The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 61 -
Raphael's teaching about reflection in one's own heart.
Raphael: "Look, let"s take the inside of a house. Everything has long been in the greatest disorder; its rooms are full of dirt and all sorts of feculence. But the lord of the house has always something to do outside and therefore never takes time to clean the inside of his house; but since he has to take rest during the night and breathe the impure air, he becomes ill and weak and hence it will be difficult for him to clean his house and recover in the bad air.
2
And you see, your heart is likewise a house for the soul and above all for the spirit! But if you are always active on the outside, when will you clean your house of life so that your spirit will thrive in the good air of your soul?
3
So for the thriving of the soul and the spirit, whatever you do, external rest is essential!"
4
Suetal says, "But Mathael said that life is a battle and one cannot achieve it in the comfortable rest of the flesh; Mathael speaks differently to you, and you now speak differently to him! Which of you is then right?!"
5
Raphael says, "I and Mathael! Life is certainly a battle, but not an exclusively external one, but a quite powerful inner one against the outside! The external person must in the end be completely conquered by the internal, otherwise the inner person dies along with the external! Let the inner person put a bridle on your fleshly tongue, so that it will rest and let the inner tongue of thoughts of the soul become active and recognize how misty and unclear things are in your house of life!
6
Do not concern yourself with all the external appearances of nothing; for little depends on whether one understands their reason or not! But in the true celebration of the Sabbath recognize the true reason for the inner life of the soul and the spirit; everything should matter a lot to you and to every person!
7
What use is it to you, if you know so well and feel that you exist and you live, but you don't know in the next moment whether you will still exist and feel that you are?! What use are all knowledge and such high sciences if you don't recognize your own life and do not feel any science in yourself about its base?!
8
But if you want to recognize your innermost being, you must direct you sense above all towards your insides, just as your eyes must turn to where you want to discover something; how will you see the sunrise if your eyes are turned towards the west?! Do you not see, you, who were a rabbi yourself, that you are as blind in your own sphere of life as an embryo in its mother"s womb?!"
9
Suetal says, "Yes, yes, yes, I see that very well and we will all now be silent like a statue of stone!"