Religions for the masses need to paint in broad strokes, otherwise it doesn’t resonate with the masses.
To appeal to the most amount of people, spiritual teachings require distillation to a basic form. There is also need for levels through which beings can grow as their consciousness grows.
With this, there will be spiritual teachings for novice levels, all the way to spiritual teachings for adept levels. This isn’t better or worse, as everyOne simply is where they are, and it is perfect for their soul’s journey.
Here’s what happens though. Many of the novice-level teachings, going through the distillation to a basic form, are subject to distorted interpretations and actions from beings governed by lower levels of consciousness.
For example, the adept innerstands that we are all unique manifestations of Source/God/All-That-Is. That the “external” world mirrors our “inner” world. And that by going within, we tune into Source/God/All-That-Is and blossom into our Higher Self/Christed Self.
Yet those at a more novice level of consciousness are not in a position to integrate these kinds of transmissions. It would be like handing a Frank Herbert novel to someone who doesn’t yet know the ABC’s.
This is why religions, in attempts to appeal to the masses, interpret the teachings of certain masters in rudimentary ways.
It’s much easier for the novice-level consciousness to understand that God is a non-physical “He” who watches over them. And that causing harm is “bad” and you go to hell for being “bad”, which is a powerful drive of novice-level behavior. This gives the novice-level consciousness solid ground to stand on and a simple compass for their spiritual life. It can be quite helpful.
What the novice doesn’t realize is that God is not separate from them, nor is anyone/anything else. And “good” and “bad” are only labels, yet our thoughts, words and actions do get reflected back to us in our worldly experiences (aka karma).
For example: If you physically attack someone, first of all, you’re in a state of extreme fear to do so, which is “punishment” in and of itself. Plus, you’re creating enemies by doing that, increasing the likelihood of people doing that back to you. And you hold all of this in your energy field, which draws like energies/experiences to you.
Yet another interesting lesson in the process is the novice pretending to be an adept. This is when the ego-dominant consciousness of the novice thinks that it is the Christed Self. It places itself on a pedestal, tries to conceal anything that may reveal otherwise and attempts to control everything for ego-driven agendas. This is the trap of the false prophet, which many spiritual teachers and religious leaders fall into.
The adept innerstands that transcendence comes from aligning and surrendering their lower self (ego) into their Higher Self, just as the novice believes they surrender their life to an external God. Yet it truly is an “inner” process. The spiritual realms are inner realms and the “physical” world is merely a holographic metaphor of our consciousness.
Heaven, or being one with God, comes when one allows their consciousness to expand into the infinity of Unconditional Love.
And so it is.
~ Stephen Parato
