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 88 -
The foundation for spiritual perfection. The nature of God.
1
(The Lord:) "You can see from this that without the true and living believe in a sole and everlasting true God, no person can attain life's mastership. Therefore it is above all necessary to believe in a true God; since for as long one does not believe that there exists a sole true God, for as long you also cannot awaken any love for Him in your heart. Without such love it is impossible to come closer to God and finally become one with Him.
2
Without that however there can be as little any talk of a true mastership of life, as someone wanting to become a master player of the harp, who however never has heard anything about it and even less so has seen one anywhere.
3
But for as long you still ask and say: 'Yes, where is this God and how does He look like?', I say to you, that nobody can see the actual God being and live at the same time, - since it is infinite and therefore also ubiquitously and as such is as a pure-spiritual also the most inner of every thing and being, this means in Its effectuating will-power-light; in Himself and for Himself however, God is a person like I and also you and lives in an inaccessible light which in the world of the spirits is called the sun of mercy. This sun of mercy however, is not God Himself, but is only the effectuation of His love and wisdom.
4
Just as you can see the effectuation of the sun of this world thereby that it is present everywhere by its continual outflow of light to all conceivable directions, also the everywhere effectuating power of the sun of mercy effectuates as an outflowing light in all beings and is animating and creatively present.
5
Who now understands to collect and accepts as much light as possible from the mercy-sun of heaven in the heart of his soul and then to keep it through the power of love to God, creates in himself a mercy-sun which entirely resembles the primordial mercy-sun in everything, and the full inner possession of such mercy-sun is then just as much as the inner possession of the only true mastership of life.
6
The clarity and the bright fullness of this most true teaching you will only then recognize, if you yourself have attained the mastership of life; since now you cannot fully understand this, although you have accepted quite well what I have told you."
7
Said the tax collector: "Yes, you are right, dear Master! I have understood everything quite well; but I still don't know what I should do with it. One thing however is certain, that the attainment of the full mastership of life is certainly no easy work; since it means a lot of observance, a lot of experience, a lot of thinking, will-power and acting accordingly. - But only one question still, dear Master!"
8
Said I: "Thus speak, although I precisely know what you are going to ask Me!"
9
Said the tax collector: "O dear Master, then jus speak immediately; since I do not doubt it!"
10
Said thereupon I: "You do not doubt it, - but you nevertheless also want to convince yourself a little, if I could know what you want to ask me! However, this does not matter and I still going to tell you your question! It says: 'Master, have you also attained your mastership of life along this way and who has given to you the meaningful instructions like you now have given to me?'
11
See, this is your question, word for word! But I can give you only a dissatisfying answer as to your earlier very similar questions. See, as a pure person I truly had to do the very same as you are; but since I, honestly said, regarding my inner spiritual being, am more than just a pure person, which you will find out early enough tomorrow, it was actually more difficult for Me, since I as a person of this earth was never allowed to have an own will, but had to follow very precisely the will of Him, who through Me has come into this world and wants to bring and give man the everlasting life. About this however you will hear more from My disciples tomorrow. But for today we will close our meeting and go to take our rest!"
12
Said the tax collector: "Master, if it pleases you, you all can take your rest in this hall; since all around against the wall the most comfortable resting places have been installed!"
13
Said I: "Good then, thus we stay here and I rather prefer these resting chairs than the lazy beds which are perhaps only suitable for sick people. - and thus lets get up and take our rest!"