me, and so was literally charming. 7. What was the magic behind these
shifts of mind? It was Love. 8. For I was compelled by the strongest Love possible. Like an arrow, it
went straight for the center of my heart.
9. I wanted to be annihilated in this glorious Love. I longed to vanish into It. 10. I wanted to
disappear into It. My passion was that not a trace of "Mary" would be left.
11. Like Jesus, my teacher, I wanted to become Love. I thirsted to grow into the incarnation of the
"Father," who is Love, on earth. 12. I longed to become "Mary Christ." Thus would I meet my Beloved
in a place of equality.
13. This was not pride. It was exactly what Jesus wanted for me. It was precisely what he
encouraged me to do, to become. 14. "You are your own best teacher," he said. "When I leave the
world, you will have to be your own teacher." 15. Those words broke my heart. The first few times
that he spoke that way, I sobbed the entire night.
16. But to love Jesus meant becoming accustomed to his fascination, and captivation, with death.
He seemed so intent on his own death. 17. "I'll never live a normal life," he said. "That is why I cannot
marry you, or anyone else. 18. Mary, you deserve a reliable, strong husband who will take care of
you. You need a man to give you children. 19. You need someone to make you a home-- give you a
life. Sadly, I am not that man. 20. I can't be. The Father has arranged that I should die at the hands
of unjust men. 21. I must give all to Love. I must give my life for Love."
22. "Then, give your life for Love!" I shouted. "Give your life to me, and it will all be for Love! 23.
And why can't you live as a normal man? Doesn't God also love normal men?
24. What is wrong with you?"
But he only withdrew when I became so emotional. 25. I felt sorry for him. Everyone seemed
against him. 26. His best friends, his so-called "disciples," regularly misunderstood him. The elders
and other religious types hated him. 27. The common people usually just ignored him. If anyone ever
needed an ally!

CHAPTER 2.

Verse 1. "They say that you and I are in love, Jesus," I said to him one evening. I paused, uncertain.
2. Then, I said, "Are they right? Are we in love?"
3. His own pause was disturbing, unsettling. Finally, he said, "I love you, Mary."
 4. "That doesn't really answer my question, Jesus," I replied. "For I have heard you tell dozens of
people the very same thing. 5. You 'love' everybody! Coming from another man, those words would
make the heart of a woman flutter. 6. But coming from you, they're more like a greeting. Those
words are like a statement of fact. 7. They don't represent deep emotional commitment. They
somehow lack the closeness or warmth, usually linked with the word 'love.' 8. So, are we 'in love' or
not?"
9. Jesus replied, clear honesty in his eyes, "I don't love anyone the way that I love you, Mary. Our
love is very special. It's unique. 10. For me, love is not just a guiding idea, a philosophy, although it is
also that. 11. I am a man, and I have human feelings. They are welded with divine aspirations. 12.
Like other men, I long for the warm, tender, intimate Love that you describe. At times, I passionately
thirst for it, hunger for it.
13. "And in so many ways, you are the perfect woman for me. But I hesitate."
14. "You hesitate," I said, again, after so many repetitions, growing tired of this conversation. 15.
It seemed as if we had discussed this issue, and Jesus' ambiguities, a thousand times. I was more than
weary, and, as always, a little nervous.
16. "I hesitate because I cannot give you a normal happy life. As I've told you before, I didn't come
to earth to have a family and children. 17. I didn't come to buy a house. I didn't come..." He hesitated
again. "I didn't come to marry."
18. "Does that mean that your answer is no? Does that mean that we're not in love?" I asked.
19. "It means that my answer to your question about our being in love is, 'I hope so.' But ordinary
love is supposed to lead somewhere, to grow into something. 20. It is supposed to form a new family,
with children. With me, this will never happen."

CHAPTER 3.

Verse 1. Mary replied, "'Never' is an awfully long time, Jesus. You know how you and I feel about each
other. 2. The passion, the fire, is certainly there! So is the commitment. 3. At least, I assume that
there's no one else in your life."
4. He laughed a little. "No one. No one could even hope to compete with you. There is no one
else."
5. "Then what is it? Why can't we just be in love, and love each other-- tonight? Tomorrow? 6.
Next week? And for as long as you have? 7. Why does love always have to lead to marriage? Can't we
just enjoy each other?"
8. "I'm not sure about this. For me, sex is not a game, but a promise. I can't promise anything. 9.
If two people draw up a contract, both should not sign it unless both can keep to the terms and
promises of the agreement."
10. "Jesus, that sounds so cold! Stop the parables, already!" I snapped. 11. "I'm not one of your
damn' simpleton religionists!" Then, after a moment, I said, more softly, "I'm sorry, Jesus. I shouldn't
have said that. 12. It was cruel. It was thoughtless. 13. Do you forgive me?"
14. He withdrew into silence for a while. But at last, he relented, and I took him into my arms,
stroking his hair.
15. We began to kiss. Within minutes, our passions had arisen. 16. Soon, I began to feel the sense of
otherworldly mystical ecstasy that he always triggered in me. Outside, the sun sank below the horizon
. 17. The sky grew black, and the bright stars filled the sky.

CHAPTER 4.

Verse 1. I remember how Jesus and I walked together under the full moon. We were in the garden
called Gethsemane. 2. As usual, we were discussing the "problem" of our love. In every other area of
life, Jesus was able to express himself with crystalclarity and great power. 3. But when it came to our
love, I found him vacillating, uncertain, and sometimes, even weak. It was almost as if something
about our love threatened him, throwing his finely tuned heartmind out of its normal but delicate
balance. 4. What should have been the greatest delight and joy of my entire life was made a
"problem." Gossip and general disapproval further complicated our problems. 5. The simple refusal to
forgive or to forget also filled my tender heart I had a hard time forgiving Jesus for his uncertainty
about us.
6. "I have loved you for ages," Jesus said. He stated it with such clarity and simplicity that I didn't
doubt it for a moment. 7. We had discussed our situations as lovers, spouses, and friends in former
lives. "That has not changed. 8. That does not change," Jesus said. "A love which has lasted
centuries does not easily die."
9. Jesus knew well my terror of abandonment, or of betrayal. I was still angry with the universe
because my mother had died. 10. That had been many years ago. And I was still reeling from the
pain. 11. What was wrong with me? Why did I cling to harmful feelings and memories? 12. This was a
clear example of what Jesus described as a "selfcreated hell." Jesus said that people with my sign, that
of the crab, often had a massive struggle with letting go. 13. We were, he said, also extra sensitive,
so that our hearts could be often and easily wounded. People of this sign, he said, often held on with
too much tenacity. 14. This often applied especially to their mothers. To be complete and healthy
within myself, I would have to let go, of even him. 15. This, as usual, brought tears to my eyes.
16. "Jesus," I said, "I have a hard time understanding you. It seems that you are always changing.
17. This is an important issue, because it holds captive my heart. It is not unimportant, because it
causes me pain and confusion. 18. One day, it will be as if you are fully in love with me, with no
doubts. When next I see you, though, you are once again filled with doubts. 19. Why can't you just
believe in our love? Why can't you settle finally into it, once and for all?"
20. He said, "I simply want to--must--make absolutely certain that I live in impeccable honor. But
My Love does not change. 21. 'Impeccable honor' means that I must first follow the Way of
harmlessness. I am vowed never to hurt anyone-- physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. 22.
You might have solved all the problems of our love in your head and heart, but it is not so simple for
me. I must consider how others will regard me."
23. "Must we worry about what the others think? Must we please them?" I was boiling with rage
and frustration.

CHAPTER 5.

Verse 1. I shouted, "Isn't our love a personal thing, for us only?" Don't we have to decide about it,
no matter what anyone thinks? Shouldn't those busybodies just mind their own business?" 2. He sighed.
"I wish that were so, but I must take into my consideration how it will affect others. 3. It's really not
a simple matter. Some say that our love is scandal, others, just sin."
4. I said, "What does it matter?" I flew into his arms, and spoke into his robe through my tears: 5.
"Let's forget about everyone else, and just love each other. It's really simple." 6. I backed away a bit
and looked into his confused, sad face.
7. I said, "Let's get away from this place! Let's go somewhere where no one knows you or me. 8. We
can start over!" But I could tell from the look on his face that it was not going to be that simple. 9. It
would, we both knew, never be so. I started crying again.
10. I said, "Why do you put me through this? Is this Love? 11. If it is, I'm not sure I want to share it
with you!" I was sobbing now. 12. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jesus. I didn't mean that. I just get so frustrated.
13. Why can't you make up your mind?"
14. "Because I have to try to love everyone. If it were just a simple matter of loving you, there
would be no problem."
15. I replied, "It would seem as if your love for me would be more important than your love for
them," I whined, bitter.
16. "It is," he soothed. "It's a completely different kind and power of love. But I can't just ignore or
dismiss them all, act as if they do not exist." 17. After a long, thoughtful silence, he finally said,
"Mary, if you loved any other man in the world, you would not even have these problems. 18. You are
a beautiful woman, and any man would be ecstatic to have you. Why don't you just try to move on in
your life without me?"
19. Now, I saw tears on his face too.
20. "No," I sniffed. "It just doesn't work that way. We don't, we can't, plan whom we're going to
fall in love with.
21. No one else in the world is like you. You are not like anyone else. 22. You're one of a kind, and I
have fallen in love with you. I can't just 'unfall' in love. 23. I can't just disengage my heart because of
my pain, or because of your dilemma. 24. This love is here to stay. Now, the only question is, Are
you going to give your heart to me in the same way that I've given mine to you?"

CHAPTER 6.

Verse 1. My heart pounds. I am terrified. 2. This occurs whenever I think, "Jesus does not love
me." I am filled with despair. 3. He has told me that he will not be a husband. I ask, "What do I want
from him? 4. He feels that he must respond to some inner religious (he would say "spiritual") "calling."
But it all sounds a bit suspicious to me.
5. I feel ignored and abandoned. Worse, I feel betrayed. 6. For if he loved me, I would be first in
his life. I know that I am never first in his life.
7. "Love is always blossoming. It appears in new and better forms," he told me. 8. But this comes
from a man who "loves" birds, flowers, dogs, sheep, and camels. What am I to make of his strange
words
8. What does "love" mean to such a man, anyway? Sometimes, when he talks about "Love" as a
sweeping cosmic Force, the holy "Mindcore," it sounds alien and strange. 9. Clearly, it does not mean
to him what it means to ordinary people. So, how am I to respond when this otherworldly man claims
to "love" me?
10. I suppose that I want to be loved in a very special way. I want it to be a way that he shares with
no one else.
11. I want to see "love," not as the "essence of the cosmos," or the "Power behind Mind and Spirit." I
want to view it as a simple warmth and intimacy. 12. I want it to be a tender and soft sharing
between hearts. Sometimes, God forgive me, the "Love" about which Jesus speaks strikes me as even
aloof, detached, abstract. 13. It is too unresponsive, too superhuman. It feels distant, unfulfilling,
even cold. 14. Don't misunderstand. Love, to me, does not mean just sex. In fact, we have not had
sexual relations. 15. Still, he has kissed me quite intimately and passionately, in ways that, I'm sure,
would shock his disciples. But he fears "making promises that I can't keep," as he phrases it. 16. He
sees sex as a promise. Sometimes, I want to say, "To hell with his 'impeccable honor. 17.' It does not
serve love-- not, at any rate, our love.
I am confused, and confusing. 18. Am I to love him as friend only? Or with a "brotherly" love? 19.
Or, am I to perfect his "universal" love? Am I to love him as I would "love" a stranger? 20. Am I to love
him as a God? Or as a brother? Or as a man? Or as a lover?

CHAPTER 7.

Verse 1. Is there any place in the life of Jesus for the passion and warmth of a woman? I swear, he
is baffling and bewildering-- sometimes, maddeningly so!
2. He says, "Love the sons and daughters as you love the Father. Love all living things." 3. But
what does that mean, in everyday, practical life?
I want something more, and more personal. 4. I do not want to be "loved" as a part of a crowd. I
don't want to be "loved" in some philosophic, abstract way. 5. I want the intensity of personal passion.
I know that he is capable of this. 6. For I have seen it manifest, in unguarded moments of passion. I
want the intensity and warmth of the love shared only with a Lovepartner.
 7. I want to give myself completely to him. And I want to own a part of him. 8. Whenever our
bodies touch, it is fire. We are ignited by each other. 9. I want to own, to possess, that flaming heart
of Jesus. I want to make it completely mine. 10. With a man such as Jesus, though, I despair of this.
I am not sure that it is even possible with him.
11. How strange that I cannot elicit love from the one men call "the Master of Love." How odd that
it is so difficult to love the man for whom Love is a career. 12. Jesus clearly sees Love as a calling,
and a guiding light. He says, "Love is the core of all My teaching." 13. But I can't seem to reach his
heart. When I tell him what I need, he gets a distant look in his eye. 14. Then, he becomes lost in
introspection.
15. If my mind were as fantastically rich as his, I suppose that I, too, could be as selfsufficient as
he. I, too, could spend hours, or days, as he does, swimming through the inner "waters" of a bottomless
ocean of mind, soul, and Spirit.
16. But I am only an ordinary human being, unblessed with the dazzling depths of an inner connection
with infinity, with infinite cosmic Mind.
17. I have held him tenderly in my bosom. I have lain with him under the warm blankets, and felt
his nakedness. 18. I have touched his body. But I have been unable to reach all the way in, to his
heart. 19. A part of him seems to fear a part of me. Yet he says, "Fear is the only problem, and Love,
the only solution." 20. He tells us to cast out all fear, but I sense a stark, unbending, unyielding fear in
him. Does he still have fear? Or am I projecting my fears onto him?

CHAPTER 8.

Verse 1. Sexprohibitions are not his problem. He has moved quite beyond the parochial Jewish
laws against sex. 2. But still, he seems to think that this ultimate act of communion would somehow
violate his debt to the people. He also sees sex as symbolic of "eternal" or "timeless" commitment, and
as its promise. 3. Sex, he says, should represent the quest for permanent Love-union between two
people. Since he does not want to get married, he does not want to have sex, which he would see as a
"lie." 4. Also, as a spiritual teacher, he says, he must not let the people down. He must, he feels,
always serve as a perfect example of stainless devotion and the principle which he calls "impeccable
honor." 5. He must be, first, a paragon of purity and virtue.
So, I live with him-- and without him. 6. Perhaps, I think when I am depressed, he has no personal
love; he might indeed be incapable of that. Maybe he is not moved by the strong forces that drive
ordinary men with such urgency. 7. Yet, I remind myself, I have often seen evidence to the contrary.
After such considerations, I am right back where I started-- reaching for him with my arms and my
heart. 8. He comes into both, but the entry is one-way, as I cannot get into his heart, and that is
killing me.
9. When I asked him pointedly about passions, he said, "My passion is to do the will of Him who sent
Me, and to finish His work. I cannot, and must not, serve two masters." 10. What am I supposed to
make of that? It is no surprise, for he often speaks cryptically.
11. So, I expressed myself even more clearly, more boldly: "Do you have any normal passion, for a
woman, for me?"
12. "I do," he said. "I am a man, and I feel what men feel. You are a very beautiful woman. 13.
But I must be true first to My life's work, My calling. I admit, the drives and urges of other men are
much greater than mine. 14. If that is reason enough for you to leave this relationship, then you must
follow your heart, and go. That would break my heart, but I give you your total freedom, because I
love you so much. 15. But if you want truest, most lasting Love, undying, eternal, timeless Love, then
I can give you that. But more, I cannot give you."
16. "So you don't feel that you're very sexual?" I interpreted. "That means that you're not very
attracted to me, or to any woman."
17. "The animal nature in Me has largely died. The human nature must soon follow." 18. He looked
very sad.
 I looked away, unable to bear his pained face. 19. "Does this mean that you fully renounce sex?
Does it imply that you would never desire to unite with me?" I asked, very quietly, drained of life.
20. "The mystic gives all for God, for Love. The first thing to go," he said very slowly, reticent, "is
personal desire. 21. I must tell you that I cannot desire you as other men can. That part of My nature
has simply grown weaker, and parts of it are already crucified."

CHAPTER 9.

Verse 1. I think, very often, that I am going mad. Jesus is driving me mad. 2. He is more difficult
to love than any man I have ever met. And I have met, and had, dozens. 3. Sometimes I tell myself
that loving a serpent would be easier. But then he comes to me, warm and tender, bright and
passionate, and all my doubts disappear-- at least, for another couple of hours, or days.
4. Then, when I speak to him again, he is again uncertain. I think that he wants to please everybody.
5. But, like most people who want to please everyone, he pleases no one. In fact, he seems to
displease nearly everybody he meets, to whom he speaks; he is a man of stormy controversy, and I don't
really need that in my life.
6. I have seen him so hurt, so disappointed, so sad, that he said, "I will never say another word as
long as I live. God doesn't need me. 7. He can work directly on the heartminds of people to teach
anyone. God doesn't need spiritual teachers.
8. It's the most useless job in the world. And people? 9. They haven't the common sense that God
gave the ass. I work hard all day, every day, to earn only their scorn, and I'm tired of it! 10. They also
say that they haven't the time! They surely have time for all the useless prattle that fills their little
lives. 11. They have time for planting and digging and hoeing, and harvesting. They have time to
dance, to laugh, to sit around the fire, to watch the sun set. 12. The only thing that they consider
'disposable' is their spiritual lives. It's the most precious gift that the universal Mind has ever given. 13.
But they treat it like yesterday's garbage. I've had enough!"
14. Once Jesus gave a talk at a synagogue, and only four of his twelve friends showed up. No one
else even came. 15. I remember how enraged he became. "
These people take the gold of God and treat it as though it were dust, dung, and rubbish."

CHAPTER 10.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to complain loudly and angrily about the lack of respect and appreciation
which the people felt for God: "These people don't deserve a committed spiritual teacher! Good food,
good fun, entertainment, music, and sex is all they care about. 2. As they were in the days of ancient
times, they are now: Everyone says, 'Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we might die.' No one
gives a second thought, or even a second, to Love, in its great sense. 3. So, they are eating, drinking,
marrying, and enjoying this life, but ignoring their souls. You could not even pay these people to care
for the things of God. 4. They are so in slavery to their material things, and sensual pleasures, they
have no room for God, or Love. Their minds, obsessed with trivialities, are all but gone. 5. Not a
spare minute in a whole month do they have, not a moment for Love. They are so busy, so rich, but
inside, they are empty and hollow.
6. "The physician is giving away the cure for the most dreaded, lethal disease. But they are too
busy to take it.
7. They have too much to do, despite the fact that every one of them has the 'disease,' and many more
are 'dropping dead' in their fine beds and comfortable homes."
8.I understood, just a little, how he felt, and I absorbed much of his pain. For I am a natural
empath. 9. I can often feel what he feels. I know the depth of his agony. 10. I know the power of his
sense of loss, his frustration at the vapid, utter stupidity of men who are "too busy" to invest time in
Love, the only thing that can save their sanity. 11. "Sometimes," he said quietly, "I feel that I would
just like to move into the wilderness, leave the cities and the people behind. I could just live out the
rest of my life in search of the inner God."
12. "I'd go with you!" I offered hopefully. If only it could be just him and me ...
13. But his bouts of depression were short-lived, and Jesus always came back to his optimistic self.
Then, for weeks at a time, he thrived on teaching the words of the Word, the Logos of Love, the holy
Spirit. 14. He even called it his "secret bread." He said that his work sustained him-- in a way that, I
knew, I never could. 15. For I had made the awful mistake of having fallen in love with a man who was
already in love-- with Love itself, which he saw as his "mission."

CHAPTER 11.

Verse 1. One night, I just could not manage to get to sleep. I sensed that it might have something
to do with Jesus. 2. So I followed my intuition and located him. I found him in one of his favorite
places-- in the Garden of Gethsemane.
3. In the bright moonlight, hidden behind some bushes, I saw Jesus on his knees. I knew that he
was speaking with the inner God, the "indwelling holy Spirit," as he often called It. 4. He had often
taught, "If your thoughts do not seem to be clear, but are obscure and dim, try turning them into
words, and speaking out loud. 5. This will help make them lucid. This was what Jesus was now doing.
6. "God," Jesus said, "knows everything, so don't let yourself become so arrogant that you try to teach
Him, or inform Him, or preach to Him, in prayer.
7. The art of prayer is created for you; it does not enrich God the tiniest bit.
8. "Even before you know, or have formulated, your own thoughts, God already knows them. And He
knows what is best for you, even if it is not the same thing that you would choose for yourself."
9. So, as he taught us to do, Jesus was now speaking aloud, but softly, to the Spirit: "Deep inner
Father, who looks at the world through my eyes, and who changes it through my hands, let me die to
my human self. 10. Let this self be crucified for You. May You fill me as wine fills a chalice, until you
are overflowing through this being. 11. Let me disappear into you, that My true Self might manifest.
Let me be only an empty, clear mirror of Your Love. 12. Let me be a crystal, through which your
bright light shines clearly into a world of darkness.
"Guide me always, in all ways, in the Way of Love. 13. Keep Me always awake and alert to My
oneness with You, at the core of My Being. Speak Your words in Me, act your Love through Me.
14. Let Me be filled with You. O Beloved, make me always aware that I am one with You. 15. Bring
my friends into this gnosis, so that they may be one, just as You and I are one-- You in Me, and I in
them. 16. Grant the Power to Love without judgment or condition, without demand or expectation.
Grant the Power to be Love, and to become Love, without self, in love for, and with, all creation."

CHAPTER 12.

Verse 1. Jesus continued his private prayer, while I scrambled to make quick notes in the bright
moonlight: "Father, the 'dragons' of the lower self arise. May the inner 'angels' of light rise up and cast
them, and bind them, to the 'earth' in me. 2. May they flee from before the face of Spirit. May I
always be Spirit incarnate, the embodiment of the Loveprinciple.
3. May You come quickly to every heart, destroying the 'earth' within all of us, releasing 'heaven'
instead, in the bliss of Your Love.
4. "Allow me, please, to take away some of the awesome, great pain of this world, to give my very
life for this world, that people might touch infinite joy and bottomless peace.
5. Place the burdens of karma belonging to others upon my back. Let me take the reflective force of
evil into Me, and transform it all into Love. Let there be nothing, and no one, here but Love. 6. Let
Me become Love. Empty Me completely of everything but Love, and let nothing stand in the way of
Love's fullest blossoming. 7. Let Me bear the pains and injuries of the people of earth, and let Me bear
even their death within this body.
8. Forgive and release all sin through Me.
 "May My Love be great enough to cancel a myriad of myriads of sins, that they may be as if they
never existed. 9. Place upon Me the karmic burden of the multitudes, and let that karma be as if it
never existed. Let My Love grow so deep and real that my death will cover ten thousand deaths. 10.
For I know that one yielding, voluntary death can cover ten thousand deaths of destiny. So, crucify me,
so that some of the great evil and ignorance of the world might be cleansed, and evaporate in the sun
of Your Love. 11. Father, if only one man can forgive the entire cosmos, then the cosmos stands
forgiven. And if only one stainless man can die voluntarily for his friends, then those friends need
never die. 12. For whatever is released in the mind of earth is also released in the heavenly Mind. So,
through Me and in Me, forgive the world. 13. I, one with You, forgive, and so You forgive. I give all to
gain all, one with You, clinging to nothing in this world. 14. May all things be placed upon the altar of
Love. Thy will be done, in my earthbeing, as it is already done in my heavenbeing. 15. Let your
kingdom come, to and through all hearts. May all hearts everywhere be filled with pure Light and
Love."

CHAPTER 13.

Verse 1. Suddenly, he burst into tears. "I wanted to own her," he gasped. 2. "I hungered
passionately for her warmth, her softness, her lovely nakedness, her beautiful, tender breasts. 3. But
it is all illusion. Help me! I am about to fall back into illusion! 4. Save me, great Father! Shine your
light of Reality into my heart. 5. Two do not become one through simple joining. So fuse our hearts
and souls, dear Father, that we might be truly one. 6. She is the mate, the wife, of my soul. Let our
Love last forever, grow forever.
7. In the world to come, may I fuse with Mary, soul to soul, heart to heart. Let no one ever put
asunder what You have yoked together!" 8. His voice became softer, and I moved closer: "To touch
her, to stroke her hair and her delicate skin."
9. His voice drifted away. Then he almost roared: "I want you, Mary! I want you so badly! I can't live
without you!"
10. At first, I was afraid that he had seen me. But he had not. It seemed easy for him to express
such "forbidden" thoughts when he believed himself alone, but when he was with me, he did not say
these things. 11. I knew then that I was viewing the soul of the man, stripped naked. I turned away, in
shame, and quickly left that place. I could still hear Jesus crying as I fled into the night.

CHAPTER 14.

Verse 1. Baaliah spoke of Jesus: "He is an abomination. He is a liar with delusions of godhood. 2.
His arrogance has driven him mad. He rejects and blasphemes God. 3. He also hates the people of
God, and the leaders of God. He hates the holy Scriptures, and mocks our religion." 4. These were
some of the horrible words used by the despicable Baaliah in a speech given in the synagogue. I had
managed to sneak unnoticed in the back, during the worst of this sermon against Jesus.
5. "He is also an immoral man," lied the teacher. "We must see to it that our sons, wives, and
daughters are not exposed to his filthy talk about 'love.'" 6. This elder's lips were not worthy even to
utter the name of Love, or the name of Jesus. Jesus was as far advanced beyond this pig as a man is
above a dog. 7. "This teaching of 'universal love' is so pernicious. Some among his followers are
prostitutes!" He seemed slapped in the face by the scandalous nature of his words. I was slapped
almost senseless by their cutting viciousness. 8. His own shock spread through the congregation like
wildfire. I was glad that Jesus wasn't there. 9. He would have been in real danger of being stoned.
And considering his propensity and preference for death, I don't believe that he would have been safe
among these religious fanatics.
10. Baaliah continued shamelessly: "He is a lunatic, and a scoundrel. Among his favorite followers
is a taxcollector-- almost as ugly a disciple as a whore." 11. His words stung, not for the first time.
And this little fat man was making me very angry. 12. The idiot continued: "He is a rogue who claims
that sin is okay, since God will unfailingly forgive. No wonder all his disciples are sinners!" 13. You
could tell by their envious expressions that the men and women gathered thought that sin was "fun,"
and that the man Jesus was "getting away with" something. 14. "He is nasty, and dirty," the elder
continued. He is a wandering vagabond, a homeless bum who lives from the goods and money of
decent, respectable people such as yourselves. 15. He is also a pollutant and contaminant to the
House of Israel. Not only does he think that sin is perfectly acceptable. 16. He also teaches that God
will forgive, but he dares to blaspheme by claiming himself to have the power to forgive. 17. And he
forgives people, right on the spot! Now, there's a handy talent, if you are going to be getting favor
with whores, thieves, and drunks!" 18. Everyone laughed on cue, but there was neither joy nor mirth
in the awful sound. It was the evil laughter of scorn.
19. Baaliah continued to beat the dead horse, lest anyone miss his intent: "'Do whatever you want,'
Jesus says, 'for God will forgive.' 20. He does not really take sin seriously.' Thus, he undermines the
roots of our families, our religion, our communities, and our state. 21. He destroys families, and he
himself said, 'I came to bring, not peace, but a sword. 22. For a man's enemies will be those of his
own household.' 23. He beguiles the foolish and ignorant with talk about 'no Scripture, no doctrine.'
These uneducated beggars and homeless people who pitiably listen to him are stupid enough to believe
that he speaks truth. 24. All the time, he is really a secret servant of the archenemy of God, Satan.
He prophecies that he will die soon. 25. If we have anything to say about it, that will be his only true
prophecy!" The people began to shout, with bloodthirsty eyes, and the place was in an uproar. 26.
"There can be no doubt about it: This carpenter's son, from Nazareth, is very dangerous!" That was a
double curse: to be of poor heritage and common worker's background, and to hail from the poorest,
most immoral city in the country. 27. "It is up to us, your leaders, to put a stop to this cruel man, with
all his blasphemies and immoralities."

CHAPTER 15.

Verse 1.The unruly crowd roared its energetic approval.

Baaliah pushed on in his lies. 2. He said of Jesus, "He has exposed himself to false religion. He has let
himself fall under the spell of the people of Tao, and the Brahmins, and the followers of Buddha. 3.
He is clearly a practicer of the dark arts of sorcery and demonism. Many have witnessed his spells,
conjuries, and magic. 4. He is himself demonized, as all leaders agree. And these leaders allow
themselves to be guided only by God, since they are appointed by holy spirit."
5. A wave of absolute horror flowed through the crowd, for they were a highly superstitious people.
They feared the ugly heinous insanity of "possession" more than any other fate, and Baaliah stormed
forward with accusations that Jesus was "possessed by Beelzebub."
6. "How do we know that he is possessed?" a voice rang out.
7. Baaliah replied smoothly, "He teaches crazy ideas, and demonic interpretations. He lies, saying
that the Lord of the universe is mere Love. 8. He thinks that the real world is a dream. He says that
his dreams of the afterlife are more real than everyday life. 9. Clearly, he wants to turn the world
upsidedown! Who but the archfiend could ever be behind such backward reversals of the common,
everyday order?
10. "Also, he commands the spirits, and they obey. The command of Jehovah is, 'Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live.' 11. And so, his only deserved and valid penalty, the only punishment that he
brings upon himself, is death." 12. The crowd roared its enthusiastic approval. "He claims that his
work is that of holy Spirit. 13. But there is nothing holy about that band of scoundrels and whores that
follows him."
14. "Is he a lover of Romans?" a man cried out.
"Yes. 15. He is himself the product of a rape, or at least, sexual union, between a Roman and a
Jewess virgin." The crowd roared its vicious, unforgiving anger It lusted for blood.

CHAPTER 16.
 Verse 1. To have anything to do with Romans was sure and certain anathema in the eyes of any
good Jew. This crowd was in no mood to hear of peace or reconciliation with the despised "pagan"
Romans. 2. "And, even worse," continued the rabblerousing Baaliah, "this Jesus dares to tell us to 'love
the Romans'! He says that these butchers and pigs are our 'sisters and brothers'! 3. If he had his way,
we would just lie down and let the Roman bastards cut our heads off. He would have us smile while
they burned our houses and slit the throats of our sons. 4. They would rape our wives and daughters!"
The crowd went wild. 5. "He says, 'Do not resist evil.' He says, 'If a Roman makes you walk one mile,
go two with him.' 6. He wants cooperation with the Satanic Roman empire! Well, we will never give
him the satisfaction of rolling over and dying for Rome!" 7. Now, the crowd was frenetic, and clearly
more bloodlust had accumulated. They began to stir and roar dangerously. 8. I feared that they would
discover that I was a follower of Jesus. and I prayed fervently to the inner Creator that I would not be
exposed.
9. Baaliah continued relentlessly, "Jesus is, in short, a traitor to our nation, and has earned fully
the scorn and unconditional damnation of Jehovah!" Then he said words that made my heart leap from
my chest.
10. "He has a follower called 'Mary of Magdala,' who is even worse. This scandalous woman does not
even have the decency to hide the fact that, for many years, she was a prostitute!
11. In fact, she often talks about it as if she were proud! Since meeting 'her Lord,' as she calls Jesus,
she says that her life has changed.
12. "But Jesus comes to see her at night, in her tent, and I, for one, don'[t believe that they are talking
philosophy, do you?"
The crowd's ferocity bubbled over, and they all shouted, with one huge voice, "No!"
13. They all laughed their sickening, sarcastic sounds again, and the energy in that place grew foul
and suffocating. 14. "We all know that he sleeps with her, and then, excuses his disgusting immorality
as 'love.'" My hands began to tremble, and I hated myself for not having the courage to defend my
beloved. 15. But I knew fully well that I would have been torn, mercilessly, limb-from-limb by that
mad, frenzied crowd. So I kept my silence, weeping and becoming a bundle of nerves, and growing
sicker by the minute.

CHAPTER 17.

Verse 1. "Naturally," the liar continued, "we have disfellowshipped this man from the synagogue.
But that has not stopped his virulent evil. 2. Of course, "he added, condescendingly shrugging, "his so-
called 'Way' attracts only women, children, and slaves. So, it will soon pass away, and have no effect
on the world, since it is nothing but an illusion. 3. But watch your families, brothers! For this
infection can be quite deadly. 4. It is a form of paganism and satanism that can infect your family
with sudden disaster.
5. It will give you all a terrible case of spiritual 'plague' even before you notice it! It is extraordinarily
subtle, but fatal to your soul."
6. "We have prohibited the congregation from even speaking with this demonic man or his
followers," cried an elder. "What more can we do?"
7. Baaliah replied, "In this extreme case, disfellowshipment alone might not be enough. For he still
talks, and would mislead even the elders, if possible. 8. this man must be stopped! We must silence
him, for the good of the entire congregation.
9. He must be shut up once and for all, permanently and completely. This is for the good of our larger
congregation, the entire nation. 10. I have carefully discussed the matter with Annas and Caiphas, the
high priests. They believe that if this Jesus is to continue speaking, Rome will attack and trample us,
and thousands of our children will die. 11. The only solution that they could come up with was to
follow the injunction of the holy Scriptures. That is, even though it might seem extreme, we must do
away with this false prophet.
12. In order to do this, it will be necessary to call forth the dogs of Rome to do our bidding. Roman
law prevents our killing anyone, no matter how much he deserves execution. 13. But the Romans can
execute anyone. So, here is our plan:
"14. Jesus talks constantly about the 'kingdom of God.' Now, we all know how sensitive, even
paranoid, Rome is about rivals to the authority of her Empire. 15. She will tolerate no ruler but those
appointed by her, approved by her, that is, by Caesar. Now, Jesus is clearly talking about a rival
kingdom. 16. And he claims to be the king of that kingdom. Rome is bound to get very nervous if she
hears that an independent kingdom is being set up by a bunch of fanatical Jews. 17. For we Jews have
never given Rome an easy time, and she has dominated us, finally subduing us, only at enormous costs.
18. The Roman rulers and Roman officials of our area will panic if we accuse them of allowing an
alternative government to be set up in their territory. 19. As selfstyled 'king' of his own 'kingdom,'
Jesus is guilty of treason against Rome. And treason is the one crime that Rome will not countenance.
20. This is the most serious of all capital crimes."
"But aren't people horribly executed for that crime?" I shouted, then withdrew back into safer
silence. 21. A few cast suspicious glances at me.
"Yes," admitted Baaliah. "The criminal is crucified.
22. This is done as an example and warning to any others who might have the idea of treason. But if
we do not permit this to occur to one man, twenty thousand of our sons will be hung on crosses!" 23.
The crowd became uncontrollable in its fear and fury. It ran out of that place shouting, "Death to the
Nazarene!" and, "Death to Jesus the apostate!"

CHAPTER 18.

Verse 1. Warning lectures were ordered in all the synagogues throughout the land against the new
"false Messiah," Jesus of Nazareth. The Jews sent official representatives to Rome, bringing gifts to
Caesar. 2. This was in order to make it clear that the sympathies of the Jewish community were with
Rome only. It also proved that the official nation fully despised and rejected this false "king," Jesus. 3.
Thus was the great "machine" of their plan to crucify him set in awful motion. They loudly, actively,
verbally disowned Jesus, very often and at every opportunity. 4. They distanced themselves as far as
possible from the "doomed selfstyled holy man."
5. "Does he himself claim to be a king, or have only his disciples said this about him?" a Roman
army-officer among Pontius Pilate's Royal Guard asked me.
6. "I don't know very much about it," I lied. "But he does say that his 'kingdom' is 'not of this world.'
7. The 'king' of that kingdom is not Jesus the man, but God." 8. I didn't see the necessity of trying to
explain to this enemy the mystical teaching that God dwelled in Jesus fully. 9. Jesus had disowned
and de-identified with his human self. So, Jesus was the king, but only insofar as he had become God.
10. In a way, then, each complete follower would be a 'king'-- and I suppose that I would be a 'queen' of
that kingdom too.
11. "Well, it hardly matters," the man replied gruffly. "A master is fully responsible for whatever is
said by his disciples, and this is one 'spiritual teacher' who is in great trouble."
12. Dejected, I knew that he was right. The Romans accused Jesus of treason against Rome, and
the Jews, of treason against Jehovah. 13. We had almost no friends anywhere. And we-- the followers
of Jesus, were an unorganized group of widely scattered believers. 14. And we often felt compelled to
keep our faith secret, so it was hard to find another follower. 15. the world was so big, and contained
so many people.
Last week, we had an informal gathering (since there is no other kind among us). 16. We discussed
giving ourselves a name. The "Jesusians" and "the "Jesusites" were rejected, because they brought and
drew attention to the man Jesus-- the last thing that he wanted. 17. We finally settled on "Christites,"
but the name is only tenuous, and probably temporary. It was chosen because "Christ" is the goal of us
all.
18. In the past, Rome has severely punished the Jews for trying to set up their own kings. This was
nothing new, and Romans were almost bored with the stories of Jewish heroism and stubbornness. 19.
But Baaliah was right about one thing: They would not take lightly, or look kindly upon, any attempt to
recognize any rival king against Caesar. The Jews against Jesus were beginning to adopt, as a motto,
"We have no king but Caesar." 20. This clearly distinguished them from us Christites, who would never
utter such an accursed loyaltyoath.
21. Jesus was never made a formal rabbi, which is another reason why the Jews reject him. They
no longer permit him even to speak in any of their synagogues. 22. He is certainly not at all welcome
in the Temple-- not after his "tantrum" there. It was there that he made a whip of ropes and drove out
the bankers like humiliated cattle. 23. He was totally rejected by the "people of Jehovah," and their
organization. They portrayed him as a disreputable and immoral scoundrel.
24. So, Jesus, and his "Christites," were quite alone and isolated in a world filled with skeptics and
various enemies. And, thanks to his outspokenness, Jesus made quite a few powerful ones-- men that
you did not dare annoy, men who could have you killed. 25. And these were men who, upon murdering
an innocent, would congratulate themselves for having done the "will of God."

CHAPTER 19.

Verse 1. Periodically, when speaking to the Jews, Jesus quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. He
explained, "We must try not to push people away from, but attract them to, the Way of Love. 2. If we
were in India, we could easily use the Upanishads for this purpose. But here in Palestine, we are stuck
with combing the Hebrew Scriptures. 3. They have little nuggets of gold here and there. We are not
Jews anymore. 4. But we can reach the greatest peace and accord with the Jews by using their
revered Scriptural texts. So, use them whenever possible when dealing, or speaking, with the Jewish
people."
5. "But aren't those texts inspired?" asked John Mark. "Weren't they written by the infallible 'finger
of God'?"
6. "The ancient texts were written by men," Jesus answered. "They were often good, and even
wise, men. 7. They were 'inspired' in the sense that they wholeheartedly and enthusiastically endorsed
what they wrote. It stirred their souls to the pursuit of religion. 8. But the ancient texts are not
infallible, as the Jewish instructors say."
"So, need we follow them at all?" I asked.
9. "When they tell you to do good, that is, follow the Way of Love, yes, follow the Scriptures. But
when they say things that are false about God, you can dispense with the Scriptures. 10. For example,
the god of the Jews was a local god, and God is God of the entire universe-- of all peoples, in all times.
The writers of the ancient texts could not even understand this idea, and did not teach it. 11. Their
ancient 'Jehovah' was a wargod, who participated in violent, stupid, parochial warfare. Their god
became angry, and it is not possible for the Father ever to become angry. 12. What the ancients
attributed to the 'wrath of God' could make more sense by natural explanations. The Israeli army was
sometimes defeated, for example. 13. This did not mean that their deity was angry. Palestine
experienced plagues, droughts, and storms, but this did not mean that a god was venting his wrath. 14.
The only activities of the true God are Love and forgiveness. The true God is never politically active,
especially not in the tiny affairs of insignificant countries or tribal groups.
15. "He is above all that pettiness. He never feels or manifest anger, for that is a reaction to
frustration. 16. Having all Power, He can never be frustrated. So, God can never be angry. 17. Also,
God is never favoritistic. God has no 'chosen people,' for all people are his children-- never some more
than others."
18. "This is a stunning teaching," said James. "Who can listen to these words?"
19. "Open your hearts and minds, and you can hear clearly what the Spirit is saying to all of you,"
answered Jesus. "It is telling you that all persons are equal before God. 20. There is no special or
privileged race, no superior race or religion. All over the world, God has revealed Himself in various
ways to different people."
CHAPTER 20.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to speak of the universality of truth among all cultures: "All people of
Love have spoken under the influence of the holy Spirit. Many of them have written down the beautiful
words of oneness and Love."
2. "You say that God was behind these writings," said James. "Let me see if I'm getting this
straight. 3. I've heard you refer to the Upanishads of India as if you believe that they contain great
truths. Yet you don't believe that the Hebrew Scriptures were inspired?" 4. His eyes grew wide with
incredulity. He shook his head in bewilderment.
5. "No, James, that's wrong," said Jesus. ""As I've said, I do believe that some of the Hebrew
Scriptures were 'inspired.' 6. But I don't believe that the whole Hebrew Bible is infallible. It was
written by men-- usually, good men.
7. They, nevertheless, still had their cultural and religious prejudices. So, they presented God as the
god of their nation only. 8. Just as the Amorites, Moabites, and other ancient peoples each considered
themselves to be the 'chosen people' of their particular gods, so the Hebrews thought themselves the
'chosen people' of Jehovah. In reality, they were the only ones who worshipped Jehovah, and so, had
no rivals. 9. But many, not all, Jews misunderstand history. So, they consider themselves to be the
'chosen people' of the God of the universe. 10. Again, I say unto you, God is the God of all people. He
has no favorites, no 'chosen people.' 11. You who follow Me, and the Way, must not retain a trace of
this religious and racial prejudice. You must cast away forever all ideas of racial superiority. 12. For
this is the only Way that you will be recognized as really following Me: You will have Love for all.
13. "As far as the 'holy books' are concerned, there are writings that are truly 'holy' and filled with
truth from all cultures. These were given to women and men of all centuries, and often came to be
recognized as 'holy Scriptures' by the local populations, even as the Jews have done."
14. "What about the Vedas?" asked Thomas.
15. "They are very ancient texts. They are a 'groping' after truth. 16. But, similar to the ancient
Hebrew lawcode, they tend towards mechanical legalism. They also support social separations. 17.
They support the ungodly caste-system, with its 'outcastes.' So, they did not come from God. 18. The
later Upanishads, however, were texts of purest Love and mystical oneness. This is how you can
recognize a text that is truly sacred and inspired by God: 19. It will teach Love, and the oneness of all
aware life in God, the Absolute, the Ultimate, the Father, the Mother."

CHAPTER 21.

Verse 1. It was a sacrilege so blasphemous that death was its penalty, in Mosaic lawcodes. This
"lethal sin" was the flat contradiction of Scripture. 2. But Jesus said, "The Scriptures were written for
human beings. Human beings were not created for Scriptures." 3. He had already said the same thing
about all other religious laws. This scandalous principle included even the Sabbath. 4. Indeed, his
breaking of the sabbath was notorious throughout the land.
5. His critics are many, popular, and powerful. They say, "He just ignores the Torah, the Jewish law,
whenever it is convenient."
6. "It is," they say, "colossal impiety and arrogance to say that human beings are more important
than the laws of Jehovah."
7. It was the inherent right of every male Jew to speak in the synagogue. But this was a right
forbidden to, snatched away from, Jesus. 8. So, he spoke wherever he could. A few of us, usually
about five to seven, followed him around. 9. We meandered from marketplace, to hillside, to various
homes of Christites. 10. Sometimes, in fact, we would end up at the houses of Jewish sympathizers or
wellwishers. In time, it was no surprise that the entire city of Jerusalem seemed filled with talk of the
"mad holy man."
11. The Jewish educated "elite" dismissed as "ignorant" the claims that Jesus could heal the sick by
laying his hands on them, according to an ancient tradition. It's true that superstitions ran regularly
rampant among the people. 12. But while with Jesus, I saw him lay his hands on people. They did not
all get well. 13. Jesus said that healing depended not on him, but on the "faith" of the one being
healed. And not all had sufficient faith. 14. But some were cured. I was witness to his gentle hands'
healing of colds, headaches, body-pains, chills, arthritis, and many other maladies and ailments. 15. I
did not see him heal the blind, or the severely crippled. But his trustworthy friends claim that he did
even these "miracles."
16. I don't doubt it. His great Love for all is a subtle but very real force that, under the right
conditions, supports and even speeds natural healing activities of the mind and body.
17. But Jesus claims no special Power. He says that, deep within, we all have access to this same
Power. 18. He is a plain, ordinary, uneducated, some would say "coarse," man. He is not welcomed in
the upper social circles. 19. Some, because he has whores for friends, dismiss him even as "crude."
Others refuse even to speak of him, saying that those such as he are better off ignored altogether.
20. But there is something miraculous and stunning about the deep, inner, subtle beauty of this
man. I note these things, of course, as a woman in love.

CHAPTER 22.

Verse 1. I admit that I am in love with this man, so how else can I write? For I have deeply loved
him since the very moment that I laid eyes on him.
2. Only one thing stands between us now. But it is of major importance, and can be a gigantic
obstacle. 3. He is very strongly rooted in the idea that sex does and should imply, and even lead to,
marriage. Since we will never marry, he will not share sexually with me. 4. I think that this is
nonsense. But he has not yielded yet on this. 5. He can be an enormously, remarkably stubborn man.
More kindly, perhaps I should write that he is "determined."
6. Jesus cares nothing about what anyone thinks, nothing about what I think, nothing about
impressing the "right people." He dismisses as unimportant and irrelevant the fact that he has attended
none of the elders' special ministryschools. 7. He has rejected and despised the admiration of the
people and their leaders. That is why the leaders hate him so. 8. He simply refuses to play their little
social and political games. They say, "Anything that this man can do, if he does anything at all, is done
through the black magical arts of Beelzebub."
9. This is a name for the lord of darkness. This name was originally an insult, for it means "lord of the
flies."
10. The fact that Jesus has not married, and that so many of his closest friends are men, has led to
the wide rumor that he is a man who lies with males. But I can assure you that he is not. 11. He,
more fully than any man I have ever met, enjoys the pure sensuality of the body as a "gift of God," as
he says. He also calls it a "treasure of Love." 12. We have come very, very close to engaging in mutual
sexual intercourse. But he always draws the line, and will not permit himself to know me in that way.
13. When I seek to discuss this, he sometimes withdraws into inner silence. This, he claims, is an area
of mind he describes as "immutable tranquillity."
14. Even when Jesus was young, in his twenties, he was a very silent and introspective man. The
elders tried to open him up. 15. But his silence was like a stone wall. He made no friends among
them. 16. He also had few if any friends in his homecommunity, for the people there were all
orthodox Jews. And if there was ever anything that Jesus was not, it was "orthodox."

CHAPTER 23.

Verse 1. Now that he has denied, more than once, and in public, that Israel is the elect of God, he
has alienated countless more. He has made even more enemies. 2. He has stunned everyone. Also, he
was foolhardy enough to say , in public, about a pagan Roman, Nowhere in all of Israel have I found so
great a faith as this man possesses."
 3. The accusations of some of his more moderate critics cannot be dismissed. They claim that he
claims to be a prophet. 4. He did say of himself, "A prophet is not accepted in his hometown."
He justified his openness to the pagans by pointing out that the great Jewish heroes Elijah and
Elisha did also go to pagans, and have dealings with them. 5. He also points out that the greatest
Jewish hero of all, Moses, was, like Jesus, reared in the pagan civilization of Egypt. There he received
a complete education. 6. Harsher critics say that his openness to pagans is demonic. It ignores the
law of Jehovah, which prohibits all pagan contact. 7. That law says, "Separate yourselves from among
them, and quit touching the unclean thing." (Among his worst opponents are the Pharisees-- a name
that itself means "separate.")
8. By implying that all people are the children of one God, he has introduced, they say, a kind of
joining of many faiths. Worse, he has introduced an entirely new God. 9. He even forbids his
followers to use the name "Jehovah" when talking about the real and eternal God of Love. So, when he
is accused of "forming a new and "strange" religion, different from Judaism," that is hard to refute. 10.
I think that he might be doing exactly that. And, from many discussions that I've shared with him, I
think that this is his intention.
11. "When a fruit is rotten, you do not eat it," he said. "When a religion is corrupt and false, you
leave it behind.
12. The only good, kind, moral response is to seek, and to offer people, a new spiritual path. ?The
offer must be universal, excluding no one."
13. "Would you say that the Christites are an alternative religion?" I asked, a little stunned.
14. "Yes," he said. "The followers of Christ, or, as you say the 'Christites,' are clearly My new
spiritual path. This new faith will appeal to many unhappy Jews. 15. But in time, it will attract
Gentiles as well."
16. I was even more astonished at these words. "You mean," i said, amazement in my voice, "that
Jews and Gentiles will agree actually to worship together, and to share sacred teachings?
17. Since the time of our most ancient ancestors, our separation from foreigners has always marked
our religion as unique."
18. "Yes, it has," said Jesus. "But that uniqueness and separation have become a major problem.
19. The Gentiles see this exclusivity as a form of spiritual snobbery and racial superiority 20. It is
time that the walls of prejudice collapse. It is time that men and women join hand to hand, under the
Fatherhood of the one, single, unified God."

CHAPTER 24.

Verse 1. Jesus continued his stunning revelation of his new spiritual vision: "For if the one God is
Father of all, all people are brothers and sisters."
2. I was aghast. "Are you saying that there is no advantage at all to being a Jew?"
3. "No spiritual or universal advantage at all," he replied, the firmness of stone in his voice. "God
equally loves all people. 4. My mission is to the world, not just to Palestine. My followers will come
from all lands and cultures."
5. I was a bit shocked and shaken, but I trusted this man as I have never before believed in any
man. So, I tried to open my heart even to such scandalous and dangerous words.
6. "Actually," he continued, "There has been only one faith from the beginning. This is the Way of
Love and union with God, the Absolute. 7. People in various countries have elaborated and
embellished it. So, it has evolved into many forms-- Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Judaism. 8.
Even My Way will, in time, evolve into a community of many, often conflicting, variations. This tragedy
wounds My soul. 9. But, human nature being what it is, I must be realistic. I realize that, in time, My
own followers will become divided. 10. They will hate each other, in My name."
11. "Can't your teachings prevent this catastrophe?" I asked, worried.
12. Jesus replied, "If My teachings were carried intact and unchanged into the future, this tragedy
of hatred and division would never happen. But, in time, people will pick and choose among My words,
and even destroy the ones that they do not want. 13. My words will be used to support hate,
prejudice, and even political struggles. Monstrous men and fools will call themselves by My name. 14.
Of course, there will be many who will remain true to My sayings. To them I, the Spirit, will reveal
even more. 15. In about two millennia, the words of your little book will be rediscovered, and will
touch the lives of many."

CHAPTER 25.

Verse 1. "This new religion, this Christism, is damnable apostasy," an elder told me. "We cannot,
and will not, make friends with this religion 2. For it is far more dangerous than even other forms of
paganism."
3. "Why do you say that it is more dangerous than other religions?" I asked. I had invited this man
to my home for a meal, and we spoke after the dinner. 4. He had seemed a tiny bit sympathetic to our
new cause, and we desperately needed friends. But it appeared that I had completely misinterpreted
him. 5. For he hated the Christites as venomously as any of its other enemies. Still, it gave me a
valuable chance to question the enemy.
6. "The Christites are more dangerous because, on the surface, they appear to be more like
Judaism. Also, their teacher, this mad liar Jesus, was once a Jew. 7. Heaven, like satan, quotes from
the holy writings of our people. He has misled many people. 8. So, there must be no compromise with
this demonic teaching. Let me appeal to you, Mary, to remain a faithful daughter of the house of
Israel. 9. Turn away from these monstrous and pernicious falsehoods."
10. I was a little surprised that he was now trying to "save" me from my new faith. But I knew that,
despite his ignorance and prejudice, his motives were good.
11. "We must expend every moment, every breath, every last bit of our energy, to resist this
spiritual plague. Otherwise, we will all perish from it. 12. We must marshal the arsenals of heaven
and earth against this dangerous socalled 'prophet.' We must stamp out this heresy until not a trace of
it remains."
13. "How can you possibly silence a man such as Jesus? I hear that he is very stubborn. 14. I hear
that he can also be quite outspoken." I always tried to present myself as a stranger to the new faith
when I was with its enemies.
15. In a low, hushed voice, he said, "There is increasing talk of using the Romans to silence him."
16. "Would they kill him?" I asked, feigning indifference, but hanging onto his every word.
17. "No, my sister, I do not believe so. But they can put him in bonds, or in prison, to keep the
peace. 18. He is getting a reputation as an agitator. The Romans hate and fear any kind of
rabblerousers. 19. It seems that, every few years, the poor and ignorant crowds find themselves some
new 'holy man.' This is just another one of many. 20. This is really nothing new."

CHAPTER 26.

Verse 1. "I hear," I said of Jesus, "that he teaches that God is tender, merciful, and forgiving.
What's wrong with that?"
2. He grew gentle. "Nothing is wrong with that, my daughter, as far as it goes. But it implies the
lie that God is all sweetness and light. 3. This is dangerous, for in reality, our god is wrathful as well.
He says, 'Vengeance belongs to me.' 4. It is one of his greatest pleasures to punish the evildoer. He
can be fierce and even ferocious. 5. But this Jesus wants to ignore all this. God has a violent side that
can be quite harsh. 6. God might seem to be unyielding. That might even seem cruel to people who do
not understand."
7. "Is God cruel?" I just had to ask.
8. "God seems cruel to the wicked. To the righteous and just, our god is a fountain of life. 9. But
to evildoers, he is a flame of tormenting fire. And the evil will be justly sent to eternal fire for their
sins. 10. This is not evil, but justice. It is due and fitting revenge. 11. This crazy Jesus teaches that
even the evil and unregenerate are 'children of God.' But that makes it okay to sin. 12. And what
could be more dangerous than this license to evil of every sort? For that matter, this misguided
'teacher' teaches the lie that nothing is evil.
13. That, of course, is just what his sinful and foolish followers want to hear. This is, of course, so
they can indulge their sinful and lascivious lusts. 14. This 'philosophy; of Jesus is a sheer and ludicrous
idealism. It takes no account of reality, which it ignores and brushes aside. 15. It ignores reality for
wishful thinking and sentimentality."
This man did not know that it was the tender sentimentality of the message of Jesus that first
attracted me. 16. This, in fact, was one of its greatest strengths. If this man had known anything, he
would have seen that this tenderness was not a weakness at all. 17. But he was a typical cynical and
hard religious leader. Still, the man personally had a softer side. 18. He possessed some genuine
goodness, but it was his religion that made him cold, rigid, and judgmental.
19. He said, "If it continues, this laughable religion will destroy all moral law and social order. It
ignores the laws of the ancestors, without which our culture dissolves into chaos.
20. If, as Jesus says, every man and woman has his or her own connection with God, we will have as
many faiths as we have people, and life will crumble into disorder, confusion, and horrible,
irretrievable loss. 21. This would represent the end of civil order as we know it. Men would revert to
brutes and savages. 22. It is only the Law that prevents this. In this chaos, 'sin' would not even exist.
23. There is no teaching as insidious, or as destructive to the weakened faith, as that all sin will be
forgiven."

CHAPTER 27.

Verse 1. I then asked the elder, "Are you absolutely sure that Jesus actually teaches that all sins
will be forgiven?"
"Yes, absolutely! He has said this more than once. 2. He makes it very plain that he believes in
universal forgiveness, if not the damnable heresy of universal salvation! 3. I heard him say these very
words: 'There is no sin greater than our Father's Love. Our Father has forever, to forgive all sin. 4.
And every sin, no matter what blasphemies that men commit, will be forgiven them.' Can you imagine?"
5. He shook his head, obviously scandalized. He sighed the sigh of a man who had just been missed by
a deadly arrow, as if relieved to have escaped a terrible fate. 6. He then continued: "There is also no
teaching more destructive to the fabric of true social order than that all men are equal before God. I'm
sure that the Romans can get him for either of these socially dangerous teachings, or many others. 7.
He is hurting the people, disregarding all the lessons of history and civilization.
8. "Also, this claim by his followers, that there is only one Leader, invisible, in the heart, is absurd.
They say that this 'inner Master,' which they call 'Love,' is equally available to all. 9. They also call this
'inner Leader' the 'holy Spirit,' or 'Paraclete.'"
10. God truly speaks, but not to people in their 'hearts,' as these Christites claim. God speaks only
through his organization and its leaders. 11. God communicates only through the Governing Body, the
Sanhedrin. God simply doesn't appear in your room at night, and tell you how to live. 12. God does
not come to people in visions, or dreams. God does not come to people at all, as he did in ancient
times." 13. He laughed scornfully. "People who believe that are not holy. They're mad!"
14. Speaking of "mad" holy men, Jesus' cousin John, called the Baptizer, was a fiery giant. He was a
friendly hermit.
15. He lived in the wilds, ate bugs and honey, and dressed in a hot camelhair garment. He ranted and
raved about the coming "kingdom of God." 16. He seemed to believe that this kingdom was some sort
of actual government or army. It would, he thought, conquer the earth and liberate Judea. 17. He
wore the uncomfortable pelt, with a unique leather girdle, as an identification with Elijah. ?This
ancient and respected prophet was reputed to have dressed in this way. 18. Jesus always taught that
John was a reincarnation of Elijah. John was also gradually coming to believe this as well. 19. But he
feared persecution if he made such an outrageous claim publicly. So his policy was simply to deny it.
 20. I went out to see him. He was dripping wet from his baptizing work in the Jordan. That only
added charmingly to his powerful aura of eccentricity.

CHAPTER 28.

Verse 1. John the Baptizer smiled as soon as he saw me. We sat on a blanket on the shore, as he
took a break from his 'marathon' of baptizing.
2. John said, "The Pharisees asked me whether I was Elijah, for they wanted to start trouble. That's
fairly easy to do with an Aries like me." He laughed. 3. "I told them that I was not Elijah. But when
talking later to Jesus, he convinced me that I had the soul of Elijah. 4. He asked me to close my eyes
and imagine things. He said to give him the first answers that came to my mind. 5. Then, he asked
some pretty ordinary questions. But later, he asked some that required a knowledge of history. 6.
These were far beyond the abilities of a simple man such as myself. Still, I gave all the right answers.
7. He told me that only Elijah would have known some of them. He said that I did not remember much
from that life, so long ago, because my 'karmic memory' was dull. 8. That sounded like an insult. I
probably would have hit any other man for saying it. But you know how it is with Jesus." 9. He smiled
sweetly, like a little boy. "I couldn't," he continued, "hit that great little guy in a thousand years."
10. "Do you honestly believe that you are Elijah?" I asked.
11. "Yes, now, I certainly do. I've had some crazy dreams lately, about Elijah. 12. I've dreamed
often of his life, his friends, his world.
13. These dreams are so very vivid and 'real' that Jesus says that they are memories. I think that he's
right."
14. "Are you getting along better with the Pharisees these days?" I asked. We smiled knowingly at
each other.
15. "Not really," he said. "Those people really are hypocrites. 16. Jesus is surely right about that.
Sometimes, I'd just like to punch them." He smacked his giant fist alarmingly into his great flat open
hand. I jumped.
17. He smiled. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Then, he got a dreamy fire in his eyes. 18. I
could see the rage rising in him. His cheeks turned bright red, and the muscles of his face worked
themselves fitfully. 19. "Those hypocrites are going to get their due-- from God. For the baptism of
fire is coming, and the Jews aren't going to fare very well. 20. I had a vision or a dream, I'm not sure
which. I felt fire coming down from heaven, consuming the evil. 21. Jesus just said that I'd had too
much wine the day before, but the dream felt prophetic, you know? 22. Anyway, all the hypocrites
were consumed in bright, glowing fire. In the heavens, I saw circles of light. 23. They were small, and
lighted upon the heads of the people of God. And the Power became known in the world. 24. In the
book of the prophet Joel, God promises to send his spirit upon all people. that's going to happen very
soon."
25. "What did Jesus say about all this?" I asked.

CHAPTER 29.

Verse 1. John continued his narration, talking about a dream that he'd had: "Jesus said that dreams
were not always from God. Sometimes, they were just events of the brain or body. 2. The thing
written by Joel, Jesus said, was one of the few statements of mystical truth in the Hebrew Scriptures.
God, he said, is already 'pouring out his Spirit on all flesh.' 3. This means, said Jesus, that 'God acts
upon persons of all nations.' Jesus then asked me what I thought.
4. "'I think that his spirit will eat up the evil, and cause the godly to shine,' I told him."
5. "'And what if that doesn't happen?' Jesus asked me."
6. "'A man has to believe in his own visions,' I replied. 'This vision is mine.'"
7. "Jesus says, 'Only desperate and hopeless people long for the end of the world,'" I said, "but he
also says, 'It's not God's purpose.'"
 8. "I don't know," said John. "I can't say. But I do know that the end of my personal world is getting
close. 9. The queen is really mad at me because I exposed her fornication and its evil. She'll be the
one to kill me."
10. "Maybe not," I said, trying to have compassion and show tenderness.
But he would have nothing of it. 11. "Yes, I have been shown a vision, and she'll be the one to kill
me, all right. Besides," he said more slowly, a philosophic look in his eyes, "I've done what I came to
earth to do. 12. I'm actually ready to go Home."
13. "Did you come to baptize Jesus?" I asked.
14. "I came to be a voice in the wilderness, as prophesied by Isaiah. I announce the coming kingdom
and its Messiah, and baptize for repentance of sins. 15. I was bewildered that Jesus wanted to be
baptized by me. The Messiah has no sins, and so doesn't need baptism. 16. I still remember that day
very clearly:

CHAPTER 30.

Verse 1. "I must have baptized fifty people that day," John said. "Nobody paid much attention to
Jesus. 2. He came out into the water and stood close to me. He looked upset, and seemed a little
nervous, jittery. 3. It seemed as if his mind were a million miles away. Of course, this was nothing
new.
4. Jesus was a very dreamy Pisces. He often had the look of being in another world. 5. Most often, it
was a world in his own mind. He was always dreaming.
6. "People wanted to follow me," John continued, "and wanted to start some kind of cult. "They
wanted to use me as a model, and even to adore me." He laughed at the silliness. 7. "But I forbade
this absolutely. I made it crystalclear that the only reason I was even on earth was to 'prepare the way
of the coming One. 8. I had been born to make a path for Him in the wilderness. Jesus, of course,
knew all this. 9. He was no more interested in starting a cult around his egoself than I was. 7.People
actually tried to worship him, and he warned them that this was idolatry.
10. "It was, in fact, an act of enormous humility for him to come to me. And, for a time, it did give
me some human pride, which I quickly overcame.
11. "I wanted to tell my own followers to follow Jesus. But he asked me to keep quiet about his
spiritual identity.
12. He said, oddly, that he was God, but denied being the Messiah. He did not want my followers to
transfer their loyalty to him. 13. He hated the idea of starting a cult. He even told the people he
cured, 'Tell no one about this.' 14. For he knew that people would make the serious mistake of
focusing on him as a man. Then, if they did, they would lose sight of the Christ in their own hearts.
15. "Jesus explained to me, some time before his baptism that, as Elijah, I could still permit
miracles. But my soul had decided that this was not to be my mission during this life.
16. The Power was not really taken from me. It had only greatly diminished.
17. That is why I have never done any miracles. In this way, Jesus and I have chosen different paths.
18. For he says that he has come that people might know the nature of the dreamworld, the mindworld
in which everyone actually exists. 19. It is to demonstrate the dreamnature of reality that Jesus has
plans to bend the laws of space, time, and matter. Unlike myself, he also plans a healing ministry.
20. "Because Jesus and I grew up together, I can tell you that we are opposites in some ways. My
own Ariestaurus nature sharply contrasts with his social and spiritual Librapisces nature. Jesus
welcomes this variation, and likes to say, 'In our diversity is God glorified.'"

CHAPTER 31.

Verse 1. John the Baptizer continued his comparison between the gentle nature of Jesus and his
own bumptious, enthusiastic approach: "If I am too loud and boisterous, Jesus is surely too subtle and
quiet. He usually acts as if he doesn't want anybody even to notice him. 2. He blends into the
background, he says, to keep his ego weak. This, he says, keeps the Spirit stronger in him. 3. The day
that he came to me for baptism, I wanted to preach to the crowd that the Messiah was there. But he
bade me be silent, and not to follow my impetuosity. 4. He said that I should 'quiet my fire.' So, I held
my tongue. 5. It wasn't easy. It just about killed me.
6. Still, I realize, there were times when Jesus wanted to speak, but held himself back. This he did
so as not to cause unnecessary offense. 7. Still, when he had to share some truth, he did not hesitate
to speak. Often, he did so in plainest and boldest terms. 8. And this he did regardless of who was
listening. In fact, he often got himself-- and us, his friends-- into trouble. 9. This he did by speaking
out when he could have avoided all disputes and problems by remaining silent. "Some things are worth
saying," he said, in utter simplicity. "And some things simply must be said."
10. Jesus scared the community of Jewish leaders nearly to death by some 'things which must be
said.' Rejected, disfellowshipped Jews, Samaritans, known sinners, and even Gentiles were starting to
come together in Love, peace, and harmony behind this remarkable troublemaker. 11. We scandalous
renegades told the elders not only, 'We do not need you,' but, 'God has turned away from your
organized religion. 12. God is now choosing to act through the 'mad holy man,' Jesus and his band of
rejected misfits.' 13. How that burned their ears!" John laughed his great roar.
14. John continued, "By allowing himself to be baptized by me, Jesus was making a very public
declaration: He was on the side of the downtrodden and neglected. 15. He was taking a stand for all
the abused, poor, and ignored among the proud people of Jehovah. He was saying that a 'religion' that
doesn't care for people is a husk, hollow and empty."

CHAPTER 32.

Verse 1. John spoke about how Jesus sided with him and the other antitraditional rebels among the
poor: "Jesus was clearly making an active statement of open defiance against the orders of organized
religion. For the elders forbade baptism by me.
2. Jesus joined me as a symbol of all the pentup anger that the people held against the unjust elders.
And those same common people were infuriated by the selfseeking system, the whole 'theocracy' of
Israel. 3. They were fed up with its corrupt and lying governing body. They hated its dogmatic
definition of 'truth' as only ideas or beliefs.
4. They were disgusted by its rejection of all outside the faith as inferior, ignorant 'pagans.'
5. "We, Jesus and I, showed people that there was another path to God. But this implied nonsupport
of the organization. 6. The elders were terrified that they would lose the mental support of the
people. But what horrified them beyond all imagining was their fear that the people would no longer
bring their money. 7. And for those elders, when you touched their pocketbooks, you touched their
real hearts. As Jesus says, 'Where the heart is, there your treasure will be.' 8. But the elders reversed
this, to say, 'Where your money is, there is your heart.'" John laughed a gusty, healthy laugh.
9. "John," I said, "what is this 'baptism' thing all about?"
Then, he again became more serious. "Baptism," he said, "symbolizes your death to yourself, your
ego. 10. When water overcomes you, if you were not lifted back up, you would die. When the
baptizer dips you, then lifts you out of the water, that's a symbol of your rebirth as a spiritual, not just
a physical, being. 11. It is saying that you are a soul, not a body. When the impulses of the body die,
those of the soul come alive."
12. "Is this what Jesus said?" I asked.
13. "No," admitted John. "Jesus thinks that I am a little extreme. He says that the body is to be
enjoyed, so long as it does not master you. 14. He doesn't feel that you need to be as ascetic as I am."
15. "Thank you for explaining that. What happened next?" I asked.

CHAPTER 33.

Verse 1. John continued to tell me about Jesus right after his baptism: "Jesus told me that the
lower nature was about to attack him fullforce. 2. It was, he said, about to throw all its power against
him. To conquer it, he was going to flee into the wilderness. 3. This was to get away from human
influences. It was also to undergo an inner purification, which would bring crystalclarity. 4. So, it also
involved fasting. This process would require forty days. 5. He would not speak with, or see, anyone. I
asked him whether this was not even more extreme than my asceticism.
6. "He said, 'I'm not seeing fasting as a way of life. It is occurring only for this one special event. 7.
It must be, just this once, so that the Light in Me might grow more intense and clear. So, permit it,
please, so that all that is right might occur.'
8. "I don't know why he said that. He surely didn't need my permission. 9. I guess it was just his
usual way of making, and keeping, peace. He said that he needed to do something dramatic,
something inignorable. 10. He had to do this, he said, to send a strong signal of his sincerity to his
'Godself.'" 11. John grew pensive, seeing in his mind those intense events. Finally, he said, "He was
much greater than I, even in humility. 12. He saw me as 'glorious.' That's his word, not mine.
13. But in him, I saw ten thousand times the glory. Whenever I told him so, he just silently smiled, as
he always does.
14. "Before I baptized him, I did 'get away' with one small trick. Before he could stop me, I cried
out, 'Behold! This is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.' 15. The people waiting on
the shore looked confusedly at one another. They knew all about sacrificing lambs, but could not figure
out this simple metaphor. 16. I figured then that God simply did not want them to understand.
Now, his voice became a hushed whisper. 17. His bright brown eyes glowed. "After I baptized him,
I heard what seemed to be thunder-- unusual for a day with such a clear sky. 18. Jesus told me that it
was the voice of his Father, not thunder at all. Jesus said, 'Didn't you hear? The voice said, 'This is My
son, with whom I am pleased.' 19. In retrospect, every time I have that memory, it seems more like I
did hear a real voice. And that is what it said. 20. After the sound in the sky, a white dove suddenly
flew past our heads. Jesus said, 'Don't you know that that was the holy Spirit, John?' 21. I was still
holding Jesus in my arms, having just brought him up from the water. We were both trembling."

CHAPTER 34.

Verse 1. One day, Jesus told us, "I have come at the direction of My Father. My soul has an
agreement with Him.
2. This soulcontract states that I am to come to earth. After that, I am to help and assist people. 3. I
am to aid them to the threshold of a new age. It is the Age of the Double Fish."
4. He was saying this to me, Mary, and to six of our mutual friends. They had accompanied us to a
wedding. 5. Weddings always make me cry. But they also make me feel very romantic and physically
responsive. 6. So, I kept trying to devise ways to get Jesus alone. But, being a peoplelover and a
storyteller, he seemed to be having more fun with the others. 7. That made me insecure, which made
me angry, which made me sad. I'm afraid I was a bit sullen and withdrawn, moping and surly.
8. Life is very boring, and hard, in our poor country. People regularly fall into dull, unresponsive
stupors at the dreariness of endless repetition. 9. Jesus has cured many with this malaise. Because of
this relentless monotony, we welcome any event which is out of the ordinary. 10. We clutch it to
ourselves greedily with both fists.
So, as the festivities began, we were all in improving spirits. 11. The wine had lifted even me from
my pain. I was becoming talkative, and laughing. 12. Music was being prepared, and played. After
the bride and groom had the first dance, everyone else began to dance or clap their hands. 13. Since I
knew that I could not dance right away with Jesus, and that no other man could ever hold a candle to
him, I just clapped with the others. 14. I let the rhythm into my soul, and smiled. But, I fear, there
was also sadness in my eyes. 15. Also, I indulged in a touch of regret, in that same smile. I was
overwhelmed with ambiguity about this man.
16. It strikes me as weirdly odd and strangely paradoxical that the infinite Power should have
manifested here. It is the Power of the Father. 17. It is needed so desperately and painfully by all
people everywhere. Should this fantastic Power manifest in such a tiny, insignificant place? 18. But
Jesus' followers insist that this is exactly what did happen. Did Jesus really bend the laws of space and
time to make wine for people who were already halfdrunk?
19. When later, I asked him these questions, he looked uncertain. "Something happened," was all that
he would say.
20. The Power is mysterious, and even Jesus says that he hasn't fully figured it out.
Still, my own eyes, and tongue, do tell me that "something happened."
21. Jesus loved people, and enjoyed small groups. But there were too many at this party for him to
be comfortable. As always, he "hid" from the crowd, staying in the background.
22. Still, his mother, whose name is also Mary, was a friend of the bride. She was in charge of the
refreshments, including the wine. 23. She was becoming nervous, irritable, and on edge. Jesus,
noting this, also became somewhat moody, despite the good cheer felt by most of us, wine-induced.
24. In fact, most of us were so drunk, I am still not sure that anyone knows, with certainty, what
actually happened. Later, ten people told ten stories.
25. Feeling that Jesus was disturbed and restless, I followed him into the little house.

CHAPTER 35.

Verse 1. Inside the little bungalow, I said, "Jesus, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Mary. You needn't have worried. 2. I'm just a little tired." But he didn't fool me. 3. For
I knew that this was what he always said when he neared exhaustion. This occurred after he had been
drained by too many people. 4. He looked ashen. He sighed: "It's just that the lower nature leaves
very strong traces, even after it has died into the
Spirit."
5. At times, I could read him like a scroll. "I know,
" I said, "what's disturbing you. 6. At a marriage, it's natural to wonder what it would be like to be
married, what your life would be like if you could have only one Love-interest. 7. How would it feel if
you had a woman whom you could always depend on? 8. No matter what, she would always stand
loyally by your side, and pour Love over the wounds of your heart and mind. 9. Is that what you're
thinking?"
10. He looked directly at me, very sadly, and nodded silently. Wearily, he moaned, "Get thee
behind me, lower nature!" 11. From any other man, that would have sounded melodramatic, or just
plain stupid. But I understood this man, often, I think, better than he understood himself.
12. "Even when I know that I have full victory over the lower nature, traces of its desires remain
locked in subtle memories. They keep haunting me, and will not go away."
13. After a moment, he said, "I shouldn't be talking to you about this, Mary."
14. "Who would be better? Who knows you better? 15. And who loves you more? Of course, I'm
exactly the person you need to talk to when you're feeling low," I said. 16. I felt a sense of triumph.
Yet it was mixed confusingly with his deep pain, which poured into my heart like acid.

CHAPTER 36.

Verse 1. "No," Jesus said, "you're not the person I need to talk to," he whispered wearily. "It is you who
make my lower nature want to live brightly in this world. 2. You cause me to want to become a
'normal' man. You make me want to love you as a man loves a woman. 3. It is you who remind me
how much I want to marry, settle down, and rear a family. In fact," he paused dramatically, "I want to
marry you."
4. He reached out a limp arm towards me. I couldn't believe it, and rushed into his waiting arms. 5.
We held each other tightly. We were both breathing hard, and I started to weep.
6. Gradually, tenderly, he separated from me, giving me a slight push. He broke my heart for the
thousandth time.
7. "Let me hold you. Let me comfort you, Jesus," I said.
8. "The comfort that I need can't come from you, Mary. But thank you for your tender and sincere
Love. 9. It is a cool, refreshing spring on a vast and dry desert. I really appreciate it, more than words
can say." 10. He looked at the floor, as if unable to make eye-contact. "You are such an
extraordinarily beautiful woman, Mary. 11. You could have any man you choose. Why don't you get
married?"
12. Tears were flowing down my cheeks. I gasped, "I think you know the answer to that one. You
know better than anyone.
13. I could feel misery radiating from his poor soul. And for the first time, my noisy, dominant ego
grew quiet. 14. It silenced enough so that I could feel his pain instead of just my own. Worse, I felt
that I was the cause of much of it.
15. This was, of course, just the flipside of that same ego. So, slowly, sadly, I walked out of the
room, praying that he would call me back. 16. As I went out the door, I heard his gasping breaths as
he sobbed in unreachable misery.

CHAPTER 37.

Verse 1. I tried to force all the tears from my closed eyes. I squeezed them tightly so that they
might be dry when I faced the others.
2. "Where's Jesus?" asked Mary his mother, as soon as I stepped out of the little house into the yard.
3. "He's inside. He's not feeling good right now." I tried to give her a hint to just leave him alone.
4. But she wasn't always the kind of lady who took indirect messages.
5. Still, I saw a look of deep, compassionate wisdom in her eyes. When our eyes met, I knew that
she knew exactly what was happening. 6. It was as if we'd linked up empathically. "I know," she said,
barely audible, and moved back towards the crowd, to my great relief.
7. A few minutes later, Jesus also emerged from the cabin. His eyes were red and his face pale. 8.
He was still shaken by our conversation. His hands shook a little. 9. But I don't think anyone but I
noticed it.
Mary, his mother, immediately ran up to him. 10. Fearing an embarrassing confrontation, I moved
closer. But all she said was, "Jesus, we're running out of wine!" 11. She almost shrieked it. It was as if
she were on the verge of panic.
12. I thought, What is wrong with you?
She was breathing heavily like an old person with a weak heart. 13. She was flushed. Beads of
sweat stood out on her brow. 14. She glanced around uncertainly. For a moment, her eyes again
rested on mine. 15. I felt her panic and confusion.
She had promised the bride's family that she would take care of the wine. 16. But now it was running
dry. This was not just a minor inconvenience, as it appeared. 17. No, this was a major catastrophe!
For her reliability and credibility were on the line. 18. Would these people ever trust her again if she
mishandled something so simple? Years previously, she used to babysit for the bride. 19. And now,
Mary did not want to let her, or her family, down. Mary's own sense of self was also tied in very deeply.
20. What could she be worth if she mismanaged so easy a task as providing wine? She had her entire
self tied up with this problem and its solution.
21. When Jesus looked at me, I saw that he saw all this in his mother's eyes.
Still, I return to that most basic question: 22. Would the Lord of the universe bend the laws of time
and space to intervene in this tiny affair, this small, petty matter?
23. But, if we were right, Jesus was the Lord of the universe. His love for Mary was mountainous
and bottomless.
23. Her pain fed and multiplied his own, leaving both feeling extremely vulnerable, exhausted, and
confused. I saw Mary's agony in the hell of Jesus' eyes.

CHAPTER 38.
Verse 1. "Weren't you supposed to bring more wine?" she asked, demandingly.
2. "I didn't bring any," he said simply.
3. "Why not?" Her voice was rising and becoming loud.
4. "I don't know! You're the one they asked to take care of the wine. Why is it all of a sudden my
responsibility? 5. Leave me alone, woman!"
I was stunned speechless by this lack of respect. 6. I knew that Jesus deeply loved his mother. I
had never heard him address her with such rudeness. 7. More gently, he said, "My time has not yet
come."
Mary seemed to have had the life drained away. 8. "Do whatever you want," she said. "I don't care
anymore." 9. This alarmed Jesus, as Mary was known, periodically, to fall into depression. It scared
him to think that this might be happening again.
10. At that moment, the music stopped, and Jesus' voice rang out, becoming much louder than
intended. He cried, "Mother!" All eyes turned to focus on him.
11. Mary could see the fear in his eyes, and recognized its cause. "No, don't worry. I'm okay. Just
do whatever you can, son."
12. It was obvious that Jesus had not a clue. "The markets are closed by now," he stammered. 13.
A cloud of darkness and puzzlement seemed to hang over him. "Well, if they can't have real wine, they
can at least have diluted wine," he said.
14. "Besides, they're drunk anyway." So, he instructed the servants to bring in the large buckets of
water. 15. Then he told them to pour whatever wine they could find into the containers. ?This was to
fool, if possible, the celebrants.
16. They could find only a few half-filled goblets. "Now, pour the wine into the old water-jars, and
rinse every cup, to get every drop of it." 17. They rushed off to follow his directions.
18. "Looks like you're in charge," a teen-age boy laughed. And Jesus grew red, embarrassed, angry,
and hot.
19. Jesus ignored the chiding. "Is there any new wine left?"
20. "Only two skins," replied a servant.
21. "Take them, and divide them equally. Empty them into the six waterjars." 22. The servant ran
to do Jesus' bidding.
"You'll never get away with it," mocked the boy.
23. "They're drunk, but not stupid." He laughed uproariously. 24. Jesus gave him a disgruntled glance.
Soon, all the guests were talking about the wine. 25. No, actually, they were raving about it.
Jesus had gone off into a little garden, and I found him in deep meditation. 26. "Did you hear about
the wine?" I asked, quietly.

CHAPTER 39.

Verse 1. Jesus, in the little garden, opened his eyes. They were filled with a boundless serenity. 2.
He said, "No, I haven't heard about the wine. What about it? 3. Am I in big trouble?" He smiled.
4. "They say that it's the best wine that they have ever tasted," I said.
5. "Then they'd better taste again," quipped Jesus. He grew pensive. 6. Then, he said, "If you can
get people to believe something, it doesn't really matter to them whether it is real. This is especially
so if they are already eager to believe."
7. Then he closed his eyes. I stood for a moment, wondering, and then, returned to the group, back
by the house. 8. Mary was filling the eager cups of the men and women. With every dip of her ladle,
she would say, "This is the most excellent and expensive wine ever produced. 9. It's the very best, in
the history of the world." They would then raise it to their lips and moan in satisfaction and delight.
10. She must have kept this up for an hour. Every time she served a cup, she would repeat her
suggestion. 11. The more people drank the wine, the more they began to sing its praises. Was it just
that they were embarrassed to betray their ignorance of "fine wines" that they did not contradict Mary?
 12. Was it just a fear of disagreeing with the crowd? I must admit, I have never seen people behave
this way.
13. I looked at the fluid pouring from Mary's ladle. It seemed obvious to me that it was water with
only a little wine mixed in with it. 14. But everyone was so convincing, and convinced! I came to
doubt my own senses. 15. So, I rushed up to Mary myself. I took a ladlefull into my cup. 16. I raised
it to my lips, expecting nothing. It did indeed taste good.
17. Greedily, I drank down the whole contents.
Admittedly, no one there was an expert on wines. 18. Mary said that she had put a little sugar, and
some grape juice, into the horribly diluted wine. But she'd had less than a gallon of the juice, and a
couple of flasks of real wine. 19. But those ingredients could never have accounted for the fine flavor.
Was it just the sugar that we tasted? 20. I guess that we'll never know for sure. I chose to believe,
anyway, that Jesus actually did turn water into wine.

CHAPTER 40.

Verse 1. By the next morning, the celebrants remembered nothing. For they had all become quite
drunk. Only Jesus, Mary, and I recalled anything at all. 2. "How did you do that 'trick' with the water
and wine, Jesus?" I asked him the next morning. Just he and I were up to see the dawn.
3. He smiled uncertainly, and just shook his head. "I was just as surprised as you. 4. I know one
thing: Before the miraculous can possibly happen, you must reach a level of 'uncertainty.' In this
condition, you can believe that absolutely anything can occur."
5. "But if God does the miracles, why does it matter what we believe?" I asked, not without doubt.
6. "Because by your strong beliefs, you can either open or close the inner 'door' that permits God to
enter the world through you. 7. You don't control the Power, but you can affect its manifestation in
your life. You can influence its rate of Flow." 8. The word "Flow" was always used by Jesus to suggest
the activity of the divine will.
"How do we get to that level of 'uncertainty'?"
9. "Simply be humble, and realistic. That means to recognize that you do not know everything. 10.
Leave room for the unknown. Accept that any event is possible in this universe. 11. Anything,
without limitations of any kind, can happen at any time. So, reach for inner elasticity, and reject
rigidity and arrogance. 12. Stand humbly before the great luminous galaxy, and know, and remind
yourself, what a small thing it is to be a human being."
13. "Are you saying that human beings are worthless, or insignificant?" I worried.
14. "No, not at all. Human beings, and even their human bodies, are sacred. 15. For they bear the
one holy component in all the universes--Mind. Human beings are quite indispensable. 16. For without
them, the human worlds would not exist." Jesus taught an esoteric metaphysics. 17. It included the
concept that there are as many "worlds" as there are "sentient" beings to perceive them. So, he often
spoke of "worlds." 18. "Your Father could not create this world without using human beings as the
medium for his dream. So, human beings have the challenge of recognizing their absolute necessity.
19. But at the same time, they are wise to embrace humility."
20. "So, are you saying that the world is like a nightdream, in which absolutely anything is possible?"
"Exactly," he said.

CHAPTER 41.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to speak about how the "miraculous" depended upon a state of "clear" or
"empty" Mind: "Absolutely anything is possible at absolutely any time. It is only our certainties that
make things 'impossible.' 2. That is why I have carefully taught you a way of 'nonthinking,' in which
state you can be completely open to the will of the Father. You can be transparent. 3. In that
condition, you will not block that will at all. It is in that state of clarity and emptiness that the mind
opens to infinite possibility, when you do not judge. 4. To judge is to say that this is possible, but that
is impossible. It is a form of narrowness of mind, closedmindedness, rigidity. 5. The perfect condition
of mind is fluidity and openness." To open the doors of possibility, you must dare to become 'unsure."
6. Pretendcertainty is only a fear-response, a defense against infinity."
"Why would we defend against infinity?" I asked.
7. "It is human nature to be terrified of the boundless infinity of the cosmos. Human beings are
creatures comfortable only when they have limits, borders, or boundaries. 8. The average mind is like
that of a child who would rather live in a 'safe' closet that is familiar, than a wonderful park which is
unknown.
As cramped and uncomfortable as a closet might be, it is at least known, familiar, and explored
territory. 9. It contains no surprises, no monsters hiding. We often do not leave far behind these
childish fears. 10. It is only when you are 'unsure' of anything that anything can happen through you."
I wasn't sure that I knew what he meant. 11. But, again and again, he warned us against false
'certainty,' the hypnotic and attractive belief that we understood the cosmos. He said, "Mystery is
everywhere, and human beings know almost nothing. 12. That terrifies them. Like a child, they want
to know exactly what is coming around the next 'corner.' 13. Since the path is time, no one can know
what lies around that corner. But men find comfort in pretending to know. 14. The dogma of the
materialists, that they have 'explained everything,' and removed mystery from the cosmos, is illusion.
It is not really different in mindset from religious dogma.
15. "Only this kind of "transparency" to the "infinitely possible" opens the Way for miraculous events,
Jesus said. I have always noted-- everyone has noticed-- that strange things seem to happen in his
presence. 16. He says that these occur because his mind is "empty" and "clear." "When I'm not using
my mind actively," he says, "I don't allow the mind simply to wander, rehashing old memories or
worrying about the future.
17. Instead, my mind falls back into a mantra." A "mantra" is a repetition of a prayer, of only a few
syllables, perhaps hundreds of times every day. 18. Two that we sometimes used were, "God is Love,
and..." repeated as many times as possible, and "I am Love, and..." similarly repeated.
The odd and strange events that happen around Jesus surprise even him. 19. "This proves that I am
not the Source," he says.
20. He seems to be a catalyst, or magnifier, for the strange, inexplicable, and unusual. "When you are
sufficiently thoughtfree, the Spirit performs its will through you."
21. ?This kind of talk makes me even more certain that the water did turn to wine.

CHAPTER 42.

Verse 1. He had, after his wilderness fast, refused to turn stones to bread. This refusal might well
have been lethal to his body after so many weeks of going without food.
2. Doubts arose again and again. If he had refused to feed his own body )He always tells us to love
our own bodies), had he really turned water to wine to satisfy the whim of a young couple who were,
after all, in no real need? 3. And had he bent the laws of the universe to satisfy a bunch of middleclass
drunks out to have a good time? God forgive me, but I still have major issues with this. 4. Was it
really appropriate as the first miracle of the Son of God? Why would he have done this in the middle of
nowhere, where it could be observed by so very few people?
5. I'm afraid, God forgive me, that I am something of a skeptic by nature. If I could change this about
myself, I would.
6. But I seem powerless against this doubting.
Anyway, the ways of Power cannot be explained. 7. It might even be wrong to use human
intelligence to try. But the alternative is sheer gullibility and inner blindness. 8. That is even worse
than my doubting torment.
The only fact of which I am absolutely certain is that, whatever its nature, Jesus moves as the
nucleus of an amazing, astonishing Power. 9. It is God. It dwells inside him. It moves him. 10. "It
breathes Me. It talks Me," he says. 11. "I have vanished into It. I have become Its instrument. 12.
Now I pray that the Father help me disappear into Him more every day. 13. That is my only hope: To
erase Jesus, and let the Father inhabit and possess this body and this mind. 14. Already, I have no will
apart from God. His will, like His Power is purest Love."

CHAPTER 43.

Verse 1. Jesus' life was double. Not only was he a source of healing Power, but he was also a magnetic
nucleus that picked up the pain of others. 2. "To become a Center of Power, you must first become a
center of pain," he said. 3. Without pain, there is no Power released into your body or mind. People
who lust for Power, but fear pain, will never arrive at the true Center of Power. 4. For it is the very
purpose of pain to awaken Power.
"Once there was a small man who was very weak," he said.
5. "He was so weak he could barely get out of bed. He could hardly move. 6. But when a house
collapsed upon his beloved daughter, he rushed in and lifted beams and stones that ten men could not
move. 7. He touched Power. But Power is not a sport. 8. It arises in response to a need for It. So,
the Way cannot be a mere hobby or side-interest. 9. It must be the Center of every moment of your
life. You must become obsessed with Love, before It can possess you.
10. "Once there was a great teacher, who had magnificent wisdom. One day, while he was sitting
in meditation by a lake, his young student came to him. 11. 'I have a question about God,' the student
said. Instantly, the teacher, who was very strong, grasped the student's head and dunked it into the
water. 12. The teacher held it under the surface. The student began thrashing, and finally panicked.
13. After an endless moment, the teacher pulled the young man's head from the water. Gasping, the
student cried, 'Teacher, why did you do that?' 14. The teacher replied, 'Because you think that looking
for God is a hobby. But I tell you the truth, until you want God as much as you wanted air, you will
never find him. 15. God is not an interest, but a passion.'"

CHAPTER 44.

Verse 1. "The world is perfect, exactly as it is," said Jesus. "Everything is precisely as it is supposed
to be.
2. Accept the cosmos. If you try to repair or improve it, you will interfere with the Flow. 3. The only
exception is when you are moved by Love."
"If that's so," said Thomas, "why should we do anything? Why should we even help creatures in
need?"
4. "Because Love overrides everything. Love is the one lesson that we come to earth to learn. 5.
Love is supreme. So, don't do anything when Love does not call for you to act.
6. But when Love does call you to act, don't hesitate to obey. Everything is as it should be. 7. But
Love is also as it should be. Always make room for Love. 8. Turn your life and will over to the service
of Love. Make Love your God, and your faith.
9. You don't need anything else."
"I still don't see why we need to do anything if the world is perfect as it is," insisted Thomas.
10. "Because the Love in your heart is also part of the way the world is," Jesus answered. "Love
does not allow for laziness, inactivity, complacency, or paralysis. 11. It motivates action. So, find
your natural gifts, and use them to serve humanity. 12. Always emphasize Love above all. Teach
nothing but Love. Preach nothing but Love. 13. For Love is God, and what need do we have to add to
God? We cannot possibly enrich the Infinite, and anything that humans seek to add only detracts.
14. "In the East, there is a saying: 'The master, walking on grass, moves not a blade. Treading on
snow, she leaves not a print.' This means that we should never forcefully interfere with life's natural
Flow and process. 15. It means that the important thing is to live in Love and impeccable honor, and
not forcefully try to leave an impression on other people, or on life itself."
16. "But, teacher, you have changed many lives," said John.
 17. "If lives have been changed, it was the soul's time for their change. But I have changed no one.
18. I have neither the power nor the right to change another being. All change must arise from within
the person. 19. It cannot come from outside. So, if people change in response to Love, it is between
them and God. 20. I bring the message of Love out of the Love of My heart. That is also part of the
natural Flow of the Father's will."

CHAPTER 45.

Verse 1. Jesus continued, "I do not try to force people to change. For that would mean that my will
would interfere with the pristine will of the Father. 2. Then, there would be conflict. For there would
be two wills, and only one is necessary.
3. "Words spoken in Love are like seeds. A farmer tosses them onto the fertile soil of his land. 4.
Once the seeds leave the farmer's hand, his work is over. He goes home and goes to sleep. 5. If the
seeds grow, it is because of the forces of nature. It is not because of the farmer. 6. So words are
seeds of light and Love. Some of these 'seeds' fall on fertile 'soil'-- good, receptive hearts ready for
enlightenment.
7. But some seeds fall into rocky soil. This means hearts that are too hard, unresponsive, or fearful.
8. Under these conditions, the seeds die. And some 'seeds' have a stranger fate: They are eaten by
'birds'-- lower-nature attitudes and ideas that fill the heart. 9. But your only job, like Mine, is to plant
the seeds. You are not responsible for how, or even whether, they grow.
10. That is up to the person who is the 'field,' and to the Father within all persons. We can water, but
only Love can make the 'seed' grow."
11. "In planting these seeds, what is our responsibility?" asked Matthew.
12. "You create the seeds by your words. So, your responsibility is always to use the best, most
clear, most loving words possible. 13. Make your message crystalclear. Fill it with the brightness of
Love. 14. Avoid squabbles about petty doctrines. Avoid trivial teachings. 15. Don't divide the
communion of Love by quibbling, squabbling, and nitpicking. This attitude of peacemaking will produce
'seeds' of highest quality.
16. "Our Father has already planted in all persons the seeds that make change possible and
inevitable. I have only watered them.
17. "God plants, people water, and God makes them grow. Everything and everyone in the cosmos
is knitted together like the fabricthreads of your tunic. 18. Every word, every event affects everyone.
The cosmos is like a community which draws all its water from a single lake. 19. We all draw our
minds and being from God. But, in that community, once a person uses the water, it is also necessary
that she replace the water, putting it back into the same lake. 20. Some bring back unclean water,
and pour it back into the lake, contaminating it for everyone. But the good bring back only purest,
most pristine water, making the water better for everyone. 21. Your thoughts are that water. When
they are pure, everyone is aided by them, as they create healing Power. 22. But if your thoughts are
unclean, everyone is poisoned by them."

CHAPTER 46.

Verse 1. "You have said that the 'fabric' of the cosmos is 'woven' by Love. Why would Love create
pain?" asked Judas.
2. "Because pain leads to awareness of vulnerability, compassion, and human weakness. This leads
to a fuller dependency on God, the inner Love-nature. 3. Because our souls so fully love us, they
create the dream of pain to drive us away from the material world into the arms of Love. Also, there
are two ways in which pain can create Love: It makes you more compassionate and empathic towards
others who are in pain. And your pain can elicit Love from others, who feel for you. 4. Love does not
produce pain. But it allows it, in order to instruct your souls in the all important component of life,
Love. 5. In fact, Love is pain's natural healer. Every act of Love, no matter how small, heals both the
giver and the receiver.
6. Resistance to Love, by contrast, can produce real pain. This can be much worse even than physical
pain."
7. "How is Love resisted?" I asked.
8. "It can be resisted in ways so subtle that you might not even know that you are doing this," Jesus
said. "You might fail to love or forgive yourself, or another. 9. This will put you in a hellstate. All
hells are selfcreated. 10. Only the elimination of hatred, even dislike, can decreate a hell. So, only
more Love is the 'ointment' that can soothe and heal this condition."
11. "You have told us that the perfect Way is to flow like water," said John. "Does all pain come
from having resisted this divine Flow of the Father's will?"
12. "Much pain arises from a personal desire, which we create, for things to be different than they
are. So, the enlightened person avoids much pain by letting go of personal desire. 13. Seen this way,
much pain is the result of ignorance."
"So pain is not punishment?" I asked.
14. "No," Jesus replied. "It is never punishment. God does not punish, but only disciplines. 15. To
receive discipline is to be a disciple or learner. The universe does not punish. 16. But a person is free
to punish herself. She can stay in inner 'hell' as long as she chooses. 17. Or, she can escape from 'hell'
at any time. Usually, a state of inner 'hell' is created by our chosen resistance to the way things are.
18. So, I tell you, resist not evil. When we resist the order or arrangement of the 'material' world, we
resist the divine order."
19. "But what about injustice? Should it not be resisted?" stormed Judas.
20. "Yes, it should," Jesus answered gently. "Remember, Love always overrides the 'nondoing' or
'nonaction' of the enlightened person. So, enlightenment does not deactivate or kill you, but makes you
more alive than ever, in doing the will of the One, the Beloved."

CHAPTER 47.

Verse 1. Jesus continued, "But don't fall into the trap of believing that the world depends on you.
Act as if it does, but live always in the awareness that the will of the Father will inevitably be
accomplished. 2. If you are the instrument of that Love, blessed are you. You will receive much, both
in this world and in that to come."
3. "Are you saying that God does not punish at all?" asked James sternly.
4. "God does not punish," said Jesus clearly. "But people are quite adept at selfpunishment. 5. God
allows people to hold themselves in unforgiveness. Their own thoughts return to 'punish' them. 6. God
has also made laws that bring back upon people their own harmful behavior. So, people are always
punished for the evil that they do. 7. They cannot escape it. But God is Love, and the only function of
Love is forgiveness."
8. "You've taught that growth can be painful. Does pain ever arise from knowing God?" I asked.
9. "Yes," answered Jesus. "Life is often painful and agonizing. The spiritual being might choose a
very difficult condition to trigger the inner process of growth. 10. She might choose a challenging
family, an abusive parent, or a troublesome body. These will serve to awaken her soul. 11. This
awakening involves beauty, peace, joy, and Love. Never, then, conclude that one who is suffering has
somehow broken divine law.
12. Suffering should never elicit judgment from you, but only compassion, and a desire to help. Some
of the most luminous souls choose voluntarily bodies of suffering, in order to perfect themselves."
13. "And the Christ? Can he suffer?" I asked, full of compassion, for I had often seen Jesus suffer.
14. "The Christ suffers whenever anyone experiences pain," he said. "But as the inner Love-nature,
It might, in time, be strengthened and empowered by the pain. 15. Then the suffering person can use
the pain to bring her to fullest enlightenment. While her pain might not be gone, her full identification
with the pain, clinging to the pain, does disappear. 16. She is no longer the slave of pain, but it has
become her servant, her instrument, her teacher, even her 'friend.'"
 17. "Should, then, a person welcome or seek pain?" asked Judas.
18. "Part of a person's supreme mission is to love her body as an aspect of her self. Out of
selfcompassion, a person reasonably should try to lesson or do away with physical pain. 19. When it
comes, she tries to embrace it, not to fight it. But she does nothing to bring on pain deliberately,
which would be selfabuse. 20. For, above all other considerations, Love is supreme. And it is Love
that makes her kind to herself."

CHAPTER 48.

. Verse 1. "The deep inner Love-nature," said Jesus, "permits pain. This it does only so that the
Christ of love can be awakened by pain."
2. "I'm not sure that's the Christ that people want," said Judas. "They do not want to hear about
pain."
3. Jesus replied, "Oh, it's definitely not what the people want to hear. People want the Christ to be
their servant.
4. They want him to be an allpowerful deity who is obsessed with 'saving' them from all pain. They
want him to make the world painless. 5. They think that he should make everything shiny, and bright.
Like infants, they demand to be cared for. 6. But then, they resist this by insisting on control of their
own lives. You cannot have it both ways. 7. If you are trying to become as an infant, then you must
turn over all control to the inner Father. For the infant has no control. 8. She trusts her parents. So,
God is also your heavenly Mother. 9. And you are all her nursing infants. What people want is to be
rescued from life. 10. They long to be 'saved' from its pain. But the cosmic law obeyed even by the
Christ is that you will be 'saved' only as you 'save' others."
11. "How do we 'save' others?" I asked.
12. "By loving them, aiding and helping them in any way possible. By reducing their pain and
discomfort. 13. By being kind, generous, and compassionate. There is no law superior to this."
14. "But is Christ not the 'Savior'? And is it not His job, rather than ours, to save people?" asked
Thomas.
15. "Have I taught you so long, and have you still failed to understand?" asked Jesus wearily. "Christ
is not another being, not another person. 16. God is within you, acting through you. You are Christ's
arms and legs, eyes and ears. 17. Without you, there is no Christ in this world."
"Are you saying," asked James, irritation in his voice, "that without human beings, God does not
exist?"
18. "I am saying," Jesus replied with infinite gentleness, "that Love, in order to exist, must have
lovers. God would still exist without human beings, for there are many more outlets for Love in this
universe, in this galaxy. 19. But God would not exist on earth if there were no sentient beings to
express Him. By coming into the fullest awareness of Love, people join minds with God. 20. this is
what 'saves' them from the lower nature. It's the will, in fact, the delight of Christ to save all people
His Love is infinite, greater than all imperfections of all beings."

CHAPTER 49.

Verse 1. Jesus continued, "But people can be 'saved' only by coming into full Love-awareness. We
must help each other to grow this way.
2. This kind of assistance is what Love is all about. That is why I have asked you, my twelve special
friends, to take this message of Love, and become teachers of Love. 3. In the future, thousands will
be called to loving ministries. This is how Christ reaches into the heart, by coming from another heart
of Love. 4. Love is contagious. It is awakened in you by being expressed by another. 5. This Christ
exists in every heart. So, from the cosmic view, everyone is already 'saved. 6.' But being 'saved,' and
being aware of salvation, are two very different things. So, I send you forth to awaken the awareness
in the heartminds of others that they are potential Christs." 7. "Does 'salvation' mean that we
can be saved from suffering?" asked Matthew.
8. Jesus said, "One does not 'save' one's children from school. Even when education becomes
uncomfortable, or even frightening to the child, the reasonable parent does not withdraw her child
from school. 9. It doesn't matter how much the child would rather just play, or sleep. In the same
way, God makes us go to school even when it is uncomfortable for us. 10. Neither is it God's duty or
purpose to insulate us from the world. Instead, he wants us to master living in this world, to be in the
world, but not of the world."
11. "What does that mean?" asked Thomas.
12. "It means that while you live in this worldream, you are not produced by the world. Neither are
you controlled by the world. 13. You have already found your one Master. You cannot serve two. 14.
Since your Master is the Love-nature deep in the heart, you cannot serve people, events, situations,
religions, or anything else. 15. You must not be the slave even of your own mind or emotions. The
service of Love has made you free, and it promises Love, joy, and peace forever."

CHAPTER 50.
Verse 1. "What," I asked, "can one person do to make life better, even if she is free?"
Jesus said, "Very much. 2. Remember, it's your mission not only to change the world, but honestly
to be transformed yourself. Only when this is done can you really help others.
3. Like all people, you are called only to plant the seeds for change. So, you need not try to force
people to be transformed. 4. What farmer looks for harvest overnight? So don't expect souls to
change quickly. 5. We are told by Love simply to plant the seeds in the heart, and when each person is
ready, the inner Spirit will awaken her. For example, the seeds that we now plant will not blossom for
another age.
6. "Yield all, give all, to the service of Love. Don't give your time and resources to groups, or your
loyalties to teachings but give them directly to the poor, out of Love.
7. It is not your task to 'change the world.' Your task is to help persons and other aware beings
whenever and wherever you find suffering."
8. "Are you saying that we should not work to change the world?" asked Judas, upset.
9. "Change yourself, seek to serve others, and is not the world already changed?" asked Jesus. 10.
"These great issues have nothing to do with numbers. Changing one person is as important as
influencing ten thousand. 11. Try to see through the eyes of Spirit, not just mind. Don't think your
own personal transformation insignificant. 12. The most significant event in the universe is when
any person turns her life over to Love. 12. By your own metamorphosis, you create a pattern of Love.
This changes your own mind, and others, and it will someday, gently but irresistibly, reorganize all of
society." 13. To build the foundation for this global change, he planted within his closest friends what
he called "seeds of light," and taught us a special pattern of life which he called "the Way of Love," or
just, "the Way." 14. He taught mostly about our inner Selves. He emphasized the interior nature of
God, Christ, or Spirit, and the indispensability of Love.
15. He foretold that a "church" would be founded on his name, but that it would not represent him
clearly or honestly. Teachings, he said, would be presented, tragically, as "more important" than
people. 16. It was like a dagger in my heart when he said, "Those who claim to follow Me will kill
others for not believing the right things." We were all horrified and shocked.
17. His twelve special friends represented, in "microcosm," as he called it, the "cosmic order." Each
disciple represented one of the major human types that have existed since the beginning of writing.
18. These types are based on the day of one's birth.
19. His disciples therefore symbolically represented all people. He said, "You are the first explorers
of a new spiritual awareness which is just beginning to dawn in the collective human heartmind. 20.
So, you are pioneers" of a new world that will someday come into full blossom. For someday, the
people of earth will learn to love each other." 21. He discussed the future earth, with its perfect
society of Love. He said, "This Love will be perfected only after many millennia more of evolution and
education.
22. Meanwhile, it is important to remember that every person is the world." By this, he meant that the
only way to change the order of society was to change the self.

CHAPTER 51.

Verse 1. Jesus wept for me. He said that, because I was born under the sign of the crab, my tender
heart would be mercilessly wounded, torn to pieces by life, over and over.
2. The only thing that I could do, out of Love for myself, was to discover and to cultivate perfect
detachment. "You must grow to realize," he said, "how few things really matter. 3. Most things in life,
a thousand years from now, will mean less than the smoke from yesterday's campfire." But, today, you
are like a tender seedling, standing strong against powerful men with scythes and sickles, ready to cut
you." 4. He predicted that, as a Christian, I would have many enemies. But, as a former prostitute, I
would have even more.
5. "They will want to make you bleed." Here, he burst anew into fresh tears. 6. "But hurting you, in
any way, is the very last thing that I would ever want to do. I'd rather pound nails into my own wrists.
7. But we have to stop seeing each other secretly. We must end our special Love. 8. For I cannot
marry you, and that kind of Love is valid only when people are to marry." He drove a sword deeply into
my heart with those words. 9. For a man who did not want to hurt me, he slowly killed me with agony.
Sadly, I know that he saw this as only honesty, but that did nothing to cushion the razorsharp sense of
abandonment.
10. We gathered privately, fourteen of us, including the twelve, very late one night. We met in a
small and crowded room in the house of Peter's mother-in-law. 11. We spent two hours in private
meditation. "People are always talking to God," said Jesus. 12. "It's amazing that they forget ever to
listen for his answer. For polite conversation, even among humans, is part talk, and part listening."
13. He called meditation "listening for the still small voice of God." He also called it, "listening for
God's answer."
14. We were all profoundly settled into the full relaxation of deep meditation. After about fifteen
minutes. Jesus, while still in touch with the inner kingdom, came to us, one at a time. 15. He then
approached us very silently, and blew seven times near the direct center of our chests, and then, at the
tops of our heads. 16. "Receive holy breath. Receive holy Spirit," he said to each of us. When he
came to me, his breath felt like warm water, like bright sunlight, entering my body. 17. I felt slightly
dizzy, giddy, and excited. I wanted to take his head and hold it, pulling it towards me, sharing the
warmth of my body. 18. But I knew that something deeply spiritual was going on, and that it would be
entirely inappropriate to follow my impulses. They did not, I hesitate to admit, arise from the highest
aspects of my being.
19.I peeked around, glancing through squinted eyes. Everyone seemed to be glowing and ecstatic,
exactly as I felt. 20. We knew that we had all been initiated into the Mysteries of Christ. We soared
together, beyond the boundaries of the world, into shared rapture.

CHAPTER 52.

Verse 1. As we returned to normal reality, we were all smiles and laughter. In fact, five or six of us
laughed for about an hour without interruption.
2. "I have breathed upon you," Jesus said, "after the manner of the ancient sages and masters. This
is a way of awakening your higher Selves. 3. After this moment, your lives will know greater peace."
And it was true. 4. From that time forward, I felt a great serenity. ?This remained even when I was
talking with Jesus. 5. I was not shattered even when he said, "Our special relationship can have no
real future. I can do only the honorable thing. 6. That is, to stop making promises that I have no
chance of keeping. I have promised that I will always speak honestly with you, and these are my true
and real feelings."
7. "What promises have you made?" I asked.
8. "I have become inappropriately intimate with you. That holds the indirect promise that I will
make you my wife.
9. That might happen someday. Perhaps it will occur in another life. 10. Or, it might happen in the
Homeworld. But it will not be in this reality. 11. Because I know this to be so, it is improper, and
hurtful, for me to continue making these implicit promises."
12. "You make no promises," I said as sternly as I could manage. "We can just get together and have
a good time."
13. But that was not at all how Jesus saw it. To him, sex could never be just fun. It could never be
simply sensual enjoyment. 14. It implied, indirectly, a number of things. The most important was the
love that comes with marriage. 15. It implied that we would, or should, live together. That was not
possible. That was never going to happen.

CHAPTER 53.

Verse 1. To Jesus, sex implied that we would be each other's exclusive Lovecompanions. That was
not possible, for it was not the kind of relationship that Jesus wanted. 2. To Jesus, sex implied a
shared home. That would never be. 3. It implied shared interests. In fact, it meant a shared life.
4. All of these scenarios made splendid fantasies. But they had not a chance of materializing on earth.
5. He did not cry this time. He had prepared and steeled himself to say what he had to say. 6. He
said it all. I have here revealed the essence of what he said. 7. I could not shake him from the idea
that sex had to imply promises. He could not convince me that sex could not be recreational.
8. So, we "locked horns," like two stubborn bulls, for both he and I had taurusmoonsigns.
9. Jesus and I usually got along quite well despite our differences. But as for the rest of our shared
friends, they were all very different, and kept getting on each other's-- and my-- nerves. 10. Until that
night, when he breathed on us, we were often in conflict, and even going for each other's throats.
After that evening, we knew a serene concord and harmony rarely experienced among human beings.
11. We were all at peace. Living in harmony was more important than egodesires.
12. Gladly, and easily, we compromised. Jesus said that we "became fluid." 13. Even Matthew
the"bull" lost his stubbornness. James the "goat" also became liquid and cooperative, as Andrew the
"scalebalancer" had always been.
14. John the "fish" continued to reflect the Master in Love. Simon the "virgin" stopped criticizing and
complaining about the imperfections of the world. 15. Even Peter the "ram" calmed down
considerably. And Judas the "scorpion" grew mellow.
16. Love and mutual respect grew very profound among all of us. From that day forward, we were not
just a community. We were a family.

CHAPTER 54.

Verse 1. "There are no strangers among us," said Jesus. "We are a single loving family.
2. We have been together, and have largely been 'family,' for centuries. That is why I love all of you so
dearly. 3. It is also why you love each other. Peter and James were the ones who found this most
difficult to accept. 4. Peter said, "I never knew you before, Jesus-- unless you used to hang around
the bars." All of us laughed, but Peter just looked perplexed.
5. James listened when Jesus spoke this way, but his disapproval was evident. This scandalous
teaching contradicted the precious "ancestors" whom James and other traditionalists so revered.
6. "Just who do you think I am, my sweet brother?" asked Jesus, laying his hands on Peter's broad
but aging shoulders.
7. Peter stared at Jesus, and tears formed in his "deer" eyes. "Some people," he said, "say that you
are Jeremiah.
8. Others say that you are Ezekiel, or Isaiah, or one of the other prophets."
9. "And you, my dear brother? Look into my eyes and tell me who you think I am." 10. Tears
formed also in Jesus' eyes.
Peter did not hesitate (he never did) for an instant.
11. "I say that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus smiled. "You should be a happy man, my dear friend. For you did not learn this from flesh and
blood, but My Father taught you this. 12. Not the lower nature, but the Spirit, revealed this to you.
13. You are a rock, and upon this rock I will found My group of followers. And even the wrath of hell
will not stand against it."
14. Jesus turned to the other eleven, and myself. "Think of how miraculous it is, that the ropes of
our shared destiny have drawn us together. 15. We have come here from the furthest points of space
and time, here to this little room! How astounding is the Power of Love! 16. What an awesome
wonder that is!" We were awed by his awe.

CHAPTER 55.

Verse 1. "It's a nightmare I have often," Jesus told us. "In it, I am crucified by the Romans."
2. "Teacher, this will never happen to you!" Peter cried instantly.
3. "I think that it might be prophetic," contradicted Jesus.
4. "God would never permit that!" cried Peter.
5. "God permits very many things that we choose to call 'evils,' Peter," said Jesus, looking at him
sadly in the light of the fire. 6. "No one is an exception." He tilted his head towards the velvet sky,
peppered with stars. 7. "Still, my weakness longs for you to be right, Peter, my friend."
"I am right, Jesus. You'll see!"
8. "My inner strength knows you to be wrong," Jesus replied, very quietly. "Here's how it will
happen: 9. I will be rejected and branded as evil by the Governing Body in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin.
They will then turn me over to the civil authorities. 10. They will accuse me of treason. Rome will
take this accusation quite seriously. 11. Then, the Romans will execute me. They will crucify me."
12. In the face of such unwavering certainty, even the fiery tongue of Peter was silenced.
13. We were all stunned into silence, and I into complete oblivion. Deep pains cut through my stomach
and breasts. 14. I could not even feel my agony. It was so deep and overwhelming. 15. It was woven
into the fibers of my being. Everything around me started to seem unreal. 16. For the first time, I
understood Jesus' teaching that the world was a complex and shared dream. I felt the truth of this, in
my bones. 17. None of it was real. For one thing, what Jesus was saying was simply too horrendous to
be true. 18. And if it was an illusion, that made it easier to believe that the entire world shared this
condition. Still, none of us really believed that Jesus could be wrong this time.
19. It would have been wonderfully comforting, anyway, to think that he could have been. Please,
God, just this once!
20. It was a joke among us that Peter always contradicted Jesus, and then repented. But this time,
the weight of Jesus' statement was a crushing burden. It stunned even the energic Peter, forcing him
to sway and stagger under its gigantic weight.

CHAPTER 56.

Verse 1. The statement of Jesus, about his imminent death, and the future of his "church," was a
shattering blow that wrecked even the intense energy of the fiery stormcloud of a man, Peter. John
always did just the opposite of Peter: He lapped up every word spoken by Jesus, like a thirsty puppy.
2. He regarded every word as a priceless gem. He stored each in the interior vault of his heart. 3.
(John was the youngest among us, having reached only twenty-one years.) He and his young friend
Marcus Octavius, a Roman, always listened together to Jesus. 4. Marcus was also with us that night.
(Later, we called that evening "the night of the terrible parable.")
5. The reason for this was the parable told by Jesus that day, after dusk: "A king loved his people
very much. He would send forth his representatives to the people, to discern their needs. 6. But again
and again, those ungrateful people persecuted and even killed the king's friends, out of disrespect,
fear, and prejudices. At last, the king said, 'I know what I shall do: I shall send my son. 7. For
although the people have been stupid and arrogant enough to hurt and kill my ambassadors, never
would they touch a hair of the head of my son.' 8. So, he sent his son to represent him." We all looked
at each other dismally, in dread, knowing the outcome. 9. "Then, the people, in ignorance and
arrogance, killed also the son. In utter frustration, at last, the king himself dressed as one of the
people, wearing garb exactly like their own. 10. When they also tried to kill him, he responded, and
tried to heal them, with Love But in time, they killed even him, an innocent man of peace. 11. That
is why he lives forever in the heartminds of men and women. His spirit will never die."
12. Jesus grew agitated. "What am I doing here? This world is a place of beauty and nightmare,
and the two are often the same. 13. But it is not My home! For I am not the body that you see before
you!" Sweat poured from his brow, and John placed a comforting arm around the exhausted teacher.
14. Jesus cried, "How long must I stay here? I am ready to leave! 15. I grow tired of this place of
darkness, this unfriendly world!"
16. I often thought that Jesus might be suicidal. At least, he seemed oddly fascinated, even
attracted, by the idea of his own death. 17. "May it never occur in the awful way that you predicted,"
I said sadly. And may the Father forgive my ego. 18. But I cannot help but wonder: How much did his
relationship with me bring him to his knees, to his agonies?
19. We, his friends, all knew, at any rate, that he was burning in a sea of utter torment. We could
not touch him there. 20. We were powerless to reach into his heartmind, to soothe or comfort him. It
was a hell from which we could not save him.
21. We just looked at each other helplessly, impotently. Each of us wanted to aid and comfort this
tender man. 22. But each of us was equally unable to help.
So, we burned with him in the writhing agonies of our souls, and, in time, our mutual Love refreshed
and rescued us.
23. Finally, Peter said, "Jesus, you are here, in this world! All you can do is make the best of a bad
situation."
24. Jesus looked bewildered. "I... I am not here, Peter. What you see is only an extension of My
Self. 25. The part of Me which is in this world, that is 'crucified' already. It has died into the Father.
26. If it can be further deadened, then I can face my fate without pain or fear. Daily, each moment,
this lower nature grows more dead. 27. But I, Who am not of this world, grow ever stronger."

CHAPTER 57.

Verse 1. "I'll be healed fully only when I drop and leave behind this body," Jesus said. "I remember
what life was like before this life, in the Homeworld. 2. I long to return there, to my true Home. I am
not at home in this world. 3. I feel like an outsider, outcast, or alien. I know well what it will be like
when I have 'climbed' out of this 'shell.'"
4. "Can we also go with you?" asked Judas.
5. "No, not right away, although some will come soon. You have your own 'courses' to take before
you 'graduate from the school' of earth. 6. You have many lessons still to learn on earth. Then, you
will be liberated to follow Me into the kingdom of light, through the gate of your heartminds.""
7. "I'll follow you into hell!" cried Peter.
8. Jesus touched him softly. "I hope that is not necessary," he smiled. "But never fear death, my
friends.
8. For I will come for you, dearly beloved, when it is time for your ultimate liberation." He then laid a
hand on John.
9. "You, dear friend, will be the 'disciple of Love.' When you are old, I shall grant you a revelation of
My Self. 10. By then, you will be on an island separated from men. This will be because of the good
news. 11. Your inner heartmind will open. I will grant you a dramatic and symbolic allegory. 12. It
will concern the spiritual growth of each person."
13. He then turned to Peter: "And you, my friend, will see Me come in light and glory at your own
crucifixion. As you age, people will carry you from place to place. 14. In the end, you will gladly give
your life for Me. And I will bless you by welcoming you into the eternity of the Homeworld."
15. "And me? What about me?" cried Judas.
16. Jesus' eyes grew wet, hooded, and cautious. He locked eyes with him. "You will follow Me into
paradise," he whispered. 17. They held each other's gaze, until Jesus finally broke away. "Birth," said
Jesus, "is the beginning of the path of death.
18. Death is true birth. Look at this world, so rich with promise. 19. But where in it can you find
satisfaction? The heartmind is capable of imagining perfect satisfaction, but it cannot find it here. 20.
Our minds are made, not for this world alone, but for the Homeworld." A wave of regret washed over
me, as I recalled how actively I had searched for joy in the outer world. It could never fill my real need
for Love.

CHAPTER 58.

Verse 1. After I met Jesus, that "material and external" world was no longer the source of my joy.
Then, I realized, all real joy had to come from within. 2. All the sex, all the multitude of lovers, the
wine, the music, the food-- all seemed as a grain of nothingness compared to the mystical experience.
3. I had tasted that ecstasy with Jesus. All the gold seemed like dust, all the "fun" hollow and empty
by comparison with the inner splendor. 4. Now I had found true joy, in Love.
Still, it was the saddest thing that you could imagine:
5. I could love everyone but the Master of Love. But Love, to whomever it was directed, did bring me
the greatest joy in the cosmos. 6. Also, the fear of death completely disappeared. I could even
identify with Jesus' powerful longing for release from the body.
7. "To seek joy in the products of Mind, the dreamworld, is like trying to satisfy hunger by painting
a picture of a fine meal, and then, trying to eat that picture," said Jesus. "What you cling to will cling
to you. 8. If it clings powerfully enough, it becomes a master. This is pain, ignorance, and even
idolatry. So, cling to nothing on earth. 9. Affix yourself firmly to Love. Cling only to that. Depend
only on God, the Love deep within the wellsprings of your being. 10. Go within, every day, and touch
that place where He dwells. For it is from you and through you that he creates the worldream, the
same way that he creates your fingers. 11. You who are no part of the world, since I have chosen you
out of the world, be also no part of the body. Break free from world and body as masters, and taste
exquisite, perfect freedom. 12. For the free person is free of the world, past and future.
She is also free of desire, the cruel liar and tyrant. 13. It promises everything, but gives nothing. It
just takes and takes, time and energy. 14. But, at the last moment, desire witholds. The world is its
very own demonstration of spiritual emptiness. 15. So you will never find full satisfaction in it. When
you grasp, you know its emptiness. 16. When you let go, you know the fullness of the Father. That is
the inner Fountain of Love that never disappoints."

CHAPTER 59.

Verse 1. Jesus said, "Only when your hands are empty is your heart full. When your mind is empty,
it can be filled with Love and peace.
2. When your eyes see nothing, you can be filled with light."
3. "Are we, then," asked John, "not to love the world, and the people in it?"
4. "Always love all people, for the Love of God is impossible without this love for people. But do
not become overly attached to, or the servant of, the 'natural' order.
5. Avoid becoming a slave to the 'material' world. But since it is all holy, and all Mind, learn to love
the world. 6. Still, do not love the world in place of loving the Father. That means, never love
'material' things instead of living beings.
7. Living beings are the only appropriate receivers of Love. Do not love the world of matter, of gold,
of precious and beautiful things. 8. For this leads to greed. And greed is a hell that is agonizing. 9.
Once it fully enters your life, you will not know rest. Peace will be snatched away from your heart.
10. Tranquillity will not return, until the greed has died. This death might take centuries.
11. "Whoever loves material things is also an idolater. She gives to them what should be given to
living beings-- the priceless gift of Love. 12. She who loves Me, on the other hand, loves all living
beings, and respects all. Life is holy, and when you love the life within a living creature, you are loving
Me. 13. I am the supreme Lover of all creation. I am the Christ who creates all. 14. I did not create
the world in the past. I am creating it now, by dreaming. 15. And you are all My eyes, ears, hands,
and legs. You were created to realize, to awaken to, your oneness with Me. 16. To know that My Mind
exists in you, and that you exist in My mind-- that is enlightenment. Timeless life is the reward that is
given to those who lose themselves in Me.
17. "This is done only by losing yourselves in others, in Love. For I am Love."

CHAPTER 60.

Verse 1. Jesus continued talking about "union" with the inner Love-nature: "To know Me as God,
and God as Me, the deep interior Love-nature, is gnosis. That is to find union with Me, the inner
Beloved, the inner Lover of all.
2. To serve people selflessly, to give in compassion, to become Love is to find union with Me. This is
the ultimate act of worship. 3. Only she who so loves, without a particle of self, is truly awakened and
enlightened."
4. "But You are fully enlightened. And you still feel pain," i said tenderly.
5. "Love does not take away feeling, but makes it stronger. To find Love, you must not fear, but
embrace, pain.
6. It is a master teacher, and can lift you to levels of compassion that nothing else can create. Do not
try to avoid sadness, but express it fully. 7. Learn from it. Only then can you let it go. 8. I weep,
yes. I weep for humanity. Still, in the core of My Being, I have an unshakable, immutable joy.
9. Even when I'm sad, that joy is intact and real, deep in the Mind. For, in My divine Self, I know that
all is well, that all things and events work to create Love and goodness.
10. Love does not move you beyond pain, but beyond the control of pain. Pain can no longer be your
master, when Love has taken over."
11. "How can you say that even disaster creates good?" asked Thomas.
12. "Disaster teaches us to feel more deeply. It teaches us compassion and Love. It shows us that
we are not alone.
13. Because it does these and many other good things, it is not to be feared or hated, but embraced.
Only the tranquillity of the Spirit produces the strength and detachment to make this possible. 14.
This kind of spiritual growth is profound. This is the will of our Father."
15. "Many very important things are not things that you do, but things that are done to you, by the
inner activity of the Spirit. But people, by thinking and judging, resist this Love. 16. You must be
open for it to flow into and through you. This openness produces insight, or inner sight. 17. After your
heart is open, seek to open the inner eye of vision and revelation. This is the reason that I have come
into the world, that those who are blind might see, and those who think that they see might learn that
they are really blind."

CHAPTER 61.

Verse 1. Jesus continued, "The world does not come to you from outside yourself. It is formed
inside. 2. It spreads out from within. The world is like the ripples from a pebble tossed into a still
pool. 3. If you tossed in two pebbles, the waves created would intersect. This is like the points where
the universal Mind intersects with personal mind. 4. Cosmic Mind creates or dreams, and personal
mind senses and perceives. You make choices with the personal mind. 5. You also use this mind to
experience the world. That is why it is so important to fashion your personal mind in harmony with
Love. 6. For it will form your future.
7. "You are all gods," he said, "because you participate in creation. So, soften your hearts. 8.
Always practice tenderness. Sweeten your life with kindness. 9. The unresponsive heart is cut into
stone. But the heart of light is created of flame and water. 10. It is warm, bright, and fluidly
cooperative.
11. "Seek to be no one's parent, and no one's child. Seek only to cultivate Love for all. 12. Avoid
playing hurtful games of control. Abandon control, except where it is absolutely needed. 13. Make of
your passion for God a fire, and of your surrender to his will, water, or liquid."
14. "How do we destroy the lower nature of fear?" asked John.
15. "It is not so much an active destruction," said Jesus. "Instead, we need to learn to stop creating
it. 16. this can be done only by erasing thoughts of fear."
17. "How do you erase thoughts?" I asked.
18. "Erase by replacing. When negative thoughts arise, replace them with mantric prayer. 19. In
time, the prayer will become very powerful. The resisting thoughts will grow very weak.
20. "Ignorance is a dragon that 'feeds' on thought. If you 'starve' it, it will die."

CHAPTER 62.

Verse 1. Jesus continued to discuss the "dragon" of ignorance: "It is fed by your belief in it, and
strengthened when you submit to it. This belief is also a kind of 'faith.' 2. Determine in what you want
to invest your faith. Choose carefully."
3. The teachings of Jesus could be not only obscure and idealistic. They could also be downright
dangerous. 4. We were all nearly stoned, a few times. That is one reason why he had to learn to
disguise some of his messages, couching them in hidden parables. 5. On the outside, these were
simple stories of goodness. But inside, they often contained deep truths.
6. But some of the most important teachings were plainly stated, at least, to us: "The Father does not
give the Spirit by measure. 7. When he chooses to give it to anyone, he gives it all, without limit.
Still, human beings are limited in their abilities to receive.
8. When you stand by the sea, you know that its waters are unlimited, practically. But still, you
cannot put more than ten units into a container that holds only ten units. 9. So, people vary in their
capacity to receive, but God does not vary in the amount of Spirit given.
10. "Again, Romans, other pagans, and Jews have an equal standing before a just Father who is
Father of all."
11. As was usual, Jesus was preaching this morning to a small group in the country just outside a
small town-- this time, Bethsaida.
12. We had been sleeping on the ground, and, while it was still early in the morning, some people
brought Jesus a man lying on a cot. They said, "Teacher, we heard that you are special to God. 13.
We know that he listens to your prayers, and that you are a great healer. So, please have mercy and
heal this man."
14. Jesus replied, "God listens to everyone. No one is 'special 'with Him. 15. As for healing, every
act of Love, whether given or received, is a healing act."
16. The man on the cot had about a dozen of his friends with him. Jesus' friends were with him.
17. But we all knew that even a small group like this could very quickly become ugly.
18. So we all held our breath.
19. It got a little scary when they started shouting, "Fraud!" and "False Messiah!" They began to
grumble, mistrusting Jesus-- and us. Things did not look pretty.
CHAPTER 63.

Verse 1. "They say you are some kind of healer," cried the old man from the cot. "Stupid gullible
fools," he grumbled. 2. His voice was raspy and harsh. He was determined not to put up with any
nonsense. 3. Ice spewed from his glare. "I've already been to a hundred of you frauds," he croaked. 4.
His eyes were challenging, taunting, alive and fiery within a gaunt body.
5. Jesus turned in silence, and started to walk away. We followed. 6. But we were deliberately
blocked by the old man's grandsons and friends. They were large men wearing smirks.
7. The one who seemed the leader said simply, "You're not going anywhere, boy. You're going to heal
this old man!" 8. And he braced as if for a fight. Had not our hearts been pounding, it would have
been amusing.
9. Then the old man himself cried, "Come back here an heal me, Jesus of Nazareth!" in a
demanding tone. It was a voice used to giving commands, and accustomed to being obeyed. 10. The
reference to Nazareth was designed as an insult.
Jesus, not wanting trouble, vacillated, uncertain. 11. "I don't want any trouble," he said. "But
healing is not something that I can do to you. 12. It is something in which you must share with Me. If
anyone is healed, he must help to heal himself."
13. The old man blazed. "Are you saying that my sickness is my fault?" he snapped.
14. "No, sir," said Jesus."My friends and I do not want any trouble. My time has not yet come."
15. The men standing around gave Jesus a belligerent stare. Their leader said, "If you don't heal
our grandfather, here and now, we'll kill you!" 16. A couple of the young men now revealed scabbards
in which there were swords. I was terrified.
17. Jesus did not appear happy. But neither did he seem frightened. 18. He went back and stood
near the curmudgeon. "Do you have faith that I can heal you?" he asked.
19. "I have faith in nothing!" spat the angry man. He was all frail and pale skin and bones. 20.
?But still, he prided himself on being spry and fiery. He said the word "faith" as if it were an unclean
thing. 21. "Tell me, young man, what do you have faith in?" he demanded of Jesus. He spoke
condescendingly.
22. "I have faith in Love. I have faith in our Father in heaven."

CHAPTER 64.

Verse 1. Jesus had just expressed his faith in Love, which struck the old man as absurd: "Don't be
stupid," he replied to Jesus. "There's no God out there."
2. "Right," confirmed Jesus. The man looked astonished. Jesus continued, "There's no God out
there. 3. God is within the human heart. There He lives as Love."
4. "Love is an absurd excuse for the weak," the mean man replied. "Stupid people and idiots hide
behind it."
5. "Wise people find truth in it," contradicted Jesus, but politely. "But if you do not believe, why do
you ask for healing?"
6. "Because you're my last damn' chance," he replied. "I've been to every doctor around these parts.
7. A lot of good that has done me! They tell me that nothing can be done for me, that I'm too old,
and too sick. 8. I have no use for them, and even less respect for the likes of you. Besides, I think
fakes like you should be exposed. 9. So, now, if you can really do anything, heal me, damn it! And do
it now!"
10. Jesus shifted under the careful watch of the large men. He bent down and stared with infinite
tenderness into the ancient brown eyes that believed in nothing. 11. For a long time, they just gazed
into each other's eyes. Jesus said, at last, "I see that you have been wounded. 12. This has hurt your
mind and body." The man's bright eyes flickered. 13. He then turned away, lest Jesus see even more
of his secrets. "By your own admission, you have no faith," Jesus said, straightening.
14. "My work depends on faith. Since you have none, I can do nothing here."
 15. "Then, go to hell!" screamed the old man. "And if your God is not stronger than an old man's
folly, to hell with him too!" 16. Suddenly, Jesus grasped the old man's hands in his own. Their eyes
locked again. 17. The old man's eyes were frozen and hard,
Jesus' were gentle and liquid. 18. Suddenly, without warning, amazingly, tears flowed from the cynical
eyes. Then, they dripped from Jesus' own eyes. 19. "If you can do anything for me, please help me,"
the old man said. He now spoke softly, but passionately, a humble child now. 20. My heart went out
to him. I was deeply touched and moved. 21. Tears rolled down my own face.

CHAPTER 65.

Verse 1. "That expression, 'If you can,' is your problem," said Jesus. "Anything can be, to one who
has faith.
2. Do not call upon me to heal you. Call upon the Christ that dwells within me, and also lives in you."
3. Jesus suddenly gripped the man's forearms and pulled. Then, he cried to the inner Christ, "Power of
Love and perfection, manifest!" 4. The man gasped, struggled, then toppled, cursing. His grandsons
approached menacingly. 5. "Damn' fake!" the man kept crying. "You've failed. Get him, boys!"
6. "Some healings take time," said Jesus. He grasped the man's arms and tried to pull him upright.
7. "But if you can stand for only a moment, you can stand for an hour. If you can stand for an hour,
you can stand for a day. 8. Now, stand up!" Jesus astonishingly roared the final command. 9. All
gentleness had fled from his voice. Even the grandsons hesitated, uncertain about approaching, or
attacking, this ferocious, possibly insane, man. 10. Jesus now seemed as if he might have been a
threat. When he glanced at them, fire flew from his eyes, and they stopped dead in their tracks.
11. So, again, Jesus pulled the man up, and again, he fell. Three more times he tried. 12. On the
third attempt, with Jesus' help, the man remained standing. But he was still shaky and unsteady.
13. "Stand for a little while, and then rest," said Jesus. The grandsons gave the old man a staff,
and he leaned on it.
14. "Later," said Jesus, "you'll be able to walk. But do not try it now. 15. The Power of God has done
this today. So, worship God by loving one another." 16. The young men just looked stunned and
confused. We took the opportunity to flee.
17. Later, Thomas asked Jesus, "What is faith?"
18. "Faith," said Jesus, "is full trust that there exists a Mind that regulates everything. So, you need
not force anything. 19. You need not manipulate, interfere, or coerce. Perfect faith is perfect
relaxation. 20. You must grow into this. You cannot create faith by an act of will.
21. Faith in the Father means trusting Him to run all things. It means going with the Flow of His will.
22. It means knowing that, even if we cannot understand it, all things are in perfect order. For
example, when you see human pain in the larger picture, you see that it exists by the permission of
God.
23. It is permitted in order to perfect His children.
So, I say to you, Do not resist what you conceive to be 'evil.' 24. Instead, oppose it. That is,
become its opposite. 25. For your resistance will only give strength to it. And your faith that it is evil
is what makes it evil. 26. Stop taking from the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil.' Strive,
instead, to accept and know all things as good. 27. For all things reflect the Perfect. At every
opportunity, create active Love, and 'evil' will simply disappear. 28. Faith is learning not to judge.
Faith is facing the world as teacher and friend, free of fear.
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End of "The Mystic Gospel of Mary Magdalen."
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****End of The Mystic Gospels of Jesus the Christ.
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For more information, email: rmfrancis@juno.com
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Lovemind.
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