Beyond Power LTG III
Sean
Feb 23, 1965
[original edited in 1990, extract quote plus typos]
To continue with the subject of the last letter on what is beyond power.
When you take a good look at the idea of power you'll see that the cause of
all the turmoil and conflict in life lies [lays] in the deep-seated belief
in two powers. This has resulted in such attitudes as the survival of the
fittest, self-preservation as the first law of nature, and the use of force
in war and in almost every other activity of human existence.
Throughout the ages one power has always been used to overcome destroy or
replace another power. And yet despite all this use of power the same evils
that were on earth at the beginning of time still plague the world. The
passing of years has not in any sense eliminated or destroyed the power of
evil.
It was in contemplation while pondering this, that these questions came to
my mind. Does this mean that what man is searching for is a power to do
something to these other powers? Is it possible that there is a spiritual
force which will destroy material power and supplant it? And in the event
that such a spiritual force might be discovered is there a possibility that
some evils may be developed in its use so that ultimately the world will
have to find satill another power with which to overcome the spiritual
powers? What is the limit? Where does it all stop?
I knew that wherever power of any kind has been used there has always been
the possibility and the potentiality of it's being uswed for good or evil.
How can this be? is the question I asked in contemplation. In a god-ordained
world is it possible that God power can be used for both good and evil?
The question answered itself: No, if you ever discover what God power is,
you will learn that It has no opposite and no opposition. It cannot be used
for good, and It cannot be used for evil. It can only remain the creative,
maintaining and sustaining power of good; a power which cannot be used. God
power cannot be used: It can use us, but It cannot be used by us.
That is the power the world awaits a power which will prove to be no-power,
a power that no one can use, but that only God ITSELF can exercise,
activate, and motivate.
It became very clear to me that as long as there is a belief in two powers,
there will be some peopkle who will use power for good and other people who
will use it for evil. But inasmuch as inertia prevents most members of the
human family from taking a positive stand for good, the evil will usually
predominate.
When power rested primarily on material force there werer both good and bad
material forces operating. Then came the era when mental power was
predominant. For a short while it was a good era during which time mental
power was used for healing and regeneration. But it was not long before man
discovered that mental power could be used for evil purposes as well. Today
the world as always is a world of both material and mental forces. The
challenge is to go beyond the use of any force or power to a state of
no-power.
For every bit of good power in the physical or mental realm that can be
brought to bear in any situation, somebody in this world is going to
disciover how to use a corresponding amount of evil power. The ultimate
solution to this battle of opposing force is the ability to rise to God
power, which is not a good power, but a creative, maintaining and sustaining
power. It is to rise to a demension of life in which there is no-power, that
is, no power that can be used.
In a God-created universe, the secret of life is no-power. When we come to
the place of no-power, no power can operate against us, in us, or through
us. That puts us in a very humble position where, as much as we may dislike
doing it, we have to acknowledge as jesus did, "I speak not of myself: but
the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works."
This is the purpose of this letter - to come to a place where we do not give
lip service to the statement, I can of mine own self do nothing, but where
we demonstrate that it is actually true and let whatever is the power of
God, the no-power, assert Itself and do the work.
There is a second part of this principle which is of equal importance and a
natural corollary to the first. I have stated that men have always sought
for a power to overcome other powers, but they have also sought for
something more than that. They have sought a God who would give them
things - food clothing and hosuing.
Because Jesus knew that, he cautioned his followers, "Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body,
what ye shall put on." He knew that long before his day, men ahd been
seeking a God to give them food, clothing, housing, companionship, supply,
good crops, good hunting, and good fishing.
Even though his command was that they stop seeking after things, two
thousand years later the world still goes to Church to pray for the very
things that the New testament admonishes it not to pray for. Men are still
seeking a God to give them things - and failing, just as they failed to find
a God who would be an insuperable power to destroy his enemies.
When we give up seeking the power of God, we shall find that no-power which
bruings harmony into our lives. When we give up seeking tghe things of God,
we shall recieve the greatest gift - God ITSELF. We shall receive God in
consciousness, in our inner sanctuary or temple, in that secret place of the
most High. This is found in no toehr place than within ourselves. The great
lesson to be learned is that the goal is God-Realization and nothing else.
To anyone who thinks, Shouldn't I have health? or Shouldn't I have abundant
supply? the answer may be yes, becasue the grace of God supplies us with
ebverything of which we have need - even in what appears to be this human
scene
But we don'[t have any power to get these things from God. When we have the
actual conscious realization of God - the SUGMAD - pain, lack and limitation
fade away.
So you see, this isn't a matter of seeking power for ourselves to do
anything with - but trying to find that center in which we are neutral and
the ECK power flows through.
More Later.
Etznab
Sean,
Those were two great letters, I thought. Thanks for sharing
them.
Etznab
Etznab
http://circleofchristhood.webs.com/hawaiianhealingoutline.htm
Etznab
"When you take a good look at the idea of power you'll see that the cause of
all the turmoil and conflict in life lies [lays] in the deep-seated belief
in two powers."
"Spiritual healing work can only be successful through the consciousness of a person who knows that there are not two powers in the world...good and evil (and who is not eternally trying to get one power to do something to another power?)"
http://circleofchristhood.webs.com/hawaiianhealingoutline.htm
The message of not two powers is elaborated by Goldsmith. Including:
1. God is the only power.
2. Life is the only creative power and the only maintaining and sustaining power.
3. God has no opposite and no opposition.
Paul's answer to his contemplation included, in part (quoting from example on this thread):
"The question answered itself: No, if you ever discover what God power is, you will learn that It has no opposite and no opposition. It cannot be used for good, and It cannot be used for evil. It can only remain the creative, maintaining and sustaining power of good; a power which cannot be used. God
power cannot be used: It can use us, but It cannot be used by us."
Another feature of both versions include the following basic message:
Goldsmith:
"I of my own self can do nothing. The Father within me, He doeth the works."
Twitchell:
"I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works."
Goldsmith:
"You need take no thought for what you shall eat, for what you shall drink, or wherewithal you shall be clothed."
Twitchell:
"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on."
"lip service"
"sanctuary"
There isn't the time to accurately illustrate all comparisons in these examples, nor am I declaring this a major plagiarism example. Rather, in context to the extent of borrowing by Twitchell, and from Goldsmith, the core message in these two examples look very similar. Goldsmith's version is more extensive, whereas Twitchell's is like a relative summary (in other words).
One really has to read each example thoroughly and become familiar with them. For example, go to the section in Goldsmith's example where it was written (begin quotes ...):
[...] So we have two powers warring with each other on the material level and on the mental level.
Now we come to the revelation as we have it in The Infinite Way (as we have been proving it):
In the world of God there are not two powers. [... .]" (end quotes)
I would rather let the reader do the comparing since I haven't the time to illustrate these examples properly. However, if one actually reads the two examples I think the core similarity is inescapable.
Now, there were other letters in Twitchell's book surrounding the one called Beyond Power that were connected and related. It would take some time to get all of The Infinite Way teachings and compare with Twitchell's writings. I don't have all of those writings and I would rather not be the one to illustrate their material. I think it would probably be better if an Infinite Way representative familiar with all the writings were to take a look at the similar Eckankar versions; especially that reportedly by Rebazar Tarzs. And I think they could probably comment better (like the example on one of the recent links I gave where someone had changed the message of Goldsmith, or what he actually said.) A person could simply search the a.r.e. archives for the name Goldsmith and find the already illustrated examples. Adding keywords Goldsmith and 41391720 would bring up the following examples.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.religion.eckankar/Goldsmith$2041391720
I once read something about an allegation that someone already knows about and has seen all the examples of plagiarism. However, I still doubt that anybody has seen all examples to date because many don't (and don't want to) take the time to look.
Another curious word in the two versions is "contemplat" (keyword search the Goldsmith version for that spelling because it will bring up other versions of the word, like contemplative and contemplation, etc.) Then compare with the Paul Twitchell section that has:
"It was in contemplation while pondering this, that these questions came to
my mind."
"I was talking to myself. (Remember, we now call that contemplative meditation.) ..."
and then read for a while. Iow, look at what the Goldsmith version was saying and compare that with the message by Twitchell.
***
I'd like to recapture the trivia about when Twitchell reportedly went to Hawaii with his wife for vacation. Or, simply when he was in Hawaii. I think it might have been close to the time of these Goldsmith lessons. Not sure if a connection though.
Etznab
Etznab
And now that I'm on the subject, I believe there was at least one example of similar text between LTG and Dialogues With The Master; though I've yet ro find the a.r.e. post about it.
So many links are no longer working. But here is one for this thread.
http://web.archive.org/web/20140726203901/http://circleofchristhood.webs.com/hawaiianhealingoutline.htm