Basic Metaphysics 101

Studying Basic Metaphysics as it relates to your spiritual growth, you are embarking upon an exciting journey into the core of your being.

The Master Jesus, in Luke 17:21b, teaches: "The kingdom of God is within you."

The Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 6:19, reaffirms the secret of your inner being: "Your body is a temple (or sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit within you."

To embark upon the journey inward is to choose to tread the narrow path back to God. In the words of Jesus: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

Following the Narrow Path means climbing-with conscious intention-straight up the mountain to attunement to the God within you.

We follow the Wide Path when we meander through life, simply allowing life to happen to us. Finally, we all eventually reach the stage of conscious attunement to the God within.

To embark upon the inner spiritual journey is to call to God: "God, I want to be conscious . to be a true disciple . to ascend into higher consciousness."

The Master Jesus taught his disciples: "To you it has been given to know the secrets (or mysteries) of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables." (Luke 8:9)

Two definitions are essential for this study-essential because the words have been demonized by religious leaders.

1. Metaphysics, according to Webster, is composed of two Greek words: meta meaning "beyond" and physics meaning the "external nature." Thus the study of metaphysics is the study of that which is "beyond the external nature."

2. Occult, according to Webster, means "hidden, secret, mysterious." The usage of this hidden knowledge determines whether or not the occult is of the Light or of Darkness. Jesus and all other World Teachers taught occult knowledge to their disciples.

THE NARROW PATH TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS THE OCCULT WAY.

METAPHYSICS IS THE STUDY OF THE NARROW PATH, THE OCCULT WAY.

(Of course, the study of metaphysics also includes many fields of research, such as the scientific.)

Your inner spiritual journey begins as you take responsibility for your life, meaning that you no longer walk unconsciously through life, placing the blame for the events in your life onto something outside yourself. Instead, you make the conscious choice to grow holistically.

Holistic growth involves transforming all parts of yourself simultaneously, including your physical body, emotions, thoughts, and intuitive awareness. You are the Temple in which God dwells. To grow holistically is to clear the Temple-that-is-you of all negativity, dedicating it to your indwelling God (or I AM PRESENCE).

When we attempt to grow spiritually and ignore the physical, emotional, and mental issues that need transforming, we chain ourselves in place.

You may clear out your Temple by:

I. Caring for your physical body through:

A. Eating a regular, nutritious diet which daily includes foods from each of the major groups.

Milk and diary.

2) Meat, seafood, protein rich foods. Vegetarians have a more difficult time getting adequate amounts of all the amino acids necessary for good health. However, it is essential to plan your diet to ensure that you do so.

3) Vegetables & fruits.

Bread, grains, nuts.

B. Getting regular physical exercise - at least 4 days weekly.

C. Sleeping 6-8 hours each night.

Developing self-discipline.

Overcoming all addictive behavior.

Listening to calming, healing music.

Using the Purple Transmuting Flame to transmute pockets of toxins and negativity within your physical body.

Using the above criteria on caring for your physical body, list the changes you need to make in order to care for your physical body.

A. Learning to stand back and observe your emotions.

B. Honest recognition and naming of your emotions.

Do not repress your true feelings. In private, openly name the emotions . feel them . seek to understand them . if necessary, forgive and transmute them. Once you can do so calmly, share them with the others who are involved-IF sharing will enhance understanding within your relationships. To explode without prior thought can create additional pain for yourself and others. On the other hand, to repress your true feelings is to cause damage to your emotional body. Assume the responsibility for dealing with your true emotions in a responsible, positive manner.

C. Converting your negative emotions into positive emotions. Some examples are:

Aggression > recognition of source of fear > learn to assert yourself positively based on true appreciation for who you are.

Grasping love > recognition of the source of fear > unconditional love of self and the other person.

Anger > recognition of the source of fear > forgiveness.

Self-effacement > recognition of self-doubt/fears > true humility, which is the awareness, acceptance, and joyful use of your talents-giving your indwelling God the credit for your good works.

NOTE: fear is the basis for 99.9% of our negative emotions. Determine why you are afraid, then you will know how to convert the negative emotion into a positive one.

D. Using the Purple Transmuting Flame - requesting that the flame transmute all negative emotions into the pure love and light of God.

E. Writing in your journal. Writing your true feelings in your journal is an excellent way to get them outside of yourself and to deal with them in private-before sharing them with persons involved.

Recording and interpreting your dreams.

Assimilating beauty into your life - by listening to beautiful,

uplifting music; wearing and decorating your home/office with beautiful colors; verbalizing beauty instead of negativity and harshness; moving gracefully-yoga and Tai Chi teach graceful movement. Focus on the beauty in life.

H. Chanting AH can be an extremely effective means of calming emotions. The sound of AH attunes you to the universal sound; it balances and cleanses.

Using the above criteria, list the following:

The negative emotions I need to convert into the positive are..

In order to integrate more beauty into my life, I need to ..

Using loose leaf notebook paper, write out your painful, negative feelings. Be very honest with yourself.

After you have poured out your heart onto paper, carefully burn your writing (do so in a way that is safe and holds no chance the flames will spread-for example, in a clay bowl containing wet sand at the bottom). Watch, as the flame burns your painful feelings. As you watch, affirm aloud: "I forgive and release all painful, negative feelings to the flame. They no longer have power in my life."

If the released feelings re-appear, remind yourself that you have forgiven and released them and now choose to focus on moving forward positively. Give thanks for all lessons learned as a result of the feelings. Remember: "All things work together for good for those who love God. (Romans 8:28 - translations often use "Lord" instead of "God." Either word can mean "for those who love the way Universal Law unfolds in our lives. Universal Law dictates that all things work together for good for those who will allow it to do so. If we choose to cling to our anger, resentment, or other negative emotion, then we also choose to block the good that could have resulted.)

III. Developing Control of Your Thoughts.

Through learning to observe your thoughts objectively.

Through honest evaluation of your thought patterns.

Through converting negative thought patterns into positive thought

patterns. Example: Convert from "I'm afraid to take that risk" . TO . "With God, all things are possible." Move forward by taking the 1^st step, then the next ..

Through recognizing that you are a co-creator with God. We create our life situations by the emotional and thought patterns upon which we focus.

According to your emotions/thoughts, your energetic body (or aura) is filled with positive or negative energies.

A human aura filled with the prickly fingers of fear.

A human aura filled with anger.

Through journaling.

Through using the Purple Transmuting Flame.

Through daily meditating upon your indwelling God (I AM

PRESENCE), knowing that your life can be the manifestation of God through you.

Through the daily use of Affirmations, such as:

I AM THAT I AM.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN ME.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

GOD PERFECTLY EXPRESSES THROUGH ME.

Through daily devotional readings. Science of Mind Magazine at

www.scienceofmind.com and Unity's Daily Word at http://www.unityonline.org/index.htm# are excellent devotional magazines that assist you in learning to think positively. Both organizations offer multiple resources, including retreats.

Associate with positive thinking people on a regular basis.

1. Consider your present life situation. List the areas of your life that you would like to transform into a more positive expression.

2. Analyze your emotional/thought patterns as they relate to the areas of your life you listed as needing transformation. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. List the emotional/thought patterns you INTEND to convert into a positive.

A. Through daily meditation, including establishing your Rainbow Bridge-illustrated in the Divine Self Chart below by the yellow line running from the top of the lower figure's head upward through the Higher Self/Christ Self to the center of the I AM PRESENCE (or indwelling God).

http://www.tsl.org/

The Divine Self Chart

B. Through reading devotional and metaphysical books. You may purchase books I recommend through this website's bookstore.

C. Through chanting OM, I AM THAT I AM, and additional chants meaningful to you. You may chant affirmations as well.

D. Through integration into your lifestyle of the intuitive insights you receive in meditation.

E. Through accepting your I AM PRESENCE (indwelling God) as the true source of power in your life.

F. Through recognizing your unity with all of humanity-all are our brothers/sisters.

G. Through loving service to others.

H. Through awakening to the unity of all things within God's created order. NO THING IS SEPARATE FROM GOD & THE REST OF THE CREATED ORDER. ALL IS ONE as the waves are one with the ocean.

I. Through developing awareness of your seven bodies. YOU ARE SPIRIT inhabiting a physical body, feeling your emotions, and thinking your thoughts.

J. Through journaling your growth process. Journaling reveals the following: the emotional/thought patterns in your life, your growth process, and the areas in which you tend to give up the power available to you from your indwelling God.

Recognizing that my inner spiritual journey is a continual process, I choose-at this point in time-to focus on the following tools for spiritual growth. (Refer to the list above.)

The Quest: A Journey of Spiritual Rediscovery, Richard & Mary-Alice Jafolla

is excellent as a guide for spiritual growth especially in conjunction with journaling. You may purchase The Quest from Amazon.com

As you begin your inner spiritual journey, it is essential that you have a strong concept of who you are . a sense of independent and individual personhood.

The goal is ultimate re-union with your I AM PRESENCE . with the formless One. To try to do so with a fuzzy concept of yourself is to set yourself up to get lost.

You are a Part of the Whole; therefore, you must know who YOU are in order to fulfill your role within the Whole.

An honest recognition, acceptance, and continual awareness of who you are, your emotional and thought patterns, and who you wish to be is essential for another reason. You will taint your meditative/intuitive insights with your own emotional & thought patterns. Knowing yourself allows you to clear away the parts of yourself you have unconsciously attached to your intuitive insights.

For example: What you know about yourself = "I fear change."

Your meditative/intuitive insight = "I am better suited for this type of work, which will entail making a move."

Possible responses based on the degree of your knowledge of self:

1. "Yes, I fear change; but I choose to confront that fear by making the necessary move to render myself better suited to my vocation.

2. A fuzzy, semi-conscious avoidance of the insight, in which you give your fear of change control over your life. You may even-immediately-forget you received the insight.

1. A JOURNAL in which you record meditative experiences/insights, dreams and their interpretation, pros & cons in your decision making, thoughts & feelings about the events/persons in your life. Record whatever is meaningful to you and your growth process.

2. DREAMS - Use your Journal to work with your dreams. The following format is the combination of techniques that I have found most meaningful.

1. Write down the dream itself.

2. Make a list of the symbols in your dream, leaving a couple of lines of empty space after each symbol. Symbols = each person, feeling, thing, event in your dream.

3. Go back and write down what each symbol means to you. (I have found the standardized interpretation of dream symbols to be less meaningful.) Persons in your dream most often symbolize parts of yourself. Beside each individual in your dream, write down what he/she reminds you of. Example: kindness, rudeness, lack of faith in self. Each person will tell you something about yourself. Write down your 1^st reaction - don't analyze your 1^st reaction, then change it.

4. Think back over the events of the day before your dream. Do you see a connection? Write it down.

Using the meaning your symbols have for you, interpret your dream.

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING using the professionals with whom you

resonate and as you feel the need.

In order to build our Rainbow Bridge and attune to our Higher Self/Christ Self and I AM PRESENCE, we must engage in some form of regular meditation. The most direct is to sit quietly with eyes closed for a period of time each day. However, many in our present society, have difficulty in sitting still and focusing attention inward. Silence is also uncomfortable. Why? Because we are not taught to "Be still and know that I AM GOD." (Psalm 46:10) Silence and stillness make us uncomfortable because we do not know who we are. Our natural state is stillness in attunement with our indwelling God, but no one tells us. We are extolled for working hard, getting ahead, and for competing successfully. When we buy into this philosophy, we lose our way-no matter how successful we appear to the outer world.

Many traditional Christians fear meditation, believing it to be of the Eastern religions-therefore, not Christian. Christians pray, but are very uncomfortable with meditation. In other words, traditional Christians are comfortable talking to God (prayer), but are afraid to listen to God (meditation). We recognize that some speakers are inspired, but cannot make the leap to intentionally sitting still and allowing God to speak to us or to deliberately set about building that Rainbow Bridge of consciousness to our Higher Self. Sadly, many traditional Christians are afraid of God-the God we've been taught to believe created a means of eternal punishment for those who do not believe exactly as they are taught. We are scare to seek Truth on our own because it may cause us to lose our faith. No one tells us that a faith we fear losing is a faith that does not ring true to our inner being. No one explains that the intellect can never lead us to Truth. It is only through attunement to our indwelling God that we can gain the intuitive knowledge that is Truth. We must listen to God. In the words of Jesus: "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." (John 14:26)

So why meditate?

1. TO RAISE our consciousness to an awareness of the God within. 2. TO ABSORB the light, love, and power of the God within and to integrate this energy into our daily lifestyles.

3. TO RADIATE this light and love outward to others and to our planet.

RECOGNITION > INTEGRATION > SERVICE

EACH STEP IS ESSENTIAL!

Note the energy radiating around the person meditating. When we attune to our indwelling God through meditation, we begin to feel the energy of love in which we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). We are to recognize this energy of love > absorb it into our being > then radiate it outward to the world.

We must set aside the fear that God is a God of punishment. This website www.pathwaytoascension.com was created to share my research and meditative findings-GOD IS A GOD OF ABSOLUTE LOVE. All teachings to the contrary must be viewed as a signal to delve deeper-the Truth is hidden beneath the surface words.

1. PREPARATION: Ideally, it is best to face East, toward the energies of the rising Sun. It is helpful to meditate at the same time each day and in the same location. To do so trains the subconscious mind and assists in quieting it. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to meditate; however, a time that suits your daily schedule is also important. Sit with your spine straight to facilitate the flow of energy through the body. The lotus position seen above helps to keep your spine straight.

2. BEGIN YOUR MEDITATION WITH A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION. This gives you the opportunity to surround yourself with thoughts of God.

3. MEDITATE: Meditate for 5-15 minutes in the beginning. You may slowly extend the time in meditation as it pleases you. Meditating too long, in the beginning, can cause you to be spacy or ungrounded.

4. PURPLE TRANSMUTING FLAME:

Visualize a soft purple flame rising from beneath your feet and encircling you as it permeates every cell in your physical, emotional, and mental bodies. The purple transmuting flame is your friend. Give all conscious negativity to the flame for transmutation into the energy of divine love. Negativity can be any disease or pain within your physical body, negative emotions within your emotional body, or negative thoughts within your mental body. Ask the flame to also remove all subconscious negativity. Release it to the flame. Give thanks for the cleansing now taking place.

You have requested that the flame transmute all negativity into the energy of divine love. Rose pink is the color vibration of love. Visualize this rose pink energy caressing each cell of your physical, emotional, and mental bodies. Feel the warmth of this energy of love circulating throughout your being.

You are now ready to proceed with your meditation.

5. MEDITATE ON YOUR I AM PRESENCE (GOD INDWELLING YOU): I suggest using the Divine Self Chart as a meditative tool to build your Rainbow Bridge.

Attune to the presence of your indwelling God and absorb the energy of Divine Love. Chanting is helpful while visualizing God as soft, white Light. Chanting aids in maintaining your focus. Chanting I AM THAT I AM is a powerful way to realize your true identity as a god-child.

6. RADIATE THE ENERGY OUTWARD: Visualize the white Light of God radiating outward from your heart area . see Planet Earth, and anyone you know in need of healing, permeated with Light. Chant OM-the sound of manifestation.

7. GIVE THANKS! Gratitude opens you up to receive the blessings of the universe. Give thanks for all healing now taking place as a result of the radiating Light.

You may vary what you meditate on in STEP 5; however, I strongly recommend that you complete all 7 STEPS each time you meditate.

As the New Aquarian Age appears, the purple (or violet) transmuting flame has been revealed to humanity. Our lower bodies-physical, etheric, emotional, and lower mental-must be purified before we can re-unite with our higher bodies.

"Just as the discovery of physical fire drastically changed the course of Earth's civilization . so the discovery of spiritual fire will abruptly alter [humanity's] way of life as the Holy Spirit propels [our] consciousness from the depths of drudgery into the heights of joy in service and the instantaneous precipitation of abundance, health, happiness, and God-control."

The electronic belt surrounding each individual, extending from the waist to beneath the feet, holds the accumulation of negative thoughts and feelings from this and eons of lifetimes. The electronic belt must be transmuted.

2. Do so with the express desire to be rid of all negativity - we must make the conscious choice to awaken spiritually and to be healed. Universal Law decrees our freewill cannot be violated. When we fail to make the conscious choice to awaken, we have in actuality chosen to remain asleep spiritually.

When we earnestly invoke the flame and open the floodgates of our consciousness to the Light, the negative energies that have been "imprisoned in matrices of imperfect thought and feeling are released." The transmuting flame envelopes individually every atom of our being, dislodging the untransmuted densities from the electrons within our electronic belt. "As this substance is loosed, the electrons begin to spin more rapidly in their orbits; and by centrifugal force it is thrown into the violet flame. On contact with this fiery essence of freedom's flame, the misqualified energy is transmuted into its native purity" and returned to the Causal Body where all our positive thoughts, feelings, and actions are recorded. This energy can then be used in loving service.

"The violet transmuting flame enables [humanity] to win [its] freedom from every form of human bondage. Dubbed the violet singing flame by [Archangel] Zadkiel, it makes the very atoms of the four lower bodies sing in harmony with the divine blueprint and with the keynote of the [I AM PRESENCE] as the tiny electrons whirl in orbit at the perfect pitch of the pattern of soul-identity. The violet flame is the spiritual wine of forgiveness."

The Apostle Paul describes this transmutation process in II Corinthians 15:42b-44, 49: "What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body .. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven."

Through the use of the transmuting flame-the spiritual fire-we can return to the Edenic state, we can ascend. We must win our freedom while on the Earth, because earth plane is where we lost our way, where we became imprisoned with imperfect thoughts and emotions. In order to participate in the mystic marriage-the reunion of our lower with our higher selves, we must purify our wedding garments.

Remember that a part of the transmuting process is the opening of the floodgates of our consciousness for the influx of Light. Always allow the Light of God to fill the vacuum created by the removal of negative energy.

We defeat ourselves when we invoke the flame, then cling to our negative thoughts and feelings. We cannot place our negativity upon the altar of purification, then take it up again, and expect to achieve transmutation.

END OF LESSON 1