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Sacred Geometry and St John

Posted on 23 April 2013, 13:39

Wheels within wheels… there are often hidden layers of meaning in Jesus’ teaching. I am reminded of Luke 8:10 where we read, “And [Jesus] said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others [I talk] in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” This especially true of a strange passage at the end of the Gospel of St John at Chapter 21. It is a story churches round the world hear in the Sundays after Easter Day.
1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c]

9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. [New International Version (NIV).

fisht
Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Now, from the point of view of what we have learned from psychic research, it is quite possible that this story accurately describes an historical event. If we can take the story as having actually happened, then it is very impressive, and we can imagine the enormous impact on the disciples, and the deep significance of sharing a meal with the risen Lord. Whether or not it is a historical event, it evokes a deeper response in hearers of these words, at the wonder of the afterlife, and the world of Spirit.

But there may be a great deal more to this story. John Michell (below) in his book, City of Revelation [Chapter 9]  The writer of the Gospel of John would thoroughly agree with the picture of God in Ephesians as being “in all, through all, and above all.” We see this in Jesus’ words, “I am the vine and you are the branches,” and in his prayer in chapter 17, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

michell

John Michell sees the same teaching in the story of Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish. He points out that the Greeks did not have Arabic numerals but used letters of the alphabet as numerals.The letter Alpha = 1, Beta=2, Iota=10, and so on. This meant that one could add up the numerical value of each word. Playing that game in English: A=1, B=2, C=3, so the word “CAB” would be 3+1+2=6.

The ancient world also ascribed mystical meanings to numbers: 12 representing completeness: 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 months of the year, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles, 12x12x1000, 144,000 the number of people who would be saved. So also the number 1224 would represent the Everything, The Whole. “he phuteia – one of the words for “paradise” adds up to 1224, “one whole of wholes –hen holon holoon” adds up 1225. So does “God’s paradise – ho paradeison tou theou.”

Michell notes that “The Lord God – ho Kurios ho Theos” adds up to 1224; that “The creation of God – he ktisis tou Theou” also adds up to 1224. In the gospel story, “the net – to diktuon” adds up to 1224, and so does “the fishes –hoi ichthues”.

The fact that the words do add up in this way makes it very plausible that a hidden meaning of our story is that we need to become aware that we are conscious participants in God in the Cosmos, or one with Christ and with the Father. It means finding the Divine aspect of ourselves, where we understand what it means to be children of God. One would imagine that the writer of the gospel would have intended everything to be inspired by the open meaning of our story, and for the initiated to take to heart the hidden meaning.

A short blog is no place to drown in detail. But Michell is assuming that we are dealing with Sacred Geometry here, and the details of the story suggest the probability that the writer of the Gospel had some such geometrical diagram as the one below before him.

diagram

Michell pictures the fishing boat as a circular coracle, whose diameter is 1224 cubits. If we take the name Simon (Peter) the Rock, Simoon ho Petros,  then we have the length of the half circle whose diameter is 1224 cubits.  The six inner circles with diameters of 612 units represent the six disciples. The ancient holistic fish or diamond shape to the right, has each double side 1224 units long; if you number each of the small diamonds/fishes 1-16, and then add 1+2+3…+16, the number will be 153, the number of fishes caught, in our story. Jesus is understood to be standing at the edge of the left arc, and the distance between him and the boat would be 612 units, making just enough room for the circles representing Peter.

The catch is hauled to land.  This would signify the union of the Whole of Wholes, to Earth. It would signify the Heavenly Marriage of Revelation 22, where the Heavenly City is let down from heaven as a bride for her bridegroom the Earthly Jerusalem… or the physical world.

Even today mathemeticians can see their field as providing an insight into “the mind of God”, no way dissimilar to the feelings of the ancient Greek mathematicians.

In my next blog I hope to discuss just what this “Heavenly Marriage” or Union of Opposites might imply for our spiritual development.
Michael Cocks edits the journal, Ground of Faith.

Afterlife Teaching From Stephen the Martyr by Michael Cocks is published by White Crow Books and available from Amazon and other bookstores.

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On avoiding being one-eyed

Posted on 09 April 2013, 22:43

Each one of us, from time to time, needs to step back from our customary point of view, and acknowledge that reality is many faceted: We must not become one-eyed about what is real: reality is more than what psychic research reveals, it is more than what churches talk about, it more than scientific endeavour, indeed there are probably as many ways of getting a handle on reality as there are people on Earth. Our problem is indeed our temptation to become one-eyed.

I personally have spent 60 years as a priest in the Episcopal/Anglican Church, and I am very aware of its strengths and weaknesses.  I have tried not to be a one-eyed priest.  I find that I’m happier about my church when I remind myself of all the other ways of looking at reality, and avoid making grandiose claims about what my church can or cannot do.

Before I discuss the positive things that churches, and only churches, can do, I need to acknowledge the many negative things that can also be said about the organised religions: their superstitious teaching, their dogmatism, their use in the past in furthering colonialism, their oppression of women, moral lapses, and their role in fermenting intercommunity strife. The list of crimes committed in the name of religion is very long.
 
They often disappoint those who would like to think in a rational and scientific manner. They frustrate those who so desire that they would let themselves be aware of the very studies of exceptional human experiences that would validate the teachings derived from their holy books. In the interests of keeping a community of faith together, they can often act as a barrier to a profounder experience of Spirit. They have these faults because of the very fact that they are human institutions.

But I am not sorry to have spent my life is a priest, because churches, with all their limitations, perform irreplaceable functions: ideally they are composed of many kinds of people, young and old, of mixed nationalities who often share their community of faith throughout their lives. Such being their composition, churches bring their disparate members into one communion, and help them transcend themselves into a higher level of consciousness. Consider the masses of people congregated in St Peter’s Square, awaiting the blessing of the Pope. Self transcendence is found on a somewhat wider stage than we can experience in our private meditations. 

I have been re-reading Michael Talbot’s (below) Mysticism and the New Physics 1980 (rev. 1992) and once again have been much impressed by his writing. He is so able in his expositions, so interesting in his thinking, that I consider that he should still be widely read. He attempts to incorporate spirituality, religion and science together to shed light on profound questions. Of religions, he suggested that they could present differing kinds of metaprograms, presenting complex understandings of spiritual reality, and the opportunity to participate in such a reality, to young and old, at differing stages of emotional and intellectual development, in ways that no amount of straightforward rational prose could accomplish. (At least that is how I interpret him.) Churches do this through ritual, inspiring stories of the great religious leaders and teachers, with prayer, poetry, parable, story, hymn, song, symbol, dance, and other ceremonies. The intention is to evoke collective awareness of an inner spiritual reality in a very varied group of people, thus promoting a sense of communion amongst themselves and an all-embracing spirit.

talbot

The parables told by Jesus can be seen as such “metaprograms”.  Take the story of The Good Samaritan. The story is introduced with these words: ‘On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” [Luke 10:25-29]

To answer him Jesus tells his story, in which we are in true-believing Judaea, and a man walking along a country road has been robbed and badly hurt by robbers, leaving him lying on the side of the road. A priest comes along the road sees the man lying there, but fearing the robbers, passes by on the other side. Then another holy man, a Levite, comes up averts his eyes, and hurries on. Later there comes a very wrong-believing foreigner, a Samaritan, and he is riding on a donkey.

“And when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ ” [Luke 10:33-35]
Then Jesus asks, Who treated the injured man as a neighbour?

Obviously, it was the Samaritan. And even children can get the message, “Your neighbour” is “whoever is in front of you and in need”.  Older people get a further message, religious beliefs and doctrines take second place to the loving of God and neighbour. (Another message to the parochial and the racist would be that the foreigner may well be more enlightened, and a better person than oneself. ) Jesus spelled this out in his Great Commandment, to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself.

This and a great many other stories, because of the churches, have been in the minds of countless millions of people for 2000 years. They provide a spiritual and moral compass that no other institution can provide.  Members of these religions become aware of perhaps many millions of other people throughout the world who perceive spiritual and physical reality in a similar light. The great religions have inspirational leaders, mystics, thinkers, and often produce social and political reformers. And over the ages their have borne witness to the reality of the world of Spirit, and of the afterlife.

Religions also erect inspirational buildings. Every centre of population has its sacred edifice testifying to a higher realm.

Nothing can replace the great communities of faith, embracing all walks of life.

Thinking becomes one-eyed, though, when one fails to acknowledge the Cosmic Cathedral, the All in All,  where church members disregard science and psychic research, when it is forgotten that life in general is the arena in which our spiritual development takes place. Thinking becomes one-eyed, when it is forgotten that a church has a general function embracing the multiplicity that their membership is. Churches are not usually so good at supporting individuals in their spiritual development. If individuals do not also seek their spiritual nourishment elsewhere, they will be impoverished. As with our daily food: we need greens as well as starches.

83. Stephen, on the Mission of the Church
Question: Stephen, what about the Mission of the Church?
Stephen: About the Church as a whole? 
You ask the most surprising questions!
First, let us define the Church as a collection of people of a Christian belief, who follows this belief in its particular way.
In your case, the particular group of people is Anglican.
The mission of the church, (and it is a good question),
should be, and quite often is,
is to assist each other and those
that they come into contact with,
to develop into the eventual path of their own salvation
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
To follow the teachings of the Lord,
to give water to them that thirst, 
to clothe him that has no clothes,
to give bread to them that hunger,
to love them that appear to be unlovable,
this is the mission of your church.
Also to receive those that come to you,
but not despise those that don’t come to you,
for there are many ways to salvation.

Think not that God would abandon any soul or any child or creature through the lack of understanding of your church, or through the nonconforming with the rules of your church.”

Stephen sums up his teaching in a short prayer: “Lord, let me forget that I am me, Let me know that I am with thee, Let me not separate myself from thee, Because I am me.’
This prayer is a prayer for transcendence of the sensory-physical self into the spirit of the Whole.”

Michael Cocks edits the journal, Ground of Faith.

Afterlife Teaching From Stephen the Martyr by Michael Cocks is published by White Crow Books and available from Amazon and other bookstores.

Paperback               Kindle

Afterlife Teaching from Stephen the Martyr - Michael Cocks


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“Life After Death – The Communicator” by Paul Beard – If the telephone rings, naturally the caller is expected to identify himself. In post-mortem communication, necessitating something far more complex than a telephone, it is not enough to seek the speakers identity. One needs to estimate also as far as is possible his present status and stature. This involves a number of factors, overlapping and hard to keep separate, each bringing its own kind of difficulty. Four such factors can readily be named. Read here
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