Edgar Cayce On Oneness

From:  "calugar22" <calugar22@yahoo.com>
Date:  Sun Nov 21, 2004  4:14 am
Subject:  Edgar Cayce On Oneness
 

Edgar Cayce On Oneness

One of the great ironies of human nature is the fact that the very
structure intended to enrich our relationship with God is the one
thing which divides us most as a human family. For countless eons,
more wars have been fought on religious principles than for any other
reason. Even to this day, wars, bloodshed, political battles, and
countless examples of our inhumanity to one another are commonplace as one group tries to instill (or enforce) its belief systems, its
politics, or the supremacy of its God onto the lives of others. These
conflicts are not simply between various religions but are also within
each denomination. There are sects within Christianity, Buddhism,
Judaism, Hinduism, Islam-within every religion!-many convinced that
they are just a little more right than anyone else. Even various
churches, temples, and synagogues have found differences with other
members of their own sect who have somehow fallen away from the
"original" or the "true" faith.

The first lesson for six months should be One-One-One- One; Oneness of God, oneness of man's relation, oneness of force, oneness of time,
oneness of purpose, Oneness in every effort-Oneness- Oneness!
Reading 900-429

In addition to separating people from one another, these conflicts
have also caused individuals to become disillusioned with
religion-some even becoming convinced that religion is a waste of
time. Too often, the result has been that people have given up their
faith in God because of their disappointment in humankind.

WHERE IS thine OWN will? One with HIS, or to the glorifying of thine
own desires—thine own selfish interests?

Reading 900-429



Interestingly enough, the Edgar Cayce material states that part of the
problem is due to our ignorance of our oneness with one another.

Cayce's information presents a hopeful and inspiring approach to
spirituality and religion that inextricably weaves all of humanity
together. Rather than focusing upon the form of specific religions or
dogmas, the readings instead focus upon the importance of every single soul attempting to manifest an awareness of the living Spirit in the earth.

"what is the difference? ...Truth...is of the One source. Are there
not trees of oak, of ash, of pine? There are the needs of these for
meeting this or that experience...Then, all will fill their place.
Find not fault with any, but rather show forth as to just how good a
pine, or ash, or oak, or vine thou art!"

Reading 254-87

From Cayce's perspective, our goal is not to simply wait for heaven or
to escape the earth; instead, we are challenged to bring an awareness
of the Creator into our lives and into our surroundings wherever we
may be, right now.

There is a common bond we all share as a collective humanity: There is
but one God, and we are all God's children. In order to reawaken that
sense of connectedness we share with one another, the readings state
that the start of any spiritual journey should begin with the
knowledge that the Lord God is One. Regardless of the name we call God or the religion on earth that we feel drawn to, there is but one
Creator, one Source, one Law. In fact, perhaps more than anything
else, this concept of "oneness" is the underlying philosophy of the
Edgar Cayce readings.

Just What Is Oneness?

This notion of oneness in a world so filled with variety may, at
first, seem a difficult concept to comprehend. After all, we are
surrounded by a myriad of plants, trees, animals, experiences, and
people. Rather than attempting to make all things the same, however,
oneness suggests instead that we have the opportunity to view this
rich diversity as an example of the multiple ways in which the One
Spirit tries to find expression in our lives. Since there is only one
God-the source of all that exists-ultimately, the universe must be
composed of only one Force.

Oneness as a force implies that all things are interrelated. Every one
of us has a connection to one another, the earth, the universe, and to
God. This one force is a force for good which is attempting to bring
the spirituality of the Creator into the earth. Unfortunately, because
of our limited awareness of the power of free will, individuals are
able to direct that force into selfish purposes and desires, creating
"evil" in the process.

In terms of spirituality, the concept of oneness suggests that God is
not limited to expressing through one religion alone. Instead, the
Creator manifests in individuals' lives because of their faith and
because of their relationship to the spiritual Source, not because of
their specific religion. From Cayce's perspective, religion is the
form in which individuals attempt to understand the manifestation of
this Spirit. God can (and does!) work through every soul in the
earth.

The good news is that, in spite of how things may appear in the world
today, the readings assert that all of Creation will eventually be
brought into an awareness of this oneness and of the Law of Love which it implies. One of our challenges as individuals is to make the world a better place because we have lived in it. Perhaps the best approach to this consciousness is reflected in the Bible when it states that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves.

As a means of discovering the oneness of Spirit, the readings
encourage comparative religious study. Through such a discipline, each
of us might see beyond surface differences and, instead, find the
commonalties we share with one another:

...coordinate the teachings, the philosophies of the east, and the
west, the oriental and the occidental, the new truths and the old...
Correlate not the differences, but where all religions meet- there is
one God! "Know, O Israel, the Lord God is one!"

Reading 991-1


...consider a field of corn. In the grain of corn there is life. Man
plants it in the soil, works it, and then he reaps the harvest. Not
every man selects the same kind of corn. Not every man plows it alike.
Not every man sows it alike. Not every man reaps it alike. Yet, in
each case it brings forth the very best that there is. It is the God
or the life within each grain that the man is seeking. It sustains his
body, and also produces enough seed to raise more. That's religion.
That's the denominations.

Reading 991-1


When the concept of reincarnation is studied, what becomes apparent is not what religion people may be in the present but rather, more
important, how individuals apply the knowledge they possess. within
the cycle of reincarnation, we have all been Jewish, we have all been
students of Eastern or Middle Eastern religions; we have all been
agnostic or even atheistic; we have all been Christian. It's important
to remember that first we are all children of the same God, and only
secondly are we separated by doctrines or specific religious beliefs.
We are spiritual beings manifesting in the physical world. Our
religious dogmas and beliefs have changed as readily as we have. To be bigoted toward any situation, type of individual, or
experience-especially with the knowledge that we will draw those same
circumstances to us in the future-is not in keeping with the concept
of oneness.

Religion as a Form

The work of Edgar Cayce has attracted individuals from all walks of
life and religious backgrounds. In fact, Cayce's view was that if the
information in the readings was helpful and hopeful, making you a
better person in the process, then you should be able to bring that
renewed sense of "spirit" into your own faith. If, on the other hand,
working with a particular concept wasn't helpful to you (the
philosophy of reincarnation being one example), then individuals were
simply told to leave it alone. Individuals were never advised to
change their religious beliefs because of the Cayce readings. What
Cayce was most concerned with was the application of spiritual
principles, not an individual's specific religion. There is a
difference between spirituality and religion, although both are
important.

Religion is primarily concerned with matters of religious faith,
ritual, structure, and tradition. Unfortunately, too often, a specific
religion has been seen as the vehicle for personal salvation rather
than simply being one of the various forms in which humankind is
trying to understand the manifestation of Spirit in their lives. Many
individuals have somehow elevated one religion above all others,
perhaps deciding that there is but one form with which to demonstrate
true faith. On the other hand, at times it has been the very religious
structure with which individuals have become frustrated or
disappointed, perhaps even deciding that they no longer need to have
religion in their lives. Neither of these responses is in keeping with
the concept of oneness. It is important to remember that religion
serves a purpose. Without some form, spirituality can too easily
become simply a philosophical mind-game rather than having practical
ramifications for daily life. A loose spirituality may be fragmented,
selfishly independent, lacking community, etc. Without religious form,
children can be raised without a sense of the applicability of Spirit
in their lives.

One of our confusions associated with religion is that we often
mistake the form for the Spirit. For example, individuals may have a
particular moving religious experience while attending a certain
church or a service in a specific religious denomination. These
experiences may include being overwhelmed by the spirit, having a very moving (or even a "kundalini") experience, awakening to the awareness of God's presence, even speaking in tongues. Rather than seeing these experiences within the context of form, however, individuals often assume that because their experience was valid, everything else associated with that religious form contains the same degree of value-they are only forgetting that throughout the history of
humankind, individuals have had similar transformational experiences
in every religion.

There may be different channels of approach, yes. For not all peoples
walked in the field when the wheat was ripe. Neither did all stand at
the tomb when Lazarus was called forth. Neither were they all present
when He walked on the water, nor when He fed the five thousand, nor
when He hung on the Cross. Yet each experience answered, and does
answer to something within each individual soul-entity. For each soul
is a corpuscle in the body of God.

Reading 3395-2


Remember, the essential premise of the Cayce philosophy is that we are all attempting to manifest the Christ Consciousness in the earth.
Although we might currently find ourselves in the physical dimension,
we are not physical creatures with souls; rather, we are souls who
happen to be expressing ourselves in materiality. The distinction is
important because, too often, we may associate ourselves with
external, temporal things such as race, sexuality, color, and religion
that are not a part of our true spiritual nature. It is not so much
that we go to heaven; rather, we grow in awareness of our true
spiritual nature and of our relationship with God and with one
another. In fact, this process of growth and unfoldment is clearly
described in the New Testament (Matthew 13:31-33 KJV) when Jesus
discussed, in parables, the nature of Heaven.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

And, from the readings, "For you grow to heaven, you don't go to
heaven. It is within thine own conscience that ye grow there,"
(reading 3409-1).

Spirituality as a Living Awareness

Although religion often deals with form, spirituality generally deals
with an individual's application of his or her individual knowledge or
awareness. Since our natural state is spirit, reawakening to full
spiritual awareness is one of the purposes we all have in common. In
fact, in one reading (3357-2), Cayce stated that "Soul development
should take precedence over all things." From the readings'
perspective, this development is not achieved through some great deed or act; instead, it is a gradual accomplishment which is attained
"line upon line, precept upon precept." What appears to be most
important in terms of soul development is an individual's application
of the things of the Spirit in their interactions with others: love,
kindness, gentleness, patience, persistence, and consistency.

Since the purpose of life is to bring the spirituality of the Creator
into the earth, attunement and application are at the heart of
spiritual growth. Attunement is the process of reawakening to an
awareness of our spiritual nature and our true relationship with God.
As mentioned previously, the most frequently recommended tools for
achieving this attunement are the regular practice of prayer and
meditation. Both prayer and meditation are invaluable at
reestablishing a conscious awareness of our spiritual source while
inviting God's will to work through us as a "channel of His blessings"
in service to others.

Repeatedly, a core concept from the Edgar Cayce material has been
stated: Spirit is the life, mind is the builder, and the physical is
the result. In terms of oneness, essentially what this means is that
the one force, Spirit, constantly flows through us. However, it is
acted upon by the properties of the mind and then channeled into our
lives in accordance with our free will. Regardless of whether or not
an individual even believes in God, everything about that person is
given life through the properties of the one activating Spirit. What
he or she does with that Spirit is a matter of choice, and "crimes or
miracles" may be the result.

This ability of personal creation, whether through thought, experience
or activity, caused the readings to identify the human soul as a
cocreator with God. Because of this gift of cocreation, Cayce
continually advised individuals that one of the most important things
they could do was to establish an appropriate spiritual motivation (or
ideal) for their lives, thereby directing personal choice into
positive directions. From Cayce's perspective, too often, we are out
of touch with the intentionality (the why) behind our everyday
actions. By consciously establishing a spiritual motivation, such as
service, compassion, love, or Jesus, as our pattern and then trying to
make that motivation a greater part of our lives, real personal
transformation and soul development can result.

The soul, then, must return-will return-to its Maker. It is a portion
of the Creative Force, which is energized into activity even in
materiality, in the flesh...Then, just being kind, just being patient,
just showing love for thy fellow man; that is the manner in which an
individual works at becoming aware of the consciousness or the Christ
Spirit. Reading 272-9

Just like in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), we were
with God in the beginning and, through choice and experience, found
ourselves cut off from a complete awareness of Him. In one respect,
the fall of humankind was really our descent in consciousness from the
realms of infinity to those of time and space. However, this was not
necessarily a "bad" thing or an erroneous choice. Just as a child
learns through experience, choice, and making mistakes along the way, our own experiences through choice and will embody a maturation
process that will enable us to come into our full heritage and an
awareness of our true spiritual nature. In time, as we bring the
spirituality of God into the earth, we will awaken to our own
spiritual Source, eventually finding our way back to the Creator.

Not only is spiritual transformation our goal, but it is our
birthright as well. With the proper spiritual motivation, we will be
brought into alignment with this perfect pattern by working with
attunement, appropriate mental attitudes, and a desire to bring our
spiritual ideal into physical application.

What Shall We Do with Jesus?

Throughout history, the perspectives people have had on the life and
teachings of Jesus have been varied, oftentimes even at odds. For
some, Jesus has been seen as the only Son of God, bringing salvation
only to those who call themselves Christian. Members of non-Christian
religions may have ignored His life and ministry or they may have
thought, "Well, Christians have been cruel to me, and therefore I'm
not interested in Jesus." Individuals involved in New Thought or
comparative religions may have decided that Jesus was "just a
teacher," or they may have disregarded Him altogether. According to
the Edgar Cayce readings, each of these perspectives is
short-sighted.

Although Edgar Cayce was a Sunday school teacher all of his life, as
well as an elder in the Presbyterian church, for him the meaning of
Jesus' life went beyond that described by Christians and
non-Christians alike. For that reason, regardless of our upbringing or
our religious affiliation, the Cayce material offers some insightful
and challenging information about the life and work of this man Jesus,
who became the Christ.

Essentially, the readings present Jesus as our "Elder Brother," a soul
who came to show each one of us the way back to our spiritual Source
by perfectly manifesting the laws of the Creator. Part of His mission
was to fully demonstrate the living awareness of the Spirit in the
earth-something each one of us will eventually have to do. Therefore,
Jesus' life of service to others serves as an example for all of
humankind. In fact, the readings state:

For the Master, Jesus, even the Christ, is the pattern for every man
in the earth, whether he be Gentile or Jew, Parthenian or Greek. For
all have the pattern, whether they call on that name or not

Reading 3528-1

Jesus Himself said "I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you,"
(John 14:20 KJV). We are all part of that same spiritual Source. Jesus
was a child of God-just as we are all children of God. What Jesus did,
we are all being called to do and, as our Elder Brother and the
Pattern, He will show us the way. In fact, Jesus is the Good Shepherd
who is very much involved with us right now in teaching us about our
relationship with the Creator. In discussing with God our joint
spiritual nature and eventual destiny, Jesus said:

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world...That they
all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they
also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they
may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they
may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

John 17:16, 21-23 KJV

This importance of this information, the fact that every individual is
an integral part of God's creation and that we all share the same
relationship with the Creator as even Jesus, will eventually transform
(even revolutionize!) the ways in which we think about ourselves and
treat one another.

Conclusion

Why do we have so many religious sects if the principle of oneness is
an undergirding force in the universe? In part, the answer lies in our
own diversity and in the fact that we are all drawn to what we need at
a given time for our own personal growth and development. In addition, we also possess the very human trait of wanting to "pin down" our truth, putting parameters around our understanding so that we can deal with it. But truth is a growing thing, and the Cayce readings affirm that no one has all the answers to the marvelous question of who we really are as God's spiritual children. But even in the midst of our diversity, we share a common spiritual heritage. We are all children of the same God. We are all part of the one spiritual Source, our Creator, our Mother/Father, our God.

Each soul in entering the material experience does so for those
purposes of advancement towards that awareness of being fully
conscious of the oneness with the Creative Forces. 2632-1

Oneness as a force suggests that each of us is connected in ways that
we might never before have imagined. Our challenge is to bring that
wholeness to consciousness, an "awareness within each soul, imprinted
in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the
soul's oneness with God." (5749-14) Regardless of an individual's
religion or personal beliefs, this Christ pattern exists in potential
upon the very fiber of his or her being. It is that part which is in
perfect accord with the Creator and is simply waiting to find
manifestation in one's life.

Edgar Cayce On Oneness


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