Chapter 4
This chapter is about the importance of the initiation and meditation practice.
The beginning of this Chapter follows upon the discussion of our inherent longing for God started at the previous Chapter. As far as I understand longing is the notion that ensures that our Soul looks for and eventually finds the way Home to God. Longing is God’s calling us Home. Thirst maybe understood in the text as longing for water (the Names) that Jesus offers to the Samaritan woman which is the ‘key’ to the way Home.
Here, the other great element of our journey appears, fear. If we see God as the source of Loving, then in that sense Fear is Kal or the Devil/Satan. Fear ensures that we stay trapped in the cycle of life and death. Fear is our constant companion. There is none without fear. We all fear something and that fear defines our relationship with God. Very often walking the path means facing our fears and letting go of our misconceptions sustaining that fear.
“but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;”
Beas says that as a result of drinking from the water Jesus offers is “You will have only one desire: to merge back into the Father.” In reality, for most of us, it is a rather long and arduous process. As a result of our initiation, that Jesus describes as drinking from the water he offers, the longing starts getting stronger in us and eventually it gets so strong that we can do nothing else but to follow the calling. Letting go of the needs that lie behind our fears is a process on its own and often it does not come easy for the initiate. To my experience the more open I am to allowing the longing to lead me, the less I fight for my own will; the more I trust that I will be OK even though I don’t understand what is happening exactly, the easier the transition is.
“You will have only one desire: merging back into the Father” sounds very simple. In my view, however, it is a long and strugglesome journey. In my experience, the desire is with us from birth however it is kind of awakened and brought into consciousness at initiation. It is a kind of reminder that cannot be ignored no matter how tough the journey may become, it needs to be followed until completion.
“… but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” This sentence states that the longing (the water also called the Nectar) is already inside of us we are just not aware of it yet, not until we are reminded by drinking from the water aka being initiated.
Beas says that “at the eye centre, that living water is spouting like a fountain that never dries, but our cup is upside down.” The mentioning of the cup reminded me of the Holy Grail that seekers have searched all through history. It is somehow funny to realize that the cup many have risked their lives to find has all along has been hidden inside of ourselves. Also the cup, for me, represents our search for the way Home, eternal life as they call it. I can imagine that our cup is tuned up just before we are initiated, which can be a sign of being marked for returning Home.
Later Jesus reveals that the soul of the Samaritan woman is ready to be initiated which has nothing to do with the worldly rituals. To my experience, marked souls either know that they are to be initiated or they are notified. I very much like the idea that the Samaritan woman and Jesus are standing by a well, an endless source of water as they are talking. As if they are talking in the presence of God who appears as fresh water.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
In some mysterious way, I think that we are all deep inside waiting for being called upon, being called Home. We do not know it consciously, so we spend the time with whatever life offers us. Until one day, in one of the many lifetimes, we meet this wandering stranger who offers Water. And then, we still don’t understand what it is, but we sense some incomprehensible stirring inside and so we step forward and take the cup gratefully.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
This is probably the most important message in the Bible that I wish to follow literally as a Minister. If there is a message I would like to convey to those who wish to cherish God it is that God is in the inner temple not in the outer. God can only be worshipped inside, within one own spirit. One does not necessarily have to be an initiate in order to be able to start building a relationship with God. Before I became and initiate I visited various churches, practised numerous religious rituals then resorted to meditation.
Regarding “But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of “ Beas says that ”The real purpose for which we were created is to worship the Father and merge back into Him, and we cannot achieve that purpose unless we are on the path.” This explanation confirms what I earlier wrote regarding the inherent inner calling that we all possess.
In response to “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? … behold, I say unto you, Lift up our eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest “ Beas reminds us that “We must give the best part of our life to the Father, not the worst part. It is a very rare opportunity to be in the human form. And it is only while we are in the human form that we can worship the Lord and go back to Him.”
It is always hard for me grasp how we seemingly waste our time away in silly life choices when it is so crucial to understand that human life is precious, unique and purposefully created so we can return Home. Why it then that most of us are ignorant about this most important fact? ”As long as you are living below the eye centre, you are not worshipping the Father; you are not in touch with the Sprit. If you want to make the best use of the human form, ” Lift up our eyes” responds Beas. I understand that no one life is lost or mistaken in any way simply slightly delayed!
Rest of the Chapter is about the importance of meditation. Jesus and Beas remind us that the time is now and the rewards are waiting for us on the field right now, ”look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest”
”And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”
Here Beas offers plenty explanation what the rewards of our time spent in meditation and worship are. However, in my experience, before occurring any reward most seekers experience immense amount of loss and hardship. We all handle challenges in our life differently depending on our disposition. In my experience, however, we all do encounter a great sense of fear, loss, resistance, confusion before we arrive to the ‘field’ where God is awaiting us. Occasionally, it takes great faith to know that no matter what life brings into our lives there is a meeting point set already for us, we only need to walk there with the help of the Word, the inner guide.
Finally, Jesus makes a point about God’s part in our journey towards Him saying “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” Beas rephrases this way “You know that method of worshipping the Father and you have not laboured for this knowledge. I have given you this knowledge. Do not think that you have searched for me and found me. Actually, “Father has drawn out to me. But for my Father, you would never have known anything about me.”
Though I know per facto, that we are called upon when we are ready to return Home and it is when the Teacher appears to guide us Home. Just until recently I found it hard to imagine that God keeps an eye on us at all. I now wonder if all the incidents, people we encounter and befriend, opportunities that present themselves in our lives so-called accidentally or synchronically are ways God eases our journey.
This verse troubles me: “A prophet has no honour in his own country” I wonder what it means?