The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Cana in the valley
- Chapter 226 -
The spiritual method of teaching and about nature and effect of proper introspection.
What was said is this, 'You have now seen a new way in which man can pass from matter into the increasingly purer spiritual and how in this way he can become a master over himself and thereby finally also over all nature in the world. Therefore, from time to time do practice this method in My name and you will gain great power over your passions, thereby over all the natural world and in the beyond over all creatures.
2
You have seen the evil phenomena Satan presented to you. They caused you fear and terror, but relying on My word you returned to your rest and in this rest you have become complete masters over all the bad events.
3
But do not think that you have already completely discouraged Satan. Wherever you will again practice this introspection you will be bothered by him as long as you are not completely reborn in the spirit.
4
Once you are reborn in the spirit Satan has lost all power over you forever, and you shall be judges over him as also over all those whom he has seized hold of and whom you will rescue from him forever.'
5
Asks Peter, 'How is one born again? Will the soul and the spirit have to enter and then be born out of another woman's body, or how is this to be understood?'
6
Say I, 'This you shall not be able to fully grasp for along while yet. But when I shall once have ascended to whence I had come, with My spirit liberating your spirit, then you shall be able to grasp the rebirth of the spirit and comprehend same in all depth and fullness. But right now this would not be possible to you, nor anyone else. But through following My teaching, and such life exercises, you shall in the end attain to such light within yourself.
7
This can be grasped through no exterior doctrine or instruction, but has to be won from within oneself, along the Path now shown you for all time by Myself.
8
Says Judas, 'Lord, I have seen powerful magicians and conjurers and exorcists. These communicated (spoke) with the souls of the departed, and these actually spoke and revealed things hidden. How did these transcend (enter) the kingdom of spirits? Would not this also be a type of spiritual rebirth?'
9
Say I, 'Indeed so, but not for heaven, which is God's throne, but for hell, where Satan and his angels dwell.'
10
Says Judas, 'If so, then Satan is also a lord, furnished with great power, albeit evil. In my view therefore it would be better to destroy Satan than let thousands times thousands be destroyed through him. Why must there be a Satan within the Divine order.'
11
Say I, 'For the purpose of also catching you in the not too distant future, for being too much his advocate. You are still far from even feebly recognising yourself, let alone God's great order, which upon earth has called forth, for wise reasons, both night as well as day. Do you fundamentally understand the earth's terrestrial night, or the eternal day of every sun, each of which is an earth akin to the one carrying you? If you don't understand such, then I ask how you can put a question which it does not behove a human to ask before his Lord, God and Creator! Would you not also ask why a stone is hard and water so soft, or why fire hurts you but not cool water?
12
I say unto you; if You don't comprehend anything, then first learn something, going about it quietly and with wakeful spirit; and only after understanding something from its foundation can you talk, and put tricky questions to your brethren
13
And behold, it is with you as with all human stupidity; they are secretly embarrassed by it, but nevertheless would cover up with all kinds of seemingly wise questioning, not reckoning that they therewith uncover their stupidity even more. Let these My gentle words therefore serve you as a rebuke, or you may yet run into something, and I shall not then hurry to pull you out of the mud!'
14
These words cooled down Judas' questioning zeal considerably, and he also casts meaningful glances at Thomas, but the latter wisely feigned not to have noted the rebuke, and so did the other disciples; and Judas felt comforted, and wisely withdrew.
15
But I said to Baram, ' And now, brother, you could have the meal served up, but this time in the rooms.' Baram hastens to the kitchen, and has everything served up quickly, and we follow him, and in an hour's time the meal has been unhurriedly consumed.