Here is that question, recently put to me for the ten
thousandth time: "What is the significance or
relationship of Jesus Christ to me, as this Awareness I
am?"
Let me try to answer that question to the
satisfaction of a thinker. TRUTH is applicable at all
levels of human understanding, but the metaphysician has
never been able to give a satisfactory answer to the
fundamentalist churchman. Not just because the churchman
hasn't come to accept subjectivism yet, but because
subjectivism can't make the whole statement of Truth.
However, the Child of us CAN.
In reply to the question above, I must answer from
the metaphysical, subjective, middle position so it will
remain subjectively correct, but still be understood
objectively by one who hasn't caught the subjective idea
yet. I begin a full answer: I can speak only for myself.
Subjectively, people and history unfold within my
self-awareness. I have no awareness of Moses, Abraham,
Jesus, Genghis Khan, Dolly Parton or anyone else OUTSIDE
this conscious/subconscious awareness that writes and
reads these words. I take myself to be this Awareness
within which all bodies appear, including this one that
plunks at the keyboard, as well as the one who asks this
one a question about Jesus. Everyone, including the one
who reads these words, is within
myself/yourself-as-Awareness. This is self-evidently and
undeniably true for each of us, even for the theologian
who dismisses it as "silly solipsism." His dismissal
doesn't make it untrue.
Identified as Awareness, I look "outside" and see
trees, flowers, people and history in the making-all
MYSELF-AS-AWARENESS going on in an unending "now." I
look out and see evidences of the past (history) and
possibilities for the future. I look out and read
history books and bibles. I look out and see attracting,
compelling, unifying things and ideas which are all
within this Self-awareness. I look out and, despite all
the teeth-clenching metaphysical absoluteness I am
capable of, I still see ("seem" to see) distracting,
repelling, dividing and destructive things, all within
Awareness. Wheat and tares.
The wheat and tares "outside" myself have an
equivalent "inside." The tree and the warm glow of the
setting sun evoke a sense of beauty. The unifying themes
evoke a sense of harmony and joy. The distracting and
divisive scenes evoke discomfort, distrust, dis-ease,
and so on. The obverse of this is true as well. I feel a
sense of peace within and look outside and see evidences
of that peace as happy and harmonious things I might not
have been aware of otherwise. (Part of the Mystery is
the Christly admonition to "make the inside and the
outside into a single one.")
Let us examine this solipsistic fact for a moment.
The first thing I see when I look "outside" is this
body-image at the typewriter, an image more sensitive to
me than all the other images-from this objective point
of view. Stick a pin in this image and I yell. Stick one
in that image and I may yell, but I don't always feel
the pain. "My" view seems to be limited to the purview
of this first image whose name is William and who sits
here at the typewriter. But it isn't. After these many
years of subjective living, I have learned that
Awareness isn't limited at all, but can and should
perceive from many viewpoints simultaneously, including
some views little understood by the more distant images
I see within myself when I look "out"-and especially not
understood by my religious selfhood, nor even by my
metaphysician friends who should understand. For that
matter, Awareness sees things undreampt by men.
The belief which "the world" proclaims and the
beliefs (viewpoints) I hear spoken "out there" in the
people-world are written and spoken from the position
that IDENTITY is that first thing I see when I look into
the mirror. That body-image which is so sensitive, the
world says, is our (my) identity. This form and shape
that sits here writing and answering your question is
said to be the identity I am-an identity not unlike the
form of the man who walked the hills of Galilee. But
clearly (to me), the body-image is not my identity.
Rather, the Awareness that "looks out" and looks in,
"thinks out" from that body, is the Identity I am. The
Awareness within which all the bodies and trees and
books and artifacts appear is Identity, as nearly as I
can establish at the metaphysical level. My God, if I'm
naught but the body, I am a mere bucket of blood and a
sack of tremulous pumps. If I am that only, I am what my
mother and father made. If I am LIFE, I am what God
made.
Therefore, this Awareness is the "subjective"
Identity I am and think of myself AS. From this
perspective, all tangibility, all things, thoughts,
ideas, books, historic figures and all history itself
are WITHIN the Awareness I AM-and this Awareness
embraces every form of every thing. Clearly, Moses spoke
of this identity as having dominion over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth. He also indicated
that we lost sight of it very quickly in the scheme of
things.
Well now, subjectively (metaphysically), some of the
things I look at are more meaningful to me at one time
or another. When it seems this first image within
awareness, the William body, is hungry, food is a sight
to enjoy. When I look at a unifying idea within the
world of myself, I feel more satisfaction than when
looking at or listening to a destructive idea, a
dividing idea, or one that creates doubt and confusion
in myself and in the world. "But what about JESUS, for
Christ's sake?" my questioner thunders.
He is the most unifying Idea I have, my friend, but
keep your shirt on. I am answering your question
reasonably, logically, step by step, leaving nothing
out, which is the way the Answer comes to us. O.K.? Your
question will be answered if you will be patient.
"William Samuel, I tell you that Jesus is the blood
of the Lamb! Jesus saves! Jesus is the way! Praise
Jesus, Hallelujah!"
Thank you for such love, my friend. Now let me answer
that part of your question about the relationship of
Jesus Christ and "me as Awareness." I was saying that
identified as Awareness, all my knowledge of anything
and everything is WITHIN Awareness-including the
knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is exactly the same for
you. All the bibles of the world are knowledge that
comes to us by way of Awareness. I have no consciousness
of the avatars, Jesus mighty among them, except as they
come to ME here, WITHIN and AS this AWARENESS. Would you
agree with this?
"I'm lost."
It seems so.
"If I'm lost, why am I trying to save you?"
You are not lost really, my friend, and neither am I.
Let's get back to the subjective views of Awareness.
About Jesus Christ specifically, because this will
answer questions for subjectivists who need to know as
well. They especially need to get their metaphysics
straight so they can get on with the rest of the Work
given them to do.
