The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 67 -
The immortality of the human soul.
Said the innkeeper: "I also have received many teachings out of Your divine mouth already, but I nevertheless have some important questions in the background. One of them appears to me of the biggest importance for life, and if it pleases You, I really would like to have the question answered by You!"
2
Said I: "How does your question thus sounds?"
3
Said the innkeeper: "Thus, Lord and Master: See, man knows it pretty well, this means through teachings, that his soul, of which, one also have only a vague idea, is immortal; but with all still so firm believe, the bitter feeling of an absolute death and finally full disappearance from the rows of the living and its self-conscience beings, is always present.
4
With the thought about an existence beyond the grave, even with the best will, one does not easily get used to so that the heart can experience joy about it, but one always shudders about it anew, because in this most important point, man, despite all still so vigorous efforts, cannot obtain any light from anywhere.
5
But because death and grave are the most bitter thoughts of man, and since there is no durable light about it which can be obtained from somewhere, some people cannot really be blamed that they plunge themselves into the whirlwind of the world, to stun this black thought in themselves. Thus about this highly important point a real light from Your mouth, o Lord, would be truly highly necessary! Since to what use would be even the most wise teachings to man, if he does not possesses absolute clarity in his life's consciousness about the life of the soul after death?! One does follow the laws and the teachings, but more for the sake of the external, civil order rather than for any certain obtainment of the everlasting life.
6
As far as possible I'm still one of the loyal followers of the laws of Moses and always have loved to communicate about spiritual matters with the most knowledgeable wise of all nations, and in the end they could not say anything more about this questionable point than I myself. The Romans say and also the Greek: 'This is the very fateful veil of the Isis which until now no mortal was able to lift!' Yes, this is said quite nicely and there is also a lot of truth to it; but it is unfortunately not of any use to us! For the dead does not feel, hear and see nothing anymore, and we, who still gnaw on this life like worms on a rotten piece of wood, see, hear and feel about the dead nothing else than their dead and stinking body, which within a few years turns to dust and ash. Thus, Lord and Master, since You are life itself according to your teaching, give me and actually all of us a doubtless light about it! Since truly, I really do not want to live another year together with this gloomy thought of death, the grave and destruction!"
7
Said I: "Yes, My dear friend, your question has been put quite well, and from it shines a human need of the highest order; but to give you such a teaching about it, in order for you to feel the everlasting life of your soul by a decisive clearest consciousness in you, is an exceedingly difficult matter! Since see, I actually have come into this world, to thereby give to man the full inner realization of the everlasting life, if he completely lives and acts according to My teaching, or - even if he is familiar with it - but does not live accordingly, he cannot attain this inner life consciousness, since I am alone the only way and door for it.
8
You see a blossom on a tree; but you do not see much or even nothing about the future fruit during the time of blossoming. Only when the blossom has fallen off, a very small fruit bud becomes visible. But inside the fruit also the seed with the life germ must grow; but where is it to be seen in the first small fruit bud?! There it seems to be all still the same. The ability is already there but for some time you will not be able to discern it from the other lifeless parts, wherein no life germ grows. But when the fruit reaches full ripeness, you will easily and effortless discover the seed.
9
And see, it is nearly the same with the full and clear soul life consciousness in man! For as long man does not has this in himself, for as long the soul in its body is not life ripe. She is still too closely connected to its flesh and thus cannot perceive itself and feel much differently than the very lot of its flesh, and even the best explanations cannot give to the still life unripe soul the inner, totally ripe life consciousness.
10
However, once a soul has attained the said life ripeness through its own actions according to My teaching, then every further proof for it is completely unnecessary. Or do you require proof that you are now living in your body? Surely not, and you had to laugh everybody into the face, who would try to proof to you, that your are now living in your body, are moving and be active in all directions. But if you lay down in a deep sleep, could even the most convincing proof that you are still alive, be of any use to you, since you are not in the position to understand it?!
11
See, also every animal has a soul whose being is also a spiritual-substantial entity and thus must be of an indestructible nature, otherwise it could not give to the animal limbs any movement! But go and explain it to an animal what is its soul and how it lives through only its soul! Would an animal understand what you have told it? Surely just as little as if you had explained it to a rock! But why does the animal does not understand it, and why does it not have the words, to share its feelings with another creature?
12
See, the soul of an animal is necessarily still too deeply buried in its flesh and feels, except for the need of its body, nearly nothing! If someone wants to train an animal for a very simple task, he must give it a lot of effort to awaken the animal soul out of its flesh to such an extend, that it can understand what the person wants from it.
13
Do you however believe that there are exist people, whose souls do not stand too far above the animal souls, yes sometimes seemingly even been surpassed? Now, to bring such souls through words to an inner life consciousness already here on earth, would be a totally futile exercise! For these people a blind and dumb believe is sufficient here on earth, so that their souls after the death of the body can continue to live and in the beyond and either have to await a reward or penalty, so that thereby they submit to some lawful order, like the ox in his yoke. Everything else must be kept for another state of life.
14
An animal can only be brought to any useful activity intelligence by all kinds of pain-producing discipline, - equally so with a totally simple worldly person, whose soul strives only for the satisfaction of body needs, and except for the ability to speak, cannot show anything substantial above the soul of an animal."